The Georgia Voice - 3/19/10 Vol. 1, Issue 1 by Georgia Voice

03.19.10 NEWS

OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS “Lack of equality for some is lack of equality for all and I think its time for us all to get equal.”

Federal civil suit moves forward in Eagle case. Page 4 Eagle 8 defendants found not guilty. Page 5 Lesbian state rep learning to pick her battles. Page 6 Bullying bill tabled in Ga. House. Page 8 Soulforce Equality Ride stops in Atlanta. Page 11 Gay couples wed in D.C. Page 12 National news briefs. Page 12 ENDA could see vote in Congress soon. Page 13

— Will Phillips, 11, accepting the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s award for Outstanding TV Journalism Segment for CNN’s “Why Will Won’t Pledge Allegiance.” The Arkansas student remains seated during the pledge because gay people are not treated equally. (GLAAD, March 14)

“I played by ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ I just don’t agree with what the Rapid City police department did.”

VOICES

COMMUNITY Sports: Gay bowling up your alley. Page 25 Ga. Spotlight: Congregation Bet Haverim, Augusta Pride. Page 26

CALENDAR Pages 28-30

theGAVOICE.com • Breaking news as it happens • Calendar and daily event highlights • ‘Pop Quiz’ video interviews • Extensive photo albums • Video galleries • Share ‘Your News’ and ‘Your Voice’

BY THE NUMBERS

“What I really meant was that the sound of the guitar is very happy.” — Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, backtracking after initially saying the guitar hook on Michael Jackson’s “Black or White” was “gay.” (Spinner, March 15)

Percent of LGBT youth who report being victims of cyberbullying

13,500

Discharges under ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ since 1994

$40,000

Bail set for Neal Horsley, a Georgia man who threatened the life of gay pop icon Sir Elton John after John described Jesus as gay

$255.5 million facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

POP QUIZ

Sir Elton John’s net worth in 2008 Sources: Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund, Live Science, Rolling Stone, Sunday Times Rich List

NICOLE PAIGE BR OO DRAG QUEEN & AC KS TIVIST View the full interv iew at

t h e GAVO IC E .co m

Why are you notorious? In the late 90s, early 2000s, I was thrown out of most of the bars I was invited in to. But, luckily I was invited back. I got banned from Backstreet, my home bar. I got tossed out of most places. I got a little drunk and mouthy. Imagine!

Photo by George S. Rossano

‘Prodigal Sons’ traces unlikely family. Page 16 Music: AGMC takes ﬁrst state tour. Page 18 Art: ‘Memory Flash’ transports queer history. Page 20 Theater: March madness hits local stages. Page 22

Photo via Facebook

A&E

WITH JZ

Editorial: Creating a new ‘voice’ for our community. Page 14 Cartoon: Justice for the Eagle. Page 14 Publisher: Why we still need LGBT media. Page 15

— Former Air Force Sgt. Jene Newsome, who was discharged for being lesbian after local police, who came to her home to serve a warrant on her wife, saw their Iowa marriage license and informed the military. (Associated Press, March 13)

“Please be assured that the ‘gender identity and sexual orientation’ of cast members has never been a consideration in the selection of tour performers.” — “Stars on Ice” tour organizers in a press release responding to charges that the ﬁgureskating show declined to include ﬂamboyant Olympian Johnny Weir for not being ‘family friendly.’ Weir declines to discuss his sexual orientation (Associated Press, March 15)

GA Voice March 19, 2010

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id a r le g a E r e v o it u s w la l a r e d e f o t s n r u t Focus o apology n t u b – ey n o m t n e m le tt ty offered se Plaintiffs’ attorney says ci

Atlanta’s Stonewall? The Eagle raid has been compared to the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a New York City gay bar, that is credited with sparking the modern gay rights movement. How do the two raids really stack up? We asked Scott Titshaw, professor at Mercer University School of Law, who teaches “Sexual Orientation and the Law.”

By Christopher Seely It seemed like business as usual that Thursday night last September, as patrons of the Atlanta Eagle tossed back beers and enjoyed the dancers on the gay leather bar’s popular Underwear Night. But whether what happened next can remain “business as usual” for the Atlanta Police Department is part of a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by several of the men in the bar that night. Undercover and uniformed officers stormed the bar, forcing patrons to the floor, where they remained for as long as an hour as police checked their identification and searched them for drugs. The department maintains the raid was based on a months-long undercover investigation into alleged sexual and drug activity at the Eagle, but no one was arrested on sex or drug charges. All but one of the eight employees who were arrested were either found not guilty or had their charges dismissed March 11. With those cases now resolved, the focus turns to the federal civil lawsuit, which is gaining momentum with settlement talks and depositions this week. “This case is very important to the LGBT community, in that dozens of gay men had their civil rights violated that night,” said Lambda Legal attorney Greg Nevins. “But it is important to the entire city of Atlanta, in that the police have maintained that they have the right to detain and search innocent people without a warrant or any suspicion of illegal activity. “Those practices must stop for the good of the LGBT community and everyone else in Atlanta.” Nevins is supervising attorney for the Southern regional office of Lambda Legal, which filed the lawsuit with attorney Dan Grossman and the Southern Center for Human Rights. The city law department and the plain-

Photo by Shannon Jen kins/Offhand Photograp hy

n’t have ‘We need to send a message that you do was ed. It to be gay to care about what happen anybody.’ a plain old assault on the rights of plaintiffs Dan Grossman, attorney for the Eagle tiffs’ attorneys discussed settlement options as recently as last Friday, one day after the Municipal Court trial, Grossman said. Neither acting Atlanta City Attorney Roger Bhandari nor Mayor Kasim Reed would comment on the pending litigation.

Not just about gay rights

Eagle patrons ﬁled the federal lawsuit last November, along with co-plaintiffs Rawhide Leather, Inc., a leather shop in the Eagle’s basement, and Ramey & Kelley, Inc., the corporation doing business as the Atlanta Eagle. The suit names the City of Atlanta and several police ofﬁcers, including former Chief Richard Pennington, as defendants. According to Grossman, the city scheduled plaintiff depositions beginning Monday, March 15, as the lawsuit entered a pre-trial discovery phase slated to last eight months. Unlike typical gay rights court cases,

this lawsuit does not seek to change any laws but rather to force Atlanta police to comply with existing constitutional guarantees and state laws that protect all citizens from police misconduct, Grossman said. “The precedent is already there,” Gross man said, adding that he sought assistance not only from Lambda Legal but also from the Southern Center for Human Rights be cause it is not just a “gay case.” “We need to send a message that you don’t have to be gay to care about what happened. It was a plain old assault on the rights of anybody,” he said. “Everybody has a right to go out, have a beer, watch the game on TV and not get thrown on the ﬂoor and handcuffed.” The decision to search everyone in the bar “demonstrates a problem we’ve seen frequently where police target an entire group of individuals, detain and search them all, when police only suspect that a

How does the Eagle raid compare to raids that happened prior to the Stonewall riots in terms of the surrounding political climate? “Before there was much less tolerance, therefore politicians tended to use gay bar raids for political purposes, as did police. Up until the 1970s, the frequency of raids tended to go up around the time of elections, and politicians used raids to show they were cleaning up the cities by cracking down on an illicit population that was unpopular. “One of the biggest differences this time is the political reaction. The mayoral candidates in Atlanta condemned the raids or at least disclaimed any support for them, so there’s been a big shift in the political potency or use of raids for political purposes. It’s become more of a negative than a positive for incumbent leaders.” Was this raid carried out in a similar manner as raids before Stonewall? “The raid itself is somewhat similar in how it happened. Allegedly there were these humiliating games the police played using slurs and allegedly kicking people, shoving them and the like. All that would have been common many years ago as well. This is interesting because there were so many officers involved. “Before the 1970s, gay people were not taken seriously. There was this idea that they would not fight back, so bringing in so many officers would not have been likely. Back then most of the gay people would probably have been scared of police and not resisted. They certainly would not have brought a lawsuit because they would have been too afraid of being outed or losing their job and the like.”

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www.theGAVoice.com few have engaged in anything criminal,” said Gerry Weber, senior staff counsel at the Southern Center for Human Rights. “This violates the basic principle that probable cause is based on an individual’s conduct, not their mere presence at the wrong place and time,” he said. Grossman and his co-counsel will next file paperwork to amend the plaintiffs’ original complaint so it includes individual police officers whose names were not known when the lawsuit was filed. The amendment to the complaint will also request to add more plaintiffs who were present at the Eagle during the raid. Grossman also plans to request discovery documents, such as disciplinary records and complaints against defendant officers, radio transmission tapes recorded during the raid, internal memos written before and after the raid, and officer activity sheets documenting the day of the raid. The lawsuit seeks both punitive damages and compensation for actual damage to property, physical pain and injury, mental anguish and emotional distress. Additionally, the plaintiffs want the city to stop adhering to police procedures followed during the Eagle raid and to delete any information about the plaintiffs entered into police records or databases as a result of the raid, according to Grossman.

‘Settlement will need to include an apology’

The city has offered money to settle the case, but none of the plaintiffs or their attorneys originally became involved in the lawsuit because of a desire to be monetarily compensated, said Grossman, adding that no specific dollar amount has been involved in the negotiations. “In this case, money is less important than putting in place a real concrete structure to protect citizens from this happening again,” Grossman said. “But the longer the city has dragged this out and defended something that is indefensible, the more we realize that financial damages may be the only way to get their attention.” Ray Matheson, one of the patron plaintiffs, echoed Grossman’s statement. “My first priority is not getting a check,” Matheson said. “I have a job and I have a life. I’m more about the apology and about people being forced

to admit that what they did was wrong than just pulling out their checkbooks.” According to the plaintiff’s complaint filed Nov. 24, 2009, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Deputy Police Chief Carlos Banda stated last October at a public forum that the alleged police misconduct during the raid is actually the department’s standard policy and practice for the “Red Dog Unit” which raided the Eagle. “If the city wants to resolve this case in a productive and responsible way, the settlement will need to include an apology, an admission of wrongdoing, and a commitment to changing police policy,” said Grossman. “So far they have flatly refused.” In early January, Atlanta City Council Member Michael Julian Bond introduced a resolution that would offer “an apology to the patrons and employees of the Atlanta Eagle Bar for the indignities which they experienced as a result of the September 10, 2009 police raid.” But now the resolution is on hold in the council’s public safety committee because city attorneys advised council members not to apologize while the federal lawsuit against the city proceeds, said Alex Wan, the openly gay council member who represents the Eagle’s district. Though he would be happy to settle now, Grossman does not foresee that as a possibility. “One of the officers at the [Atlanta Municipal Court trial] testified that nobody was searched during the raid,” he said. “While they continue to lie, we are not going to have any settlement.”

Lawsuit allegations

Whether searches occurred is relevant to the civil lawsuit, which alleges that the City of Atlanta and several police officers violated the patrons’ federal and state constitutional rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and to question the conduct of a police officer. According to Grossman, the first thing the police did wrong was to detain, or “seize,” the Eagle patrons without the necessary “reasonable, particularized, and articulable suspicion” that the patrons were involved in any criminal activity. “The cops didn’t know anything Please see ATLANTA EAGLE on Page 10

March 19, 2010

GA Voice

Atlanta Eagle owners Robert Kelley (left) and Richard Ramey, shown here outside of court on March 11, said all they want from Atlanta police is an apology for the Sept. 10 raid on the bar. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

‘Not guilty’ verdicts in Eagle trial Charges dismissed for some defendants By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com After charges were dismissed against four defendants in the Atlanta Eagle trial March 11, the three remaining defendants were found not guilty of permit and license violations after a long day in Municipal Court. Judge Crystal Gaines ruled the city failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt anything illegal took place in the gay bar on Ponce de Leon Avenue. One defendant, Antonio Benitez, did not appear in court for the trial and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Eagle defense attorney Alan Begner said he did not know how the court would handle the charges Benitez faces in addition to the bench warrant. Benitez, as well as Robert Kline, Thadeus Johnson, and Leandro Apud, faced citations for violating a city code provision that requires employees of adult entertainment establishments to be fingerprinted and issued a permit by the police department. Police alleged they exposed themselves while dancing in their underwear at the bar on what was known as Underwear Night. Two other men were also charged with the fingerprinting violations: Eagle co-owner Robert Kelley and Eagle manager David Shepherd. Kelley and Shepherd received additional citations for violating an ordinance related to business licensing requirements. Eagle doorman Ernest Buehl and bartender Chris Lopez also received the business license citation though they did not receive citations for violating the fingerprinting provision.

During the course of the trial, Larry Gardner, prosecutor for the Solicitor’s Office, dropped charges against Lopez, Shepherd, Buehl and Kline. Judge Gaines found Johnson, Kelley and Apud not guilty, saying the city did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt the men were guilty of the charges. Some 20 supporters of the Atlanta Eagle erupted in cheers with her verdict. “Nine people [police officers] said they saw what happened [at the Eagle the night of Sept. 10] but only two testified. We had 12 witnesses … it was her duty to acquit,” Begner said. “The outcome of this case suggests the underlying reason for this was there was no reason.” Dan Lax, who is gay and attended parts of the trial, said he was shocked to know raids like the one at the Eagle still happen today. “I am absolutely stunned and appalled that something like the Eagle raid could happen in modern Atlanta, and am disappointed that it has been met with what seems like a lukewarm response by many people who should know better, including some of our so-called community leaders,” he said. “Any one of us could have been there that night.” Richard Ramey, the other owner of the Eagle, was tearful after the verdict. He said he was ready to put the case behind him and to begin to heal their relationship with the police department. But he and Kelley said an apology from the APD and city leadership is all they have ever wanted. “That has been our deal … all along. The only thing we’ve ever wanted from them is an apology,” Kelley said.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com • In-depth coverage of the March 11 Eagle trial including video and photo galleries.

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Inside OUT Ga. lesbian lawmaker brings power to the people from within the Gold Dome By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com An activist with Lambda Legal, the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative and numerous other organizations, Simone Bell was familiar with rallying outside of the State Capitol, chanting and urging legislators inside the building to listen to their concerns. “It’s really interesting being on the other side of the table,” said Bell (D-Atlanta), who took her seat as the state representative for District 58 in January after winning a special election and runoff last November and December. She is only the second openly gay legislator elected to the Georgia General Assembly — State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) was the first in 2000. Bell is also the first openly lesbian African-American elected to a state legislative office in the country. Being the first black lesbian state lawmaker is an honor, Bell said, but not one she sought out. “I’m very honored again that my life is being used beyond me. I didn’t set out to do that, but for whatever reason I’m that person,” she said. Since the state legislature convened in January, Bell has been learning the system, figuring out personalities, procedures and policies to ensure she is an effective lawmaker. One lesson she learned early was that activism comes in many forms. “I think one thing that’s become painfully clear to me is that if you’re outside the Capitol rallying, no one knows you’re out there because inside those walls it’s a whole different world going on and you’re really secluded from what’s happening outside. You really have to make an effort to stay connected to people outside fighting for their rights,” she said. “And in some ways that’s a little sad. Because I’ve been on the outside rallying, fighting for our lives, and now I know often that no one is listening.” While disappointing to learn, Bell said the lesson is also encouraging. “I know I made the right decision [to run for office]. I know the urging I had to be at the table is the right thing to do. I have an understanding of how important it is to agitate from the

outside, but then also to be able to make adjustments needed to be a part of conversations that happen on the inside,” she explained.

‘My activist side roared’

Being on the inside at the General Assembly brought surprises from Day One. Bell said she was surprised to find out that each day begins with a sermon from a pastor invited by a legislator, followed by members being required to stand so the pastor can pray over them. Then everyone recites the Pledge of Allegiance. “I’m like, preacher of the day? What’s that mean? Is this not strange to anyone else? What about the separation of church and state?” she said. During the first few days of the session, a pastor invited by House Majority Leader Rep. Jerry Keen (R-St. Simon) came in and preached what Bell described as “vitriolic, hateful speech,“ including anti-gay and anti-abortion commentary. “Ultimately, the way I heard it, he said if you vote anything Democratic, you’re going to hell. If you in any way think for yourself, you’re going to hell,” she said. Bell refused to stand up when he prayed over the chamber. “My activist side roared inside me and I decided to practice non-violence social resistance. I was not going to dignify the words that came out of his mouth,” she said. Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), who has dealt with anti-gay rhetoric under the Gold Dome for five terms, said she was glad Bell was there that day, as well as every day of the session. “It was important to me for someone else with the same perspective to sit through what I’ve had to sit through for a decade,” Drenner said. “It’s nice to have a caucus other than straight men,” she added. Having two sets of eyes within the General Assembly watching bills that may directly impact the LGBT community is also key, Drenner said. “So we’re not relying on someone in the hallway and have something slip by that could damage our community,” Drenner said. “She’s learning, but at least she’s there. She’s picking things up and can help monitor the process. It’s good to have someone there to share this with.”

Picking her battles

Bell serves on the Children & Youth Committee, the State Planning & Community Affairs Committee and the Human Relations Committee. Her first piece of legislation passed was a resolution honoring the late Allen Thornell. Thornell, who was gay and ran for the District 58 seat in 2006 but lost, was instrumental

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com • Video interview with Simone Bell • More on Bell’s work in the legislature • Photo albums: Bell’s swearing in ceremony, Bell in action at the Capitol

in encouraging Bell to run for elected office. She tells the story of Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham and Thornell calling her, asking her if she had ever thought of running for public office. What they didn’t know was that Bell had been wanting to “step up her game” and in the past few years had been talking with her mentors, including longtime activists Mary Anne Adams and Joan Garner, about what that next step would be. “There are constant memories of Allen on the floor. His presence is still very much felt at the Capitol,” Bell said. “Jeff [Graham] and I were talking and I knew I wanted to do something. I started talking to colleagues and I started hearing about a resolution.” The resolution honors Thornell’s HIV activism, his work with Georgia Equality, the Service Employees International Union and neighborhood activism. “For whatever reason, I’ve been given this

State Rep. Simone Bell is the second openly gay person elected to the Georgia General Assembly and the first openly lesbian African-American in the country elected to a state legislature. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

opportunity to serve. And I can’t think of that without thinking of Allen,” she said. The resolution, however, does not mention Thornell was gay. Bell said she made the decision as part of the give-and-take in politics — especially in the midst of the resignation of House Speaker Glenn Richardson and her uncertainty as to how senior House members might react to the word “gay.” “It was one of those hard decisions,” Bell said. “I’m very pleased with the resolution, his family is pleased with it and so are his friends. For me, this was an issue of picking battles. And I think Allen is pleased.” Graham, who was a good friend of Thornell’s, said Bell’s election to the House of Representatives helps cement Thornell’s legacy in Georgia politics and activism. “I look forward to her really making a name for herself,” Graham said.

Please see SIMONE BELL on Page 8

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March 19, 2010

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GA Voice March 19, 2010

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Bullying bill on hold at General Assembly Still hope for measure backed by LGBT groups By Matt Schafer In a year where a growing budget shortfall casts a long shadow across every conversation at the Georgia Capitol, one bill aimed at protecting Georgia students faces an uncertain future in the House. State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta) made a last-minute floor maneuver March 11 to save a bill that would expand the definition of bullying while requiring schools to develop strict guidelines tailored to curb bullying in elementary through high schools. After a debate where several lawmakers questioned the merits of the bill, Jacobs survived a vote that would have moved the bill back to the House Rules Committee, where similar legislation has died in previous sessions. Jacobs then asked the bill be tabled, which would allow him to ask for a floor vote without another committee hearing. “It looked like it was tenuous, and there was a motion to recommit the bill to Rules,” Jacobs said. “It was clear to me that we were in trouble, but after the vote was conducted I made a motion to table and no one objected to moving it to the table.” There were roughly 40 lawmakers missing

‘A place for agitators’ inside and outside the state legislature SIMONE BELL, continued from Page 6

Running again

Bell credits her parter of 21 years, Val Acree, with the support she’s needed to take her career to another level. “Val is my world. People say to me you’re such a warrior woman. What they don’t know is I couldn’t do any of this without Val. She’s my biggest cheerleader. She believes in me when I don’t believe in myself,” she said. “Without Val, there could never have been a campaign, a state rep, or anything … she’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” But Bell deserves her own credit for running her campaign with true grassroots drive — with volunteers from all backgrounds, including transgender people,

Craig Washington (left) joined Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham at a lobbying day at the General Assembly. (Photo by Matt Schafer)

from the floor during the debate and Jacobs did not want to risk the possibility of losing a vote. “We’re going to take a breath, regroup and charge the hill again,” Jacobs said, but declined to talk further strategy. “I do have a general idea of where things stand on both sides of the aisle, but I’d rather not go into details.”

No anti-LGBT bills

Jacobs’ bullying bill is the top priority for Georgia Equality, a statewide LGBT political group. GE Executive Director Jeff Graham called it the most significant piece of equal rights legislation this year. “There has not been a lot of legislation that has passed through one chamber, much less both chambers this year. Thee focus on the budget has slowed everything down, but HB 927 continues straight allies, gay and lesbian friends, and supporters from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds that make up her progressive district. She represents diverse Atlanta neighborhoods including East Atlanta, Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, Edgewood, Grant Park and Kirkwood, among others. And because she won office in a special election to replace Rep. Robin Shipp, who resigned with one year left on her two-year term, Bell has to run again this year, when all seats in the General Assembly are up for grabs. The primary is in July with the general election in November. In the meantime, Bell said her goal is to be effective in the Gold Dome and inspire others to become involved in the process. “I think there is a place for agitators inside and out. The only way to work in any movement — LGBT, poverty, death penalty — the only way we are really going to have our voices heard is if we are part of either creating those laws or stopping bad laws from happening,” she said. “Which means someone has to be inside.”

to move and move forward,” Graham said. Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), who is gay, agreed that “everything seems to be overshadowed by the budget.” “I’m on six committees, doing my thing and making sure no one qualifies against me,” she said. All seats in the General Assembly are up for election this year. Drenner said she is watching out for any anti-LGBT legislation, such as efforts to curtail gay adoption or foster parenting, but none have been introduced. She expressed disappointment that the anti-bullying measure, which she cosponsored, was tabled in the House.

Lobbying for change

Georgia Equality joined with MEGA Family Project and the ACLU on March 10 to lobby lawmakers on several bills. Grant Park resident Sam Romo came out to support Jacobs’ bill even though his lawmakers, Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) and Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta), already support the bill. “I came down to support Georgia Equality because the anti-bullying bill is something important to them and I wanted to help support Georgia Equality and the community,” Romo said. Jacobs said the bill became a priority for him after DeKalb County fifth grader Jaheem Herrera committed suicide after coming home from school last year. The family contends Herrera was bullied and relentlessly called gay; the school admits he may have been called gay but said Herrera was not bullied. Some progressive lawmakers like Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan are supporting Jacobs’ bill although Rep. Carolyn Hugley (D-Columbus) has offered the “Jaheem Herrera-Bianca Walton Safe School Climate Act.” That measure would offer specific protection for several categories, including sexual orientation and gender identity, but it is not moving. Jacobs’ bill does not specifically discuss sexual orientation. Instead, it would beef up the state’s definition of bullying, including expanding it from covering only sixth through twelfth grades to covering students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. “I feel that [Hugley’s] bill is a little more comprehensive, but Mike Jacobs is a Republican and his bill is moving forward,” Morgan said. Dyana Bagby contributed.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Georgia Equality Lobbying Day Wednesday, March 24, 9 a.m. Paul D. Coverdell Legislative Office Building, Room 307 18 Capitol Square Atlanta, GA 30334 404-523-3070

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Eagle patron: ‘We felt like we were being held hostage’ ATLANTA EAGLE, continued from Page 5 about the patrons. All they knew is that they were present at a gay bar,” Grossman said. The police also unlawfully searched the patrons without warrants and without probable cause, said Grossman, who alleges that the officers went on a fishing expedition, putting their hands in the patrons’ pockets and removing keys, cash, wallets, cell phones, driver’s

licenses, and anything else they found. Plaintiff Geoff Calhoun said that after 10 to 15 minutes when the officers had not found any drugs or other criminal activity, the officers “came around, patted us down, pulled everything out of our pockets, removed my I.D. from my wallet and threw it on my back.” Calhoun works for the Smyrna Police Department as a 911 operator and said he thought long and hard before deciding to become a plaintiff.

“Those officers t those are the people that I do my part to protect every day, to make sure they go home. If my co-workers see me suing a police department, what would they think about me?” said Calhoun, who ultimately joined the lawsuit with support from his department. “I’m not out to ruin an officer’s life, but in my opinion the people that need to answer for it are the people who ordered the raid and the

policy makers,” he said. Calhoun and several other plaintiffs have also filed complaints with the Atlanta Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards and the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, which are conducting separate investigations into police misconduct during the raid. Patrons who asked why they were being detained or for police officer names or badge numbers “were told to ‘shut the fuck up,’ some were threatened with being handcuffed, some were threatened with violence and physical harm, and some were retaliated against by being forced to remain at the Eagle long after they had been searched,” according to the complaint. One plaintiff, David Shepherd, was allegedly arrested in his own home, according to the complaint. He was cleared of all charges last week at the Atlanta Municipal Court hearing. Shepherd works as an assistant manager at the Eagle and also rents an apartment upstairs from the bar. He was off duty on the night of the raid, watching television in his apartment when the cops banged on his door, searched his apartment and immediately arrested him inside his home without any warrants, according to the complaint. The lawsuit seeks “nominal damages” for the alleged constitutional violations, but compensatory and punitive damages for alleged violations of state tort laws, including false imprisonment, assault, battery, trespass and damage to property. The torts claims stem from allegations that property was damaged and some patrons were shoved, kicked, handcuffed, held down with boots on their backs, forced to lay flat on the floor with their faces near broken glass and spilled beer, and prevented by police from leaving the premises. One such patron allegedly suffered cuts from the broken glass, and a police officer allegedly threatened to hit another patron “on the head with a barstool,” according to the complaint. Plaintiff Matheson said he wasn’t thinking about constitutional rights during the raid. “I was scared shitless, to say the least,” said Matheson. “In my mind nothing made sense. We didn’t know what was going on. We felt like we were being held hostage.”

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com • Breaking news on the Eagle federal lawsuit as it develops • More questions and answers on how the Eagle raid compares to Stonewall • Blog: Why last week’s Eagle victory is bittersweet.

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Soulforce travels to Atlanta By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

Soulforce Equality Ride will make a stop at Atlanta’s Morehouse College on March 25 as part of its mission to visit academic settings “in pursuit of justice for transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people through engagement and action.” Soulforce, a national organization dedicated to using nonviolence to end political and religious oppression against LGBT people, is holding its fourth annual Equality Ride this year. The ride is made up of students who are part of Soulforce Q, the young adult division of Soulforce, who travel in a bus from state to state visiting campuses reminiscent of the Freedom Rides of the Civil Rights Movement. In 2008, the ride was hosted by Spelman College and Morehouse College. Plans are being made to stop at Spelman this year as well but they had not been finalized by press time. This year’s ride is making stops at 16 campuses in the Northeast, South and Midwest that all have policies that are discriminatory toward LGBT students, according to the Soulforce website. “The ride in 2010 places a special focus on community work and will engage with campuses and their surrounding communities. We

Students traveling with the Soulforce Equality Ride hold a campus vigil. (Photo courtesy soulforce.org)

will partner in volunteer work, host organizing forums, link students with community members, and support existing justice work,” the group states. Since 2006, the Equality Ride has visited 50 colleges. Spelman College includes sexual orientation in its official non-discrimination policy, and Morehouse students in the past have organized anti-homophobia events. Morehouse also has SafeSpace, an LGBT student group.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com Soulforce Equality Ride www.soulforce.org/equalityride

March 19, 2010

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GA Voice March 19, 2010

National News

Couples say ‘I do’ in D.C. Legal gay marriages began March 9 in nation’s capital

WASHINGTON — Both smiles and tears of joy were in plentiful supply earlier this month as the nation’s capital became the latest jurisdiction in the United States to recognize same-sex marriage. The District of Columbia’s Religious Freedom & Marriage Equality Amendment Act took effect on Wednesday, March 3, according to the DC Agenda, an LGBT media outlet. Couples who receive marriage licenses must wait three business days to wed, so with the weekend, March 9 was the first day for gay marriages in the district. “Today was like a dream for me,” Angelisa Young said after she wed Sinjoyla Townsend in a March 9 ceremony at the Washington headquarters of the Human Rights Campaign. “I always felt like it would come true. But it’s here now, and it’s really real. We want to thank everyone who made this possible.” Three couples wed at the special HRC ceremony on March 9. Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty, who signed the marriage legislation into law, spoke out afterward. “It’s tough to represent a city,” Fenty said to the newlyweds, the DC Agenda reported. “It’s tough to represent a community, and it’s also tough to represent a nation. But the six of you today do that. Whether you realize it or not, whether you like it or not, you represent what this entire country is about.” Same-sex marriage is now legal under state laws in five states, according to HRC; they include Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire. Gay couples married in these states are not recognized under federal law. Photos by Michael Key/DC Agenda

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EDUCATION

Furor continues over Miss. high school that dumped prom rather than allow lesbian couple FULTON, Miss. — The media whirlwind continues for Constance McMillen, the Mississippi student whose desire to take her girlfriend to the high school prom led to the cancellation of the event and a lawsuit from the ACLU against the school district. McMillen’s media appearances have included “The Wanda Sykes Show,” the CBS Early Show, MSNBC and “The Joy Behar Show,” according to the Facebook page “Let Constance Take Her Girlfriend to the Prom!” set up by the ACLU. At press time, the page had almost 290,000 fans. “I never thought in a thousand, a billion years that there would be that many people that were supporting what I was doing. … I just want to say that I think you should stand up for what you believe in, stand up for who you are,” McMillen says in a video posted on the site. The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit March 11 after the school board called off the prom at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Miss., rather than allow McMillen and her girlfriend to attend as a couple. “Itawamba school officials are trying to turn

POLITICS

McCain challenger compares gay weddings to marrying a horse WASHINGTON — A former Republican lawmaker who wants to replace Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) made headlines this week when he drew a comparison between gay marriages and bestiality. CNN reported March 15 that in an interview with a Florida radio station, former Rep. J.D. Hayworth chided Massachusetts for being the first state to legalize gay marriage, then continued with an equine analogy. “You see, the Massachusetts Supreme Court,

Constance McMillen says she was just trying to be herself when she asked her Mississippi high school to let her bring a female date to the prom. (Photo via Facebook)

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Constance into the villain who called the whole thing off, and that just isn’t what happened. She’s fighting for everyone to be able to enjoy the prom,” said Kristy Bennett, Legal Director of the ACLU of Mississippi, in a press release. “The government, and that includes public schools, can’t censor someone’s free expression just because some other person might not like it.” The ACLU seeks a preliminary injunction to require the school to hold the April 2 prom and allow McMillen and her date to attend, with McMillen wearing a tuxedo. Meanwhile, the Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition says it has received multiple offers from other venues willing to host a prom for the students.

when it started this move toward same-sex marriage, actually defined marriage. Now get this, it defined marriage as simply, quote, ‘the establishment of intimacy.’ Now how dangerous is that?” Hayworth said, according to WORL in Orlando. Hayworth, who is challenging McCain in the Republican primary for Senate seat, then said he would “make the point of absurdity with an absurd point.” “I guess that would mean if you really had affection for your horse, I guess you could marry your horse.” Hayworth did not respond to CNN’s interview request.

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March 19, 2010

GA Voice

Frank: ENDA will get House committee vote this month Long-stalled bill would ban gay, trans job bias By Lisa Keen Keen News Service Legislation can be like a train: It runs on a track, makes certain stops along the way, and is often attached to other trains. But in Congress, the train doesn’t run on time. Last September, gay Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) said the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) would likely get a House committee vote in September and a ﬂoor vote that fall. Didn’t happen. And last December, when gay Reps. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Jared Polis (D-Colo.) told a gathering of gay leaders that ENDA would pass the House in January, they weren’t making a promise. They were making an educated guess. What has been happening, of course, has been a contentious partisan ﬁght over a major effort to ensure that most Americans have health care and an urgent push to pass a bill to preserve and create jobs for the country’s growing number of unemployed. Add to that two major earthquakes requiring U.S. assistance, one major Democratic loss of a

critical Senate seat, and a persistent pushback or roadblock by Republicans on everything from judicial nominees to unemployment checks. On March 2, the Senate was able to finally vote on an emergency measure to simply extend unemployment benefits and several other programs for 30 days until Congress can approve a more permanent measure. The temporary bill was delayed for five days by the refusal of one Republican senator to allow a routine vote of unanimous consent. With this as a backdrop, Frank’s prediction earlier this month is that ENDA will have its vote in the House committee in March. And he said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has assured him it will go swiftly to the floor. Baldwin gave the same assessment of Pelosi’s commitment to ENDA when she spoke to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund’s Leadership Institute last December in San Francisco. Pelosi’s commitment on ENDA, she said, “is unflinching.” She said Pelosi “wants to have very quick movement of the bill from committee to floor, hopefully within a week” of the bill’s passage in committee.

‘The bathroom issue’

Mara Keisling, head of the National Center for Transgender Equality, said she is “extremely optimistic” ENDA will get its vote in the House Education and Labor Committee this month.

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U.S. Rep. Barney Frank, shown here at an ENDA hearing with Rep. Tammy Baldwin, believes the bill will get a committee vote in March then move quickly to the House ﬂoor. (Photo courtesy U.S. House)

Keisling said delays last fall could be attributed to a need to make some “language tweaks” and that she is not entirely sure right now what the language will be concerning the so-called “bathroom issue.” Opponents of ENDA have often argued that the measure would enable men to use women’s bathrooms. Frank said that there has been a general agreement reached to resolve certain language changes, including on the use of bathrooms. Keisling said she doesn’t know what that language is and that “it might be harmless or it might be horrible.” “We’ve been strenuously arguing that we don’t need clariﬁcation,” said Keisling. “But legislation is too often about compromise.”

Keisling noted that other compromises have included an exemption for military service and a stipulation that the bill does not require an employer to “treat an unmarried couple in the same manner as…a married couple for purposes of employee beneﬁts.” “I want to be clear, Congressman Frank’s not saying he wants bathroom language,” said Keisling. “He’s saying they really think we need it to pass.” “They,” she said, are the variety of Democratic leaders working on passing the bill. And the conclusion is that the clariﬁcations are “not helpful substantively or legally,” she said, “but they say they are helpful politically.”

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown lbrown@thegavoice.com Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Web Manager: Ryan Watkins rwatkins@thegavoice.com Art Director: Bo Shell bshell@thegavoice.com Contributors: Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames, Shannon Jenkins, Mike Ritter, Christopher Seely, Steve Warren

BUSINESS

Publisher: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com Business Manager: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com Advertising Sales: sales@thegavoice.com National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

BOARD OF ADVISERS

Richard Eldredge, Sandy Malcolm, Lynn Pasqualetti, Robert Pullen All material in the Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons. We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers. Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by the Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request. A single copy of the Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from the Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-issue mailed subscription for $60 per year. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@thegavoice.com Postmaster: Send address changes to the Georgia Voice, 1904 Monroe Drive, Suite 130, Atlanta, GA 30324. The Georgia Voice is published every other Friday by The Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 26 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices. The editorial positions of the Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Georgia Voice and its staff. To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@ thegavoice.com or mail to the address above.

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VOICES OPINION & REACTION Still on the journey Travel with us to help create a new ‘Voice’ for our community By Laura Douglas-Brown As we put the finishing touches on this debut issue of the Georgia Voice, I found that I couldn’t get the title of Sweet Honey in the Rock’s 20th anniversary album, “Still On the Journey,” out of my mind. Indeed, many of the articles in this issue deal with journeys — literal, metaphorical, or both. Our cover story examines the Atlanta Eagle’s journey to find justice after a September police raid in which employees and patrons of the gay leather bar were forced to lie on the floor for over an hour and allegedly taunted with anti-gay epithets. Last week’s trial — in which all of the defendants who appeared in court were either found “not guilty” or had their charges dismissed — set the stage for a showdown in federal court

over a lawsuit from plaintiffs who say their civil rights were violated. The case could be one of the most watched for LGBT Georgians since the unsuccessful challenge to the state’s gay marriage ban in 2004. Our news coverage also includes an in-depth look at Simone Bell’s journey to becoming the first black lesbian state lawmaker in Georgia and the nation, an anti-bullying bill’s difficult journey in the state House, and a photographic look at the joy of gay couples in Washington, D.C., who on March 9 became the latest in the nation to take the journey to the altar and have their marriages legally recognized. Features in our debut issue range from the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus’ journey around Georgia, to transgender director/actor Kimberly Reed’s cinematic journey to make peace with her brothers, to new artist collective John Q’s journey into Atlanta’s LGBT past. For the Georgia Voice, our journey began on Nov. 16, 2009 — the Monday morning I and the rest of the staff of Southern Voice and David magazine learned of the demise of our publications via a note on our office’s locked doors. I had worked for Southern Voice since 1997,

as editor since 2006. I heard about the sign from a coworker, but drove down to see for myself, gather with other employees, and talk to the media. By the time I returned to my car just a couple of hours later, I had a message waiting from Chris Cash, who founded Southern Voice in 1988 and hired me shortly before selling the paper to Window Media in 1997. As difficult as the day was for both of us, our conversation immediately turned to the future — because we know that LGBT Georgians’ journey to fair treatment is not over, and we know there is still a need to document that journey in order to inspire others to join in. By Tuesday we agreed to start a new LGBT publication. By Friday we had a bank account, a P.O. Box and a domain name (SaveSoVo. com) to keep the community informed. The journey continued throughout the next four months. In early December we held a public community meeting in which attendees overwhelmingly voted to name our new effort the Georgia Voice. The name honors our direct roots in the creation and history of Southern Voice, but also marks a separation from the past. As importantly, using “Georgia” in the name emphasizes that the fight for LGBT rights is no longer confined to the metro Atlanta area. As an added bonus, we look forward to no longer being asked, “Are you some kind of Confederate newspaper?” when we call the offices of some Southern lawmakers. We registered our website in early December and incorporated as the Georgia Voice, LLC, in early January. Along the way, we received help from many people and offers of support and words of encouragement from countless more. So as those months of work culminate with this first print edition of the Georgia Voice, we know it isn’t the end of a journey, but the start of a new one that will last for years to come. Every day on our website, www.thegavoice. com, we will offer breaking news as it happens, the best LGBT events, ways for you to share your news and opinions, and fun extras like “Pop Quiz” weekly video interviews. Every other Friday, we’ll publish the Georgia Voice in print, offering more in-depth reporting, analysis and features to linger over. We look forward to continuing our travels together, and to helping give a voice to our community’s journey to justice and equality.

Editor Laura Douglas-Brown is always happy to share what’s in her iPod, and is always interested in your feedback – from song suggestions to serious subjects. Email lbrown@thegavoice.com

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‘People don’t read anymore, do they?’ Why the LGBT community still needs our own media By Chris Cash When I heard about Southern Voice closing, like many people, I was devastated. I felt as if someone close to me had died; like a friend I loved but with whom I had lost touch. Even though I did not know much about what my friend had been doing or feeling in the past decade my feelings still ran deep and strong. Like any loss it brought a period of grief and a flood of memories. People and events that had not crossed my mind in a very long time were suddenly at the forefront. I remembered good people, not bad ones; victories, not losses. It surprised me that those memories did not carry a hint of bitterness or regret. My grief was short-lived; there was no time for it. Within hours, Laura Douglas-Brown and I began the conversation that simply asked the question, “what do we do now?” Haltingly, but assuredly, we reached the same conclusion. Atlanta must not be without an LGBT newspaper and media outlet. Why? Hadn’t we made so much progress in the past few decades that we could get by just fine without one? Was it really necessary in 2010? After all, things are not like they were in 1988 or even 1995. In the past we had a president who would not say the word “AIDS,” Jesse Helms and Jerry Falwell both running around spewing their vitriol and not one state that recognized gay marriage. And let’s face it, people just don’t read anymore, do they? We knew two things for sure. LGBT rights have not been secured in spite of tremendous progress that has been made, and we could not leave the responsibility of reporting on the lives and concerns of our community to the mainstream media. Mainstream media will never report on our community in any depth except for the occasional “big story.” They can’t report our stories and they can’t tell stories from a gay perspective. They can’t because they would lose readership if they did. They can’t be a gay paper because they are not a gay paper. Rumors abounded for a while that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution was contemplating a gay “section” of their paper when SoVo shut down. If it was seriously considered at all, the motivation was financial. If there is one thing

Georgia Voice founders Laura Douglas-Brown and Chris Cash (Photo by Project Q Atanta)

that has been completely embraced by the mainstream it’s the LGBT pocketbook. What about the “people don’t read anymore” issue? Newspapers all over the country are struggling and many have failed. Reporting on the web was a given, but could we also make a print publication work? Could we stay afloat? Yes, we decided, because the truth is that papers are not failing because people do not read anymore. They may read differently than they did in 1988, some on a website instead of on a printed page, but they still read. They might not devote as much time to reading as in the past, but they still read. And if we managed ourselves well by creating an ethical and viable product, and staying true to our readers and advertisers, the Georgia Voice could be around for a very long time. SoVo lasted for 22 years in spite of numerous challenges and roadblocks along the way. That is something to be proud of despite any criticism, warranted or unwarranted. I knew Laura and I could secure the same longevity for Georgia Voice when we began to put together our team. The staff — six out of seven formerly worked for SoVo — is highly experienced and shamelessly talented, the Board of Advisers is rock solid in their commitment, and our supporters are large in number and in heart. An institution is only as good as the people who nurture it. In short: we cannot lose. Age has a few perks, not many I admit, but a few. One of those perks is fearlessness. You simply do not care anymore if you appear foolish. So with no fear I say to all GaVo readers: Welcome to the best damn LGBT media outlet the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia has ever seen. Enjoy. Publisher Chris Cash founded Southern Voice in 1988.

March 19, 2010

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Arts & Entertainment

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“P

rodigal Sons” is the story of three siblings, once brothers but now two brothers and a sister, who return to their Helena, Mont., home for the 20-year high school reunion of two of them. Kimberly Reed, born Paul McKerrow, brings along her lesbian partner, Claire Jones, and a camera crew. Now in her early forties, Reed has transitioned from man to woman, high school quarterback to filmmaker, Montanan to San Franciscan (where she spent 10 years, arriving as Paul and leaving as Kim) to New Yorker, straight man to lesbian. With an appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” boosting the visibility of “Prodigal Sons,” she is also transitioning from anonymous to celebrity. At the time of the reunion Reed hasn’t been back to Helena except for her father’s funeral. She spreads word of her transition so her classmates will be used to the idea, and the reunion is relatively uneventful. Typically accepting is the man who tells her, “We’re all fat, bald and old, and you’re a girl.” The movie kicks into gear when Reed’s brother Marc takes the spotlight. The McKerrows adopted Marc at birth and had Paul nearly a year later. Marc was left back in pre-school because of hyperactivity, so they wound up going through school together. Paul was the better student, the better athlete and more popular with the girls. “Marc would have given anything to be the man I would have given anything not to be,” Reed says in her narration of the film. Younger brother Todd, a gay architect who lives in San Diego, appears in the film but remains peripheral to the drama of the love/hate relationship between Reed and Marc. “I knew from the outset that ‘Prodigal Sons’ would be about two stories of identity — my brother Marc’s and mine,” Reed tells the Georgia Voice. “I had no idea that journey would be as intense as it was, or that I would be pulled back into my history as much as [I] was,” she says. “My past was the last place I wanted to dwell, so I was really trying to avoid it.”

Making peace with the past

Making a documentary seems an odd way to avoid the past, but it helped Reed come to terms with it, after considerable vacillation. “I see it more as a continuum,” she corrects, “starting with me getting hints of being drawn to embrace my past, then having my history forced upon me in a way I can’t yet handle, then finally making peace with my past by literally giving an emblem of the past [a photo] to my brother. “So yeah, there’s some back and forth in that process, but I think when we make decisions there is usually a push and pull as one meanders along the path toward clar-

‘Prodigal Sons’ traces unlikely family: a trans woman, her gay brother and their adopted sibling, the grandson of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth Tye Olson (right) portrays Danny, a young artist struggling with memories of his first love, Carter, played by Kyle Clare. (Photo courtesy ‘Watercolors’)

Emotional ‘Watercolors’ Marc McKerrow and Kimberly Reed at their high school reunion in Montana, as seen in the documentary ‘Prodigal Sons.’ (Photos courtesy First Run Features)

ity,” she says. “I don’t necessarily see that push/pull as contradicting the more general progression. Indeed it’s what keeps the path interesting.” When Marc was 21, he wrecked his car and almost died. Part of his brain was removed and he has faced problems from the injury ever since, although he’s married and has a daughter. Though his outbursts are generally controlled by medication, two of Marc’s fits of violent rage are caught on film. Shortly before the reunion Marc had contacted his birth mother, but she died before they could meet; he only saw her at her funeral. She was the daughter of two legends, Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. A month after the high school reunion Oja Kodar, Welles’ lover during his last two decades, flies Marc to Croatia to visit her. Reed and her camera go along. Every time Reed achieves her hoped-for reconciliation with Marc, something sends the relationship south again. Still, when Marc commits himself to a mental hospital and his wife and their mother can’t bring themselves to visit him, Reed goes alone to see her brother.

Not only LGBTQI

If “Prodigal Sons” were remade as a drama, actors would certainly line up to play Marc, with Philip Seymour Hoffman (“Capote”) and Christian McKay (“Me and Orson Welles”) as excellent choices. Felicity Huffman could play Kimberly Reed if she

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‘Prodigal Sons’ Opens Friday, March 26 Landmark Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Dr. , Atlanta, GA 30308 678-495-1424, www.landmarktheatres.com

hadn’t already played a similar role in “Transamerica.” Reed says she liked that film, and “the fact that my mom could go and see it with a group of her friends in my hometown.” “I think there’s a crucial place for films that dissect the trans experience,” she says. “But I think it’s also important to sometimes not talk about L or G or B or T or Q or I issues, and to let them drift into the background of a story so that our LGBTQI aspects don’t comprise the entirety of who we are as people.” Reed uses the work of her adopted brother’s famous grandfather to explain. “Let me put it another way: Orson Welles was famously a magician, and really enjoyed a good disappearing act. I would like to think he would have gotten a smile out of the fact that my transgenderism disappears from [‘Prodigal Sons’] and a bigger smile from the fact that he disappears from the film.” “Prodigal Sons” ends happily for Reed, on and off screen. “I don’t go back and forth about accepting my past any more,” she says. “I feel like I’ve found a way to make peace with my history, and the images that represent it. “And that’s a really good thing when you’re on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ and images of your past are broadcast to millions of people.”

Out on Film hosts an exclusive screening of the award-winning movie “Watercolors” March 24 at the Ansley Park Playhouse. This will be the only screening of the film in Atlanta, according to Out on Film Director Jim Farmer. The organization, which hosts an LGBT film festival in Atlanta each October, is expanding its format from the annual festival to hosting screenings throughout the year. “Our goal is going to be to do these yearround. This one is going to be really special because we have the writer/director of ‘Watercolors,’ David Oliveras, flying in from Los Angeles for this,” Farmer says. Oliveras, along with lead actor Tye Olson, will take questions from the audience after the film. “Watercolors” also stars Kyle Clare, Karen Black, and Greg Louganis. Olson, 22 and from Minnesota, landed the lead role of Danny Wheeler only four months after moving to Los Angeles. “It really built up my confidence,” he says. “It was so exciting to be cast that quickly in a feature film.” Olson is living in Atlanta until May. “Since we’re in the gayest city in America, I thought that this movie should be seen here,” he explains with a laugh. Olson also starred in “Tru Loved,” a movie in which his character befriends the main character and they work to start a gay/straight alliance in their school. “After we shot this, we went out there and talked to students about these issues,” he says. “It was so great to see how each generation is more energetic about making positive changes than the generations before them.” Olson is also excited about his new role as Alex Price on “United States of Tara,” the Showtime show that premieres its new season March 22. Olson was already a fan of the show when he was cast for this season. — Shannon Hames

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com ‘Watercolors’ Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m. Ansley Park Playhouse 1545 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309 www.outonfilm.org

GA Voice March 19, 2010

MUSIC

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by LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN • lbrown@theGaVoice.com

Just an old sweet song ‘Georgia on My Mind’ tour takes gay chorus around state

It’s been almost three decades since the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus was founded to create a space where men could come together in creativity and camaraderie, and through their singing, help empower and educate both themselves and the community at large. In the years since the chorus’ founding in 1981, Atlanta’s gay community has grown increasingly vibrant, visible and accepted. Now the AGMC is taking to the road to lend their voices to efforts to improve gay acceptance throughout the state. Today, the chorus launches a 100-person, five-city tour around Georgia – their first ever, according to Executive Director Keith Fenton and Artistic Director Kevin Robison. “We felt expanding the programs we do beyond the metro Atlanta area was in alignment

with our mission, which is to bring a positive message of diversity and inclusion – not just to people within the Atlanta area, but to people in smaller communities that may be searching for affirmation,” Robison says. The chorus will perform in Macon, Savannah, Augusta and Athens before returning to Atlanta for two shows at Virginia Highland Baptist Church. During their four shows on the road, the chorus is partnering with local LGBT organizations that will receive 50 percent of ticket sales. Beneficiaries include Augusta Pride, Macon’s Rainbow Center, eight Savannah organizations, and AID Athens and the Boybutante AIDS Foundation there. The shows, supported by presenting sponsor Macy’s, are getting attention around the state, including a mention in M Food & Culture, a magazine targeting Middle Georgia. But Fenton says there has been no backlash. “When we embark on a project like this, the notion of something like that certainly goes through your mind, and you want to keep the safety of everyone and the reputation of the organization in mind as you move forward,” he says. “We have not had any issues that we are

aware of in any community. The response has been extremely positive.” The music selected for the “Georgia on My Mind” tour is based on the theme of journeys – physical, emotional and spiritual. Selections in the first half include such diverse pieces as “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” Wagner’s “Pilgrim’s Chorus,” and of course, the titular “Georgia on My Mind.” The second half of the show focuses on the spiritual journeys many gay people face with a revised performance of “Shaken, Not Heard: Stories of Gay Men, Faith and Reconciliation,” the chorus’ powerful, compelling concert from last spring. Robison says the chorus expected the piece to resonate with LGBT people, but was surprised by the impact the dramatic piece had on heterosexual audiences as well. “Everyone has to come out about something,” Robison says. “Many people have experienced some kind of conflict around religion and religious teachings that don’t gel with who they feel they are.” After the “Georgia on My Mind” tour, the chorus will begin preparation for its summer concert, “All You Need is Love: 50 Years of Beatlemania.” The AGMC also has major plans for growth as it celebrates its 30th year, including exploring options for creating a women’s chorus and a youth ensemble, Fenton says.

The Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus will perform in five cities in eight days starting March 19. (Photo courtesy AGMC)

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com View video from the AGMC’s ‘Shaken Not Heard’ www.thegavoice.com Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus ‘Georgia on My Mind’ tour www.agmchorus.org Friday, March 19, 8 p.m., Macon Saturday, March 20, 4 p.m, Savannah Sunday, March 21, 3 p.m., Augusta Thursday, March 25, 8 p.m., Athens Friday, March 26, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 27, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Virginia Highland Church in Atlanta, GA

GA Voice March 19, 2010

ART

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by DYANA BAGBY • dbagby@theGaVoice.com

‘Flash’ back to gay past

John Q collective transports queer history to present In August 1969, Andy Warhol’s homoerotic “Lonesome Cowboys” screened at the Ansley Mall Mini Cinema. Police stopped the film, confiscated the property and arrested the theater manager. They also took photographs of the some 70 people attending as they exited the theater, saying they were looking for “known homosexuals.” That event sparked a movement and led to the formation of the Georgia chapter of the Gay Liberation Front. “The idea that an Andy Warhol film was a catalyst for gay rights in Georgia is interesting,” says Andy Ditzler, curator of the renowned Film Love series. “It was much more than an obscure film bust — it had a ripple effect on gay history in Atlanta.” Ditzler, along with curators and historians Wesley Chenault and Joey Orr, make up the new John Q collective. On April 3, they will present “Memory Flash” — a performance, installation and film projection event taking place in four Atlanta locations. The project ends with a screening of “Lone-

some Cowboys” at gay bar Mixx in Ansley Mall that will include Chenault and Orr portraying those who were watching the film when it was raided. The project begins with a Fourth Ward Walk on Wabash Avenue where the gay male social club, The Jolly 12, would hold Sunday parties hosted by Roger Hodges, known as Mother Hodges. Oral history will be given by Hodges himself. The second performance piece takes participants to where The Joy Lounge was once located on Ponce de Leon Avenue, east of the Ponce Hotel, now an empty lot. This spot is where Billy Jones performed his first drag persona, Phyllis Killer, in the late 1960s. But it was illegal for men at this time to appear in full drag and they used a lookout to warn performers when police approached. To hide from police, performers ducked into walk-in beer coolers. In “Memory Flash,” participants can experience what the performers had to endured by having the opportunity to walk into a beer cooler.

John Q Collective’s Joey Orr (far left), Andy Ditzler and Wesley Chenault present ‘Memory Flash’ next month. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

The third stop, before the final installation at Mixx, takes place at the Piedmont Park softball fields where a game between the Tomboys and the Lorelie Ladies will take place. These teams, not part of an official lesbian league of the 1960s, were a popular social outlet for lesbians. “There is a lot of flux. Permanence is antithetical to the queer spirit. So we thought, what if the monument was a discourse? Even though they are temporary, we think of them as memorials,” Orr says. Memory Flash is presented by Flux Projects,

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com More photos from Atlanta’s LGBT past and extended details on ‘Memory Flash’ www.thegavoice.com Memory Flash Saturday, April 3 Johnqcollective.wordpress.com

which supports artists in creating innovative temporary public art throughout Atlanta. And while these memorials are temporary, Chenault says they hold more potential than a sculpture or permanent marker. “We hope people will create new memories from the real past,” Chenault says.

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March 19, 2010

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GA Voice March 19, 2010

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THEATER by JIM FARMER

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March madness

Gay Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein highlights packed month for local stages Harvey Fierstein has rarely hesitated taking on challenges, so accepting the iconic role of Tevye in â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fiddler on the Roofâ&#x20AC;? isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as surprising as some people imagine. Fiersteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atlanta leg of the touring musical is the highest-profile production in a busy month of local theater. Fierstein originally played the role in a 2004 Broadway revival, taking over for actor Alfred Molina in 2005. So he was a natural when the tour needed a last minute replacement. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I got a call that Topol [who was originally scheduled for the tour] could not do it for health issues,â&#x20AC;? Fierstein says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The producers asked me if I could jump in.â&#x20AC;? After a handful of rehearsals, he returned to the part. He admits he loves the journey of the main character, a man whose religious beliefs get tested as he feels he is losing his family. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love his world, and I like to take that journey with him,â&#x20AC;? Fierstein says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I appreciate his

sense of humor. But his relationship with God changes in the show. He talks to God as his best friend but at the end he is not speaking directly to God anymore.â&#x20AC;? During the run of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fiddler,â&#x20AC;? Aurora Theatre presents Fiersteinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adaptation of â&#x20AC;&#x153;A Catered Affair,â&#x20AC;? staged on Broadway a few seasons back. On Broadway, Fierstein starred in the lead role of gay character Winston. The actor will attend a special 10 a.m. matinee on March 19. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directed by Actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Expressâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Freddie Ashley. Speaking of Actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Express, the company just opened Kate Fodorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;100 Saints You Should Know,â&#x20AC;? which in addition to openly gay actor Doyle Reynolds, features a supporting character â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a teenage delivery boy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; coming to terms with his sexuality. Two other shows opening this weekend are Stage Doorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master Classâ&#x20AC;? and Onstage Atlantaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fuddy Meers.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fiddler on the Roofâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Through March 21 @ Cobb Energy Centre 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339 800-982-2787, www.atlantabroadwayseries.com â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Catered Affairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Through March 28 @ Aurora Theatre 128 Pike St., Lawrenceville, GA 30045 678-226-6222, www.auroratheatre.com Cathe Hall Payne directs her partner, actor Angie Short, in â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fuddy Meersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; at Onstage Atlanta. (Photo courtesy Onstage Atlanta)

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fuddy Meersâ&#x20AC;? is directed by lesbian Cathe Hall Payne. The protagonist is Claire, a woman with amnesia who gets taken on a journey to find out who she really is â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a journey led by a mystery man under her bed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a zany piece,â&#x20AC;? Payne says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;To me, the message is to keep the humor in painful situations. If not you are done.â&#x20AC;? Payne is not only directing her significant other, Angela Short, in the play, but also her sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boyfriend, John Markowski. It helps, according to Short, that Payne is incredibly honest as a director. She canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deny that the two bring their work home, but it helps that they have the kind of relationship where they can keep it real with what needs to be said professionally. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master Classâ&#x20AC;? is gay playwright Terrence McNallyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s look at opera star Maria Callas

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;100 Saints You Should Knowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; March 18 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 17 @ Actorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Express 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318 404-607-7469, www.actorsexpress.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fuddy Meersâ&#x20AC;? March 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 10 @ Onstage Atlanta 2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033 404-897-1802, www.onstageatlanta.com â&#x20AC;&#x153;Master Classâ&#x20AC;? March 19 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; April 11 @ Stage Door Players 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338 770-396-1726, www.stagedoorplayers.net

during the last years of her life. According to Stage Doorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay artistic director Robert Egizio, Callas gave master classes in the early â&#x20AC;&#x2122;70s, a time when her career was virtually over, as was her romance with Aristotle Onassis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She seemed to have no problem with the men in the classes, but she did with the women,â&#x20AC;? says Egizio. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There seemed to be a bit of jealousy.â&#x20AC;? Out Alan Kilpatrick directs while Marcie Millard portrays Callas.

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COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE

Community

March 19, 2010

GA Voice

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

Right up our alley Gay bowling leagues hit mark with fellowship, competition

By Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com Ken Harper and Hal Berger have been together 35 years, crediting communication and commitment to their longevity. And bowling. The couple bowls every Sunday in the gay Lambda bowling league at Midtown Bowl, along with dozens of others who make up the 13 teams of the oldest gay bowling league in Atlanta. “We got together in 1975 and have been bowling together since about 1980,” says Harper, 62. “It’s been fun. I’ve known some of these people in the league for 10 to 15 years. It’s absolutely a good way to meet people without going to the bars and is a good way to make good friends.” Bergen, 76, who is retired from the Air Force, loves bowling for the companionship it provides. And after suffering a stroke several years ago, the physical activity also helps in his recovery. “You get a lot of encouragement from other bowlers,” Bergen says. “We have fun and that’s what it’s all about.” Bergen and Harper also share a distinct honor of being two of the three men who have bowled in every Dixie Invitational Bowling tournament for the past 28 years. This year’s tournament is set for April 1-4 and the couple will be bowling once again. “I’ve not missed one since 1981 and we always bowl together,” Harper says.

‘A bit of a bowling junkie’

The Dixie Invitational, to be held at Brunswick Zone in Norcross, is the second oldest gay bowling tournament in the U.S., says co-director Mike Terry. “We’re second only to a tournament in Milwaukee,” he says. People from across the country and even Canada travel to Atlanta to shoot for that perfect 300 game. Terry expects some 200 bowlers will participate in this year’s event. Terry has been bowling for 10 seasons and participates in four gay leagues.

“I’m a little bit of a bowling junkie,” he says with a laugh. There are seven gay bowling leagues in metro Atlanta that are part of the International Gay Bowling Organization: Monday is the Monday Myths, Tuesday is Rainbow Matchpoint and Atlas, Wednesday is the Boys and Girls of Fall, Friday is Friends Friday and Sunday is Lambda. The “house” for these leagues is Midtown Bowl. The Pride of Dixie bowls in Norcross on Wednesdays. Another IGBO bowling league exists in Augusta. The Decatur Women’s Sports League also offers bowling for women only. Anne Barr, founder of the group which also has basketball, softball and even badminton leagues, says approximately 50 women bowl every Wednesday at Suburban Lanes in Decatur. Leagues are for 10 weeks, one beginning in January and another beginning in June. “It’s been a huge success. You’re never too old to play in this league,” she says. Tammy Foley, 35, is bowling in her ﬁrst IGBO league after her girlfriend, an avid bowler, suggested the idea. “My girlfriend convinced me it would be a fun activity to do together,” she says of the Lambda league. “It feels like a game rather than a sport. I really enjoy it.” Geri Angerami, 69, a top female bowler in the Lambda league, has been bowling for nine years. She was once a bartender at Midtown Bowl before deciding to pick up a ball and join others on the lanes. “Most of my friends are here. It’s fun and I’m competitive. And it’s good for my arthritis,” she adds, smiling.

Fun and fellowship

Rev. Paul Turner of Gentle Spirit Christian Church bowls on Mondays as part of the Monday Myths league. He’s also the president of the league. “Billy [Pabst, his husband], and I joined the league in 1985; I’ve been bowling for 25 or 30

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More bowling pictures and videos online www.theGAVoice.com Dixie Invitational Bowling Tournament April 1-4 Brunswick Zone - Norcross 6345 Spalding Drive Norcross, GA 30092-1866 770-840-8200 www.dixiebowl.org International Gay Bowling Leagues in Georgia: www.igbo.org/leagues/league_list.cfm Decatur Women’s Sports League www.decaturwomenssportsleague.info

years,” he says. “It’s a singular kind of sport — for me it’s about technique and it’s mental. Bowling nurtures camaraderie. We’re always community minded. And it really gives me an outlet where I can just be Paul, cut loose having that beer.” All the gay bowling leagues are open to everyone. Turner says about half of the Monday league membership of 12 teams (four players per team) is straight. “Gay folks have straight friends and they want to participate in events together,” Turner says. “This is a neat little social outlet.” Terry, co-director of the Dixie Invitational with L.E. McLemore, says that having straight bowlers in all leagues is a simple way to edu-

Ken Harper and Hal Berger, a couple for 35 years, have bowled together in gay leagues for more than 20 years and currently bowl in Atlanta’s Lambda league. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)

cate others about who gay people are. “Anytime we can educate, get a little bit more understanding out there, it’s good for all of us,” he says. And for gay people who may not be accepted by their own family, bowling, as well as other sports leagues, offers companionship in a fun environment as well as an extended family. “There’s a lot of fellowship that goes on in bowling,” Terry says. Lambda vice president Steven Doyle, 44, has been bowling for 31 years and wishes more people would come out to join the gay leagues. “When I ﬁrst moved here it was a good way to meet people,” he says. And for Brandon Richard, 36, treasurer of Lambda, gay bowling leagues offered the chance to meet other gay people. “Mission accomplished,” he says.

Full disclosure from Dyana Bagby: I bowl in the Lambda league and am a member of the not-last-place-team Irritable Bowl Syndrome with teammates Shannon Bowles, April Hunt and Tammy Foley. My favorite part of bowling is the cool shoes and greasy burgers. I have a 126 average.

GA Voice March 19, 2010

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GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT

Augusta Pride

The ﬁrst Augusta Pride is set for June MORE INFO 19, with headliners Augusta Pride, Inc. Thelma Houston and P.O. Box 3281 Augusta, GA 30914-3182 Frenchie Davis. www.prideaugusta.org News of the event made headlines in the Pride festival Augusta Chronicle June 19 and caused backlash from opponents who didn’t want the event, including a parade, in the city. But LGBT activists say Mayor Deke Copenhaver supports the festival. “We had a wonderful meeting with the mayor and we are getting a lot of positive support,” said Chris Bannochie, a member of the Pride Committee. “We’re the second largest city in Geor-

gia. We needed to start somewhere and there’s no time like the present.” Augusta Pride leaders are currently seeking vendors and hoping people from Atlanta travel to their city for the historic party. The theme is “Community for All,” and Bannochie said that is exactly what the Pride fest aims to be. “We want to celebrate regardless of someone’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” he says. Bannochie says the committee hopes for at least 2,000 attendees. “And we hope to grow and be as successful as Atlanta’s Pride,” he says. Along with the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus performing in Augusta as a Pride fundraiser, there will also be a fashion show on April 24 with Macy’s, Dillard’s and other stores. Tickets cost $20-$40. The show takes place at Metro Coffee House and Sparx Bar. — Dyana Bagby

Congregation Bet Haverim Founded in 1985 by lesbians and gay men, Congregation Bet Haverim is now a thriving, diverse Reconstructionist synagogue that provides a casual, socially liberal atmosphere and is open to all. The synagogue, led by Rabbi Joshua Lesser, shares space with Central Congregational Church in Atlanta. On March 30, Bet Haverim hosts its second annual “Pass It Forward for Passover” Seder to beneﬁt Refugee Resettlement & Immigration Services of Atlanta and Amour En Action, a non-proﬁt providing education and humanitarian services to needy citizens of Haiti. The event will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Central Congregational Church, located at 2676 Clairmont Road. A traditional dairy/ vegetarian Seder meal will be served. There is no cost to participate, however all who are able are asked to bring either phone cards to Haiti, gift cards to grocery stores and general

merchandise stores, or check or cash donations. “Continuing the ‘Pass It Forward’ tradition is important because it helps us live Passover values in the moment,” Lesser says in a press release. “It is particularly relevant to reach out to the Haitian community not only because of the devastating earthquake that just happened, but because Haiti represents the overthrow of slavery and the continued ﬁght for the liberation and dignity of all people,” he says.

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Congregation Bet Haverim P.O. Box 29548, Atlanta, GA 30359 404-315-6446, www.cbhatlanta.org Passover Seder March 30, 6:30 p.m. RSVP by March 21

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BEST BETS 03.19 - 04.01 Photo via www.bitchmusic.com

SPOTLIGHT

Tuesday, March 23

Photo via hachettebookgroup.com

The incomparable Bitch performs with The State Of at Bellissima. 9 p.m. at 560 - B Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306. myspace.com/bellissima_lounge

Thursday, March 25 Pynk, also known as actress and former TV reporter Marissa Monteilh, brings her racy novel “Sexaholics” to Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse. 7:30 p.m. at 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309. 404-607-0082, outwritebooks.com

Photo by Zoe Wolf

Barry Brandon (above) and Jose Luis Rodriguez present “In My Own Words” at Onstage Atlanta, with help from friends Catherine Striplin, Martina Diamante and Will Ramseur. After party is Thursday night’s Etcetera at Arum. “In My Own Words” at 8 p.m. tonight, April 1 and April 8 at Onstage Atlanta, 2597 N. Decatur Road. Atlanta, GA 30033. Etcetera at Aurum, 108 8th St. Atlanta, GA 30309. www.facebook.com/aurumthursdays

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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, March 19

The Decatur Women’s Sports League launches its spring softball season with an opening ceremony, including a prayer and ﬁrst pitch by Linda Ellis, executive director of the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative. 7 p.m. on Field One, Kelly C. Cofer Park, 4259 N. Park Drive, Tucker, GA 30084. 404-210-4722, decaturwomenssportsleague.info You only have through March 21 to catch gay actor extraordinaire Harvey Fierstein starring as “Tevye” in “Fiddler on the Roof.” Various show times at Cobb Energy Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339, 800-982-2787, www.atlantabroadwayseries.com In town for “Fiddler on the Roof,” Harvey Fierstein stops by Aurora Theatre at 10 a.m. today for a special morning matinee of “A Catered Affair,” the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical that he adapted for stage. Short talkback session follows. Play runs through March 28 at Aurora Theatre, 128 Pike St., Lawrenceville, GA 30045, 678-226-6222, www.auroratheatre.com “Master Class” is gay playwright Terrence McNally’s look at opera star Maria Callas during the last years of her life. It debuts tonight and plays through April 11 at Stage Door Players, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, GA 30338, 770-396-1726, www.stagedoorplayers.net

28 Sunday, Marelsch ndler — a gay favorite — ea Lately” host Chelsea Ha

Comedian and “Ch ” at Outwrite Bookstore & sea Chelsea Bang Bang, ning: 1 p.m. – 3 signs her new book, “Chel ws at the Fox Theatre. Sig sho two ms for per n the , www.outwriteCoffeehouse, Ave., Atlanta. 404-607-0082 ont dm Pie 991 ite, twr Ou p.m. at , 60 Peachtree Street 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Fox books.com. Performances: .org -881-2100, www.foxtheatre NE, Atlanta, GA 30308, 404

“Fuddy Meers,” with lesbian director Cathe Hall Payne, opens today and runs through April 10 at Onstage Atlanta, 2597 North Decatur Road, Atlanta, GA 30033, 404-897-1802, www.onstageatlanta.com

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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.

Saturday, March 20

“100 Saints You Should Know,” starring gay actor Doyle Reynolds, holds a gala opening performance and reception this afternoon at 5 p.m., then runs through April 17 at Actor’s Express, 887 W. Marietta St. Suite J-107, Atlanta, GA 30318, 404-607-SHOW, www.actors-express.com

DJ Joe Gauthreaux returns to the ATL from New York City to spin at the Heretic. 10 p.m. at the Heretic, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta, GA, 30324, 404-325-3061, www.hereticatlanta.com

Tuesday, March 23

Line up the strikes and spares (and gutter balls) for Bowling for Equality, which beneﬁts HRC Atlanta. 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Funtime Bowl 3285 Buford Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30329. atlanta.hrc.org

Thursday, March 25

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Mary’s debuts its Hot Mess dance party, this week with DJ Business Casual. The Saturday night event replaces Mary-oke, which continues on Tuesdays. 9 p.m. at Mary’s, 1287 Glenwood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30316, 404-624-4411, marysatlanta.com

Sunday, March 21

The Hotlanta Softball League kicks off the spring season with an Opening Day Ceremony at noon at Southside Park, 3460 Jonesboro Road SE Atlanta, GA 3035, 404-875-9881, hotlantasoftball.org

Photo via www.borderlineamazingcomedy.com

GA Voice March 19, 2010

Last month’s Fourth Tuesday Dinner drew more than 60 women. Help them add to that total for tonight’s dinner. Drinks at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. at Carpe Diem, 105 Sycamore Place, Decatur, GA 30030. 404-688-2524, www.thehealthinitiative.org

Wednesday, March 24

Don’t let lawmakers think they don’t have any LGBT constituents. Turn out for Georgia Equality Lobbying Day, which this year focuses on a bill to help curb bullying in schools. Meet at 9 a.m. in room 307 of the Paul D. Coverdell Legislative Ofﬁce Building, 18 Capitol Square, Atlanta, GA 30334. 404-523-3070, www.georgiaequality.org

Out on Film presents a screening of “Watercolors,” an award-winning film about young artist Danny and his memories of his first love, Carter. Discussion with lead actor Tye Olsen follows. 7 p.m. at Ansley Park Playhouse, 1545 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, 404-671-9446, www.outonfilm.org Lesbian rockers 8 Inch Betsy hit the 5 Spot. 9 p.m. at 1123 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30307, www.myspace.com/8inchbetsy

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

March 19, 2010

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“My partner and I have been very grateful for the quality of care and support at Sunrise of Decatur.” - Linda Ellis, Executive Director, The Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative

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Thursday, March 25

Want to know how to bring queer, feminist perspectives to your Passover Seder? Debra Mazer and Cantor Shira Leba Batalion bring their new book “Open-Eyed Heart-Wide Haggadah” to Charis Books & More for “Not your Mama’s Matzah: a Seder for the New Millennium.” 7:30 p.m. at 1189 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org Join the Atlanta Executive Network and Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce for March Madness Networking. Doors open 6:30 p.m. at Jungle, 115 Faulkner Road., Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800, www.jungleclubatlanta.com, www.aen.org, www.atlantagaychamber.org

Friday, March 26 & Saturday, March 27

Help welcome home the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus as they wind up their “Georgia on My Mind” tour with three shows at Virginia Highland Church, 743 Virginia Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306. 8 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday. 404-320-1030, www.agmchorus.org

Saturday, March 27

MEGA Family Project hosts its “Creating a Family” workshop. 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Mark United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308, 404-808-3350, www.megafamilyproject.org Say au revoir to Paris Decatur as the LGBT bar closes after tonight’s Sukeban show. Bar opens at 6 p.m., an Olivia cruise giveaway at 9 p.m., and show at 10 p.m. at 308-H Ponce de Leon Place, Decatur, GA 30030, www.parisdecatur.com

Sunday, March 28

Join the Armorettes, Atlanta’s legendary camp drag troupe, for a memorial service for Robin Wilson, a.k.a. Dixie D. Cupp, who passed away Feb. 23. Service is 2-4 p.m. at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 781 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30308. Gathering follows at Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St., Atlanta, GA, 30309. www.armorettes.com

Tuesday, March 30

Congregation Bet Haverim hosts its second annual Pass it Forward Passover Seder, beneﬁtting Haiti earthquake victims. Attendees are asked to bring phone cards to Haiti, gift cards to grocery stores, Wal-Mart or Target, or cash/check donations. 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of Central Congregational UCC, 2676 Clairmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 404-315-6446, www.cbhatlanta.org

Saturday, March 27

Pumps for Pets features Mis s Atlanta 2010 and Miss Georgia 2009 , among other pageant-winning wome n. The show from 6-8 p.m. (appetize rs at 5 p.m.) raises funds for PALS (Pets are Loving Support), which helps people with HIV and other serious illnesses keep their pets. Then DJ Ma rtin Fry spins at 10 p.m. at Jungle, 115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324. 404 -876-PALS, www.palsatlanta.org

UPCOMING Saturday, April 3

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

Sunday, April 4

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

Friday, April 9 – Sunday, April 11

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