O&AN | January 2020

JANUARY 2020/ VOLUME 20 / ISSUE 1

COMMUNITY LEADERS SHARE GOALS + 2020 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

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PRID E G U ID

JESSE EHRENFELD Elected Chairman

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ESS A HUGE SUCC FUNDRAISER RING MAYOR PETE’S EVENTS & CATE + A LOOK AT STF

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo

D’An ServesdUrepws Sweet Trea ts

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FIRST

Kroger grocery stores have stopped carrying your favorite free publications nationwide as of October 2019.

Out & About Nashville is looking for some great businesses in the Nashville area to call home for our monthly magazine.

We provide a rack (if needed) and take care of monthly stocking. All we need is you.

Interested? Call or email Will Shutes at (615) 596-6210 or will@outandaboutnashville.com

You can find our monthly print issue of O&A at the following locations: Barnes & Noble The Groove Nashville Parnassus Books Billy’s Corner Homegrown Taproom and Marketplace Pecker’s Bar and Grill Canvas Lounge Hotel Indigo Performance Studios Carlton Cornett, LCSW Hustler Hollywood Play Dance Bar Castrillo’s Pizza of Inglewood McKay’s Revelator Coffee Dose Middle Tennessee State University ShiMai Gallery of Contemporary Craft Elan Germantown Miranda’s Adult Store Smack Clothing English & Co. Music City PrEP Clinic Ten Thousand Villages FiftyForward Senior Center - Donelson Music City Wine & Spirits Trax Fido Nashville Cares Tribe Frothy Monkey 12 South Nashville Farmers’ Market Unity of Music City Green Pea Salon West Nashville Pharmacy Services, LLC Vanderbilt Comprehensive Care Clinic Grimey’s New and Preloved Music All Nashville Public Libraries Vanderbilt University Medical Center Vanderbilt University Medical Center - Medical Center North Vanderbilt University - The K.C. Potter Center, Office of LGBTQI Life

12 FAX 615-246-2787 | PHONE 615-596-6210 OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM

STAFF Publisher: Jerry Jones jjones@outandaboutnashville.com

Managing Editor: James Grady jgrady@outandaboutnashville.com

Sales & Marketing: Will Shutes will@outandaboutnashville.com

Design, Layout and Production: Design2Pro Distribution: George Webster gwebster@outandaboutnashville.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

CONTENTS

Writers: Phil Cobucci, Bennett Jason, Chris Sanders, Jason Shawhan, Sara Shuster

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Photographers: Cody Stallings

O&AN PRODUCES 2020 DIRECTORY

Cover: Nakia Reed, Team Friendly, Glenn Stewart, Jaime Combs & Carla Lewis, Brandon Thomas

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National Advertising Representative:

FILM: 2019 IN REVIEW

Diversitas Media 3000 North Sheridan Road, Unit 15F | Chicago, Illinois | 60657

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(312) 600-8823 ext. 712

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OPPORTUNITIES

Out & About Nashville welcomes volunteer writers, photographers and videographers throughout the year. If you’re interested in contributing to our publication, send an email to editor@outandaboutnashville.com with a resume, contact information and samples of your work if available. Our volunteer staff is unpaid, but contributors do receive credit for their work in our print publication and online. Those seeking an internship in journalism or

TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETURNS FOR 2020 SESSION

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2020 RESOLUTIONS WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO THIS YEAR?

mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

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LEGAL

NASHVILLE PRIDE COMMUNITY VISIONING PROJECT

Out & About Nashville strives to be a credible community news organization by engaging and educating our readers. All content of Out & About Nashville is copyrighted 2017 by Out & About Nashville, Inc. and is protected by federal copyright law and shall not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. All photography is licensed stock imagery or has been supplied unless otherwise credited to a photographer and may not be reproduced without permission. The

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sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied.

The appearance of names or pictorial representations does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of the person or persons. Out & About Nashville accepts unsolicited material but cannot take responsibility for its return. The editor reserves

HERBAL SELF CARE FOR THE NEW YEAR

the right to accept, reject or edit submissions. All rights revert to authors upon publication. The editorial positions of Out & About Nashville are expressed in editorials and in the editor’s notes as determined by the editor. Other opinions are those of writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Out & About Nashville or its staff. Letters to the editor are encouraged but may be edited for clarity and length. There is no guarantee that letters will be published. Out & About Nashville only accepts adult advertising within set guidelines and on a case-by-case basis.

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JANUARY 2020

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O&AN to Produce Pocket Size LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers Guide Coming to Stands in February 2020 JAMES GRADY

One of the most common requests we at O&AN get from readers, and from visitors far and wide is, “Can you recommend an LGBTQ friendly _________?” You can fill in that blank with anything from neighborhood (to move to or to stay in while visiting) to bar or restaurant. We do our best to answer these questions individually, but publisher Jerry Jones decided that we could better serve the community by producing a guide listing self-identifying, LGBTQ-owned or -welcoming businesses.

He recently announced this to our advertisers and business partners, saying, “I’m writing to let you in on some speical news—news that we wanted to share with you first before we make a public announcement. O&AN will be producing Nashville’s only LGBTQ pocket size Business and Travelers Directory.”

“This full color, pocket size, glossy guide will replace our regular February 2020 issue,” he added. “Don’t worry we’ll have plenty of news still available online and on our social media sites!”

This special directory will be available at select pickup spots year round and at all of our distribution spots during the month of February. We’re printing 15,000 copies so we can have enough to also hand out at large festivals (like the local Pride festivals).

In addition to being a great business directory for companies that want to reach the LGBTQ market (and show their support)— this issue will feature content for locals and visitors that highlight LGBTQ Nashville!

If you are a business and you want a listing or display ad, don’t delay. Space is limited, and the deadline is coming up fast—January 15, 2020. Contact Will at will@outandaboutnashville.com or call him at 615-596-6210.

If you are a member of the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce, we’ll have a special deal set aside for you!

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JANUARY 2020

Nashville LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers Guide

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Shake it up.

Stir it up.

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Be mellow. Be responsible.

JASON SHAWHAN

It’s been a wild year for cinematic representations of LGBTQIA on film. We got some actual screen time in the biggest film of the year (Avengers: Endgame), in a self-contained scene that could easily be snipped in China, Russia, India, and Hungary despite containing no gay content other than seeming relatably sad. But we also were recognized as the safety net for beloved divas (Judy) and acknowledged, in an unspoken act of atonement for ‘80s ignorance, as a vital and necessary part of the larger communities (Dolemite is my Name).

We’ve had LGBT directors make films for straight audiences and get over (the delightfully inventive Happy Death Day 2 U from Christopher Landon and How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World from bear icon Dean DeBlois). As usual, the world of documentary and nonfiction film was presenting complex and interesting LGBT lives as they were lived (Born To Be, Gay Chorus Deep South, Scream, Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street, Hail Satan?). We’ve even had ostensibly heterosexual filmmakers do their homework and come up with realistic and affectionate queer characters (Booksmart, Rocketman, Charlie’s Angels, Giant Little Ones).

This is all well and good, but the world around us is full of trepidation and the sense of imminent collapse. So let’s go deep on the wild and weird of this year.

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2019 IN REVIEW

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There’s a special archetype, and it pops up in all sorts of films and other media, but it warms my heart, and that’s the “Anything-That-Moves” bisexual character. Sometimes it’s a caricature of hypersexuality, but lately it feels like art is doing right by our siblings with equal opportunity libido (Velvet Buzzsaw, Luz, Bliss).

And there have been even more leaps made in pansexual representation.

For the longest time used as a shortcut to represent bourgeois decadence, contemporary film has been making taking the Auntie Mame approach and serving the poor starving world a buffet of all sorts of possibilities (the Brazilian Mad Max/Brigadoon blend Bacurau, the Portuguese trans* soccer beefcake fantasia Diamantino, and Liberté, the Catalan film that exists to prove the adage from David Cronenberg’s Shivers that “all flesh is erotic flesh”).

2019 was a really good year for ostensibly straight filmmakers who make defiantly, weirdly queer films. If you saw The Lighthouse or The Art Of Self-Defense, with their just-this-side-of BDSM power dynamics and sexualized atmosphere, you couldn’t be blamed for thinking they were actually gay films. But nope.

Synonyms, an electrifying French-Israeli coproduction, had more explicit gay content than any of the actual gay films that played in theatres worldwide this year. And what of a visceral masterpiece like Daniel Isn’t Real, where doubt is seen as heterosexist and the act of artistic self-confidence is charged with so much homoerotic energy that one’s id can’t even keep its clothes on?

There’re also those films that have nothing explicitly same-sex (or any sex) going on, and yet cannot be anything but capital-G ‘Gay.’ Think Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, and you get the idea, because that’s what Maleficent 2 (Angelina Jolie with horns and wings and Michelle Pfeiffer in a skulking dress) and In Fabric (a gorgeous cursed dress that brings decadent highs and skull-crushing, life-derailing lows with it) are.

It’s been an amazing year for queer directors making queer films. Pedro Almodovar’s triumphant return with Pain and Glory, the Kenyan lesbian film Rafiki, Yann Gonzalez’ affectionate tribute to ‘70s gay porn and Italian slashers Knife + Heart, the afore-

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mentioned documentary Scream, Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street, and the (surprise) lesbian shocker The Perfection all told fascinating stories about the lives of LGBTQIA people without holding back.

The best LGBT film of 2019, though, is a French drama called Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It’s getting a nationwide release in February (for Valentine’s Day!) from distributor Neon, and it’s magnificent. Lesbian director Celine Sciamma (Girlhood, Tomboy) tells a powerful, meaningful story about how queer desire is the foundation of the vast majority of meaningful art and also how the threat of erasure of our stories is an ongoing menace.

Which is why the film that sticks in my mind as far as queer stories go is It: Chapter Two. This is a film about buried trauma that begins with a graphic gaybashing by one’s own neighbors and ends with the reveal that the closet has done as much damage to a bright spirit as did an extradimensional arachnoid murderclown.

We take our representational victories where we can, but we’ve got to have each other’s back- because you don’t have to look very far or very hard to see the creeping terror on the horizon.

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Tennessee General Assembly Returns for 2020 Session A 2020 Legislative Preview focused on discriminatory legislation as former Speaker Casada was. That’s significant, but it will not be enough to guarantee that we prevail. We will have to do the work.

Fortunately, we are off to a good start.

We have spent the year organizing in more places around the state, so that we can have a greater impact during the legislative session. State legislators from Nashville and much of Memphis already vote against discriminatory legislation. Our opportunity is to

4, March 3, and April 7. We are recruiting district captains from around the state to take the lead in changing hearts and minds at these events. If you are in Nashville, you can prepare for these days on the Hill and the whole legislative session, by attending Advocacy 101 on January 9 at 6:00 p.m. at the Green Hills Library. Nashvillians, in particular, can also help by staying alert and attending key committee votes, wearing red for visibility.

THE WHOLE STATEWIDE COMMUNITY OF LGBTQ PEOPLE AND ALLIES NEEDS TO OWN THE BATTLE. OUR LONG-TERM HOPES FOR ADVANCING GOOD BILLS AND MAKING BAD LEGISLATION A THING OF PAST DEPEND ON TAKING THE MAP OF TENNESSEE SERIOUSLY. WE WILL HAVE TO SHOW LEGISLATORS THAT EQUALITY ADVOCATES LIVE IN THEIR DISTRICTS. Christopher Sanders Executive Director, Tennessee Equality Project If you have watched Ride Upon the Storm/ Herrens Veje, the Danish series on Netflix, you are drawn into a story in which you wonder, “How much worse can life get for these characters?” Despite temporary reprieves, there is a growing, weighty sense that things can get much worse.

We face a similar story every time the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes.

In 2020, some of the 2019 bills will return and new discriminatory bills will be filed.

You might call it the Slate of Hate PLUS. We have a bit of reprieve in that the new Speaker of the Tennessee House is not as

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form better relationships with legislators in other parts of Tennessee. So I am grateful to the advocates in Northwest Tennessee, Dickson County, the Morristown area, Rutherford County, and many other places who are organizing and speaking out.

The whole statewide community of LGBTQ people and allies needs to own the battle. Our long-term hopes for advancing good bills and making bad legislation a thing of past depend on taking the map of Tennessee seriously. We will have to show legislators that equality advocates live in their districts.

So once again we will hold three Advancing Equality Days on the Hill—February

JANUARY 2020

Allies play a critical role in speaking out.

We know that clergy and business voices matter in Tennessee. The LGBTQ community always determines which bills are important to us and which bills we will fight. We will call on allies to join us again in fighting the entire Slate of Hate.

What is thrown at us can always get worse, but I think our community is getting better at fighting back. And I think more allies are answering the call to support us. Taylor Swift, Mike Curb, and many others made strong statements against discriminatory legislation in 2019. When our community fights back and sends a clear message, I am confident the help will come.

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2020 Resolutions

Where Do We Want to Go This Year?

Jaime Combs & Carla Lewis

For the upcoming year, as co-chair of the Community Task for the newly forming Middle Tennessee Pride Council, it’s my hope and resolution to compile a comprehensive and inclusive list of all resources that can be utilized by our queer community.

I also know that there are new threats on the legislative horizon that will threaten access to medical care for parents and their transgender children. I intend to be visible and outspoken against any such effort to threaten my transgender family in this way. ...and speaking of family, I really hope I get to spend more time with my own children and grandchildren in the coming year. As the years pass, time moves more rapidly for me, and opportunities to fellowship with those I care about seem more fleeting than before.

In short, I resolve to serve, defend, and love in 2020.

JAIME COMBS

Brandon Thomas

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David Andrews

My New Year’s goals are to be more creative, continue on a path of profitability and stop killing the plants my mom brings to my bakery.

BRANDON THOMAS

My resolution for the new year is to make a difference, share my story and live my truth. I hope to make a difference for my transgender family by being part of a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee that will allow transgender people that were born in this state the right to change their birth certificate.

I will be sharing my story—the story of the experience of being a woman who is transgender—along with two other women, in a performance of The Vagina Monologues.

Carla Lewis

world around him as he grows and learns. I want him to know how important it is to stand up for what’s right, and to help people whenever you can. That’s why I’ve decided to run for State House again in 2020. I want to show Ezra what it looks like to fight hard for what you believe in. I plan on winning my election next November, and look forward to making a resolution for 2021 to do everything I can as a state representative to improve my community, and the lives of my neighbors.

DAVID ANDREWS. D’ANDREWS BAKERY

It’s January, and so far many of our resolutions still stand. In preparation for the New Year, Out & About Nashville asked community members and leaders, as well as individuals who have been featured in, or on the cover of, this magazine, what their resolutions were for this turbulent year. We got responses from the mundane to the idealistic, the whimsical to the serious, and everything in between. What did you resolve?

And who’s helping you stay accountable?

Email editor@outandaboutnashville.com to share your own journey with our community!

My New Year’s resolution is to make sure I’m setting a good example for my son, Ezra, about how we should treat others. He’ll be two in March, and I can see him taking in the

JANUARY 2020

I have so many New Year Resolutions!

But these are my top two.

1. To Bet On Myself. I’m going to take the big risks and double down on myself. As successful as I have been, negative self-talk and anxiety about unknowns still sometimes take hold. I’ve proven time and again that I am talented, driven, dynamic and capable of making magic happen. This year I will choose to believe in the proof instead of the fear.

Sunny Eaton

Joseph Woodson

My New Year’s Resolution for 2020, both personally and professionally, is to continue openly discussing LGBTQ issues that will help our city with its continued growth and development. As your MNPD LGBTQ liaison, I have learned a lot from the diverse community we serve in the Nashville area.

My goal is to work hard to help improve quality of life and enhance the safety of our residents and visitors alike. My upcoming new year will be dedicated to promoting inclusion, continued outreach with local businesses and their involvement with our Safe Place Initiative and helping those in our great city feel safe and welcome.

ROBERT HARRIS. MAYOR’S OFFICE, COUNCIL LIAISON AND DEVELOPMENT ANALYST

Resolutions: Read 2 books a month, run 1 race a month, exercise 5 times a week, eat meat only on the weekend.

Nancy VanReece

JOSEPH WOODSON

My resolution is to say YES to new adventures, and also remember to be still and reflect for myself.

Team Friendly Tennessee

We resolve to welcome new volunteers and to have more, good conversations with people about the current reality of HIV. We resolve to help them understand there is still a lot of stigma surrounding HIV. We additionally resolve to encourage people to know their status, because knowing is the first step to getting to zero new transmissions.

Greg Howard GREG HOWARD

OFFICER NAKIA REED. MNPD LGBTQ LIAISON

Officer Nakia Reed

Robert Harris

HON. NANCY VANREECE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT 8

2. Take a Tech Break. I find that I lose presence in both my personal and professional life when I can’t lay off the phone, the laptop, the internet—all of the blue-lit things.

My most significant gains in both business and personal life have come from relationships. For those relationships to have authenticity and depth, my attention and extra time will be spent finding meaningful, personal ways of communicating and collaborating.

Emails and texts are a great tool, but this year, I will make more phone calls, send more handwritten notes and make sure my attention is with the person I’m sitting with rather than the electronic distractions.

My goal for my business is to broaden our reach to serve even more families in 2020 during the birthing year, and to continue our practice of inclusive care for all families. And my personal goal is to read more books in 2020!

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SUNNY EATON. PHOTO CREDIT JOSHUA COREY

ANDREA HEWITT

Andrea Hewitt

Perfect vision is known as “20/20” and that’s what I hope to focus on this next year.

I plan to do my part to ensure that our amazing city is achieving continued growth through mindful and intentional investment in itself. I will be personally looking for ways to absorb educational opportunities and build relationships in order to achieve a bold vision for this next decade.

Young Adult and Middle Grade author of Social Intercourse, The Whispers, and Middle School’s A Drag: You Better Werk!

My personal goals for 2020 are: pushing myself outside of my comfort zone, doing a better job of living in the moment, and not allowing myself to absorb the stress of others.

@OUTANDABOUTNASH

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TODD ROMAN CO-OWNER, TRIBE / PLAY DANCE BAR

Todd Roman

I see and hear a lot of cynicism in our world and at times it is hard not to let those negative voices, unconstructive criticism, and polarizing individuals affect me.

My resolution is to block out the above, try to have the most positive attitude I can, and try to be the example of what I would like to see in the world!

KATHY HALBROOKS

Kathy Halbrooks

My New Year’s resolution is to listen more.

I want to be more open to others political views. I want to understand how political ideology prevents one from working with others for the collective good. I’m at my core an optimist and want so much for people and the county to find a brighter path forward together in 2020!

Vidalia Anne Gentry VIDALIA ANNE GENTRY

Joe Brown

One of my biggest resolutions for 2020 is to focus more on self-care. It’s easy to get caught up in a routine but it’s important to make time for breaks and to enjoy the fruits of your labor.

In the new year, I’m really wanting to experience more art, so I’m going to try and see a show or visit an exhibit at least once a month. I also want to start sewing more this year! I used to get really frustrated by it, but I think it might be time to give it another go.

Julie Chase JULIE CHASE. COLUMNIST

My resolution is to read a different autobiography or novel each month, work out at the gym four times a week, and do more monthly community service projects.

I will continue to show up for the LGBTQIA community and keep fighting for equality. I resolve to keep learning and growing.

JOE BROWN CO-OWNER, TRIBE / PLAY DANCE BAR

BRANDON MARSHALL MAYOR’S OFFICE, LGBTQ LIAISON / DIGITAL DIRECTOR

Brandon Marshall

CANDACE JOHNSON

Candace Johnson As an ally, I will continue to support the LGBTQ+ community with my affirmation, friendship, and public actions. In striving for the day that LGBTQ+ people are no longer discriminated against or treated unfairly, I particularly plan to work to see that bills negative to the community are defeated. In 2020 I resolve to be part of the movement that ensures LOVE WINS!’

My resolutions are to continue to learn as much as I can and help others with their resolutions. Often, old habits or “always something” just gets in our way of being the most productive and being our best self. Even as a shaman and energy worker, I ALWAYS have another layer that appears, after I shed the top layer. Every year, people make resolutions, “New Year, New ME”. Rarely is it ever a new you. However, we still have that longing.

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JANUARY 2020

JANE DUPREE

Jane Dupree 4. Your vibrator is NOT a back massager. Don’t you think you should begin learning how to use the new equipment properly?

9. The “crazy” people were right all along. Today’s ACT UP movements are being led by younger folks who have far more guts than your generation ever did. Never be afraid to acknowledge that. Never be afraid to lose “mainstream” friends by continuing to acknowledge that. And never, ever go back to what you were before.

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Herron in Knoxville, Mark Buchanan and John Hart in Dickson, Adam Haynes in Morristown, and Ray White in the Tri-Cities have the funds, resources, and information they need to grow effective advocacy around the state. Our success in the Legislature depends on thinking statewide.

value to my family, friends, groups and community. I’m going to be healthier and start running again. If I’m the best person I can be, the. I can be better for the people I care about most! I’ve purchased a treadmill and started conditioning to build my cardio strength.

The Music City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Glenn Stewart

A personal goal I have is to always grow and become a stronger person. With the New Year, as with years past, I will continue to strive to improve my strength in the gym (I am a Powerlifter, after all), the strength and durability of my mind, and to help those around me however I am able. My professional goal is to strive to be a positive influence in my community – to bridge the gap between the Metro Nashville Police Department and the community and develop relationships with those to whom I am in service. I am a firm believer that building relationships is the key to solving most issues that exist between the community, slowly and steadily eliminating the shroud of misunderstanding that divides the many different individuals in our community.

As MCSPI begin their tenth year as a fully professed order we approach the coming year rededicating ourselves to the forty-year tradition. The coming year will offer opportunities; to stimulate intellectual curiosity through education, provide a quiet spot in a maelstrom through compassionate listening, shake a booty for a dollar, and present a Boonoonoonous scene.... All while maintaining an up-curled eyelash.

David McMurry

My resolution is a pledge to use my energy to make sure that leaders like Morgan Robertson in Martin, Shahin Samiei in Memphis, Justin Miller in Murfreesboro, Shannon

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DAVID MCMURRY

CHRIS SANDERS. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TEP PHOTO CREDIT JENNIFER SHERIDAN

Chris Sanders

I feel the most significant change/improvement I can make is to provide more

JANUARY 2020

GLENN STEWART

THE MUSIC CITY SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE

SGT. CATIE POOLE

Sgt. Catie Poole

Now that I’m in my 50’s and embracing my Daddy status, I’ve come to some revolations about resolutions. No more resolutions for this guy. The plan is to live each day ahead of me to the fullest. We have one life to live, and we need to maximize the time we all have left on this amazing planet. I will continue to be the best husband and friend possible to the man of my dreams, Brad Taylor.

I / we also want to have many new experiences as possible. As you get older inhibitions fly out the window and you start to develop a “Why the f**k not” mentality no matter how racy or vanilla something seems to someone. Hummmm maybe a only fans page?

I want to continue to work in and build stronger friendships and strengthen relationships with the people in our lives who we care deeply for. This holds true for “Lifer” friends as well as people who recently came into our lives who we care deeply about. Happy new year everyone and may the force be with us...2020 is going to be very interesting.

JASON SHAWHAN

Jason Shawhan

My hope in 2020 is to be a better listener, eschew complacency, be more politically active in person (rather than just on the Internet), and declutter my apartment and my subconscious.

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Nashville Pride Community Visioning Project RECOMMENDATIONS AND NEXT STEPS

PHIL COBUCCI

Over the last seven months, an all-volunteer team of researchers and analysts from Nashville Pride, completed a comprehensive study of the LGBTQIA+ community throughout Middle Tennessee.

The study engaged more than 2,400 community members focused what is needed to thrive. The desire to learn from our community—no matter their socioeconomic status, race, age, health, orientation, gender, ability, occupation or zip code —was rooted in the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to thrive.

Through the Nashville + Middle Tennessee LGBTQIA+ Community Visioning Project, we learned about the many desires of the diverse and beautiful population of the region. The ideas collected from these engagements were simple, but also revolutionary. In our human diversity, we all deserve acceptance and the opportunity to prosper. No matter what—who you love and where you live should never determine your rights, access to services, or ability to thrive.

Social progress ebbs and flows in every social justice movement—the pendulum that swings in both directions, but ultimately lands on freedom. We LGBTQIA+ people are everywhere, we are born at the same unstoppable pace in every state—North, South, red, blue—and to every household, religious or not. The fact is, there is vitality in the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gender-expansive people, especially in the South, where it is often least expected. We are bonded together by the pressure of bigoted policies and legislative threats on a state and national level. We need each other because we are still climbing up from the bottom.

The Community Visioning Project focused on collecting data to assess needs and develop programs and partnerships that would improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ people throughout Middle Tennessee.

The two top line recommendation from members of the community couldn’t be more abundantly clear—nearly 73% of participants wanted to see a better alignment of our resources, advocacy groups, and programs in the region to ensure efficient inbound and outbound communication was a priority. The region has over 35 LGBTQIA+ organizations, and several other groups that offer dedicated services within their programs, and such efficiencies would allow each of our organizations to be more unified and a more powerful resource for change.

Our second top line recommendation was focused around the creation of a community center that is comprehensive in nature and provides a variety of services and acts as a clearinghouse for the needs of LGBTQIA+ people throughout Middle Tennessee. These needs are not only present within Nashville, but also (and in many cases even more so) in the nine-county region surrounding the city.

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Nashville is not unfamiliar with community centers, but the sustainability of LGBTQIA+ centers in our region has seen its challenges. Numerous issues plagued the most recent facility, OutCentral, which lead to its closure.

A new community space must be built with sustainability in mind.

There is a fantastic model for effective service provision in Middle Tennessee with My House Nashville, a partnership between Nashville CARES, Street Works, & Neighborhood Health supporting same gender loving men of color and gay/bisexual men. Details about the program can be found at myhousenashville.org. The need for other models of this type in our region are clearly evident, as over 84% of respondents indicated that having an accessible space that serves all of LGBTQIA+ Middle Tennessee is a critical need.

A series of secondary recommendations, referred to as the ‘bridge between’, must be fulfilled between the primary recommendations to make them effective and sustainable. Those secondary recommendations are focused on community engagement, programming for adults under 26, for those over 55, as well as health navigation services for all members of the community. A comprehensive explanation of these secondary recommendations, as well as the report and other material, can be found at nashvillepride.org/cvp.

Our hope is that a unified attempt to foster action begins to address these recommendations, now that the report is complete.

As our region continues to grow, we must work in harmony to ensure that everyone in our region has the opportunity to thrive. Will you join us in the movement for revolutionary change?

Phil Cobucci is the Community Affairs Director for Nashville Pride and the project lead on the Community Visioning Project.

Learn more about the Nashville and Middle Tennessee LGBTQIA+ Community Visioning Project at nashvillepride.org/cvp. To contact Phil directly, please email phil@nashvillepride.org.

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Herbal Self Care for the New Year Here are some examples of herbal practices you might enjoy adding into your self-care routines: Daily practices ● Herbal tea – find time to drink a cup of herbal tea somewhere in your day. This could be an energizing tea to help get you going in the mornings, a tea to help you focus on your tasks for the day, or a relaxing blend as you wind down before sleep. ● Digestive bitters – herbal bitters are best taken about fifteen minutes before eating and can assist with your meal digestion and reducing bloating or discomfort. Try them before one meal a day at first and see if you notice a difference, then increase from there if you wish.

SARA SCHUSTER

Many of us find ourselves beginning each new year with ambitious intentions, but not necessarily with a solid system in place to support us in achieving those goals. As we work to bring new projects to fruition or incorporate new behaviors into our lives, having a self-care routine in place can often make the difference between fizzling out after the initial excitement wears off or seeing things through to a successful finish. I’d like to encourage you to plan ahead for how you will nurture yourself over the course of the coming months.

Incorporating herbal remedies into my life has become a key part of how I nourish myself so that I’m able to stay focused on the things that matter most to me. Developing a system for herbal self-care to support yourself in ways that feel affirming and sustainable is a fun endeavor that you can tackle by yourself, with a friend, or even in consultation with a professional. Sharing your goals with others is a great way to build in a little positive accountability!

So where to start as you plan out your herbal self-care for the year? First, be realistic about how much time you have available. If fitting self-care into your schedule becomes a point of stress, then we’re undoing our work even before we’ve begun! Remember, these herbal practices are meant to nourish you and give you extra support!

Start with goals that feel achievable and build gradually upon your successes.

Perhaps pick a small daily goal for your first month or two, then add in a weekly goal, and then a monthly or quarterly goal once that feels good as well.

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Weekly practices ● Herbal baths – most people jump to the image of a bubble bath when self-care is mentioned, so let’s take it a step beyond and add some herbs as well! Calendula and chamomile are two of my favorites, along with a good handful of Epsom salts. You’ll either want to keep the herbs in a cloth bag or have a strainer basket so you don’t clog your drain when emptying the tub afterwards. ● Herbal foot soaks – Don’t have time to commit to a full bath? Try a foot soak! Taking care of our feet after running around all week can be a very rewarding treat. While there are home foot baths out there, you can do this without any special equipment – any pot or container large enough for you to get your feet in will work (make sure it can handle relatively hot water as well).

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Monthly or quarterly practices ● Plant walks – get outside and learn about herbs! There are plenty of local groups that offer regular plant walks where you can go for a nice hike and learn how to identify the amazing biodiversity that Tennessee has to offer. Check with the state parks nearest you. ● Herbal consultations – if you want to dive deeper into working with herbal remedies but are unsure of where to begin, consider making an appointment with an herbalist. They can help you develop herbal practices tailored to your own individual needs and goals.

Remember to not put too much pressure on yourself as you start to incorporate herbal remedies into your life. If your goal is to drink a relaxing cup of tea before bed each night and you miss a day or two, it’s okay! Just pick back up again once you’re able to and carry on from there. Bringing herbs into your life on a regular basis can give your overall wellbeing an extra boost as you move through this new year. I hope these herbal self care practices provide you joyful nourishment throughout 2020 and for future years to come.

Sara Schuster is a queer herbalist, homesteader, and medicinal herb farmer.

She offers herbal products, educational workshops, and herbal consultations through her business, Fox and Elder. She is also the host of the Tending Seeds podcast. Sara can be reached at FoxandElder. com, as well as on Instagram and Facebook.

HEALTH

ARTS

Dental Services East Side Smiles 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 Eastsidesmile.net

Performing Arts Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201 615-687-6400 Nashvillesymphony.org

Healthcare Providers Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics MD 1607 Westgate Circle, Ste 200 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-376-8195 Coolspringsinternalmedicine.com Pharmacy Nashville Pharmacy Services 100 Oaks Plaza, Skyline Medical 615-371-1210 / 615-724-0066 Npspharmcay.com Optometry Look East 1011 Gallatin Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-928-2281 Lookeastnashville.com COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH Individual & Couples Therapy Barbara Sanders, LCSW/John Waide, PhD, LCSW 2016- 21St Ave South/2323- 21st Ave South, Ste.401 Nashville, TN 37212 615-414-2553 / 615-400-5911 Dignitytherapynashville.com Brandon Teeftaller, APN 220 Athens Way, Plaza 1, Suite 105 Nashville, TN. 37228 615-320-1155 LEGAL SERVICES Lawyer Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 Bartdurham.com

SPIRITUALITY Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-3838 www.htccnashville.com Belmont United Methodist Church 2007 Acklen Avenue Nashville TN 27212 Learn more at BelmontUMC.org.

REAL ESTATE Sheila Barnard, Realtor, The Realty Association 1305 Murfressboro Road Nashville, TN 37217 615-385-9010 cell 615-424-6924 Sheilabarnard.realtyassociation.com Emily Benedict, Realtor, Village Real Estate 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-585-1258 BSLNashville.com Kate Nelson, Realtor, Village Real Estate 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 Realestatewithkate.com ORGANIZATIONS

Blakemore United Methodist Church 3601 West End Ave Nashville, TN 37205 Learn more at BlakemoreUMC.org.

Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 Nashvillehumane.org

East End United Methodist Church 1212 Holly Street Nashville, TN 37206 Learn more at EastEndUMC.org.

Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 Nashvillelgbtchamber.org

Edgehill United Methodist Church 1502 Edgehill Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Learn more at Edgehill.org.

Glendale United Methodist Church 900 Glendale Lane Nashville, TN 37204 Learn more at GlendaleUMC.org.

West End United Methodist Church 2200 West End Avenue Nashville, Tennessee 37203 Learn more at WestEndUMC.org.

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

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The Queens’ Table

Vol. 4 - Parson’s Chicken & Fish Presiding Queens: @casanova_loves_you, @traceyottomey BENNETT JASON

Welcome back to The Queens’ Table!

Tonight our girls head to a favorite Nashville neighborhood, the budding Wedgewood Houston district. This hidden enclave has been known for its art galleries and distilleries and now, more recently, its eats. Its vintage industrial lofts and new constructs are continuously morphing into Nashville’s future for nightlife and dining destinations.

Right next door to one of these gorgeous cast iron industrials is Parson’s Chicken & Fish. Open for only 5 months now, Casanova and I frequent Parson’s for many reasons.

It’s fun and welcoming atmosphere includes a huge back porch with plenty of outdoor dining, ping pong, and corn hole. Brunch is served everyday from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Don’t miss out on the killer happy hour from 3:00– 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

We are greeted tableside with a round of Tequila Verdita, a green juice shot of pineapple, cilantro, jalapeno and mint. With a silver tequila back...or front. Whichever “blows your skirt up.” This super clean palette cleanser prepared us for our frozen drinks.

I had the Parson’s famous Frozen Negroni, a blend of Letherbee Gin, Luxardo bitters, sweet vermouth and citrus. For anyone

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that enjoys this classic cocktail, try it frozen.

Casanova and Tracey had the Frozen Pisco.

Where the Negroni tastes more herbal, the Pisco has a sweeter taste, but these ladies sucked back the last of the Pisco. Master manager Shannon informed us that the Frozen Pisco will be on hiatus and a new winter slushy will debut.

Be on the lookout for the Red Skeleton.

She let us try the first of this new favorite, a blend of 1870 Bitters, Rye Whiskey, Peychaudes and lemon. “It’s boozy frozen kool-aid y’all!!!” Tracey shrieks nostalgia for this childhood classic. The Red Skeleton will bring back the memories then make you forget them.

As we sipped our slushies, food began arriving, starting with some shared plates. The ladies dove into the Hush Puppies, the Fried Cauliflower Basket, Mashed Potatoes and Mac & Cheese (which Casanova gives five out of five on the “THIS IS EVERYTHING” meter.)

Meanwhile, Tracey was living for the Cauliflower. These little beauties are very lightly beer battered, served up with ranch powder

JANUARY 2020

and buffalo sauce. A must try indeed! We continued our fried food fest with a mountain of fish and chicken. The fish, super light and beer battered (an oxymoron, I know, but tasting is believing—promise!) served up with super sexy house-made tartar sauce.

The chicken, spicy, not hot, is marinated in citrus, scallions, rum, habanero, and a secret house blend of spices. And, of course, fried to perfection. If you want your chicken hot, you got it hot as they also make their own hot sauce that will keep you clutching your pearls.

Parson’s has perfected the casual, leisure, fun feel it set out to create. So casual the girls opted out of wearing nails and Tracey even served up some bearded beauty realness. Attagirl! The service at Parson’s is superior and feels as though you are among friends. It is an effortless, delicious good time.

Until next time foodies! As always, much love and good taste from The Queens’ Table.

Parson’s Chicken & Fish is located at 425 Chestnut Strett, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203.

Your Nashville Symphony

Live at the Schermerhorn P R O KO F I E V ’ S

ROMEO & JULIET JANUARY 10 TO 12

january 16 to 18

A CAPPELLA DISNEY SHOWSTOPPERS

Guerrero Conducts

NFM WROCŁAW PHILHARMONIC january 21*

january 24*

in concert

january 26

february 6 to 9

Patti elle LaB Valentine's with

CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

A DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY LOVE STORY IN SONG

Star-Studded Tribute • february 13

february 14

*Presented without the Nashville Symphony.

615.687.6400 NashvilleSymphony.org

CONCERT PARTNERS

WITH SUPPORT FROM

WO R L D

PR E M I E R E

Four of the world’s hottest choreographers collaborate with Nashville musicians to illuminate the experience of gender.

February 14–16, 2020 | TPAC’s Polk Theater FEATURING CHOREOGRAPHY BY

Jennifer Archibald Carlos Pons Guerra Erin Kouwe Matthew Neenan

FEATURING LIVE MUSIC COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY

PRESENTED AT

Louis York Cristina Spinei

Tickets on sale now! Prices start at $30!

TICKETS AT 615-782-4040 OR

nashvilleballet.com