O&AN | August 2020

Shake it up.

Stir it up.

SINCE 1888 FourRosesBourbon.com

Be mellow. Be responsible.

GAY GUIDE PRInt EDITION HEALTH Dental Services East Side Smiles 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 eastsidesmile.net

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 615-414-2553 / 615-400-5911 dignitytherapynashville.com psychotherapy-and-psychoanalysis.com Brandon Teeftaller, APN 220 Athens Way, Plaza 1, Suite 104 Nashville, TN. 37228 615-320-1155 Karuna Therapy Solutions 210 25th Ave. North, Suite 1220 Nashville, TN 37203 615-669-6621

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 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

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

LEGAL SERVICES Lawyer Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 bartdurham.com Sunny Eaton, Esq. 731 Porter Road Nashville, TN 37206 615-861-9960

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

SPIRITUALITY Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-3838 www.htccnashville.com

Contents 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: Cody Stallings cstallings@outandaboutnashville.com Design, Layout and Production: Saul Santos fsdemianhades3@gmail.com

CONTRIBUTORS Writers: James Grady, Jerry Jones, Sara Schuster, Jason Shawhan, Chris Spear

06

Photographers: Joshua Corey COVER: Sunny Eaton; photography by Joshua Corey National Advertising Representative: Rivendell Media 1248 Route 22 West | Mountainside, NJ 07092 (908) 232-2021 ext. 200

CORRECTIONS

&

We regret that the February LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers’ Guide listed an incorrect phone number for Karuna Therapeutic Solutions. Their correct phone number is 615-669-6621. We apologize for the confusion.

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 mass communications are strongly encouraged to apply.

LEGAL

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 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 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.

4

Augu 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

For a Time of Social Upheaval Jason Shawhan

08

Level Days by Conro Chris Spear

10

Nashville’s Newest Top Cop Jerry Jones

12

Refocusing on Justice James Grady

18 20 22

O&AN Adds Two New Podcasts to Its Line-Up

Cool Off with Herbal Treats Sara Schuster

Connecting With the LGBTQ Community James Grady

LETTER

YOU DESERVE TO BE PAID.

F re e Con s u l tation • Call U s 2 4 /7 www.ba rtd u r h a m . c o m | 615-242-9000 outandaboutnashville.com August 2020 4 0 4 James Roberts on Pa r k w a y, Su ite 1712, Na sh ville , T N 3721 9

5

Societal upheaval being as it is, there are few options available that can prove a salve to everything that's eating away at whatever your sense of stability requires. Fortunately, art can help, and the following three films all approach the LGBTQIA+ experience from very different ways. Hopefully they may help with wherever your emotions are taking you.

The Special Shelf

WELCOME TO CHECHNYA

For a Time of

As tense as a suspense thriller, even as it details the mechanics of trying to escape from a society that actively plots their persecution and death, this documentary explores the loose collective of people who help to extract queers in danger from their families, the police, and internet psychos throughout Russia and its adjacent territories.

Social Upheaval Jason Shawhan

CAROL Todd Haynes is one of the greatest directors of the last thirty years, and his adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Price of Salt is one of the great LGBT films of the past decade. In Carol, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are exceptional, delving into what lesbian identity means, how social and class mobility tangles everything in American life, and how the right outfit unlocks both queer semiotics and the limitations of respectable gatekeeping.

This is a film about furtive glances, Christmas shopping on multiple levels, and the politics of beige. It’s not ideal if you’re trying to quit smoking, but it’s an exquisite whirl into possibility, and a sumptuous blanket for a violent world. Streaming on Hoopla and Tubi.

6

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Chechnya, a breakaway Russian republic, emerges as the focus primarily because of Ramzan Kadryov, a wannabe strongman and Putin acolyte who denies the existence of LGBTQ people in Chechnya and has allowed discrimination, torture, blackmail, and family-wide purges to be waged against them (look up the currently disappeared Zelim Bakaev just for an example of how capriciously queer lives are eliminated). So when this collective succeeds in helping people escape, it is incredibly satisfying.

Some might say that our lives being used like the third act whatsits of Hollywood action/espionage flicks is in poor taste, but director David France (he did the still -amazing How To Survive a Plague back in 2012) is crafting this to make every viewer sit up and take notice, and it works. That said, if you have trauma relating to family betrayals, police violence, or you just don’t want to see violence against us, that’s okay. Just know that this film will make a difference. Streaming on HBO’s various and sundry On Demand options.

For a Time of Social Upheaval

The Special Shelf

DAHMER Long before the Oscar nomination (for The Hurt Locker), the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the app, the musical endeavors, and the problematic revelations, Jeremy Renner was best known for the delightful National Lampoon’s Senior Trip and for this upsetting, empathetic, and indelible riff on the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, part of a trio of gutbucket films about infamous killers (Ed Gein and Ted Bundy being the subjects of the other two) made in the early aughts.

Writer/Director David Jacobsen gets weird with it, taking a bifurcate temporal structure that at times feels like something meant for the stage. But here’s the thing, and why I would include this film in this section: Renner is incredible in this role (he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for it). To take a signifier of queer evil like Jeffrey Dahmer and to get across genuine emotional complexity is a notable achievement, and it’s why Renner has merited attention in the intervening eighteen years.

I’m of exactly the right age to remember the swath Dahmer cut across the late ‘80s and early ‘90s (I still can’t bring myself to watch Exorcist III), and this film is captivating and icky.

Streaming on Tubi.

Out & About Nashville's readers are more educated, affluent, and engaged than just about any other market segment. If you want to reach them,

you should advertise with us.

Interested? sales@outandaboutnashville.com for details!

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

7

Level Days by Coro Album Review Chris Spear

Conor Patton—aka “Conro” — is a Canadian producer that primarily releases music on the label Monstercat. The first time I was introduced to Conro’s music, a good friend of mine sent me the track “Lay Low”.

I instantly fell in love with his production and vocal style. Ever since, I have always enjoyed his releases. In May, he released his debut album Level Days. It’s diverse genres and immaculate production are just a few reasons why I have listened to the album excessively.

Level days starts out with “The Small Things”, which slowly fades in with echoing guitars, drum rolls, and vocals. It quickly leads the way with an upbeat indie dance sound. I really enjoy the space he creates with each build up between the drums and vocals.

“Without Your Love” is a fun, poppy dance song. I particularly like the intricate drums throughout the chorus. In “Therapy” the funky bass really drives the song, complimented well by the distorted guitar.

“Fighters” is a solid progressive house track. One thing that always piques my interest when listening is the way he creates texture with his reverse vocals.

“Way Up”, featuring Nevve, is a fun breakbeat track. The vocals are constantly bouncing back and forth or harmonizing and keep you engaged the entire track. “Waiting” is a cute indie pop love song.

The chorus is infectious and has been stuck in my head a few times.

My favorite part of “Dreaming” is the soulful bass during the verses.

One of the standout tracks for me is “Tattoo”, a future trap track that has such a great blend of guitar, piano, and bass, with a vocal that gets a good amount of vocoder treatment. “Out for the Night” has a really catchy melody and a bassline that is sure to get your head bobbing.

Another standout track for me is “Overdue.” The pre-chorus buildup with driving guitars flows so smoothly into a beautifully manipulated vocal during the chorus.

8

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Level Days by Coro

Album Review

My favorite track of the album has to be “Say It”. One of the reasons I love Conro so much is his vocals. This track is a great example of how he has driving synths accompanied by glitch sound effects, while playing with his vocoder. “Here to Stay” is an acoustic track that has lush vocals layered creating a good amount of depth and closes the album out nicely The reasons I first fell in love with Conro’s production style are apparent all throughout the album. It has a good flow from track to track, carried by the use a lot of the same instruments and elements.

Conro’s sound is a good balance of singer songwriter, EDM, and pop and this album is a great representation of it.

You can find Level Days on Spotify

Coming January 2021:

The Second Annual Out & About Nashville LGBTQ Business Directory and Travelers Guide!

Find your copy of the 2020 Guide wherever Out & About Nashville is distributed.

Interested in advertising with O&AN? Email Sales@outandaboutnashville.com or phone (615) 596-6210 for more information.

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

9

Nashville’s newest Deputy Police Chief, Kay Lokey, was 30 years old when she joined the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). It was in November 1996, and she was working part-time at UPS and going to college. But she was, as she put it, “burnt out,” and needed a change.

Her older sister encouraged her to apply with MNPD and she did.

And, after filling out an 80-page document that asked “everything about you,” she entered the training academy and faced one of the biggest challenges of her life.

“I made it through, but it was tough,” she said. “I leaned on my family and friends a lot during that process.”

Now she is one of five top division leaders that report directly to the chief of police, and the only female. During her early years, starting out as a young patrol officer, she never hid the fact that she was a lesbian, but she didn’t push the issue either.

She comes to the job of Deputy Chief after serving in many of the roles that she will now oversee: she spent eight years in the patrol division, then worked as a school resource officer, then moved on to work as a sergeant in the patrol division, and then time at the training academy working with recruits. She has worked in the Central Records Division and served as captain at the Domestic Violence Division. In 2014 she was made commander of the newly established Midtown Hills Precinct.

As Deputy Chief over Administrative Services, Lokey will be responsible for eight large areas, including recruitment and training, and those two areas are where she feels she can most impact on how the police serve the public.

“This is a challenging time for police departments across the county,” she explained. “But tough times bring forth changes and brings character forward. I’m ready to restart the conversation with the community about how we can rebuild trust in the police department.”

In the area of recruitment, she knows that the department has some challenges. It has for several years had at least 100 open positions that it has been unable to fill, and now, in the current climate, she knows that number will only grow. Additionally, the department lacks in certain areas of diversity—less than 10 percent of the department is female, below the national average of 12 percent—and she’s not even sure how many members of the department belong to the LGBTQ community.

Nashville’s Newest

Top Cop Lokey Encourages Women and LGBTQ Community to ‘Be a Part of the Change’

Jerry Jones

“We need more women police officers,” she explained. “Now is the time for women to step up and help make the change we need. I really want to encourage women and the LGBTQ community to step up and be a part of the change we need. We need people who are good problem solvers, who are good at being able to deescalate stressful situations, and who can help rebuild the trust.”

But she also knows that for a long time, law enforcement across the county has been dominated by men and has a reputation for being a very macho environment.

Change is nothing new to Lokey. She grew up with it and has learned to adapt. As an “Air Force brat” she had lived in eight states by the time she was 18. Moving around exposed her at a young age to a variety of people and situations.

“We have to evolve with the times and what society expects from us as police officers,” she said. “We need to treat and recognize people for who they are, not who we want them to be. It’s hard

Photo Courtesy of MNPD 10

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Nashville’s Newest Top Cop

Lifestyle

to be a woman in this profession. I know that firsthand. We need to change that.”

One of those changes she hopes to see is a change in the way the police department responds to and manages metal illness and homelessness.

“Does law enforcement need to respond to mental crisis,” she asked. “Do we really have the type of training that we need to manage that?”

She said the city of Nashville needed to come to terms with the mental illness problem, and adapt how we treat the homeless with a robust social services program.

“Maybe one of the solutions is that we have a mental health professional respond on those types of calls with us,” she said.

She also wants to continue to build relationships and have a more robust community policing program, one that helps the police department connect to the communities it serves.

“We already do a lot of great things in the community that people are just not aware of,” she added. “How do we continue to make those connections, build safer neighborhoods and at the same time have people feel safe and welcomed by the police?”

And that is a question that America is struggling to answer.

Lokey will oversee: Forensic Services (and Crime Lab) Human Resources Division Behavioral Health Services Training Division Information and Technology Division Records Division Archives Division

IT IS MORE THAN JUST A HOUSE.

Receive a FREE $200 gift card of your choice at closing.

SHEILA D. BARNARD REALTOR®

m (615) 424-6924 o (615) 385-9010 barnard@realtracs.com

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

At NPS Pharmacy, we don’t look or act like any other pharmacy that you have ever seen, and that is by design.

Since our beginning, we have been committed to providing outstanding service to our customers and to changing what is expected from a pharmacy.

100 OAKS PLAZA Suite 57100 719 Thompson Lane Nashville, TN 37204 615.371.1210

SKYLINE MEDICAL Suite 57116 719 Thompson Lane Nashville, TN 37204 615.724.0066

METROPLEX AT MY HOUSE Suite 400 442 Metroplex Drive Nashville, TN 37211 615.942.8404

npspharmacy.com Your independent hometown pharmacy since 2001.

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

11

James Grady Photos by Joshua Corey

12

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Cover Article

Refocusing on Justice This year has been a tumultuous time, as a national uprising in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, sparked by the tragic murder by police of George Floyd, brought police violence against black people back to the forefront of the national consciousness.

Criminal justice reform, including such bold proposals as defunding and redefining the role of the police, have garnered increasing support and have gained steam in some circles. In a broader way, it is stoking conversations about justice in circles where such discussions should be natural but haven't always been found.

For instance, liberal and progressive District Attorneys (DAs) are re-evaluating the roles their offices play in administering justice.

One of the ways this re-evaluation has taken shape is through increasing self-awareness of the finality of the criminal justice system and a push for much-needed internal monitoring. Enter Conviction Integrity Units (CIU), commonly known as Conviction Review Units. In Nashville, the DA's Office has a relatively new CIU, and in a bold move, DA Glenn Funk has hired Sunny Eaton, a local defense attorney who is a well-known member of the LGBTQ community, as the new head of the unit.

Given Eaton’s background, her hiring may surprise some people.

“I started my career as a public defender. I was with the Nashville Public Defender's Office for four years. I have a public defender's heart… I believe in the role of a defense lawyer, I believe in it in its importance, and how fundamental it is to our system of justice that we have competent lawyers doing that work.”

“From being a public defender, I went on to open my own practice in 2013,” she said. “I did primarily criminal defense work for multiple years, I've done a lot of LGBT advocacy work. And, more recently, I've transitioned and added to my practice entrepreneur work, doing trademarks and things like that.”

“My wife and I took a short break and traveled in our car through Mexico and Central America for a couple of years,” she added.

Reflections from their travels appeared at Out & About Nashville and in other outlets. “And that was life changing, to say the least.

But it's been good to be back and back to work.”

So, given Eaton’s commitments and her “public defender’s heart,” how was she drawn to work for the DA’s office? “I am leaving a successful practice. And I'm not going to lie and say that's not a difficult decision to make. I enjoy working for myself, I enjoy representing the community, doing the things that I've been able to do. But there's something happening in our country right now, there is a movement, there's a soul searching, there's a reckoning. I want to be part of that. I think it's important that I'm part of that conversation. And there is no better way to change the system than to be part of it, and work from within to change it. For that reason, I am incredibly grateful, honestly, to be given this opportunity at this particular time.”

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

13

Cover Article

Refocusing on Justice

Eaton’s role in the Nashville DA’s office is relatively new. “A CIU,” she explained, “is an arm of a District Attorney's Office, although I should say it's actually an arm of very few District Attorneys' offices. This is a relatively new venture. As of last year, there were fewer than 50 in the entire country. And three years ago, there were fewer than 25. And I think part of the soul searching that I was talking about is District Attorneys, particularly the more progressive DAs Offices, really asking themselves the hard questions and evaluating their role in this system and what we see taking place.”

CIU’s are meant to help address a weakness of the criminal justice system—that once it has done its work, it’s very hard to revisit issues. “We have a little bit of a difficulty in our criminal system, and it's a difficulty of finality. A jury makes a decision, a judge makes a decision, a defendant makes a plea, and it's over. We have an appellate process. But that process is very limited. And it is limited really to what's on paper and what was already before the court and before the jury. What it doesn't really allow for is how things change. And a lot of things can change.”

For instance, Eaton pointed out that the science we have today could clear a person who might have seemed guilty a decade or two ago. Further research may have called into question methods used by investigators. And we may now know that officers or prosecutors involved in certain cases engaged in patterns of misconduct.

“So a CIU’s job,” she explained, is to look into such things, as well as other causes of erroneous conviction. “Basically, first we get our applications from people who've been convicted, or from defense attorneys who've taken an interest, or from their original defense attorneys. And they will present us with the information they have. And then we will do an initial evaluation to see if it meets a set of criteria.”

“The primary part of that criteria,” she continued, “is evidence of actual innocence or new information that would go to actual innocence. We're not talking here about technicalities. We're talking about prioritizing people who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes, because there are few greater tragedies in our system than that.”

In addition to examining issues like changes or advances as mentioned above, the unit will consider questions like, “Have witnesses recanted? Have they become inconsistent? Have we learned things about police officers' conduct that would make us want to go back and take a look at cases they've worked before?”

Has the science moved forward in ways that would provide new evidence or call into question information previously entered as evidence? Child interviews are a good example, she said. “There's been a tremendous amount of research over the last 15 years over how an interviewer can impact the accuracy of child statements.”

14

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

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

OFFICE

realestatewithkate.com

Refocusing on Justice Similar research into methods of eyewitness identification calls certain practices into question. And this example from Eaton’s own experience illustrates the importance of having a defense attorney’s perspective in the CIU: “There are tremendous problems with the procedures and science surrounding the accuracy of eyewitness identifications. It's actually one of the things that I have a particular interest in... I had a major case dismissed some time ago because of a faulty eyewitness identification. The procedures just did not fall in line with what research tells us are appropriate procedures. And it made all the difference to a young man's life, that identification...”

Cover Article

Email marketing that works for you.

Scientific advances in areas from arson investigation to DNA evidence can potentially reveal evidence that was present twenty years ago, but no one could have accessed it or interpreted it.

Most importantly, then, the unit has to consider how any and all of this new information or change of perspective could have impacted the outcome of the case.

This last consideration is the ultimate job of the CIU—to make recommendations to the DA regarding how new insights might have impacted the case and call a conviction into question: “A CIU’s job is not to circumvent the court. It's not to take the power from juries that have already made decisions. It's to ask the questions: Is there new information? And would that information have changed what the outcome was before? If a prosecutor had known this or if this science was available, would they have gone forward at all? Would a judge have made the same rulings if they knew…? Would a defense attorney have changed their strategy?

And, if all of those things change, would a jury have made a different decision?”

The decision regarding what action to take, if any, rests on the DA, and so the duty of the CIU is to present the information in as effective way as possible, to give the DA needed information and to inform all parties as satisfactorily as possible.

“My job is very specific… it’s to make sure that the right thing has happened. And I intend to do that. But to do that, I really believe that there has to be transparency. I think that I need to be able to present numbers about what I've done, investigating every single case that comes to me that meets our criteria for investigation. So that at the end of it no matter what conclusion we draw, no matter what recommendation I make to Mr. Funk …

I will demonstrate what we've done.”

“And wherever we land,” she added, “if we land where a conviction is good, and we all feel good about it and our confidence is restored or our confidence is continued in it, the public needs to understand why. And if we don't, the system needs to understand why. If we find someone that should be exonerated, it needs to be very clear… I want to be able to give recommendations to the office for policies and procedures that can prevent these types of things from happening in the future.”

myemma.com

Make Every Connection Count ADVO C ATE . EDU C ATE . CO NNEC T.

We’re now 500 members strong with deep connections. Join now before membership prices increase on January 1, 2020.

To learn about our membership benefits (business or individual), visit nashvillelgbtchamber.org today.

Take the first step and start making connections at our Annual Meeting and Holiday Party on Thursday, December 12that the Nashville Children’s Theatre.

Details and RSVP at nashvillelgbtchamber.org.

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

15

Cover Article

Refocusing on Justice

To that end, Eaton also hopes to work with the police department, helping them implement “policies and procedures to prevent wrongful convictions, because I do believe that police officers don't want that. I think that there is a tunnel vision for each of us in the jobs that we do. You know, there's an old saying that, if you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail… So I hope that I will be able to work within these systems to provide new perspective, particularly in situations where we've proven that someone was wrongfully convicted.”

Eaton believes her hiring is a sign of DA Glenn Funk’s commitment to the mission of the CIU. “Just last year, Glenn totally changed the process for deciding which cases get investigated. The original policy had too many roadblocks, so he changed it and made it a simpler, more streamlined process now to speed things up. And I think that's going to continue to happen. And I think in my hiring, that's part of a resetting and a reassessing of how we do things.”

“There are recommendations from the Innocence Project on what makes a good Conviction Integrity Unit. The National Registry of Exonerations, University of Pennsylvania, they've all put together these reports,” she explained. "And I think that Glenn Funk is really working hard to meet those guidelines and those recommendations for what makes a good office. One of the first is hiring a criminal defense attorney, and that is no disrespect to prosecutors... I have to work closely with prosecutors to do my job. But it is about perspective. It is about the fact that I am used to looking for innocence. And that is a different perspective.”

So that she can carry her work out in as faithful a way as possible, Eaton and Funk have worked out a number of issues. “I will have some choice in which investigators I work with,” Eaton said.

“I think that's important because there is an issue of institutional bias there. Of course there is... There are some excellent investigators at the DA's office that I'm excited to work with, who have solid reputations on both sides.”

“I think I'm going to be given quite a bit of autonomy in doing this job,” she continued. “For the time being, I won't be working in the same space, because we also think that's important. This office has to be independent, and it has to not only be independent, but it has to have the appearance of independence. I want—and I know that Glenn does too—the public and the community to have faith that I'm going to do the job that I've been charged with. And I'm not going to worry about investigating a case by a prosecutor who I'm sharing a coffee with in the break room. They need to know that I'm independent and autonomous in doing these investigations, and I intend to be.”

16

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Refocusing on Justice

Cover Article

Eaton believes that she will be able to be an effective presence in her position, both because of the experience she brings as a defense attorney, but also because of her relationships. “I think I have strong relationships on both sides of the courtroom, I have always been honest. I have never lied for my clients. That's not part of my job. That's not what I do. And I think that the DAs that I'll be working with know that about me. And I think we'll be able to have frank discussions. I really do. I honestly believe that when I go to talk with them about a case, we're not going to be on opposite sides of the battlefield. I don't believe that. I think that we'll be able to work together to see if we got it right.”

And ultimately that’s what it’s all about. When the stakes are this high, justice demands that we as a society, and our institutions in particular, do all we can to get it right.

“When you talk traditionally about the role of a prosecutor and the role of a criminal defense attorney, they stand on either side of the courtroom… A conviction integrity unit is unique in that we get to work with both sides of the courtroom, and the only side that we have is truth. It's justice. When you talk about the role of a district attorney, I think that's the reckoning that's taking place, and a refocusing to that goal of justice and understanding that protecting the community includes protecting the accused.”

Biography Sunny Eaton has been an award-winning trial lawyer for 14 years.

After spending four years with the Nashville Public Defender, she opened her own, successful law firm in 2013, focusing on criminal defense and trademark law. In 2013, she won dismissals in three separate murder cases and was subsequently awarded the TN Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ “Massey-Mcgee Trial Advocacy Award.”

Sunny’s calling has always been public service and advocacy. She attended a public-interest law school in Washington DC where she gained experience working at the DC Office of the Corporation Counsel, the Service Members Legal Defense Network, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and the National Minority AIDS Council.

Sunny has taught courses in Criminal Law & Procedure, Contract Law, Evidence and is a sought-after public speaker. She has published articles in several magazines and has co-authored a book related to her 2-year road trip through Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central America.

Sunny is married to an incredible woman named Karin. Together, they live in East Nashville with their rescue dog, Kona.

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

17

O&AN Adds Two New Podcasts to Its Line-Up 'Out & About After Dark' and 'Here & Queer' Podcasts Highlight Diverse Voices, Topics.

In May, Facebook announced that Out & About Nashville would receive a journalism grant supporting COVID-related coverage.

Part of O&AN’s grant proposal was to request support for two new podcasts, Out & About After Dark and Here & Queer. While episodes supported by the Facebook grant have a direct tie to the COVID pandemic, each of these podcasts has a scope that will carry it far beyond the current crisis.

“These podcasts will allow the magazine to profile individuals and organizations in the local community in a new way and to have conversations that we wish we could have in public,” said James Grady, managing editor of O&AN. Out & About After Dark is described as a program “all about relationships, sex, and other … adult diversions, and, this season at least, how we’ve adapted those in the time of COVID!” The podcast’s host, James Grady, said, “I wanted to host a podcast that allows us to have open and honest conversations about sex, and other so-called vices, that we all wish we could talk about but too many of us feel too self-conscious to discuss in our day-to-day lives. Open relationships or polyamory, body positivity, divisions in the LGBTQ community,

18

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

O&AN Adds Two New Podcasts to its Line-Up

Lifestyle

sex work, drugs and alcohol … it’s all game as we sit down and talk openly about the pleasures we too often only allow ourselves to enjoy After Dark…”

In the first episode, “Open Relationships, With David,” James interviews David about how his open relationship developed and what rules have made it work, and how COVID has necessitated a quarantine friend with benefits. They even discuss bathroom hookups and how they can lead to the altar.

Here & Queer is a very different podcast, hosted by drag queen VAG—Vidalia Ann Gentry—and O&AN’s Cody Stallings. This is “the podcast where hostess Vidalia Anne Gentry gags guests and gapes the brains of some Nashville’s most interesting queer voices.”

“I think, now more than ever, it’s so important that we listen to the voices of the past, present and future to learn about the rich LGBTQ+ history and goings-on in our beautiful city. With the Here & Queer podcast, Vidalia and I hope to shed light and educate our community on current topics through fun yet informative conversation.”

“I just think it’s really cool to have a very diverse record of the queer culture in Nashville,” said Vidalia Anne Gentry, “and I’m super excited to be a part of this project.”

In their first episode, “Faces of the Frontline (Part 1),” Cody and Vidalia sit down with special guest Matt Rodgers, a medical lab scientist working on COVID-19 research at Vanderbilt Medical University, to discuss all things Coronavirus and the new normal for the LGBTQ+ community.

“This is an exciting time for our audiences,” said O&AN publisher Jerry Jones, “as we add these new multimedia opportunities and additional avenues to hear more voices from our community.”

FAMILY, COSMETIC AND SEDATION DENTISTRY IN EAST NASHVILLE

ESS15_EN_HalfPageH_August.indd 1

THOMAS F. HADLEY, DDS

8/17/15 10:20 AM

7 North Tenth Street 37206

(615) 227-2400 eastsidesmiles.net

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

ESS15_EN_HalfPageH_August.indd 1

19

Herbalism

Cool

Off

with Herbal Treats Sara Schuster

Nothing says summer to me like coming in from a hot day in the garden for a drink and popsicle break. Making my own gives me a chance to kick it up a notch, crafting my own flavor combinations and even using fruits and herbs that I’ve grown myself. I’ll share two easy recipes with you today that both have herbal teas as the base, using herbs that are cooling in nature. Feel free to tweak and adjust them, swapping out other kinds of fruits to find your favorite refreshing combo!

Watermelon Blast 1 Tbs dried hibiscus, steeped in a quart of hot water 1 C. watermelon, chopped and deseeded 2 Tbs liquid sweetener (agave nectar, honey, etc) 1 Tbs lime juice Handful of blueberries Peach Dream 1 Tbs dried lemon balm, steeped in a quart of hot water 1 C. sliced peaches ½ banana 2 Tbs liquid sweetener (agave nectar, honey, etc) One kiwi, peeled and cut into slices 1. Steep one tablespoon of dried herb in a quart of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Then remove tea bag or tea infuser. Allow tea to cool to room temperature.

2. In a blender, combine the tea and all other ingredients, except the blueberries or kiwi. Blend well until the mix is of a smooth consistency.

3. Pour mixture into your popsicle molds, leaving a half inch of headspace.

4. Drop or slide blueberries or kiwi slices into the molds along the sides, filling up the remaining room.

5. Insert popsicle sticks and move to freezer. Allow to freeze solid (overnight is best).

6. Enjoy!!

20

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

*If you’d like a creamier popsicle, add ¼ C of coconut milk or yogurt to either of the mix recipes. **You can also swap out the fruits for others if you like. The Watermelon Blast is also great with cherries and/or strawberries.

The Peach Dream is good with orange and pineapple!

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.

YOU DESERVE TO BE PAID.

F re e Con s u l tation • Call U s 2 4 /7 www.ba rtd u r h a m . c o m | 615-242-9000 August 2020 outandaboutnashville.com 4 0 4 James Roberts on Pa r k w a y, Su ite 1712, Na sh ville , T N 3721 9

21

Connecting With

the LGBTQ Community

After A Year On The Job, MNPD’s LGBTQ Liaison Has Set Ambitious Goals for the Future James Grady

Last June, Nashville met its new—and only its second— Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) LGBTQ Liaison, Officer Nakia Reid. Reid replaced Catie Poole, who left the position upon her promotion, and quickly introduced herself to both the communities she’d serve as a connection between.

The liaison’s role includes attending community meetings, being an advocate for both the MNPD and LGBTQ community members, and assuring that there are safe places to report hate crimes to the police department, among others.

A year later, we are checking back in with Officer Reid about how she feels about that first year and where she sees room for growth.

What was it like settling into the job of MNPD LGBTQ Liaison?

I like to think of the first year in any new position as [like building] the foundation of a house. If you place sturdy floors and walls around it while it’s being built, then the house cannot crumble down when you think you have it all put together. Then, I call it “home sweet home!”

I have been the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department LGBTQ Liaison for one year, and my first six months (foundation -building) in the position were great. The foundation for me was community engagement. I wanted to meet with community members to find out how the relationship between MNPD and the LGBTQ community was perceived, as well as to discuss what challenges we each are facing that is preventing trust between the two [sides].

I found out “the good, the bad, and the ugly” by having conversations with members of the community and keeping an open mind to what information was given and experiences individuals had with the police.

22

August 2020

outandaboutnashville.com

Photo Courtesy of MNPD

Connecting with the LGBTQ Community

Lifestyle

One of your early programs was the Safe Place Initiative… How has that gone?

In those first six months, several local businesses, schools (not excluding higher learning institutions), & places of worship have become participants of our Safe Place Initiative. That is a partnership with the business community & schools—they assist victims of hate crimes with calling the police and allowing the victim(s) to remain in their establishment until the police arrive.

Once a business, school, or place of worship consent to participate in the initiative, a decal, which depicts a police shield surrounding the colors that traditionally have symbolized the LGBTQ community, is visibly placed at the entrance on a door or window.

Currently, around Davidson County, we have 39 businesses participating in the Safe Place Initiative and are hoping more businesses and schools will participate as businesses start opening back up.

So, after that “foundation-building” period, how did things go?

My second six months (building those floors and sturdy walls) have been a bit more challenging than the first six months, due to Nashville’s March tornado, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tragic death of George Floyd.

Being able to meet with the community to have open conversation about the current events and climate of our city & nation has not been easy. I am still figuring out how to adjust to virtual meetings, while talking on the phone, more, as I’m sure we all are trying to do.

My first virtual meeting I joined, my dog wouldn’t stop barking because the lawn man was outside, and I was so embarrassed!

With all of these barriers, what are your goals for the coming year?

My goals for the rest of 2020 is to continue to build relationships with the organizations and persons who have or will have a great impact on MNPD’s progress with the LGBTQ community, to be an advocate & resource for the community, to host virtual meetings with LGBTQ youth support groups with MNPS, to increase the number of Safe Place participants, to educate officers on using appropriate pronouns during interactions, and so much more!

Good to hear you aren’t being super ambitious with those goals, Officer Reid! We wish you all the best on this process!

outandaboutnashville.com

August 2020

23

IV H s t n e v e r P t a h T l il P e Th • No Doctor Visits, Lab Costs, or Co-Pays • Free Doctor Appointment by Phone • Whether You’re Insured or Not

Make An Appointment Call 615-469-1065 MusicCityPrEP.org