O&AN | December 2017

Readers Select

Loy Carney

as Top Lawyer

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14 CONTENTS 12.17

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O&AN NASHVILLE EXPANDS TO PUERTO VALLARTA

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LOY CARNEY NAMED NASHVILLE’S TOP LAWYER

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GAY FAVES: NIGHTLIFE

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GAY FAVES: DINING

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GAY FAVES: LOOK GOOD/ FEEL GOOD

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GAY FAVES: PLACES

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GAY FAVES: COMMUNITY

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GAY FAVES: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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GAY FAVES: WEDDINGS

••

ACCOMPLISHMENTS • • FOR 2017 • •

NATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 2017 EXCELLENCE IN PROGRAMMING NASHVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL TOP CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MOST ADMIRED CEOS AND THEIR COMPANIES BROTHERS AND SISTERS UNITED LEGACY AWARD

0000340 0 1

340 MEMBERS 29% INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP

7 NEW LGBTBE CERTIFICATIONS 15 TOTAL LGBTBE CERTIFICATIONS

LGBT HEALTH EXPO SIGNED TENNESSEE THRIVES PLEDGE NASHVILLE AREA HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ALLIANCE

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR MEMBERS, SPONSORS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS!

Not yet a member? Next year would be better with you!

Membership application and 2018 committee volunteer information at nashvillelgbtchamber.org

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OUT & ABOUT LAUNCHING EXPANSION IN MEXICO NASHVILLE LGBT PUBLICATION EXPANDS TO PUERTO VALLARTA

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DECEMBER 2017

A

new magazine and website focused on the Puerto Vallarta, Mexico LGBT community and its visitors has launched. Out & About Puerto Vallarta (O&APV) will publish its first issue in January 2018. The website, www. outandaboutpv.com, is live now.

With a monthly distribution of 5,000 copies, the upscale glossy magazine will feature lifestyle and travel articles focused on the growing LGBT population in Puerto Vallarta, as well as the millions of tourists who visit annually. The publication will be bilingual in English and Spanish and will be distributed at hotels, restaurants, bars and other locations throughout Puerto Vallarta, including Old Town.

The magazine is owned by Jerry Jones and Benjamin Camarena Garcia, and is a sister publication to Out & About Nashville (O&AN), based in Nashville, Tennessee. O&AN is celebrating its 15th year in business. O&AN is Tennessee’s largest LGBT publication. It has more than 127,000 readers (based on a recent third-party Media Audit), as well as 14,000 followers on Facebook, and its website regularly receives more than 30,000 visits a month.

Jerry has experience implementing diverse external communications, marketing, and promotional programs to enhance public perception and support. He has success in analyzing communications trends, growing stakeholder relations, and guiding media relations. Jerry holds a master’s degree in public administration from Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication and journalism from Lipscomb University.

Benjamin is an entrepreneur and owns and operates Papacito Nashville, a Mexican restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee.

Benjamin is from Jesus Maria, Jalisco, Mexico, where his family still lives.

“Benjamin and I are excited to be able to start this exciting magazine to keep the growing LGBT population and its visitors in Puerto Vallarta informed and entertained,” Jones said.

Taking the helm as the general manager and editor is Joseph Brant, a long time O&AN staff member and leader, and current its managing digital editor. Brant has temporarily relocated to Puerto Vallarta to help start operations and hire a staff.

Brant is a graduate of Belmont University with a BBA degree.

He holds a post-graduate certificate in Social Media from Seneca College. In addition to overseeing O&APV’s editorial operations, Brant will continue to manage all digital properties, including O&AN’s website, Facebook page, Twitter, and its weekly Email Newsletter.

“I’m excited and looking forward to meeting with community leaders and building the editorial and sales staff,” he said.

FOR INFORMATION CONTACT: Jerry Jones: jerry@outandaboutpv.com Joseph Brant: joe@outandaboutpv.com Office and Mailing Address: O&APV, S. de R.L. de C.V. Out & About Puerto Vallarta Lazaro Cardenas 421 Aguacate Y Jacarandas Emiliano Zapata. C.P. 48380 Puerto Vallarta, JAL., Mexico

ABOVE: Jerry Jones, Owner/ Publisher O&AN with husband Benjamin and dog, Peggy RIGHT: Joseph Brant, Managing Digital Editor O&AN and General Manager/Editor O&APV

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BATCH NASHVILLE

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CRAIG AMMON

The holiday season is upon us, and the folks at Batch Nashville are eager to share their collections of locally-made crafts, delicious treats, health and beauty products, and home goods for you and everyone on your gift list. They started planning for the holidays in the spring, exploring options from among their 200 middle Tennessee purveyors to include in their gift boxes for customers to share with their friends, clients, and employees.

Co-founder Sam Davidson (along with Stephen Moseley and Rob Williams) said working with local vendors requires a lot of lead time because they produce their goods in small batches.

But they know that all the work they’ve done up to this point will be well worth it as their customers appreciate sharing the authentic touch of Nashville their gift boxes convey.

Batch started out four years ago as an online subscription service providing collections of about four Nashville-based items per month. Sam said it was a great gig while it lasted—they worked about one day per month!

Batch has grown considerably since then, and Sam and his team are grateful for that. The holiday season is by far their busiest time. They have quickly become a reliable partner for about 250 local businesses that use Batch for all of their gift giving.

Customers embraced the concept of small-batch, local products that represent the best of Nashville, whether through their subscription service or the purchase of gifts for specific occasions. But they also liked the idea of a storefront where they could drop in and test different items from among the Batch’s local purveyors, and then pick and choose what they like the most.

So the team opened their store in the Nashville Farmer’s Market in November, 2014. The storefront is thriving as both tourists and locals come by to try their different products and check out items in the store not yet featured online. Go by and see all that they have to offer!

Batch Nashville joined the LGBT Chamber of Commerce about a year ago when Nancy VanReece joined their team as VP of Business Development. Nancy is well-known to Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce members for her active participation in the Chamber over the years, as well as her role as Nashville Metro Council Member. In fact, Nancy is an inaugural member of the Chamber’s predecessor, the National Association of Professional Persons.

Sam attended a Chamber Power Lunch in the spring when Nancy was nominated for Excellence in Business Award.

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He was impressed to see amount of momentum this chamber has.

And he appreciated that the Chamber is very active not only in promoting Nashville businesses, but in working toward legislative changes that have a positive impact on the LGBT community.

Nancy echoed those observations, saying she loves to see how our Chamber has grown over the years. And she added that she appreciates “the professional way in which the Chamber’s leadership team has been able to wrap their arms around lessons learned from different community chambers, providing quality content that benefits our members.”

Nancy pointed out that membership involves more than just handing out business cards to other members in hopes of making business connections. She added, “Nashville is Nashville because of our collaborative spirit.”

Sam seconded that sentiment, encouraging anyone reading this to become active in the Chamber. “It’s not enough to just pay your dues and appear on a list.” Recently, Batch hosted a Chamber “Brewing up Business” on November 16th at their storefront, and donated a gift box for the Taste silent auction.

And now the team at Batch is back to the business of providing an array of gifts for their customers, while also promoting the local economy. Nancy said she is passionate about selling Nashville to the world in a way that’s authentic and helpful.

She pointed out that each box sold is actually supporting several small vendors that might not otherwise have the exposure that their partnership with Batch provides them. Their products are shared as gifts at corporate sales meetings, conventions, and hotels for potential customers coming from outside of Nashville.

Nancy said her ultimate goal is that anyone that visits Nashville leaves with something hand made by someone in Nashville. And Batch Nashville is working hard to make that goal a reality.

To explore their options of Nashville-based gifts to share with those on your list, visit their website at https://batchusa. com or call 615-913-3912. Or come by and see them at their store front at the Nashville Farmer’s Market!

505NASHVILLE .COM

The Nashville LGBT Chamber is a professional and consistent resource to find businesses who are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally customers and clients.

The Chamber directory at www.nashvillelgbtchamber.org/ list will help you find The Mockingbird and other LGBTfriendly businesses and organizations.

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www.bartdurham.com | 615-242-9000

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From

Bartender to the Bar Association O&AN Readers Name Loy Carney Nashville’s Top Lawyer

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DECEMBER 2017

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JOSEPH BRANT

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DECEMBER 2017

“

HE LED SUCH A STRONG EXAMPLE TO THE OTHER WORKERS, GIVING THEM HOPE AND UNDERSTANDING WHENEVER THEY WERE HAVING A BAD NIGHT. I SO MISS THAT SPECIAL SPARK. HE IS TRULY ONE OF A KIND.

“

We tracked Loy Carney down on the other side of the world to tell him the good news—that O&AN readers had for the first time voted him our community’s favorite lawyer.

“Aww… that’s amazing,” he said. “That’s amazing! Wow. Thank you.”

He is a real estate lawyer now, but most everyone is likely to recall his decade-spanning stint behind the bar at Tribe, from its inception in 2002 through his last day on the job in March 2013.

And there are a handful of us who worked with him prior to that, during his six-year run as a floor manager at the Wildhorse Saloon.

When I caught up with him in mid-October, on a phone call via Facebook Messenger, he was in Rome with his partner Grayson.

“We’re doing Rome for three days and Athens for three days,” he said. “We’re jokingly calling it our Pantheon to Parthenon Tour.”

“The first job I ever had was bagging groceries at Kroger,” he said, marking the beginning of a career that at first glance doesn’t appear to have followed a linear path, “and that was a terrible job because nobody at the grocery store wants to be there. So I decided then that I wanted to work around people who were happy, who were where they wanted to be at the moment I was interacting with them. And from the Wildhorse to Rainforest Café to all the way through Tribe and what I’m doing now, that’s been the case.”

His management position at the Wildhorse Saloon was foundational in his development as a leader. After a short run at a bar in Knoxville, he moved home to Nashville and, just 22-yearsold at the time, was rebuffed at first by the Wildhorse general manager, who diverted him to the mothership Opryland Hotel for six months in order to prove himself to the local team.

“The Wildhorse was so much fun because we were all kind of a family there,” he said. “My primary role [as closing manager] was the evening shift and closing it up and being the last one to lock the door and get out of there pretty much every night. I’d say I owe a debt of gratitude to Richard Roy for taking a leap of faith on a 22-year-old kid and making him a manager of a venue like that.”

He worked closely with Joy Powers, who most evenings assisted him in the closing duty.

“Every achievement I had at the Wildhorse was because of him,” she said. “He mentored me through a training program, and even invented a cocktail for me. We went to the Beer Cellar many nights after work and we just started sampling beers. I never liked any of them, so he came up with a Midori amaretto concoction that was sweet and green, because it’s my favorite color. He didn’t give up until he found a beverage for me. He called it an Emerald City.”

If you knew him back then, it would seem as though Loy has changed very little. It was refreshing for me, personally, to know someone so full of life even before he came out, as we all know him now.

But I was never one to challenge the status quo. Jeffrey Pennington, another former co-worker from that era, has a very unique favorite memory of Loy at the Wildhorse.

“I will never forget Loy’s face when I dressed up like Madonna for an employee talent showcase,” he said. “He was mortified. He told me later that he couldn’t even look at me. Another manager told me he went to the third floor [where, at the time, any view of the public area was obstructed] while I performed on stage. He was so uncomfortable. It was the first time that I questioned out loud his sexuality.”

It’s interesting to think about how someone can go from that humble beginning to where Carney is now, nearly twenty years

later—a real estate attorney traveling the world with his partner of four years.

According to Loy, he always wanted to become a lawyer. “It was kind of gnawing in the back of my mind,” he said, “something I wanted to do. But after I left the Wildhorse Saloon I went to the Rainforest Café and stayed there for about a year, then Buffalo Billiards for about a year, and then joined up with the guys that opened Tribe for the grand opening in 2002, and it was at that time I said, ‘You know what? I love this job, and I love these people, but I just don’t want to work at night anymore.’”

What followed was an education journey that culminated in a law degree in late 2010. “It was definitely a labor of love to get through all that time, to make it work,” he said, “but luckily the clientele at Tribe put me on a slow, slow scholarship program just

through my employment there, and it was wonderful.”

Tribe General Manager Bud East can attest to that. “He truly left his mark on Tribe,” he said. “People still today ask ‘Where did he go?’ or comment on what a great bartender he was. With his personality he connected with so many people, just knowing their names and what they were drinking. He always has a witty saying or a funny joke to open a door to friendship.”

“When he chose to move on and become a lawyer,” he added, “I think reality finally set in, that things at Tribe would change. He led such a strong example to the other workers, giving them hope and understanding whenever they were having a bad night. I so miss that special spark. He is truly one of a kind.”

Loy passed the bar exam in February 2011 and was licensed as a lawyer in June.

Despite a claim that he didn’t want to work the nightlife, he stayed at Tribe for another two years when he decided ultimately that real estate law was his passion. And it was for a reason consistent with his career philosophy.

According to Loy, real estate law “is really a celebratory process and I can tell you this—and it’s just gonna be a secret between you and me and all of your readers—when you are a lawyer, one of the struggles is that most all lawyers deal with clients that are unhappy or having a bad day or at least a bad event in their life. But I have found an opportunity to practice law and deal with 95% happy clients because they’re just buying and selling homes which is exactly what they want to do at that moment.”

Nearly five years into a new career, one with a radically different work schedule, the question presents itself: do you ever go out at all? Do you hate bars now?

“No, not at all!” he said, with a laugh. “I definitely don’t visit any of the bars as much as I used to when it was gainful employment but I do enjoy it. I’ll tell you this. The number one question that people ask me [when I got out] is ‘Loy, do you miss it?’ and I have to say yes but I tell them also that anytime I miss it I just come in and hang out and have a couple drinks and I get 90% of the same great feeling that I used to when I worked there. I get to see all my old friends, and so it’s fun that way.”

“My number one discovery since I left the bar is that it’s far more expensive on the outside than it is to hang out behind the bar.

I used to make money on the inside, now I gotta spend money on the outside!”

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BARTENDER FINALISTS Timmy Harkum (Peckers) Jamie Bussell (Canvas) People feel strongly about their bartenders, and goodness knows we got a LOT of nominations, so we definitely want to give a shout out to this year’s finalists. One is a perennial favorite, Timmy Harkum, formerly owner of Stirrup and now a manager at Nashville’s newest gay bar, Peckers! Canvas’ own Jamie Bussell also raked in the nominations this year, so congratulations guys!

NIGHTLIFE

BARTENDER Joey Newkirk (PLAY Dance Bar) This year, O&AN readers again voted a familiar face as their favorite bartender: PLAY Dance Bar’s own Joey Newkirk again takes top prize, as he did in 2014 when he was featured on the magazine’s cover.

Those who know Joey, and almost everyone who’s been to PLAY a few times has at least met him, know that he’s way more than a bartender, with eclectic interests. He’s been everything from an entrepreneur to a musician, but so far nothing in the last eight years has been able to pry him away from slinging drinks at Nashville’s favorite please to dance. Here’s to eight more, Joey!

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PLACE TO DANCE PLAY Dance Bar If you talk to most of our readers, you’d begin to think there might not be ANYWHERE ELSE to dance in Nashville!

Year after year, O&AN readers continue to vote Play Dance Bar as the best place to dance. The venue has a great bar staff (again congrats to Joey!), top notch drag entertainers, including both the Playmates (another congrats to Brooke Lynn Heights as well!) as well as regular high-profile guest appearances, and a group of DJs and VJs that know exactly what the crowd wants. And there aren’t a whole lot of 18-and-up dance bars that are close to major campuses. Special guests, including nearly every cast member of RuPaul’s Drag Race, often leave lines down the block, and special events, like Student Bodies competitions and post-Pride foam parties, keep Play near the top of the list of places to party.

DISK JOCKEY Deejay Phil This twenty-six year veteran disk jockey is a Nashville staple, and has won favorite in this category more often than not in the last few years. Phil’s career has carried him from 176 Underground in the 1990s to The Chute, and after a break to Tribe and Play.

His career in music also included a long stint at Tower Records. And after three decades in the clubs, Nashville audiences still can’t get enough of him.

DECEMBER 2017

JOEY NEWKIRK TIMMY HARKUM

From the tourist draws of Broadway to the dive bars that dot our neighborhoods, there are now any number of LGBT friendly options for enjoying Nashville’s nightlife.

If you’re looking for the best LGBT establishments in town, your options are more limited but still delightful. Church Street’s Gayborhood, which hosts Tribe, Play, and Canvas, the 2nd/4th Avenue Corridor sports Stirrup and Traxx, and East Nashville boasts our staple Lipstick Lounge.

Peckers, which only opened recently, adds something new to the mix.

Nashville’s LGBT nightlife is constantly changing, as Blue Gene’s closing and Stirrup’s change of ownership subtly altered the landscape. With Peckers establishing itself as a place to go and setting up new events, things will continue to move in new directions. Nevertheless, like Tribe’s hold on our happy hour hearts, there is little doubt that a lot of what we love most will remain the same.

KARAOKE Lipstick Lounge Take it from our readers: Lipstick Lounge’s karaoke nights are legendary, and year after year they come in at or near the top of this category. The drinks are amazing, the crowd is high-energy, and bar owner Jonda Valentine will usually take the stage to wow her regulars, and fans. Check them out on Facebook and head down to join the show!

JAMIE BUSSELL

DRAG KING Sunny St James This year’s favorite drag king is a relative newcomer, Sunny St. James. Check this performer out on Facebook: he’s one to watch.

OVERALL BAR PLAY Dance Bar This year, PLAY took top overall LGBT bar, after a two-year run by Lipstick Lounge.

Again, everything that makes it our favorite place to dance nudges it over the top. And now while you’re waiting in line to get in, you can even get a late-night hotdog.

LGBT FRIENDLY Beyond the Edge Beyond the Edge is one of Nashville’s favorite LGBT-friendly places to hang out.

Many of the LGBT inclusive teams and leagues hold events there, and it’s a great place to get together and hang out with your friends, especially if you’re into sports.

Don’t let that last part turn you off though.

As one reviewer assures us, “I know this place is billed as a sports bar, but they actually have decent food also.

BROOKE LYNN HYTES

DRAG QUEEN Brooke Lynn Heights Brooke Lynn Heights took this year’s top spot, and anyone who’s seen the Playmate perform can see deserves it!

O&AN has covered this queen a number of times over the years, including her interview in Paige Turner’s regular column, as well as a recent feature as she competed for Miss Gay America.

Heights is an amazing performer, with a background in professional ballet, and she is also a former Miss Continental. If you aren’t familiar with her, check her out at O&AN’s website, and head down to PLAY Dance Bar to see her perform.

HAPPY HOUR Tribe Year in and year out, Tribe remains our favorite happy hour. This year, Tribe remains the place to go for drink specials—and especially drink specials and show tunes— whether it’s after work on Wednesday or Sunday after church, on Church.

DEEJAY PHIL

SUNNY ST JAMES LIPSTICK LOUNGE

PLAY DANCE BAR @OUTANDABOUTNASH

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VEGETARIAN The Wild Cow As Nashville’s food scene has expanded, so have its options for vegetarian cuisine. This year, our favorite place to spare the animals is The Wild Cow. This restaurant serves “vegan, vegetarian and gluten free goodness in a casual environment in the heart of East Nashville!”

They also offer vegan and/or gluten free desserts, raw desserts, organic hard cider, high alcohol beers and wine.

DINING Nashville’s food landscape is everchanging, with a hip new restaurants like The Mockingbird opening every day, or so it seems. Some of those are flashes in the frying pan, and others sustain a loyal following. This year, though, our readers branched out and selected some exciting options that aren’t on our radar every year!

BEST BURGER The Pharmacy The Pharmacy Burger Parlor & Beer Garden offers one of Nashville’s best options not only for burgers, but also for sausages, for you meat lovers. And did we mention beer garden?

BEST OVERALL RESTAURANT The Mockingbird The Mockingbird only opened a couple of months ago, but this hopping new restaurant, owned by a gay couple and backed by celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan, has really captured our attention. Cocreators and husbands Mikey Corona and Brian Riggenbach are serving up exciting, experimental fare and making us salivate for more. Check out *O&AN*’s feature on this new venture if you haven’t already, and let us know what you think!

BEST LOCAL CHEF Arnold Myint Local gay chef Arnold Myint again takes top honors as our readers’ favorite local chef. Locally, Myint is best known as the force behind PM, a bar and bistro serving sush, and blvd Nashville, which features a changing menu of Frenchinfluenced fare. As a drag queen, Myint’s alter ego Suzy Wong is the inspiration behind Suzy Wong’s House of Yum. Myint

has also been featured on two cooking competitions on national television.

PIZZA Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria After an amazing fifth year in a row, Slim & Husky unseated Five Points Pizza to top LGBT Nashville’s list of best pizzerias. Slim & Husky’s is a fast casual neighborhood Pizza Beeria providing a gourmet build-your-own pizza experience, featuring locally sourced cheeses, meats and vegetables. And you can wash it all down with Nashville’s best local brews.

SUSHI Eastern Peak Located on Thompson Lane, Eastern Peak may not be Nashville’s best-known spot for sushi, but it is our readers’ favorite!

This Thai restaurant serves up fresh, beautiful plates of sushi. Those whose friends and family may not be huge fans of sushi can also come here to get their fix, knowing that there’s something on the menu for almost everyone.

BREAKFAST Loveless Café The Loveless is a Nashville institution, and this year our readers chose this iconic restaurant as our favorite place to get breakfast. With waits often in excess of thirty minutes, it may not be our everyday choice, but when we have time to sit and enjoy, there is no place better. Look at those biscuits! And if you just can’t stand the wait, you can always order food on

FROTHY MONKEY

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WILD COW

THE PHARMACY

their website and have a Loveless breakfast in your own kitchen!

BRUNCH Ellendales The most magical meal of the week— brunch. It’s legendary how much LGBT people love their brunch. So where do our readers most enjoy that meal between mealtimes? Ellendales, which boasts “fresh healthy food straight from our organic garden served in a beautiful old farm house brimming with history and atmosphere.”

EASTERN PEAK KAYNE PRIME

COFFEE Frothy Monkey Frothy Monkey—a hot local beverage chain—has a drink menu that will make any enthusiast happy, with coffees on tap and rotating seasonal beverages. Frothy Monkey patrons appreciate the cafés for more than coffee though. Frothy Monkey locations have hip, friendly staffs and cozy atmospheres, as well as great food and snacks. Frothy Monkey is a great alternative to the big national chains and our readers love it.

PATIO 3 Crow 3 Crow’s patio remains one of LGBT Nashville’s favorite gather places, especially on temperate afternoons and evenings.

This bar’s porch an almost irresistible draw, and it’s a prime Sunday stop for Nashville’s LGBT sporting leagues. With its laid-back vibe, it’s a great place to unwind with friends.

ARNOLD MYINT

FINE DINING Kayne Prime Kayne Prime bills itself as “the artful fusion of a chef-chic boutique restaurant with a great American steakhouse.” The location is gorgeous and the food is delicious, and the drinks are ... amazing!

And don’t imagine you’ll find a menu lacking for creativity at a restaurant that has featured menu items like creme brûlée corn, cotton candy bacon and risotto tater tots. So if your taste for fine dining includes a hankering for steak, this is the place to go, according to our readers.

THE MOCKINGBIRD

ELLENDALES

SLIM & HUSKY’S

LOVELESS CAFE @OUTANDABOUTNASH

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LOOK GOOD/FEEL GOOD

PLACE TO SHOP FOR NEW CLOTHES Nordstrom For the last few years, the top spot has gone to H&M, but this year our readers took a different approach and picked Nordstrom, which is located in the Green Hills Mall. After years of keeping shoppers waiting, the upscale retailer took Nashville’s market by storm with this new location. And after more than five years in Nashville its popularity is definitely not flagging.

PLACE TO SHOP FOR USED CLOTHES FLIP If readers turned it up a notch in new clothing, their suggestion for consignment clothing is a world away from Goodwill, which has won this category for multiple years running. Located minutes from downtown Nashville you’ll find FLIP, the city’s premier men’s luxury consignment store. FLIP acquires clothing & accessories through traditional consignment methods, as well as purchasing new with tag items from various sources. Here, you are sure to find great values on high end products.

MASSAGE THERAPIST Dale Parker This year, our readers chose Dale Parker, founder of Athletic Performance Massage, as their favorite massage therapist in town for a second year in a row!

GYM Planet Fitness Every year it’s a battle royale between the Downtown YMCA and Planet Fitness over which is our favorite place to get fit and flirt with fellow gym-goers, and this year was no different.

But the pendulum swung back to favor Planet Fitness this time, so congratulations guys!

PET SERVICES The Dog Spot The Dog Spot is yet again our favorite place to make sure our four-legged friends also look and feel their best. The Dog Spot offers professional dog grooming, daycare, and boarding services, and locations in East Nashville, West Nashville, and Mount Juliet.

For you overprotective pet parents, webcams allow you to look in on your pooch when you can’t be with them!

THE DOG SPOT

KAYCE TUTOR

Looking and feeling your best is an art form, and the LGBT community most definitely has distinct ideas about how to best achieve this goal. From fashionistas to stylists and designers, many of our brothers and sisters pride themselves on staying ahead of all the latest curves. From the retro to modern chic, and everything in between, our readers know what it takes to carefully construct a look for the world. And here are their recommendations for looking and feeling your best—including where to doll up your best four-legged friend!

TATTOO SHOP Black 13 Black 13, located in Cummins Station, is often among the top nominees suggested by our readers, and this year it edged out last year’s winner, Alchemy, to top the list. Black 13 is truly a Nashville institution. In fact, the shop just topped the Nashville’s Scene’s Best of Nashville Reader’s poll for the eighth year in a row.

DALE PARKER

HAIRSTYLIST Kayce Tutor, ELAN Germantown According to ELAN’s website, “Career inspiration comes in a variety of ways, and for Kayce Tutor, it became clear during an extended European tour and in her pursuit of a degree in fashion design. ‘Styling is a creative outlet for me. I love the Elan atmosphere, the people I meet, and being able to give them styles that make them feel unique and beautiful.’ Kayce’s fun and upbeat personality combined with her inventive techniques in cuts and color keep her clients on the edge of style.”

BLACK 13

NORDSTROM @OUTANDABOUTNASH

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HOTEL Millennium Maxwell House Hotel One of Nashville’s most well-known hotels, The Millennium Maxwell House Hotel is conveniently located in Metro Center just five minutes from downtown, shopping, entertainment, restaurants, and major Nashville attractions.

PLACE TO TAKE VISITORS Downtown / Broadway From the live music and ambience of the clubs and bars in the eclectic Printers Alley to the neon-lit honky tonks of Broadway, downtown Nashville is a music lover’s paradise, especially for those who like local acts. After all, we live in a city where

most of the waiters are more than qualified to be in the house band. Add to that tour the historical and cultural venues, from the Country Music Hall of Fame to the Frist, and downtown via Broadway is enough to entertain even the choosiest of visitors.

SPIRITUAL PLACE Holy Trinity Community Church For a second year in a row, this place of worship has been chosen by our readers. Holy Trinity Community Church is one of Nashville’s most LGBT-affirming houses of worship—a role they’ve worn publicly for years. A regular presence in our community, and a visible presence at Pride for a number of years, Holy Trinity is our favorite spiritual place this year!

BELCOURT

PLACES What are our readers’ favorite places to go relax, see a show, catch a movie, or find a good book? This year, as in the past, it seems that we prefer our old favorites, though there were a couple of upsets this year.

LIVE MUSIC VENUE Ryman Auditorium When it comes to music venues, none in Nashville have the history, the ambience, or the attraction of The Ryman Auditorium, it seems, as the “Mother Church of Country Music” again tops our readers’ poll. Repurposed as a premier performance hall after reopening in 1994, and subsequently declared a National Historic Landmark in 2001, the Ryman continues to host the “Opry at the Ryman,” as well as extremely diverse musical offerings, from Harry Stiles to soul music.

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Thank you for voting us

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BOOKSTORE Parnassus For years our readers have chosen Tennessee’s used book chain, McKay, as our favorite place to buy books, but this year Parnassus came in to take the top spot. Parnassus has a lofty mission statement, “Mt. Parnassus in Greek mythology is the home of literature, learning and music. We will be Nashville’s Parnassus by providing a refuge for Nashvillians of all ages who share in the love of the written word. We will partner with and support local writers and artists, businesses and institutions. We will strive to bring readers the best books in literature, non-fiction, children’s books, local interest and the arts in both printed and digital formats. We will provide venues for writers to connect with readers, and readers to connect with books. By doing this we hope to complement and add to the rich cultural character of the Athens of the South.” And our readers seem pleased.

SheilaBarnard.RealtyAssociation.com 1305 Murfreesboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217

MOVIE THEATRE Belcourt The Belcourt is classic theater, capable of hosting stage shows and big screen features. This Nashville institution brings the best independent films to Nashville, while serving up classic movies (and cocktails from the bar) in various genres and hosting cultural events, such as Nashville’s Jewish Film Festival. Its recent renovations have updated this Nashville intuition and guarantee it will continue to serve our community for years to come!

@OUTANDABOUTNASH

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HOTMESS LEAGUE

COMMUNITY In Nashville’s diverse and active LGBT community, there is always something going on, often leaving us with hard choices about which of three events we’ll attend on a given night. This year’s Faves include a diverse and powerful slate of community organizations and representatives that remind us how much we have to be proud of, and how much we have the opportunity to do.

LGBT SPORTS TEAM HotMess League HotMess Kickball League, which was featured on the cover of O&AN in July 2014, has hundreds of members, making it one of the largest of LGBT Nashville’s social groups, and definitely our largest local LGBT sporting league. It provides an essential opportunity for our community to gather, play, and party. Plus, with so many members, they have a huge built-in voting

COMMUNITY GROUP LGBT Chamber of Commerce Nashville’s LGBT Chamber of Commerce, helmed by Lisa Howe, has expanded rapidly in recent years. The organization provides opportunities for building connections within the LGBT business community locally and nationwide, and for building brides with LGBT-friendly companies we want to support. Event’s like TASTE not only fund this mission but facilitate it, providing opportunities to market to the LGBT community and to network.

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bloc! From its roots in kickball, the league has expanded to include both dodgeball and volleyball, and thus provides yearround activities. If you haven’t checked them out, you might want to give it a try, or at least crash the post-game festivities at the bars!

LEADER / OUTSTANDING CITIZEN Phil Cobucci Phil Cobucci is a well-known business and community leader in Nashville, who most recently served as president of Nashville Pride. He is Pride’s immediate past president, and will continue to advise the organization’s leadership as it moves forward. Phil, we know it isn’t easy, and Nashville’s LGBT community recognizes your hard work!

LOCAL POLITICIAN Mayor Megan Barry Last year, Nashville voters, proving that we are a true blue beacon in this decidedly red state, elected Megan Barry as our first woman mayor. In the year since, Barry has cemented her place as LGBT Nashville’s favorite local politician. This year she was also voted our most outstanding

MAYOR MEGAN BARRY

NON-PROFIT Oasis Center Oasis Center has long provided essential services to youth, including LGBT youth, including the JustUs program.

The organization’s mission reads: “At Oasis Center we work to create a loving community where all young people are safe, valued, connected with caring adults, and prepared for productive and fulfilling lives. Therefore, our work each day finds us providing emotional and physical supports now, as well as leading social change that will improve the odds for greater success for more youth in the future.”

COMMUNITY EVENT Nashville Pride Nashville Pride, this year’s favorite community event, was by far the largest in the event’s history—even before the last minute expansion to add dozens of new vendors—and on the heels of this success it’s set for an even bigger footprint next year. The new location around Public Square Park allows room to grow and has proven an ideal location for the expanding festival We look forward to next year’s Pride, as the community comes together with new strength as it faces new and unexpected opposition. As the fight for equality shifts, Pride may have to return to its roots in resistance. Only time will tell.

citizen, for her continued advocacy for our community—a role she takes seriously not only our of ideological commitments but also as the daughter of a gay man—and for her solid leadership, as well as the diversity of her appointments.

LGBT ARTIST/ACTOR Terry Demars After fifteen years in the corporate world, Terry Demars went back to school to study art. Since then, he has become well-known in Nashville as an artist who has supported many great causes, and this year our readers recognized him as our favorite artist.

LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TERRY DEMARS

LGBT MUSICIAN Sunny St James This year’s LGBT musician of choice is…

Sunny St. James, who also was recognized as this year’s top choice for Drag King.

St. James petitioned followers on social media for votes, and they delivered!

Congratulations on a double win this year!

PHIL COBUCCI

Family Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Brandon Teeftaller, APN specializing in brief therapy & medication management crisis and evening appointments available all patients welcome including adolescents and adults most insurance accepted including Medicare

KATE NELSON, REALTOR® 615 / 268-0319 615 / 383-6964 kjcnelson@gmail.com DIRECT

1720 West End Avenue Suite 240 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 615 | 320.1155

OFFICE

realestatewithkate.com

Nashville – 636 Old Hickory Boulevard Chattanooga – 7734 Lee Highway Knoxville – 230 Papermill Place Way

Buy • Sell • Trade www.mckaybooks.com

Find Something You Want Now posting great McKay finds on Facebook & Twitter!

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Established in 1999, Rudy Title is locally owned and operated, with its charming and comfortable office located in historic Hillsboro Village. With their commitment to providing an unparalleled level of customer service, it’s no surprise our readers chose Carney this year! For more on Carney’s journey to law, see our cover story this month!

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES With the new rise in open hatred and discrimination, LGBT people often face questions when choosing professional services—will this business accept me as a customer, will the serve my family? AntiLGBT discrimination is still legal in this state, and we can be denied service with little warning. So it’s important to celebrate our favorite providers of business and professional services, so that other people know who they can trust during tough, or important, times. It’s great to know that our community has such high-caliber people and institutions it can turn to when necessary.

LAWYER Loy Carney This year, for the second year in a row, our readers chose Loy Carney as their favorite lawyer in Nashville. Carney works at Rudy Title and Escrow, a full-service title insurance company located in Nashville but serving the entire state of Tennessee.

DENTIST Blackman Grove Dental One of the first things people notice about a person is her or his smile. And after four years at the top, East Side Smiles has been overtaken by Dr. Suzie Stolarz at Blackman Grove Dental! It’s a drive out to Murfreesboro, but our readers are in love with this place.

HEALTH SERVICES Vanderbilt University Medical Center If Nashville weren’t Music City, chances are good it would be Hospital City, and of the many fine choices available, Vanderbilt is certainly one of the best known and most respected, and for years it has remained our readers’ favorite.

REAL ESTATE AGENT Kevin Wilson, Village Real Estate Village Real Estate is extremely popular with the LGBT community and for good reason. Agent Kevin Wilson, who was chosen by our readers this year, knows our city and our community—he’s not native but this Navy vet is also a Belmont grad and continues to serve our community well!

BANK Regions Regions’ mission is “to achieve superior economic value for our shareholders over time by making life better for our customers, our associates and our communities and creating shared value as we help them meet their financial goals and aspirations.

Regions’ five core values guide everything we do: Put People First, Do What Is Right, Reach Higher, Focus On Your Customer, and Enjoy Life.” Apparently our readers approve!

PHARMACY Riverside Village Pharmacy Riverside Pharmacy is a friendly local establishment providing essential services, like compounding, health programs, and bargain-basement rates on medications that might not be covered by insurance, such as non-branded alternatives to Viagra.

Check out this independent local business for more information.

LGBT-OWNED BUSINESS Stirrup A little over a year ago, Ryan Brown bought Stirrup. In the year since, many things have changed—the bar has gotten an update, it has gone smoke free, and a new slate of events have breathed new life into the place. Our readers noticed!

As one reviewer posted: “The new owner keeps everyone informed on events and gives all patrons a great neighborhood feel. The bartendersknow you and your drink orders without asking. Fantastic bar food and some of the best drink specials in town. With Sunday Funday, Trivia night, comedy shows, pint nights, darts, and special events, Stirrup has you covered.”

LGBT­OWNED NEW BUSINESS Peckers Peckers is a brand-new LGBT bar opened by the former owners of Blue Genes, Mike Brown and Will Pulley, with the assistance of Timmy Harkum who is serving as a manager. The bar has a great ambiance, good specials, and an expanding array of activities. And most importanty, unlike Blue Genes, it has a parking lot. Check it out!

STIRRUP

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RIVERSIDE VILLAGE PHARMACY

CHEEKWOOD After years of missing out on all the LGBT marriage revenue, local service providers are now reaping the rewards of a more open and just society, but our favorites are, for the most part, tried-and-true allies who supported our community, or were part of it, long before marriage equality.

WEDDING VENUE Cheekwood Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art is one of Nashville’s most beautiful natural venues, and its interior event spaces are top notch. Cheekwood offers unique indoor and outdoor spaces, including from its botanical gardens to the Museum of Art, that allows any couple with the budget to craft their dream wedding.

This year’s favorite florist and cover model, Phillipe Chadwick worked at Cheekwood before branching out on his own, as well.

WEDDING COORDINATOR Ron Sanford Ron Sanford is a character, and knows how to be an individual—and this allows him to help couples design and implement the perfect event for their special days.

In addition to weddings, Ron Sanford Productions organizes a wide variety of other events, so if you’re looking for someone to help you organize your next soiree, he’s your man according to our readers.

CATERER Bacon & Caviar This year’s favorite wedding caterer is Bacon & Caviar, who have prominently featured in many of the biggest LGBT

WEDDING FLORIST OSHi Floral Design OSHi Floral Design is a full-service florist located in Downtown Nashville providing high-end floral services to area consumers, businesses, venues, and entertainment industry professionals and celebrities since 2004. The feel and style of OSHi is cultivated by master designer Ethan Shane who has played a pivotal role in creating the exclusive brand of OSHi over the last 8 years.

PHOTOGRAPHER High Gravity Photography Wedding photography is an unforgiving discipline, and you only get one shot at making the best memories you can, ones you’ll want to look at for the rest of your lives together. Wives Allie & TJ are High Gravity Photography, and they come as a team to help you with everything possible for your wedding, often going beyond simple photographer duties. They also are very energetic and will make sure you are having a great time! And they promise, “We work like hell to give you a perfect experience, because you don’t deserve anything less!”

RON SANFORD

WEDDINGS

events of the year. A local barbecue joint, Bacon & Caviar also has a gourmet catering wing that’s sure to please at your event.

OSHI FLORAL DESIGN

WEDDING CAKE Nashville Sweets Our readers again chose Nashville Sweets as their favorite place to get a wedding cake. Founders Brittany Pulley and Danielle Worley “believe every sweet can be art and should be beautiful, delicious and made with a whole lot of passion, care and laughter. Their creations reflect the style and personalities of their clients. Creative challenges and new

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NASHVILLE SWEETS

projects are always welcome!” From simple but elegant to art deco themed, they can design a cake for any wedding style. Also it’s a great place to pick up a comfort snack.

REHEARSAL DINNER Pinewood Social Pinewood Social is a beautiful venue with great food, great drinks, and a great … retro bowling alley? That sounds like a great recipe for a fun and memorable rehearsal dinner. It might also be a great way to kick of the night of your bachelor or bachelorette parties.

PINEWOOD SOCIAL

2.17.18 Journey Back toWhere It All Began Avant Garde Returns | Are You Ready?

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East Side Smiles (Dentistry) 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 | eastsidesmile.net

Papa & Roberts, PLLC, Attorney and Consultants Benjamin Papa/ Attorney & Mediator 1612 Westgate Circle. Ste 220 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-767-5900 | PapaRoberts.com

Look East (Optometrist) 1011 Gallatin Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-928-2281 | lookeastnashville.com

Bail U Out Bonding 306 Gay Street Suite G-2 Nashville, TN 37201 615-254-9555 | bailuoutbonding.com

HEALTH

Christopher May DC (Chiropractic) 2933 Berry Hill Drive Nashville, TN 37204 615-220-0777 | doctormay.net Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Bradley Bullock, MD 1607 Westgate Circle, Ste 200 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-376-8195 | coolspringsinternalmedicine.com Nashville Pharmacy Services 100 Oaks Plaza 615-371-1210 Skyline Medical 615-724-0066 npspharmcay.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 | bartdurham.com High Gravity Photography Mt. Juliet, TN 615-347-4515 | highgravityphotography.com John Cannon Studios 1108-C Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-496-1259 | johncannonart.com

BARS & NIGHTCLUBS PLAY Dance Bar 1519 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-322-9627 | playdancebar.com Tribe 1517 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-329-2912 | tribenashville.com

REAL ESTATE SPIRITUALITY

Sheila Barnard, Realtor THE REALTY ASSOCIATION 1305 Murfreesboro Rd | Nashville, TN 37212 615-385-9010 sheilabarnard.realtyassociation.com

Covenant of the Cross 752 Madison Square Madison, TN 37115 615-612-5040 | covenantofthecross.com Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville TN 37209 615-352-3838 | htccnashville.com

Kate Nelson, Realtor VILLAGE REAL ESTATE 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 | realestatewithkate.com

PERFORMING ARTS

ORGANIZATIONS

Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201 615-687-6400 | nashvillesymphony.org

Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue | Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 | nashvillehumane.org Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 | Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 | nashvillelgbtchamber.org

COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH

SHOPPING

Barbara Sanders, LCSW / John Waide,PhD,LCSW

(Individual & Couples Therapy)

2016- 21St Ave South | 615-414-2553 2323- 21st Ave South, Ste .401 | 615-400-5911 Nashville, TN 37212 dignitytherapynashville.com

Hayes Nissan Rivergate, Tim McIntyre 1550 Gallatin Road North Madison, TN 37115 352-454-4145 | nissanofrivergate.com

@OUTANDABOUTNASH

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1 ) 0 5 0 ( 3 " 1 ) : 252.562.8245 • codystallings.com /CodyStallingsPhotography

/CodyStallingsPhotography

Insta

@CStallingsPhoto

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Ho, Ho, Home for łhe Holidays?

PHOTO: FERNANDO LOPEZ

RJ ROBLES

STEPHEN ALBERS

It’s that holly jolly Christmas time of year again. Unfortunately, the expression does not apply to all of us during what is to be a season of joy, friends, family, and merriment. For some the holidays read more like the tale of Scrooge … minus the happy ending.

This year I was able to hop a plane and spend two weeks back home in Nebraska over Thanksgiving, welcomed in the embrace of my, sometimes, ridiculously loving family, awaiting friends, and even an old flame.

How I couldn’t wait to see my mom’s friends who were regular attendees every holiday meal. It hadn’t even crossed my mind how those unrelated came to celebrate our intimate family holiday meals. They lacked local family to spend the holiday with, and it was best for their spirits to be part of ours. After all, they practically are family.

I realized I had carried the tradition down to Tennessee with me. I commonly have an open holiday meal for friends, ensuring we all are surrounded by love on days when we all should be.

I think back to the first holiday after I came out, and the terrifying thought of facing a primarily Catholic family during sacred religious traditions. It scared the heck out of me, but I was fortunate enough to be surprised by my family’s overall acceptance.

As ages pass, more and more spectrums of the “rainbow,” begin to feel comfortable in coming out, regardless of the implications this may have on their family and social relationships, not to mention the possible psychological affect this may have during this already stressful time of year.

RJ Robles is the Program Leader for the Trans Buddy Program, an organization sponsored by Vanderbilt Medical Center that provides support for emotional support to transgender patients during healthcare visits.

Robles recalls their first holiday season out as gender-queer about 7 years ago: “I could feel the uncomfortabl[eness] with my parents with the way I dress, so they tolerate my gender expression. Obviously because it’s the holidays they have been able to see past just the clothes I wear.”

While this is the feeling amongst most of the family, Robles brother that is gay himself but is still coming to terms with his sexuality is unable to engage in conversation about his brother’s sexual identity. This not stemming specifically from RJ’s trans queerness: rather, it has always been an issue between them.

Robles offers words of wisdom to those facing similar situations this year: “I would remind trans folks that we are beautiful just the way we are, and that we are fierce. Whether or not we have families that understand our gender identities, we hold onto the community for support.”

I also spoke to 22-year-old Erik (anonymous), whom has always known himself to be pansexual, even if he didn’t fully understand it. Pansexuals are attracted to sexual partners on a “case-by-case” basis—as Erik describes it, “I just love people, whether it’s a girl or a guy, as long as they’re the right person.”

Erik feels like the black sheep of the family, and therefore doesn’t spend much of the holiday surrounded by his family.

Rather, he chooses to just dine and dash. This is definitely not uncommon for many during the holidays for those in his situation.

The holiday season can be particularly difficult for those not fully out, like Kenny (anonymous). Expectations around dating and masculinity can create a tense situation.

“It is kind of awkward in conversation,” he explained, “for example watching football games and my lack of a girlfriend, especially with pressures to be in a committed relationship.”

Rather, Kenny brings his self-proclaimed best friend to nuclear family gatherings.

“I don’t want to feel singled out and having attention drawn on me.” He added that he “doesn’t want to become a focus of conversation at Christmas dinner.”

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AMANDA CAUM

He encourages those who share his circumstances to, “Try to always stay positive, and don’t always assume your family will have a negative response.”

The holidays are probably most difficult of all for those who face rejection by family due to religious or culture clashes. Lesbian Amanda Caum, who battles alcoholism, feels an increased drive to self-medicate during this season, and her feelings of depression are especially acute due to her disconnection from her family and distance from her 8-year-old who resides with his father in Oregon.

While in days of past she would celebrate the holidays with her main family, and then make the rounds to other relatives, just as many do, this sadly is no longer the case.

She only came out just this past year, and describes an intense “anxiety of being around my family.” She continues to note, “My mom and I have always been close, but she doesn’t know how to react around me now, she’s not the only one that has reacted negatively in the family.”

In spite of this year’s difficulties, she is falling back on the support of her friends. Similar to my friends’ dinner, she and a group of friends have plans to come together to make the best of the season.

She encourages others, “Not to dwell on the things that you think you should have, but to focus on the things you do have and to appreciate them.”

But where’s that *It’s a Wonderful Life* happy ending? It isn’t all gloom.

AR (anonymous), a bisexual raising a daughter of her own, remembers her best Christmases: “My favorite was my grandma’s house, because she used to get a huge tree… Every year it just seemed to get bigger, and the whole family would come over to her house.”

She loved that the celebration included her extended family, and that ever so ornery uncle that gave all the children gifts that were certainly intended to drive their parents crazy for the rest of the year.

AR’s reaction from her family after coming out, and the annual holidays thereafter, were nothing but a shock. “We have great times together,” she continues, “Our relationship has really improved over the years… If you would have asked me 15 years ago, I’d be like no way.” However, she feels that despite all the changes over the years the challenges have done nothing more than strengthen their bond.

After all her experiences, she reminds us to remember, “Every situation is just temporary. I think if you’re a faith based person go back to your faith… Whenever you go to that dark place do whatever makes you feel positive…stop it and refocus.”

MICHELLE STEVENS In considering the challenges our community faces, I consulted with Michelle Stevens (Ph.D, LPC, MHSP), a professor at MTSU. She highlighted some warning signs that can alert us to friends and community members in distress.

Common signs include self-isolation, if a person is social and suddenly withdraws, an overall abrupt change in behavior, depression, and unhealthy coping skills, such as increased selfmedication, are all indicators that someone may need a friend.

Dr. Stevens encourages the following for those roughing it: “Seeking out some professional counseling would be one of the most obvious things. Talking about it with a friend, pastor, or someone within your safe zone and self-expression including journaling and any other creative activities may serve as coping skills.”

She also encourages, “From a professional stance [don’t] go through it alone.”

Positive or negative outlooks on, or indifference to, the holidays are all valid, but it’s also important to be aware of any potentially unhealthy behaviors that might arise from the stresses of this time.

Look-out for your friends. Be confident and love yourself.

And plainly remember the reason for the season is not something tangible, or even the hope of being accepted; rather, it is to love yourself and your fellow mankind regardless.

Happy holidays from all of us at Out & About Nashville, and have a fantastic New Year!

Shake it up.

Stir it up.

SINCE 1888 @OUTANDABOUTNASH

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OVER

the RAINBOW

BA ND O F SISTERS

The Tennessee Women of Faith Collective is a group of women from all parts of the state who are willing to risk physical violence to fight bigotry. The majority of them are ordained ministers from different faith traditions; more than a few are openly LGBTQ+. They came together last spring when right-wing groups announced plans for a summer rally.

The Collective’s main tactic of choice is a nonviolent one. They plan to come together in locked arms between the thugs invading Middle Tennessee and the counter-protesters to act as a buffer if needed. The act would be a visible witness to both sides: G-d opposes right-wing hate.

Trained in the pacifist techniques taught to activists during the original Civil Rights movements, they also know that their lives

are potentially at risks. Their security is tight because they know the right-wing networks actively monitor those who openly oppose them.

I had found out about this group from a mutual friend, and it was soon obvious that I was in way over my head. The culture war had metastasized into something truly awful during my recovery from confirmation surgery.

I was now embedded with activists who would trust me to keep their secrets for the next 48 hours.

ILLUSTRATION: MELISSA GAY // PHOTOS: MATTHEW STAFFORD

JULIE CHASE | @notninahagen

I had arrived at the secret location just in time to drop my backpack and fall in behind the women rushing for their cars. There were rumors of an impending torch march upon the MTSU campus on that early Friday afternoon before the rain started. We raced south at top speed.

Rivkah, wearing her kippah and late brother’s tallit (Jewish prayer shawl), could not entirely promise to follow the agreed upon plan. A veteran of prior actions and the Israeli Defense Forces, she was trying hard to embrace the strategy of nonviolent resistance to evil, but she was Jewish and this was personal. Her Christian friends going into action beside her understood the dilemma.

Most of the group were in Charlottesville last summer, and no one had come home from the encounter the same. Charlottesville had left people dead and America shaken.

The nature of this enemy would not be underestimated again.

The City of Murfreesboro is a Civil War nexus of sorts. A major battlefield lies within the city limits, cavalry engagements were fought around the courthouse, and monuments to the Confederacy and her soldiers may be found in the many public places. History for some, it is a record of treason for others.

But no one expected the ghosts to suddenly come alive.

Unofficial representatives of a large pacifist group soon meet with us at the jump point near MTSU. A friendly church has made their back lot available to us as long as we can keep our visible presence to a minimum.

Local pastors are amongst our visitors. They are concerned about our pending action and the potential for violence, but they have come to offer guarded support and prayer.

Both groups agree that the police and most locals are more worried about the potential for violence amongst the counterprotesters than from the thugs coming to our area. The representatives meeting with us have been trying convince the authorities that we are not a threat, but ask us to promise that we will not become violent in our resistance.

This the women readily do.

Upon their leaving, one of the women tells me that this has been a common request of groups such as the collective for many weeks now. Her own return from Charlottesville was greeted with silence and avoidance for days afterward by fellow church staffers, many of whom regularly praise the actions of Dr. King and his companions decades before—not realizing that they were considered anti-social rebels in their day too.

Time passes without a visit from torch bearing goons. The group stands down their alarm and begins a planned circle of prayer.

We are asked individually what this means to us and why we chose to come here. All tell their stories.

An out of town Christian pastor explains that she is here because she has Jewish grandparents and feels the need to stand up to bigots.

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1 5 Y E A R S O F LG B T N E W S

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Another tells of witnessing the Nashville sit-ins in during her childhood. “I’ve waited my whole life for this moment,” she explains.

She is hoping their action will change hearts on the other side, just as nonviolent resistance did during the days of Dr. King.

Alaina, a pastor and transgender woman, tells a moving story of embracing her true self after being raised as a fundamentalist Christian with a supremacist background. She desires to atone for what she did in her pretransition life and to attempt to bring the true Christian gospel to perhaps some of them.

Rivkah tells her story of being attacked

by Nazis as a teenager. She tends to let her rage lead as a result of that. But now, while allowing her rage and love to be the fuel of her resistance inside, she desires to lead with love.

The prayer circle ends. Late afternoon, we head over to the second jump point near the public square; another friendly church has offered the use of its back lot for our group.

We transfer the flag and meet up with our allies.

A volunteer medic arrives to ask each of us for our medical histories in case we need to be treated for wounds. Two volunteers with legal training also come to help us interact with the police. They hand us markers to write down their phone numbers upon our arms in case we are arrested. Night is falling, and we still have no word if Murfreesboro is to be invaded by thugs.

We circle up as a group with our allies to discuss the situation. The feeling is that the bad guys will either move in soon or save their strength for tomorrow. The choices of attack are upon an African-American church vigil near the square or a quick show of force near Forrest Hall.

Our lifeguard is attempting to pin down the action through her sources, but as the minutes go by and the temperature drops, we begin to wonder if we will see any action at all tonight. Perhaps the weather will be able to accomplish the mission we have set out to perform.

We walk down East Main Street for about a mile headed to the square. It is now quite dark and we walk in pairs trying not to lose each other. We are nervous and there are very few people on the streets near the public square this night. The few we run into are headed in the same direction, probably for the same purpose. Bigotry will not be allowed to descend upon this town without resistance.

We arrive to a square that has more people than we expected. The church vigil has let out and more than a few have stayed behind to read the pro-diversity messages scrawled upon the boarded up windows.

African-American couples are looking at the

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messages too; so are the police. It is quiet and cold. Drops of rain are beginning to come down.

A quick discussion and a call to the lifeguard leads to the final outing of this evening. The rain will not come in buckets for at least another hour and there will be an opportunity for the thugs to march upon Forrest Hall should they choose. The square is clear with police patrolling.

We walk back to the church lot and take our vehicles over to the campus, arriving just in time to see allied groups doing the same thing. A quick walk to the hall tells us there is nothing to worry about. The buckets of rain that proceed to fall upon us confirm this.

I suspect someone upstairs agreed we were in a little over our heads….

Please see the online version of Band of Sisters for the complete account.

Julie Chase is the pen name for a local 40-something trans woman.

DECEMBER 2017

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