Embrace the warmth and the welcome.
Bask in the sunlit glow of being truly yourself in one of Florida’s most LGBTQ-friendly destinations. Your timing couldn’t be better, since we’re celebrating St. Pete Pridefest throughout the month of June. So stop by. Breathe in the fresh beach air. Take a relaxing stroll through the shops and eateries of one of our eclectic and inviting neighborhoods. Your senses never had it so good.
FloridasLargestPride.com
Contents 4235 Hillsboro Pike, Ste 300, Nashville, TN 37215 Phone 615-596-6210 OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM STAFF Publisher: Aequalitas Media, LLC
Group Publisher for Aequalitas Media Bill Gemmill Founder and Publisher Emeritus Jerry Jones Group Editor Aequalitas Media: Merryn Johns merryn@outvoices.us Managing Editor: James Grady jgrady@outandaboutnashville.com Sales & Marketing: Keith Chamlee Keith@outvoices.us Design, Layout and Production: Saul Santos fsdemianhades3@gmail.com
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A Brutally anti-LGBTQ Year in Tennessee Politics
08
Nashville LGBT Chamber Legislative Wrap-Up
10
Last in the Nation
CORRECTIONS
12
A World of Barbecue
OPPORTUNITIES
14
A Chat With Chef Joe Morales
CONTRIBUTORS
Writers: DJ Doran, James Grady, Lee Hatcher, Christopher Sanders, Jason Shawhan, Chris Spear, Dennis R. Upkins, Joe Woolley Photographers: DJ Doran Cover: Chef Joe Morales, photo by DJ Doran National Advertising Representative: Aequalitas Media 3023 N Clark St #732, Chicago IL 60657 312-600-8823 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. 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.
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Falcon and the Winter 16 ASoldier Retrospective
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Timmy Harkum Retires
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Nashville LGBT Chamber Pride Month Events
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What’s So Gay About Carrie?
23 Nurture, by Porter Robinson
I recently had an experience that made me realize why there is a need for OUTvoices to be in communities that are outside the usual major markets like New York, Los Angeles and South Florida. It all started when I attended an LGBTQ+ travel summit in Orlando FL. The Connect THRIVE Summit brings many travel professionals, businesses, and organizations together to connect and to do business together.
June Issue
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
Publisher’s Letter
It was during this summit that I had the unexpected joy of meeting this fiery personality from Cedar Rapids Tourism representing the small midwestern city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Her name is Julie Stow. She invited me to meet and learn more about her city and how welcoming it was to the LGBTQ+ community. I was skeptical at first because, to be honest, what LGBTQ+ person has ever thought about going to Cedar Rapids, Iowa? Be that as it may, I eventually agreed to meet with her for coffee on the last day of the summit. As I sipped on my tall, non-fat, light whip, extra hot, hazelnut mocha from Starbucks, I listened to what she had to say. She went on to explain how I should come to Cedar Rapids and see for myself what she was so eloquently describing. Hesitant to commit to going to a place that quite frankly was not on my radar, and wary of wasting my time, I resisted her invitation at first, but she was emphatic and persistent. After listening to her passionate and heartfelt narrative about Cedar Rapids and its authentic desire to reach out to the LGBTQ+ traveler, I decided “What the hell, I’ll go.” I told Julie that I would come to Cedar Rapids, but under certain conditions. I wanted them to sponsor the filming of an episode of the Gaycation Travel Show with host Ravi Roth, and participate in the filming of the pilot of a new cooking show we were developing featuring LGBTQ+ chef Joe Morales called Joe Eats World. I told her that I would bring both shows, the production team, and lots of media attention to her city and she would then have a chance to show our readers and audience just what was so special about Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I was not expecting to hear back from her after that, but I did! She got everything in place and funded us to come film our TV shows.I In the interim, a friend of mine, Zach Moses, the CEO of HE Travel, let me know that he was coming to Illinois. We made plans to get together and I drove out to meet him on a cold and snowy Saturday, dressed in jeans, flannel shirt, puffy vest and camouflage
baseball cap. When I arrived at the restaurant in small-town Illinois I was surprised to see many of the patrons dressed just like I was. I spied Zach sitting in a corner booth, and he waved me over. We chatted and ordered some cocktails before lunch and spoke about how LGBTQ+ people in these smaller towns and cities really didn’t have the luxury that some of the bigger cities had regarding visibility and support. Many had no gay bars, Pride organizations or community centers for them to feel connected to others in the LGBTQ+ community. Zach pointed out that for LGBTQ+ people in these small towns and cities it is important for them to read about how they can survive and thrive where they are. This made me realize why it was so important to grab the outstretched hand of those that are making a real effort to welcome LGBTQ+ travelers, businesses, conferences and more to their cities and towns. This is where real change needs to be made, not in the big cities where we already enjoy many of the rights we seek, but in places that could benefit from diversity and its positive socio-economic impact on their community. Never was this truer than with Cedar Rapids. We arrived with some fanfare on a Monday after driving our vintage RV “Bruce” from Chicago. Bruce is a 1981 Bluebird Wanderlodge and I blew the enormous air horns as we made our arrival known to the Hotel and everyone within a 5-mile radius. Julie was there to greet us along with the GM of the Hotel at Kirkwood Center, Jackie Bohr. We filmed and toured the city over the next week and were amazed at how welcoming the whole community was. I was and still am in awe of the authentic and genuine love and support for our community from a place I never would have believed. The experience changed me. It became clear to all of us that it is vital that OUTvoices serve local communities and also offer support and a connection to those who may feel isolated or alone. It has to be our mission to demonstrate that the LGBTQ+ community is not only in the big cities, but part of the fabric of this country from coast to coast and everywhere in between. I look forward to a day that LGBTQ+ people who live anywhere in the country feel as safe and welcomed as we were in Cedar Rapids, Iowa!
nashville.outvoices.us
June 2021
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Lifestyle
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April 2021
outandaboutnashville.com
Politics
A Brutally
anti-LGBTQ Year
in Tennessee Politics
REFLECTIONS ON THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION Christopher Sanders This year Pride month follows one of the most brutal legislative sessions in Tennessee history. Governor Lee has now signed four anti-transgender bills and one anti-LGBTQ curriculum bill. The Legislature has gone home, and the Governor has turned his attention to complaining about the President. They were warned about the human devastation these discriminatory bills would cause, particularly to transgender youth. They were warned about potential boycotts and business loss. They were warned they would lose in the courts.
process of getting these brutal laws overturned. And we are going to work with people throughout the state to organize in more parts of Tennessee so that our many voices are heard. Vaccination has meant that I have already been able to gather with our community in Murfreesboro, Morristown, and Johnson City in the last month, and that is just the beginning. Pride month is a time to revel in the joy of our community and to experience its power again. We are powerful together because we know what we have had to overcome.
They didn’t care this year because there was a national push to pass discriminatory bills in order to overwhelm the movement for equality. And it was overwhelming and devastating and demoralizing. Maybe they got a kick out of thinking they put us in our place.
We are grateful for your hard work this legislative session. You deserve much better government than you are getting. That will be a long road in Tennessee, but it’s a road worth walking down. The power of Pride helps fuel the trip.
I am outraged and scared for people I have met across the state affected by these bills. We are going to work with legal organizations to help turn this outrage into litigation so that they can start the
Christopher Sanders is the executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project.
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Politics Joe Woolley I have not wanted to write this message for many reasons. One of the big ones is I don’t like to lose, and there is no other way to put it—we lost, big. We really did not know where things would end until it was officially over.
And beyond the economic harms we know will follow, the human costs of this legislation will be incalculable. I know that many of you are processing these losses through the lens of a fellow Tennessean who is heartbroken that our neighbors will experience discrimination and harm simply because of who they are.
Tuesday afternoon Governor Lee signed a 5th anti-LGBT discriminatory bill into law. No other state, this year or in years past, has advanced this many discriminatory pieces of legislation. Not only are we on record with the most, but also have some of the worst.
I am encouraged that this year, even amidst so many other competing priorities, the business community was louder than ever before, urging our state’s leadership to focus on rebuilding our economy and to move beyond the politics of division. It is only a forward-looking Tennessee that will continue to attract the world’s best talent, the vibrant tourism and entertainment industries that help make this state so special, and that help sustain big and small communities alike. These discriminatory laws do nothing but divide and harm our state, its reputation, and most of all its already vulnerable citizens.
We are the first state to pass a “bathroom” bill since North Carolina infamously passed one in 2016, and we passed TWO this year. I did not think this legislative session was going to be as brutal on the LGBT community as it was. If you had told me we would end up with FIVE anti-LGBT bills signed into law, I would not have believed it. For a full breakdown of the legislation, visit the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce website.
The lawmakers that pushed this legislation claim to be pro-business. We will make sure businesses, large and small and all over the state, know that business opposition to these bills was strong and sustained—and that it was ignored.
I would not have believed that in the midst of recovery from COVID-19, state leaders would be focused on discrimination instead of helping small businesses and children's education. I would not have believed that with a new presidential administration signaling broader readings of Title VI and IX, the new Supreme Court ruling on the Bostock case, and lower courts already striking down similar discriminatory legislation, that legislators would still move ahead with bills that will harm Tennesseans, cost the state money to defend, and ruin our reputation.
We want to say thanks as we look back over the session. Thank you to the record number of corporations and small businesses who signed the open letter—your names and your public statements had a huge impact. Thank you to the individuals and businesses that reached out and spoke directly with legislators, asking them to oppose these bills. Thank you to the equality coalition partners that worked daily to stop the legislation: Tennessee Equality Project, GLSEN, PFLAG, HRC, Freedom for All Americans, and the ACLU. All of them brought in expertise and resources to and we are proud to work with you.
This session has been worse for LGBT people than any of us could have imagined. We used to talk about how Tennessee was leading the nation in business attraction and economic growth, and we were proud of that. We are ashamed and saddened by what this state will be known for now.
No one can say that we did not try. We left nothing on the table at the end of this and we should feel proud of that work. This is what we do here at the LGBT Chamber when it comes to advocacy. This year has strengthened the collaboration and work that we do together to stop these bills.
We will carefully monitor any economic fallout from this awful slate of bills and collect the data to share in the future, to continue to show how this legislation harms the economy. But we also know there will be plenty of economic harms that will never be reported on—the talented workers who decide to put down roots elsewhere, the lost productivity when parents are consumed with worry about their transgender kids, the tourism events that simply get booked elsewhere.
Our work in advocacy has grown each year at the state level. It will only continue to grow; we will return stronger next year. A number of discriminatory bills were delayed to 2022, so we have a lot of work ahead of us. We will keep you updated on the progress and look forward to working with you to make Tennessee open and welcoming once again.
Nashville LGBT Chamber Legislative Wrap-Up 8
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nashville.outvoices.us
Joe Woolley CEO, Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Getting Out & About
Cover Article
YOU DESERVE TO BE PAID.
F re e Con su lt a t io n • C a ll U s 24/ 7 w w w. b a r td u r ham.c om | 6 1 5 -2 4 2 -9 0 0 0 4 04 Jam e s Ro be rtso n Pa rkway, S u ite 1n a7s h1v i l 2l e . o,u tNas h ville,MayT2021 N 37219 voices.us
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Politics
Last in the Nation
Tennessee’s War on
Transgender
Rights
Lee Hatcher This year, Tennessee has shown its true colors in its war on LGBTQ+ rights, which has disproportionately targeted transgender individuals. The General Assembly passed—and Governor Lee signed—TWO bathroom bills, anti-trans legislation purportedly protecting women from competing against trans athletes, a bill intervening in healthcare for trans youth, and bill affecting how LGBTQ+ people are represented in education. Meanwhile, changes elsewhere in the country gave Tennessee a dubious distinction in its anti-trans posture: we are now the last state in the nation where it is impossible for a transgender person to amend their birth certificate to reflect their gender. In some states it’s easier than others, yes, but Tennessee is the only place that it is currently not allowed. Even Mississippi is more progressive on this issue. Given the current makeup of the Tennessee General Assembly and the governor’s office—where occupants regularly vie for titles like ‘most friendly representation of slavery’ by stumbling over themselves to praise the 3/5 Compromise as a forward-thinking legal doctrine or most revisionist understanding of celebrating the Klan—it’s unlikely Tennessee will willingly abandon its hard antitrans position any time soon. There is however another hope for transgender citizens of Tennessee. Despite being delayed by COVID, a case filed last year—Gore v. Lee—remains to be heard by the court. Gore v. Lee challenges Tennessee’s refusal to allow trans individuals to amend their birth certificates and seeks to bring Tennessee into line with the other 49 states. Managing editor of OUTvoices Nashville James Grady recently caught up with Jaime Combs, one of the plaintiffs. Asked how she felt about this year in the legislature, and Tennessee becoming the last state depriving transgender people of the opportunity to update gender markers, Combs said, “It's very frustrating, because Tennessee is taking a lot of pride in being the most transphobic state in the United States, it seems.” “I'm angered, I'm hurt. I do feel like legislators will have blood on their hands from the legislation that they are passing. It's humiliating! It's frustrating! I mean, July 1, 2021, every establishment that is trans affirming will have to have an 8x8 placard [announcing their transaffirming restroom policies]. This is crazy. I think it labels people and also think a lot of people [including cisgender men and women] will suffer that may not fit a gender binary presentation.”
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How did Combs get involved in the Gore v. Lee? “Kayla Gore—who is a phenomenal transgender advocate and activist in the Memphis area—was really the unifier to get this started and placed with Lambda Legal. They did a press conference in Nashville. The issue was important to me. I was there at the press conference. And then I met with the attorneys, and I said, ‘If there's any way I can be of assistance, please let me know.’ And later I was added to that to the lawsuit.” The barrier to proper documentation and birth certificates creates barriers for transgender citizens that others may not even think of. Imagine being a transgender woman applying for a job where identity verification is required—and thus being forced to out herself to every employer. “When I was in transition, and I was in inadequate housing and newly facing homelessness. This information is something that could have kept me from attaining a job. And that was a critical time that I had employment, because most people need the birth certificate for most jobs.” Of course, a birth certificate is also required for a passport, so despite federal regulations being more up-to-date, Tennessee’s restriction affects transgender people’s process in humiliating ways. “A few years back when I went to get my passport, because I'm a transgender woman, I was required to have a gynecological examination, just to get a passport with the correct gender marker [because of the inability to update the marker on the birth certificate]. And this is crazy. This is ludicrous. And it should never happen to people.” Right now, the path of the lawsuit is unclear, due to backlogs in the courts. “Right now with the pandemic, we really don't know, the status. Everything is filed. We were hoping for a favorable outcome. I think so many people are depending upon a favorable outcome. And I think it's time that we get in alignment with the other states about this issue.” On thing is for sure, a positive outcome in Gore v. Lee would provide cause for celebration for the transgender community in Tennessee and the LGBTQ+ community at large.
Tennessee´s War on Transgender Rights
Politics
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June 2021
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Joe Movies Eats World
A W O R LD
OF BARBECUE By Joe Morales
It’s that time of year again when I long for outdoor space so I can drag out my charcoal grill and cook up some meat. It’s BBQ season! Barbecue is one of my favorite foods and one of my favorite techniques for cooking. The best part of grilling is that you get to work with smoke and fire plus you can experiment with so many techniques and flavors. Barbecue is known worldwide and has been around for thousands of years. In the United States, it has taken on a life of its own. Each region has its own version of BBQ. When barbecuing, it is typical to use some type of wood like apple, cherry, hickory, or mesquite — just to name a few. My favorite to use is apple or cherry because it’s not as harsh as hickory or mesquite. To prep the meat, some use dry rubs, wet rubs, brines, or just use salt and pepper. Any type of barbecue has the low and slow technique in common. And don’t forget the sauce. Choose from a vinegar-based sauce, tomato-based sauce, ketchup-based sauce (just about the same as tomato-based but different). There is even a mustard-based sauce and a mayonnaise-based sauce. These sauces go on any type of meat such as goat, beef, pork, and chicken. And I’m not even including sausages! Every region will have its favorite sauces that go with a particular cut of meat. Some say vinegar sauces only go with pork, and mayonnaise sauces go best with chicken and pork chops. Believe it or not, Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce has dominated the BBQ sauce industry for years. It’s a Kansas City-style sauce and is our go-to. If you are looking for something to go over that grilled chicken (or fried chicken for that matter) try an Alabama White Sauce. Try the Carolina Gold Sauce on some pork ribs or pork chops. If you are going the pulled pork route, you definitely want to give the North Carolina Vinegar BBQ sauce a shot. It cuts through the richness of the pork. All these sauces are so easy to make and literally take minutes. The ingredients are probably already in your pantry. I could go on and on about BBQ sauce and the meat. You need to try them all and keep them in your arsenal. They are delicious and 12
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Barbecue you can’t go wrong with whatever you decide to put on your BBQ. One of my favorite things to grill is Carne Asada using flank steak or a skirt steak. You marinate it for a few hours, throw it on the grill and cook it to a perfect medium rare with a nice little char on the outside of it. I’ve put together an easy recipe for you to try.
Joe Eats World
ROSEMARY GARLIC FLANK STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE Serves 4
The flank steak is going to be accompanied by an Argentinian-style Chimichurri sauce made with herbs, spices, oil, and vinegar. Flank steak is a tougher piece of meat so it’s important to tenderize it with a marinade. This will help soften the meat when cooked. Chimichurri is great because you can use it as a marinade, as a basting ingredient, and also as a condiment. This recipe focuses on Chimichurri as a condiment.
Marinade
½ cup canola oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 teaspoons dried rosemary 2 limes, zest and juice 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper
Technically, this is a grilled dish, not barbecued. The difference is BBQ is usually low and slow using smoke or indirect heat. Grilling is using direct heat, or an open flame to cook the food and controlling the intensity of the heat.
Flank Steak
1 ½ pounds flank steak, trimmed Chimichurri Sauce ¾ cup parsley, stems included ⅓ cup red wine vinegar 3 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon crushed chili flakes ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste
This grilled flank steak with chimichurri sauce is packed full of flavor and spice and it never disappoints. Pair it with a great bold red wine or a nice full-bodied beer and you can’t go wrong. Now grab that grill and get it ready!
Marinade instructions 1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. 2. Coat steak with marinade, cover, and place in leakproof container for 1 -2 hours in the refrigerator.
Cooking instructions 3. Remove steak from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and let sit at room temperature. 4. Prep your grill while steak is coming to room temperature. 5. Cook to medium-rare. Cooking time will vary depending on thickness of steak. 6. Tent with aluminum foil and rest 10 minutes. 7. Slice against the grain. Serve.
Chimichurri instructions 1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food process except for the olive oil. 2. Blend ingredients and slowly drizzle in oil until emulsified 3. Place sauce in a serving bowl. 4. Add salt and pepper to taste. 5. Drizzle sauce over sliced meat and serve.
Other Tips and Tricks • If you can’t find flank steak, you can substitute London Broil or skirt steak. • You can cook this on the stovetop using a cast-iron skillet or you can use the broil option of your oven. • Optional: eating it with corn tortillas • For vegan or plant-based options, use the same marinating process keeping in mind that you will need to baste as the vegetable cooks because it will not absorb the marinade. • Use large portobello mushrooms in place of the steak. (My favorite option) • Use cauliflower steaks in place of the steak.
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Cover Article
Joe Eats World
Chef A Chat With
Joe Morales
For the last few months, OUTvoices Nashville’s print edition has featured a new column—our first regular cooking column, “Joe Eats World.” This column is an extension of Morales’ work as a food blogger and chef and part of a larger project in what will soon become OUTvoices TV. Morales recently filmed the pilot episode of a “Joe Eats World” web-based television show. Morales decided to go to culinary school around 2014, in what he said his husband might call a “midlife crisis”—though he protests that that’s not quite right. “I just felt the need to do something different,” he said. “I like to write, and I like to cook … so when I started talking about going to culinary school, to begin with, I didn’t have a desire to be a restaurant chef.”
blog entries focus their detail on the execution of the technique and conclude with the formal recipe. In addition to detailing his perfected recipes, Morales also gives readers a window into the development process professional chefs go through as they experiment with dishes in a section he calls the “Test Kitchen.” “Basically, the Test Kitchen details when I get these ideas of cooking something or trying something, how I executed it, and then I will tell you whether they fail or not. So far … there's been some failures. You know sometimes something sounds good but in the execution not so much! I did a twist on this chicken and Italian sausage dish that was a sweet-and-sour dish. It sounded great. And then I made it, and I was like, ‘This tastes like shit.’ Sometimes you have to try it to find out!” Why document the failures? “I struggled with that because everything that people put on their websites—the recipes, or whatever else—they're going for the hero shot and the perfect picture! Nobody likes to talk about their failures, so in my Test Kitchen I document both successes and failures. Like—I don't think I wrote about it yet but—I've done sourdough bread, and I don't know what it is with me and sourdough bread. But my first attempt at sourdough is always a failure. One time I woke up two days later, and the starter was just pitch black. And I had to toss it out. But you know people can learn from our mistakes, so I write about it, focusing on ‘do this, but don't do that’.”
This was also the real genesis of his food blog. He intended to learn about food, how to cook, and document his journey in his blog. As for his food career, he said, “I decided I’d figure that out along the way!” He admitted that felt kind of silly. “At my age and having that naivety?” Once he got started, however, things didn’t follow that plan, either for his blog or his career. “It was going to be more of a diary… I guess that's how it always starts: you always have these good intentions. I started a blog because I was going to document my culinary education … start to finish and then about the restaurant industry and whatever else. Going into culinary school full time, eventually cooking in a restaurant full time, and doing side work—the blog just sat there!” As far as his attitude toward restaurant work went, that also transformed during culinary school. “I was like, ‘Alright, I absolutely want to get into the restaurant.’ And once I went into a restaurant, it was amazing. Some of the best times I had in the kitchen were in the restaurant!” After culinary school (and three kitchens later), Morales became a sous chef for a Michelin-recommended restaurant, where he worked until they closed in 2019 and relocated to Cleveland. The closure of the restaurant spurred him to rededicate himself to food blogging and teaching. “I started to teach cooking classes at a local kitchen here in Chicago,” he explained. “There's an LGBTQ owned business that is down the street from us, so I was doing a lot of cooking classes and stuff there for them until the pandemic hit, and all of that stuff got shut down.” Morales has continued to develop the “Joe Eats World” blog— which took the shape of a full food blog, though primarily focused on recipes and cooking tips—during the pandemic. When it comes to recipes, Morales took a different tack than many contemporary food blogs. Rather than focus primarily on the backstory and history of the dish, with personal asides, his 14
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When asked how the “Joe Eats World” television show idea was born, Morales explained that it kind of came together with the birth of the OUTvoices and Aequalitas Media brands on the one hand and his return to the blog on the other. “I was going to do videos for YouTube that would supplement the ‘Joe Eats World’ blog—it was basically going to be me filming myself doing recipes and stuff like that. Then, it kind of morphed as people would say, ‘Oh, you should do a cooking show. And maybe you should have drag queens or something like that—you know, some sort of gay-themed show’.” Beyond the direct appeal to the LGBTQ+ community, Morales thinks this kind of show brings the added value of
A Chat With Chef Joe Morales
Cover Article
both showing that our community’s interests are broader than stereotypes and bringing visibility to LGBTQ+ people in the industry. “I think that the last year-and-a-half has kind of taught us that there's a lot of things that are unspoken and unseen. And I think that having an LGBTQ cooking show could help highlight LGBTQ+ diversity in a positive way. We're more than what they see on comedy and dramas, or at Pride events.” “Cooking,” he added, “also has broad appeal. There's enough negative crap going on in the world. And there are a lot of LGBTQ+ people in the industry that aren't getting a lot of visibility. A lot of gay or lesbian or transgender chefs—people within the LGBTQ+ spectrum—aren’t highlighted. They're usually just kind of in the background and doing their thing; they're just trying to make a living, enjoy what they're doing, and create great food. A show like this would bring them front and center.” A lot of planning remains to be done to bring “Joe Eats World” to little screens around the globe, but Morales was on set last month to shoot a pilot, and planning for the series is proceeding, as OUTvoices continues to develop digital content for its OUTvoices TV and OUTvoices Radio arms. But you don’t have to wait for video to follow what Chef Joe Morales is up to in the kitchen. Check out “Joe Eats World” each month in OUTvoices Nashville, and read his blog posts at joeeatsworld.com.
outandaboutnashville.com
June 2021
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Review
It’s the Hypocrisy for Me A Falcon and the Winter Soldier Retrospective
DENNIS R. UPKINS
The first thing I would like to mention is that there must be a recognition on the part of everybody in this nation that America is still a racist country. Now however unpleasant that sounds, it is the truth. And we will never solve the problem of racism until there is a recognition of the fact that racism still stands at the center of so much of our nation and we must see racism for what it is. —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., The Other America When it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I’ve learned to brace for the worst and hope for the best. Although Falcon and the Winter Soldier (FAWS) had the elements and potential to deliver a game-changer of a narrative, it doesn’t mean that the Disney Plus superhero series would. Deliver they did, with each episode in fact. Joining the ranks of Luke Cage, The Coulson-May Power Hour (billed in some regions as Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Daredevil, and even Daughters of the Dragon (the apology tour that was the second season of Iron Fist), FAWS is not only one of the best MCU television series to date, but also one of the best shows to grace the small screen. Taking place six months after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Sam Wilson struggles with being handed the mantle of Captain America, which he initially rejects. However, a new threat emerges which forces Wilson and former Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, to 16
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team up and embark on a global adventure. Part superhero drama, part political thriller, part noir, part espionage, part action buddy comedy, this miniseries’ masterstroke is that it defies genres and is interwoven with commentary on racism, antiblackness, and other forms of related systemic oppression. How impressive is FAWS? It’s so impressive that I’m almost ready to forgive showrunner Malcolm Spellman for his involvement in that Rape of Thrones/Confederate fustercluck from a few years back. But if a critique of systemic oppression is to be had, sometimes it’s necessary to examine the source delivering the message. From homophobia, to racism, to antiblackness, the MCU, Marvel, and parent company Disney have substantial amounts of red on their ledgers: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is now claiming the world is ready for LGBTQ superheroes. Both Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther featured scenes that confirmed both Valkyrie and Ayo are LGBTQs, yet Feige had said scenes removed from both films. So to see Marvel attempt to cash in on LGBTQ dollars opportunistically is peak caucacity. MCU stans getting six feet in their fee fees because the MCU’s bigotry is exposed is to be expected.
Let movies be movies and characters be represented like they should and want. Not be forced into an agenda. —Humberto Lozada
It’s the Hypocrisy for Me
Review
They were worried my story might get out. So, they erased me. My history. But they've been doing that for five hundred years. Pledge allegiance to that, my brother. They will never let a black man be Captain America. And even if they did, no self-respecting black man would ever wanna be. ―Isaiah Bradley to Sam Wilson It’s also fascinating to watch how the public in the MCU canonized Captain America’s shield and deified Steve Rogers once he retired. Very much similar to how Dr. King and President Obama were dehumanized and hated but were immediately loved by the American public once these great leaders were murdered or out of the Oval Office and no longer considered a threat.
There is no need of forceful intrusion of LGBTQ community into a storyline. Just keep in mind it's a film. —Sayantan Bhowmick Actually LGBT isn't under represented. To match with real world percent of LGBT people and in fiction. It is about the same. LGBT on CW shows are over represented. Unless we have a higher percent of queer, queer people are a special type of community with one or 2 people at the most being queer in movies. Any more will be pandering. People dislike pandering. —Whykayl Warren As previously stated, it’s always a fascinating to see how far society will go to defend white power fantasies, as evidenced here and here. The attitudes of these commenters are a reflection of our culture which sadly reveals far more. Hypocrisy, oppression, and bigotry are as American as red, white, and blue—lest we forget that Hitler's Final Solution was inspired by Andrew Jackson's genocide of Indigenous Americans. Thus America played a key role in the development of Nazi ideology. Asian and Indigenous citizens were imprisoned in U.S. internment camps. Black soldiers went overseas to defend the United States only to return home and find burning crosses in their yards—a point made by fellow super soldier and Captain America, Isaiah Bradley.
Medical research hasn’t always seen you. We’re changing that.
From the time he was rescued from his icy prison, Captain Rogers spent much of his time being framed, hunted, and nearly assassinated by his own government. Why? Because he planted his boots, stood tall, and told the rest of the world to move. It was reiterated throughout the miniseries that Captain America’s shield was an important and vital symbol. This is telling, given that said symbol is composed of vibranium that was columbussed from the African kingdom of Wakanda. Said symbol Rogers himself threw away. Because Rogers spoke out against the Sokovia Accords—a registration act that is analagous to racial profiling—he and his supporters were on the run for two years. Rogers fought for what America is supposed to be. As a result, he was frequently deemed an enemy of the state. People love the idea of heroes until they actually take a stand and fight evil. Even Captain John Walker, Steve’s replacement, the golden boy of Uncle Sam, had what Paul Mooney would call the Negro Wakeup Call. When he was other than honorably discharged at the U.S. Capitol hearing, Walker was shocked at how quickly he was discarded by the very corrupt system who created him.
I lived my life by your mandates! I dedicated my life to your mandates! I only ever did what you asked of me, what you told me to be, and trained me to do, and I did it. And I did it well…..You built me Senator. I am Captain America. —John Walker As the current Captain America, Sam Wilson is now on borrowed time. After all, Captain Americas tend not to take. Just the same, the events of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I mean, Captain America and the Winter Soldier herald the dawn of a new era in the MCU. All of this is exactly why Captain America and Winter Soldier is a triumph. It masterfully delivered a complex, sophisticated, entertaining epic which not only casts a reflection on its characters and the company that released it but also our culture as well. The very piece you’re reading is evidence of that. True artistry is ultimately a paradox. It’s essentially a lie that unveils the deepest truths. It forces us to examine ourselves, the world around us, it entertains and inspires us to be better and to do the impossible. Excelsior true believers!
A+
Learn more at joinallofus.org/fiftyforward 615-743-3431
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Nightlife
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Timmy Harkum,
Timmy Harkum Retires
Nightlife
Longtime Nashville LGBTQ+ Bartender, Retires
Again-Again, He Promises This Time! James Grady In August 1980, I was born. A few month’s later, Timmy Harkum received his certification to serve alcohol in bars. And he’s been retiring ever since! But this time, after forty years in the industry, he promises it will stick. On Sunday, May 23, 2021, Peckers—Timmy’s final bar— held his birthday and retirement party, the afternoon after he worked his last shift. He’s not settling into an easy retirement though: he’s just gotten his real estate license and started working with Keller Williams. I talked with Timmy before his retirement for Out & About After Dark, so look online for the audio and text of our full interview, looking back at his career. You might want to listen—you might come up if that was you in that parking lot.
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June 2021
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Pride
Nashville LGBT Chamber Announces
June Pride Month Events Network Connect June: AM Brewing Up Business Thursday, June 3, 9 am - 10 am Virtual Join us on Airmeet for our monthly morning networking event to connect with Chamber and community members. Free and open to everyone.
2021 Pride in Business Awards Friday, June 4, 11 am - 1 pm
Member Connect June: Camelot Care Center & Jewish Family Services
Hybrid
Thursday, June 10, 11 am - 12 pm
Support the Nashville LGBT Chamber Foundation at our annual Pride in Business Awards, which includes a Who’s Who of Corporate leaders, small business owners, civic leaders, and professionals. While reimagined for a virtual world, this high-energy event will still bring a powerful audience, emotional acceptance speeches, and optimism among those committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Attendees will network on the Airmeet platform. Everyone will watch the live event together. The finalists will be gathered at the Play show bar and broadcast live to the Airmeet virtual stage! Join us, support us, and celebrate our members and the community amazing work!
Virtual
Pride Wine Dinner with Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association, featuring food from The Mockingbird Thursday, June 10, 6:30 pm - 8 pm
Join us for an in-depth highlight of two of our members who specialize in adoption services for the LGBTQ+ community. We will highlight our members Camelot Care Services and Jewish Family Services. Pride month seemed to be the perfect month to profile the work of these members and bring the community knowledge on starting or growing your family!
Virtual Join us for a virtual wine tasting dinner that will celebrate pride and the work of the Chamber. The Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association is bringing us this event, and a portion of the price benefits the LGBT Chamber! We will be tasting Italian wines from Pasqua Winery and eating delicious food pairings prepared by our member and LGBT-owned business The Mockingbird. Get a group together and eat around the Zoom as you hear from the chef and winemaker, deck your space in rainbows, know your Pride history, and win additional prizes. You don’t want to miss this special event.
Pride Yoga with Shakti Power Yoga
Network Connect June: PM Brewing Up Business
Classroom Connect June: The Business of Inclusion
Pride Fashion Show with Any Old Iron
Saturday, June 12, 9 am - 12 pm
Thursday, June 17, 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursday, June 24, 11 am - 12 pm
Friday, June 25, 7 pm - 9:30 pm
Shakti Power Yoga
Hybrid (Virtual & In-Person, location TBA)
Virtual
Virgin Hotel Nashville
We are wrapping this version of the Classroom Connect education program on a high note. The Business of Inclusion will be taught by Adrianna Flax of the Culture Shift Team. We will highlight the work of the winners from our Business Awards and discuss why diversity and inclusion is the biggest program and factor affecting the business community at the moment.
The amazingly talented Andrew Clancey of Any Old Iron will present his Pride fashion line at the Virgin Hotel. Both Any Old Iron and The Virgin are members and proceeds of the fashion show will go back to the Chamber for support of our work. This glamorous event is not to be missed. Tickets will be limited and will go fast. Attendees will receive a table, food and drink, and get to see the most amazing rainbow fashion of the year. There will also be several surprises, you won’t believe who is walking in the show!
Our member Shakti Yoga is bringing you Pride Power Flow Yoga on Saturday morning, outside, followed by discussions, DJs, drag, donuts, and drinks! We will highlight Montucky Cold Snacks’ limited-edition Pride can! Get your down dog on and wear your pride athletic wear!
We will be celebrating our signature event, going strong for 23 years, and we will be back in person at an amazing new member location. Final details are still being arranged, but you don’t want to miss this event. This is our first official in-person event since the pandemic took us virtual!
Thanks to HCA Healthcare/Tristar Health for sponsoring the last 9 months of this program. We could not have done it without them.
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Nashville LGBT Chamber Pride Month Events
Nashville SC Pride Night
Pride in Local Music
Saturday, June 26, 6:30 pm - 10 pm
Wednesday, June 30, 6 pm - 8 pm
Nissan Stadium
Virtual, Viewing Party Locations TBA
The Nashville Soccer Club wants you N for their official Pride Night game! We are taking over 3 sections in the lower bowl at Titans Stadium for Pride Night. LGBTQ artists will give the guitar rift and sing the national anthem, LGBT-owned businesses will be highlighted, and a LGBTQ person will be the Hero of the game. We will wear our special rainbow soccer scarves that you will get with your tickets. This event is going to be huge! Tickets and further details coming soon.
If all that was not enough, we are ending Pride month on a high note, literally. The music notes that we will hear as we celebrate Pride in Local Music for a second year with our friends in Austin will be epic. You won’t believe the lineup of artists and locations that will be featured. Join us at Tribe Nashville to watch and network in person, or watch from home. This event will close out an amazing Pride month and donations brought in during the event will benefit the Austin and Nashville LGBT Chambers.
Pride
Nashville SC and the LGBT Chamber will release a commemorative PRIDE patch in celebration of the LGBT community. The PRIDE patch will be available for purchase at www.nashvillesc.com June 1-30. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the LGBT Chamber Foundation. Members of the Nashville LGBT Chamber will offer a discount to PRIDE patch holders. You can bring your patch into your business in exchange for a discount on member goods and services!
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June 2021
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The Special Shelf
What's So Gay About Carrie?
Jason Shawhan A perennial favorite for the forty-five years since it first came out in theatres, Brian DePalma’s adaptation of the Stephen King novel Carrie is one of those films that confronted its problematic impulses early on and has reigned in the hearts of weirdos, outcasts, the downtrodden, and everyone who’s been stuck on the business end of established power structures. But what, specifically, makes Carrie speak to the LGBTQIA community? It can’t just be the idea of telekinetic revenge, though society would be in a much better place if the patriarchy, bullies, and religious fundamentalists conducted themselves knowing that there was a potential queer TK reckoning around every corner. Carrie is a symphony of the target, both in the nefarious endeavors of the villainous and for the clumsy, noble intentions of assorted do-gooders (oh, if only would-be allies could learn the lessons of this film as well). Sissy Spacek is gawky and charming, and there is literally no reason why the kids at Bates High School should hate her, except in mistransferred frustration at her religious tendencies and ineptitude at P.E. There is a certain degree of ridiculousness present in the film, and DePalma understands camp better than the vast majority of straight people. But here’s the magical thing about Carrie—yes, there are parts of it that are very, very funny. But you don’t get to laugh at it unless you understand the pain at its foundation. The campy aspects of Carrie bite at the viewer from the inside. After the volleyball humiliation of the opening credits, the tracking shot through the girls’ locker room is a burlesque of sorts—it is the expected parade of nubile bodies, of blossoming youth fulfilling the expectations of the establishment—whether ‘70s audiences or the institution of high school. And then we are introduced to Spacek, isolated, in the shower, momentarily taking a degree of sensual pleasure in water and cleanliness. It’s the only time in the film that we get to see Carrie take physical pleasure in anything, and as the universe is prone to doing whenever Carrie White experiences any sort of pleasure, it intervenes with her first period. The girls pelting Carrie with sanitary products are the exact equivalent of the people who aim to exclude the very existence of queer people from educational texts (this means you, Tennessee legislature). They delight in weaponizing the ignorance that they have created, propping themselves up in the process. We exist, but we are only allowed to live at the whims of our parents and our peers.
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Carrie’s mother, Margaret, has been lying to her daughter about sex—using physical violence and a betrayal of the actual tenets of Christ. She is a battering ram of evangelical certainty that is sowing the seeds of destruction for everything around her. The sad center of the myth of Carrie White, though, is that Margaret was right about humanity. The universe was aiming to hoist Carrie on her own pride, and they were all going to laugh at her. She could have stayed home instead, and nobody would have died. Despite some recent victories for the community, you only have to look at our legislators to see that that malignant, psychotic fundamentalism (that misses the point of actual Christian principles) drives the nation. That delusional religion is tolerated, and its transgressions and crimes are forgiven. What kind of insanity makes a parent hate their children? And then, to complete this triangle of personae, there’s Miss Collins, as played by national treasure/gay icon/Broadway legend Betty Buckley—the kind of complicated figure that ‘70s cinema excelled in depicting. As a gym teacher, she is a sadist, but she finds a way to channel that sadism into moral righteousness in a way that wins the audience over. The moment that just practically shines a giant neon sign on the queer experience (putting aside the musical, which is magical) is when Carrie arrives at the prom and everyone is bowled over. “Oh wow,” the crowd responds, “you’re pretty and worthy of the dignity we denied you because we were lazy and didn’t feel like going against the powerful people who decided we should hate you.” Because as queer people, we get tone policed—thought down of for being quiet, then mocked for speaking. The system is designed to be impossible to surmount. And the lesson of Carrie is not that they’ll get theirs, but that you have to suppress the instinct that tells you to trust others. You have to look out for yourself. And the people you should be able to depend on are just as flawed and messed up as you may be. This film still plays like gangbusters in a theatre. For some it’s a tragedy, for others pitch black comedy. But everyone feels it. Everyone responds. And like Heathers, everyone the film was telling about themselves, who were part of the crowd, now they see themselves on the opposite side of the situation. And doesn’t that just say it all?
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Album Review
urture, by Porter Robinson
Chris Spear
It’s been seven years since Porter Robinson’s last album Worlds was released. To say the new album, Nurture, was worth the wait is an understatement—it is a masterpiece. The style Robinson has created over the years is so unique, and the sound design is superb. Even though some of the singles have been out for a while, listening to those in the context of the full album makes me enjoy them even more. The album’s intro track, ”Lifelike,” starts with piano and is slowly layered with a multitude of strings, instruments, and even an accordion. It’s simple, but every time I listen to the album it’s like it is slowly waking me up for something beautiful. The fourth single “Look at the Sky” is such a positive anthem. Every time the pre-chorus drops in volume before the chorus starts I get chills. I’ve listened to this song so many times but even while listening as I wrote this my arms had goosebumps. The music video is really fun with Porter being surrounded by ghosts as he plays piano. The first single, “Get Your Wish,” has a very unique chord progression at the beginning. The chorus of this track is so well done. The intensity Robinson achieves the first time the chorus hits is so full and overwhelming. “Wind Tempos” starts out with a myriad of piano loops and strings, there is a reverse sound effect that makes me think of passing through a tunnel as all the sounds are fluttering around. About halfway through the track it all comes to a sudden stop, and there is a serene piano piece. It’s the kind of music that quiets your mind before the chopped-up vocals pop up. It’s not a traditional song structure, but I have found those are the kinds of songs that grow on me the most. My favorite track on Nurture has to be “Musician.” The beats in this song are so much fun. The vocals probably resonate with me more than anything I’ve listened to in years. He even samples the “woo yeah” from Lyn Collins “Think (About It)” that Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock sampled in “It Takes Two.” “Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do” reminds me of a Japanese video game soundtrack. I love the chopped-up guitar throughout this song. The vocals are simple and cute, and I like the way the voice is manipulated and bit crushed. I love all the computer sounds and glitch effects on the track “Mother”. The lyrics throughout are so sweet and the chorus is really touching. The first half of “Dullscythe” is a seemingly random piano, and the first thing I thought of when I heard it was Art of Noise. This is another experimental track that really grew on me over time. About halfway through the song, it’s like there is a wave of strings rushing over you before a beat off in the distance is met with piano and arpeggios. The intro to “Sweet Time” has some of my favorite piano on the album. The strings throughout the track stand out the most to me. The depth Robinson creates is so well done.
The sixth single—“Unfold” with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs—was released a day before the album. The vocals during the chorus are so well done. TEED and Porter’s pitched up voices harmonize beautifully. The sound design on this track is spectacular, all the layered pads and harsh static create some really unique transitions. The album concludes with “Trying to Feel Alive.” There are a lot of similar sounds to the intro track which creates a feeling of coming full circle. I really like the way the gliding bassline and the fluttering arpeggios are used to create some really beautiful transitions. The weekend after Robinson released Nurture, he held a virtual festival, Secret Sky, that featured a ton of amazing artists and djs. Robinson’s set that ended the festival was unreal. All the songs performed are pretty different from their album version. I highly recommend checking it out on his YouTube channel. He has also announced the return of his Second Sky music festival and a North American tour this summer/fall.
The third single “Mirror” has one of the most interesting music videos. It Is essentially an animated avatar drawn and then placed in a forest as someone walks through the forest. The thing that made this crazy is that there is a website with an interactive virtual environment that corresponds with the music video. The song is really catchy, and I absolutely love the glitched out pads. The second single, “Something Comforting,” is so upbeat and fun. The melody throughout this track is infectious. I always catch myself singing along with the pre-chorus. I think this has some of my favorite beats on the album, and the way he shifts his vocals back and forth makes me think of switching channels on an old tv. “Blossom” is such a beautiful track. The guitar is magnificent and accompanies the vocals elegantly. The way he makes his natural voice more prominent on certain lyrics adds so much emphasis on their importance. nashville.outvoices.us
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From how far we’ve come to how far we’ll go, there’s PRIDE in progress.
As a proud ally to our LGBTQ+ customers, associates and neighbors, Regions recognizes PRIDE doesn’t just celebrate the community that has been built. It also celebrates the challenges this community has conquered and the changes it will create. So as the LGBTQ+ community continues to push for progress, Regions will continue to push our advocacy through our support and services.
regions.com/LGBTQ
© 2021 Regions Bank. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.
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