O&AN | September 2014 by Out & About Nashville

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9.14

LETTER

FROM THE

EDITOR

This month, Out and About Nashville celebrates Nashville’s drag scene. Rather than focus on bars and casts in our print edition, we’ve dealt with the art form more broadly. But we’ve done so with a distinctively local flavor. Our centerfold spread illustrates ten of Paige Turner’s most common types of drag using an all-local cast of models. Yes, I said ten: if you’re seeing only nine, turn the page and read our interview with a representative of the tenth type, The Princess! You’ll also read about Nashville drag in decades past as Paige interviews Chyna, and hear a critique of drag from trans activist Bobbi Williams. But this issue has a serious side, too: from previewing important upcoming events, like Thrive^615 and the Nashville AIDS Walk, to considering the community response to *O&AN’s* coverage of the Josey Greenwell / Nate Green controversy. But that last one isn’t so far from the question of drag. After all, drag involves taking on an appearance and persona that it is different from one’s own for the purposes of entertainment. How different is that at the end of the day from what Nate Green attempted? That, in the end, is for you to decide.

JAMES GRADY @JamesAllenGrady

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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 2014 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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THE JOSEY GREENWELL SAGA

READERS RESPOND TO

“SETTING JOSEY GREENWELL STRAIGHT” Reader Neth Williams wrote:

Reader Jamie Hall wrote:

JAMES A. GRADY | @JAMESALLENGRADY

On August 18, 2014, Out and About Nashville released a story covering formerly out-and-proud gay country musician Josey Greenwell’s rebranding as Nate Green. Some were outraged at Greenwell, some supported him, and others took O&AN to task, and we’ve decided to share some of those thoughts here. But the issue remains open: What does it mean for someone who once made his living off of being LGBT to start fresh and leave that identity, quite publicly, behind? Josey Greenwell experienced a burst of fame from 2011–12, gracing covers from Out and About Nashville to DNA Magazine #142, and even appearing on Dr. Phil. Then Josey made his last post on his Facebook musician’s page on January 9, 2013 (his Wikipedia page was deleted the same day). As of August 18, 2014 it remained active. Numerous fans continued to post, asking for updates on his music and his well being. Fast forward to spring 2014. Country music newcomer Nate Green debuts “Wild and Free.” Ever since his publicity photos hit the internet though, there have been rumors that Green and Greenwell are one and the same. On April 29, 2014, Estoy Bailando took notice of the Nate/Josey identity, and WeHo Confidential published the rumors on August 9, 2014. When contacted to offer Nate/ Josey the opportunity to respond,

Aristo P.R.’s Sharilyn Pettus declined to comment on his behalf. O&AN confirmed Nate’s identity with an unnamed coworker at Tribe and BNA Talent’s Josh Robbins, both of whom saw Nate’s publicity photos and identified him as Josey. O&AN raised two issues. First was the irony that Joseph Ignatius Greenwell Jr., who appeared on Dr. Phil when his identity was misused to catfish unsuspecting women, manipulated his own identity to curry the favor of female fans. Nate hasn’t denied being gay, but straight men don’t have to do that! He has, however, presented himself without a hint of his former LGBT pride. Aristo P.R.’s press release about Nate proudly reports:

ALREADY BOASTING AN IMPRESSIVE SOCIAL FOLLOWING AND FAN BASE, NATE IS QUICKLY TAKING THE FEMALE 13–24 AGE GROUP DEMOGRAPHIC BY STORM. NUMEROUS DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL FAN-RUN STREET TEAMS HAVE POPPED UP, AND HIS FANS HAVE COINED THE NICKNAME “WILD THINGS” FOR THEMSELVES. All of this would be less objectionable, in my opinion, were it not for Josey’s heavy capitalization of his LGBT identity in his prior career. Back in April 2011, Greenwell boasted “[I’m] brave enough to be able to stand

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SEPTEMBER 2014

The more I think about it, the more I have a problem with O&A choosing to run with this story. “Nate Green” is in the entertainment business, and I fail to see why his persona on stage or in a music video must somehow represent his sexuality. I’ve followed “Nate” on social media for several months, and I can’t recall seeing him post anything that would deny or confirm that he’s straight or gay -- as best I can tell, he doesn’t make his sexual identity an issue at all. Does O&A know for certain that he now actively denies his past? If so, then he should be ashamed. If not, then O&A should be ashamed.

up for millions of people out there just like me and stand as a role model with my music.” This rings hollow now. O&AN contacted Cody Belew, the openly gay singer who achieved national prominence on Season 3 of The Voice, who said, “I don’t understand how they’re going to rebrand Josey and actually hope to separate him from his past, but I do understand why they want to do it.” Cody expressed sympathy for Josey’s position. “If you get pigeonholed, once that has happened it’s next to impossible to get beyond it. It’s the very reason I haven’t done some things–from my career standpoint I can’t afford to pigeonhole myself this early in the game. When I came off The Voice, I could have worked for two years solid based on requests from gay-centered things, but I turned them down exactly because of what I saw happen to people like Deborah Cox and Josey Greenwell.” O&AN’s full article on Josey Greenwell can be found at https://www. outandaboutnashville.com/story/settingjosey-greenwell-straight

Don’t hate on the artist for playing a game we didn’t write. Until Ellen and other A-list gays were mainstream, they had to do the same. They had to prove that we aren’t scary, FIRST, and get people to like us, FIRST, then come out […]. The country music fanbase will, like the south, be the last to accept gays. I hope this changes, soon, but until some George Strait-level men start coming out, that genre will remain that way….

Reader Michael Leftwich wrote:

People feel betrayed because we knew him as Josey and supported him as an artist or even a friend and then suddenly everything was gone about him. When we see him again he has a new name, marketed as straight and any comments about the past are deleted. I’ve talked to a couple people and seen comments on other sites where they have said they know him well and seen him in public and he acted like he did not know them. So we have problems here. […] What enablers are saying is yes we knew him but shut up and let him be someone else...as if the person we knew is not valid and our concerns about why the business is like that are not valid. […] The truth is he changed everything, denied people he knew and anyone hurt or offended can discuss it as much as they want to. The way that business works is cruel and to put people in that situation and expect others to just accept it is cruel. The person who wrote you [O&AN] and said support him...Why? Support what? That he is in a business that to survive you have to drop who you are and remake yourself, denying your past and the people in it? Why should that be supported? It is not real. It is fake. Logic tells us this. But enablers don’t care. That is what is wrong with society and situations like this one. Do not support it. Do not accept it. Do not deny who we are to make a profit.

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THE ART OF

LIVING WELL

IT’S TIME FOR NASHVILLE TO THRIVE^615

JOSH ROBBINS

| @IMSTILLJOSH

Thrive^615 is poised to be one of the most important events offered to gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in Nashville this year. This innovative and uplifting round-table event will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 20 at the Renaissance Hotel downtown. A first of its kind for Nashville, Thrive^615 promises diverse content presented in various forums. Keynotes speeches with conversation and roundtable discussions will focus on topics from emotional wellness, gender and stigma issues, physical fitness, financial planning and sexual health. The event’s exciting lineup includes nationally renowned figures. Terrance Moore, Director of Policy and Health Equity at the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), is a leader in study and activism around issues of gender, stigma and prejudice. Life coach and motivational speaker Jordan Bach (www. thebachbook.com) has been named “one of the most influential queer teachers on the modern spiritual scene” by PQ Monthly and “an LGBT architect of the next decade” by The Advocate. The event will also feature contributions by local experts, such as energy and fitness coach Josh Rogers of Results Fitness and Chris Sanders, Executive Director of the Tennessee Equality Project. This event has grown out of a joint effort among many nonprofits and LGBT organizations interested in initiating or fostering dialogue about sexual health, mental health, overcoming stigma associated with being labeled queer, exercise and

finances within the LGBT community. Nashville CARES, Street Works, the Vanderbilt HIV Vaccine Program, OutLoud, and a group of volunteers are leading this effort, and the spokesperson for the event is Vic Sorrell. “Thrive^615 is one of the most encouraging statements this group of LGBT and health-minded organizations and volunteers could make with regards to investing in the well-being and vitality of our community,” says Vic Sorrell, Chair of the Middle Tennessee MSM Taskforce coordinating the event. “We are looking forward to a great afternoon of community, inspiration, and education that will be repeated in Nashville for years to come.” The event’s website, Thrive615. com, has a complete, up-to-date schedule of speakers, as well as event information and pre-registration for this free event. Why register? “If you register, you are guaranteed a t-shirt,” says Sorrell. “Everyone hates when you’re given a shirt that doesn’t fit, right? So, if you register, you will be get the shirt size that you want at the event.” Additionally, registered attendees will receive a free lunch. Sounds fair enough. Thrive^615 is being touted as one of the most important days here in Nashville, but it’s more than hype. This event is the result of the hard work and determination of numerous individuals who have devoted themselves and their organizations to providing gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in Nashville with the space and opportunity to explore topics that aren’t the normal bar chatter. Indeed, there are few public opportunities to hear and be heard about such important topics in our lives, and that’s precisely why Thrive^615 is so important. But, speaking of bars, PLAY Dance Bar is the hosting the official after party

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SEPTEMBER 2014

of the event, continuing its long history of commitment to opening its doors generously to events and groups of importance to the LGBT community. “Free tshirt. Inspirational content. Free Food. Free entry to PLAY. And feeling great after choosing to be a connected influencer in the Nashville LGBT community. What else could you

ask for?” says Sorrell. HOT guys might be the only thing missing from that list. “Have you seen the speakers’ pictures? We’ll have those too!” FULL DISCLOSURE: Josh Robbins is a freelance contributor and advisor for both O&AN and Thrive^615, leading the marketing and promotional efforts.

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THE 2014 NASHVILLE AIDS WALK

TWENTY-THREE YEARS OF ACTIVISM, BUT THE NEED REMAINS STAFF

October 4, 2014 marks the 23rd Annual Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run, Tennessee’s oldest continuously running HIV/AIDS fundraiser. The Walk began as a community event organized by longtime Nashville AIDS activist Victoria Harris, and it was designed to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in Middle Tennessee, as well as money for prevention education and supportive services provided by CARES. Harris’s efforts funded AIDS services in Middle Tennessee. In 1992, Nashville CARES assumed responsibility for spearheading the event. Country music artist Kathy Mattea served as the honorary co-chair of the first Nashville CARES AIDS Walk, which was then called “From All Walks of Life.”

“The Walk is really a form of community mobilization. Every walker, as they ask their social networks for donations, becomes an awareness ambassador. It creates a conversation around HIV as a community health issue,” said Joseph Interrante, Nashville CARES CEO. Much has changed since that first walk, and the nature of the HIV/ AIDS public health crisis has shifted, Robert Adams, Nashville CARES Chief Financial Officer, notes. Still, “People are living longer and healthier lives and Nashville CARES continues to help in that process. The walk still significantly funds the programs and services that help thousands of Middle Tennesseans living with HIV.” This year, the Nashville AIDS Walk is proudly presented by NPS Pharmacy. More than 2,000 participants are expected at the event and Cares hope to raise $240,000. “The walk really allows people, regardless of their means, to give to the cause. No amount is too small and every little bit helps,” said Interrante. This year’s Honorary Walk Chairs

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SEPTEMBER 2014

are Chris Carmack, who plays Will Lexington on ABC’s Nashville, and Lisa Spencer & Paul Heggen from Channel 4’s 4WARN Weather team. Interrante notes, “From a celebrity chair standpoint, art has come to imitate life. Nashville’s own Kathy Mattea served as honorary chair of the first AIDS Walk and 23 years later we have an actor who plays a Nashville country music artist.” Last year, the walk added a timed 5K run that starts at the same time as the walk, and that will continue this year. The event also features a community and business fair, food trucks, entertainment and an award’s ceremony. The Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run welcomes children and pets and starts at 10:00 a.m. For additional information, or to register for the Nashville AIDS Walk and 5K Run, please visit www.NashvilleAIDSWalk. com or call 615-259-4866. Nashville CARES relies on support from the local community to provide services for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. For sponsorship information, please contact Betsy Seaton at bseaton@NashvilleCARES.org or by calling 615-259-4866 ext. 263.

™

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READERS’ choicE AwARDS coming thiS fAll... @O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H

LGBT YOUTH

FACE THE MEAN STREETS

Transitional Housing Closing in Nashville Leaves LGBT Youth without Refuge REBECCA DAVENPORT

In the last fiscal year, over 300 different homeless youth came through the doors of Oasis Center’s transitional housing. In June, however, Nashville’s only

LGBT-affirming transitional housing program closed its doors. Oasis Center had been unable to obtain the government funding that it depended on to remain open, and now those youth must

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find somewhere else to sleep. Pam Sheffer, director of the Just Us program at Oasis, says the center is devastated at having to close its transitional living facility. “I was getting more and more phone calls because LGBT young people, especially trans youth, that are homeless are not received very well in our traditional homeless shelters in Nashville. It’s a place where they feel like they can’t be themselves. They’re not safe. They’re not welcomed.” The bulk of funding for youth homeless shelters has come from the federal government, but that funding has been deprioritized. In light of this, Oasis Center had to make the incredibly difficult decision to close its transitional living program. “[Our] executive leadership team talked with over 25 different agencies throughout the US,” Sheffer said, “and asked, ‘What are you doing for additional funding’ and everyone is throwing their hands up [saying], ‘We have no idea where we are going to get the money to do the work we are trying to do.’” Oasis Center’s 10 rooms housed up to 10 people, with residents remaining for up to 20 months. They helped homeless youth (age 18 to 24) get GEDs, apply for college, acquire life skills, and learn to live independently. Sadly, most homeless youth “graduated” from foster care onto the streets and lack the skill set needed to

manage life successfully on their own. Life on the street is rough for anyone, but for LGBT-identifying people the prospects are even grimmer. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, LGBT homeless youth are at higher risk for victimization and mental health problems. Over 58% of LGBT homeless youth have been sexually victimized compared to only 33.4% of heterosexual homeless youth. One young man went to a homeless shelter in town only to be told, “You can stay here, but you can’t be gay here.” Frustrated, Sheffer says, “When you’re already scared to begin with and you’re already hungry and tired... but they immediately peg you as being gay and have made it clear that you can’t be yourself and authentic in that space without retribution of some kind—and that was just one of our gay young people—heaven forbid they had been trans.” Sheffer explained, “Transwomen are forced to stay in the men’s dorm. That’s an incredibly unsafe place for them to be. It puts them in peril. How can you sleep with one eye open and feel like you’re rested enough to go on a job interview?” According to Sheffer, the director of the Oasis Center drop-in shelter says she sees young people sleeping outside their front doors every morning. “There are young people that have nowhere to sleep. They are walking the streets all night long.” So, what can Middle Tennesseans do to help? Sheffer hopes that the Nashville community can come together to create a stop-gap measure for the youth on our streets. “Three hundred young people is a lot of young people, but it’s really not a lot of young people if the community wraps themselves around [them].” Sheffer has partnered with OutCentral, greater Nashville’s LGBT center, to bring together members of the community to engage in open dialogue to seek immediate relief for LGBT homeless young people. One possibility being explored is utilizing OutCentral’s main meeting space as a temporary refuge during the late-night hours. However, code requirements may impede this concept. Community members who are interested in learning more about the situation or who may have possible solutions are encouraged to contact OutCentral at (615) 864-8182 or at www.outcentral.org.

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BACK IN JUNE, NASHVILLE’S OWN PAIGE TURNER WROTE AN ARTICLE FOR DRAGAHOLIC.COM FEATURING POPULAR STYLES OF DRAG. SINCE THIS MONTH OUR COVER FEATURES ONE OF NASHVILLE’S MOST NATIONALLY RECOGNIZABLE QUEENS, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO ILLUSTRATE STYLES OF DRAG USING ONLY LOCAL QUEENS. AN ASTONISHING 12 ORIGINAL PHOTO SHOOTS LATER, COURTESY OF JULIUS GREENE, O&AN IS PROUD TO DISPLAY WHAT MAKES NASHVILLE “SUCH A DRAG.” Twitter: @Theonlyvanity

This picture says it all. The camp aesthetic employs clown-like values, such as exaggeration, satire and ribaldry. Sometimes known for brutal honesty and for using insult comedy, camp queens are fierce in their own special way. No wonder people fear clowns.

Nashv Club Queen Instagram: @Aurorasexton

Club queens take their inspiration from the 1980s/1990s NYC club kid scene. “They are known for slaying ‘Drag Balls,’ with fierce yet sometimes outrageous fashion and unique make-up techniques.” Our particular club queen also seems to have drawn on dungeon chic for some extra inspiration.

Dra

Camp/Comedy Queen

Pageant Twitter & Instagram: @Thedragprincess

Goth Twitter: @Suzywongbna

Once upon a midnight dreary…. Goth queens, like their hero Edgar Allen Poe, thrive in looks inspired by classic goth and even horror films. You won’t see an eclectic group of colors in this queen’s closet, but you might find a few shades of grey!

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SEPTEMBER 2014

Pageant queens live for competition, investing everything (literally, thousands of dollars) to compete for the crown. These ladies take “fish” to a whole new level, and are judged on every detail. “They exceed in the dimension of elegance and fashion, employing elaborate jewelry and gowns to snatch the crown.”

Div

Twitter: @Sdillardstyling

ville’s

verse

While you won’t find this fish in the aquarium, she does like to be the center of your attention. The fishy queen’s main goal is to look as much as possible like a woman. “They are known for being very polished and they take their drag very seriously, sometimes throwing shade at the types of drag they don’t represent.”

Fish

Stylings

Tranimal Facebook: /Gold.Dust.Indigo

Androgyny /Genderfuck Twitter & Instagram: @Danetheyoung

Also known as an “anti-queen,” androgynous queens display masculine and feminine characteristics. While not commonly seen on the Nashville drag circuit, these artistic queens can be found on stages and in clubs in more experimental cities. Warning: Should not be confused with a bearded lady.

TransDrag

Activessle Twitter: @Sisterpurse

Instagram @Jadeporchett

Trans queens still perform in drag despite identifying as women or having begun transitions. These queens live their lives as women, and so some might classify them as more aligned with the diva (women in drag) category but the complexities of gender identity call for a more nuanced approach.

The tranimal is drag’s answer to found object art, deconstructing fashion and makeup, and drawing elements of surrealism, performance art, punk rock, racial and social issues into drag. Like genderfuck, they don’t necessarily shave or tuck, creating gender mixtures. Sometimes it’s called “terroristdrag”—probably because it blows up categories.

Activessles unify identity and shtick, usually to perform a charitable and/or activist function in their communities, for causes that may or may not be LGBT-related. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (Sisters) are perhaps the best known activessels. They perform a quasispiritual function, consciously reviving the image of drag queens as shamans and spiritual functionaries. @O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H

...and now Nashville’s

Fluid Queen A PORTRAIT OF THE PRINCESS JAMES GRADY | @JAMESALLENGRADY

Nashville has more than its fair share of talented drag performers, but probably the most nationally recognizable is The Princess, Adam Biga, who appeared on Season 4 of Rupaul’s Drag Race. But as a non-dragaholic, when I met Adam, I was only able to identify him by the Miller Lite can tattoo he sports on his arm. Adam’s interest in drag was sparked at 18, but by thirteen he was already questioning gender norms. “It wasn’t that I wanted to dress like a woman. I just wondered, ‘Why do women wear skirts and men wear pants? Why do we feel the need to fit into these boxes?’ It didn’t make sense to me, even then.” When Adam turned 18 and some friends took him to a drag show, everything clicked for him. “I always wanted to perform, to be on stage and really perform for people. I was drawn to theatre, on the one hand, and to rock and pop with more theatrical stage shows,” Adam explained. “But then I saw drag and it became clear to me that ***that*** was what I wanted to do! But I think you still see those rock and pop influences in my drag.” Within a month, Adam was in drag, but it was a “hot mess.” So where did he learn his polish? On his own. The drag culture in Lincoln, Nebraska, was heavily steeped in the pageant mode. “Almost all the queens were doing pageants, and they really weren’t interested in helping you if you were trying to do something outside the box,” Adam says. So, Adam developed his own style. Just a few years later, in 2003, Adam had won Miss Gay Nebraska and was preparing to compete in the now-defunct Miss Gay National being held here in Nashville. “One of the papers put me on the cover of the ‘Entertainment’ section. The writer was very supportive. It wasn’t long after that that I heard from my dad, who lived out of state. My grandfather had sent him the article.” Nothing prepared Adam for what followed. “My dad wrote me a letter and told me I should change my name and move away, that what I was doing was a disgrace to the family name. I was stunned.” Adam is now reflective about this rejection. “You know I’d never told him anything about my drag, how involved I was.

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Finding out took him off guard. I think he probably regrets saying it. It’s not an excuse, but it helps understand it.” In 2005, Adam competed for Entertainer of the Year, which is where Joey Brown discovered him, and barely a month later Adam had relocated to Nashville and joined the Playmate cast. “It was a tremendous opportunity to be able to really *work* in drag, to have a regular gig,” he said. “But the best advice I got was, ‘If you can make it in Nashville, you can make it anywhere!’ It was tough at first, but eventually I think I won people over.” For four-and-a-half years, Adam worked at Play week in and week out. “Finally, I got to the point where it was mechanical. I didn’t love doing it anymore and I decided to walk away on a high note, so I packed up and moved to Chicago.” For nearly a year, Adam stayed away from drag. “It was amazing to go out into the community and not be The Princess!” Eventually, however, friends convinced Adam to prepare and submit a *Drag Race* audition video. “Two weeks later I got a call to interview by

I ALWAYS WANTED TO PERFORM, TO BE ON STAGE AND REALLY PERFORM FOR PEOPLE. I WAS DRAWN TO THEATRE, ON THE ONE HAND, AND TO ROCK AND POP WITH MORE THEATRICAL STAGE SHOWS phone, and really quickly after that, maybe a week, I was asked to do a Skype interview. That’s when I found out I had made it.”

Shortly after Season 4 aired, Adam was visiting Nashville for a booking at Play. “Joey and I discussed Play Louisville, which was still in the works. He asked my thoughts on returning once the second location was ready to open.” Leaving Chicago was hard, Adam admitted, “But here I get to do what I love and get paid for it!” Asked about drag family, Adam says, “I’d be happy to help, but I want to see the commitment first. It may sound rude, but I generally tell them to go work on their drag for a year on their own. If they still want help, then I’ll take them on as drag daughters. So far no one has taken me up on that.” But as I begin to ask about tattoos, Adam sighed heavily and said, “You know, I didn’t forget him… But I did have a drag daughter—Brad/Angel —way back when I was in Omaha. He liked my drag, and he had that independent spirit. He helped me a lot and put a lot of effort into everything. Maybe that’s why I expect so much from drag daughters,” he added reflectively. “He’s why I have the Guardian Angel with two guns tattooed

on my chest. And the bee tattoo on my arm. He took his own life in 2002.” After taking a moment, I asked him about the Miller Light can. He laughed and said, “It’s for my grandma Agnes! She was my favorite person in the world. She and my granddad would sit at a table in the kitchen and watch the *Wheel of Fortune* on a little TV, grandma with a can of Miller Lite in one hand and a cigarette in the other. But around 6, she’d snuff the cigarette and put down the beer, go to the living room, shut the door, get out her rosary and pray with the nun on TV. Then she’d come back and go back to her routine.” Adam, like his grandma Agnes, has never fit neatly into boxes, and I think that’s why he continues to intrigue some and infuriate others. It may also be why Nashville just can’t get enough!

@O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H

THE FACES OF MR.FRIENDLY A Campaign to Erase Stigma THOMAS BRODHEAD

The Mr. Friendly campaign logo— now seen frequently at pride gatherings, festivals, and other community events—is a smiley face constructed with a positive (+) and a negative (-) sign set in a value-neutral way. But the simplicity of the design belies the campaign’s central goal: the elimination of the stigma of HIV. Campaign founder Dave Watt believes that once that stigma is eliminated, three associated problems will then quickly resolve: he fear associated with T HIV testing, which currently keeps too many people from checking their status regularly The social neglect and isolation of those with an HIV+ status he fear of discussing T status with one another in all contexts With these problems corrected, a unified community should replace the current one in which HIV status is divisive all too frequently. Watt began the campaign in 2008 after observing that open, one-on-one

discussions about HIV had the greatest impact on peoples’ attitudes. He had also observed that the familiar “poz friendly” proclamations often created questions about the HIV status of the bearer rather than creating an open and fear-free discussion of HIV. This inspired the creation of the Mr. Friendly logo, carefully crafted but deceptively simple. (On the campaign’s website, Watt humorously explains that the plus symbol was intentionally not used for one of the eyes, as it made the face look like it had been punched, and that both the plus and minus signs were intentionally set in the same color to signify status equality.) Watt felt that displaying a Mr. Friendly logo would communicate commitment to the goals of the campaign, rather than simply proclaim personal tolerance or imply HIV status. Mr. Friendly’s face has begun appearing throughout Tennessee because of efforts of Nashville

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SEPTEMBER 2014

ON THE CAMPAIGN’S WEBSITE, WATT HUMOROUSLY EXPLAINS THAT THE PLUS SYMBOL WAS INTENTIONALLY NOT USED FOR ONE OF THE EYES, AS IT MADE THE FACE LOOK LIKE IT HAD BEEN PUNCHED, AND THAT BOTH THE PLUS AND MINUS SIGNS WERE INTENTIONALLY SET IN THE SAME COLOR TO SIGNIFY STATUS EQUALITY. resident Stephen Bloodworth, who first encountered the campaign last year. “Tennessee needed Mr. Friendly,” Bloodworth said in a phone interview. “There were no Team Friendlies anywhere in the state, and so I took the initiative to bring the movement where it was sorely needed.” After getting buttons and creating signs and banners, Bloodworth attended his first event, World’s AIDS Day in Knoxville in December 2013. Distributing Mr. Friendly materials allowed him to initiate conversations with festivalgoers and encourage them to utilize free on-site HIV testing. “The campaign’s strategy is to have affirming, personal conversations, and it works...people will put on the Mr. Friendly button and then go to be tested.” At Nashville’s Pride in June of this year, he shared a booth with

representatives of the Integrated Health Cooperative, who were amazed by how many people who came for testing were wearing the Mr. Friendly button. “It’s in the more relaxed setting of festivals where it’s easiest to approach someone to discuss the importance of testing, something that’s often difficult in bars and other venues,” Bloodworth explains. But Mr. Friendly hasn’t been absent from Nashville’s bars: both The Conductors and The Music City Sisters have spread the word during their bar nights, and the Sisters have successfully raised funds for Bloodworth’s Team Friendly Tennessee. “My intention is to spread the message not only in Nashville but throughout the state.” OutCentral has provided Bloodworth with free space for Team meetings to recruit new members and prepare for upcoming events. To stay informed about upcoming meetings and get involved, “like” the Team Friendly Tennessee page on Facebook and follow it on your newsfeed. Postings include informative articles on HIV and AIDS, as well as notices of community events. You can also write to TeamFriendlyTennessee@ gmail.com to be added to the Team’s mailing list. The national Mr. Friendly campaign offers training courses on erasing HIV stigma, as well as related subjects, such as how best to discuss one’s HIV status. The campaign won the 2012 Pantheon Award for the best non-profit of the year. For complete info, see www.mrfriendly.info, which has links to its Facebook, Twitter, and other social media pages.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN SEXUALITY, GENDER AND RELIGION SARAH ELIZABETH SMITH

It is promising to see our country finally recognizing, and even at times celebrating, the LGBTQ community. Some communities and organizations, however, especially religious ones, still struggle to deal with it. How do we bridge that gap between addressing sexuality and religion? Vanderbilt Divinity School (VDS) is sending students out to work in organizations in Nashville who wish to engage in this tough conversation. I am honored to be one the recipients of the Arcus Grant, funded by a two-year grant from the Arcus Foundation. The Arcus Foundation provides funding for organizations with social justice missions of helping “individuals and families of every sexual orientation and gender identity, race, and ethnicity to live their lives with dignity and respect.” Dr. Ellen Armour, Carpenter Associate Professor of Theology, provided much leadership in obtaining the $85,000 grant to help initiate the Justice Through Engagement Project. The Project places five current Vanderbilt Divinity students in local churches and service organizations to help folks talk about faith and sexuality. Some places simply need help learning about LGBTQ experience, while others need help understanding and discussing biblical and theological concerns and adapting more inclusive religious practices. The organizations involved in the project include a United Church of Christ church, Second Presbyterian Church, New Covenant Christian Church and St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, as well as Monroe Harding Children’s Home. Several students started their internships this summer, including DeWayne Stallworth at New Covenant Christian Church. Stallworth currently teaches a weekly class exploring the issues around using Jesus as an example of how we should treat others, especially LGBTQ persons. The group has “cried, laughed, struggled, learned, and questioned,” says Stallworth. He hopes the course will facilitate an “increased ability to operate on a level of divine compassion” that will change thoughts and behaviors. My post is at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, a historically affirming and inclusive congregation in East Nashville. I am involved in many aspects of the church community, including teaching classes, assisting the LGBTQ equality task force committee, and performing various religious functions. Also, I work very closely with St. Ann’s Rector, Rev. Rick Britton, the first African American rector of a historically white Episcopal Church in Tennessee.

Rev. Britton believes “the church as a faith community is constantly seeking ways to show God’s love and witness to that love in concrete and lifechanging ways.” Working directly on LGBTQ issues makes what we believe as a community translate into how we treat others. Britton hopes the Project will PM by renew theMSDD_O&A_AD_PRINT.pdf community to “carry1on 8/12/14 and push8:16 ahead

a fresh and inquiring mind and an energy overflowing with hope for a church steeped in God’s justice and truth.” Thanks to the Arcus Foundation, students, clergy, leaders and communities get a chance for healing and change in a world that struggles to include and accept all people.

CMY

@O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H

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Yanked from atop his living room coffee table at the ripe old age of eight, Matt DeAngelis’s mother knew exactly what she was doing when she dragged him “kicking and screaming” out the door and to the theater. From then on, Matt’s been sharing his spectacular singing voice with the public, starring in huge hits such as Green Day’s America Idiot and Hair (in which he played “Woof”). Matt now plays the role of Švec in the musical Once, which tells the heartfelt story of a young man, love, and his guitar. This production is TPAC’s 2014-15 season opener and is destined to be a Nashville favorite. Unlike most other shows, all eleven cast members remain on stage during the entire performance and play a variety of instruments to provide all of the award-winning music. O&AN had the opportunity to speak with Matt about his role in the production. Asked whether Švec and he were anything alike, Matt acknowledged with a chuckle that they are similar, explaining that “Švec is a more ‘out there’ version of me.” Matt also says, “I really enjoy making the audience laugh,” and Švec’s character gives him the chance to shine, thanks to some incredibly talented writing. Matt also opened up about a special motivator and inspiration in his personal life: his little sister. Matt

has long been an advocate for equal rights for the LBGT community. He started his activism in 2009, just a year before his sister found the courage to come out to him. Matt jumped at the chance to join his fellow cast members of Hair when they canceled a night’s performance so they could all join in the history-making Equality March in D.C. A girl couldn’t ask for a much better response from a brother. Matt confided that his sister’s disclosure has only strengthened his resolve and that he adamantly feels “this is the civil rights struggle of our generation.” He went on to say, “People are going to look back and wish they’d been a more active part of it.” Matt, a Boston native and firsttime visitor to Nashville, also shared a secret about his fellow cast members of Once: Nashville has been highlighted on the casts’ calendars for months. Apparently, word is out that an evening on the town in Music City is quite the delicacy for the ears. Matt is “over the moon!!” about getting to hear the nightly live music of our great city and humbled by the opportunity to play for our audiences. Once won eight Tony awards, including “Best Musical,” and is playing at TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall September 16-21st. Get your tickets at www.tpac.org, and we’ll see you there!

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SEPTEMBER 2014

One in three (1/3) people in the LGBT community will go to bed hungry tonight. That is just one statistic that I shared with everyone last month. Hunger is a deep and abiding need, and it strikes many in the local LGBT communities every month. Yet, the need is most profound during the holiday season, especially in the months of November and December. The holidays (and holy days) of light are often the darkest days for many in our community. If you are struggling to eat, most often there are other traumatic needs that need to be addressed. At Covenant Cupboard (a ministry of Covenant of the Cross), between January and the end of August this year we have already distributed as much food as we did all of last year, and the greatest need will come in the next 4 months. In fact, during these last few months the need may double. The only real question Covenant Cupboard ever asks is, “Are you hungry, and how many people do you need to feed?” That is all the information we need to feed folks. Sometimes we know that they need other things and ask questions to get them to the correct resources to provide for those needs as well. Covenant Cupboard has become a community resource, as its primary goal is to help the larger community. This goal became reality when people began to realize that they did not have to hide who they were, who they loved, or what

was happening in their lives when they came seeking food. Sadly, that is not the case in many different places where people go looking for help. The reality is that too often people begin to feel the tug of mercy way too late to make a huge impact, but this year you and all of us have an opportunity to make a huge impact in just a couple of quick months. We need YOUR help in addressing this need. Much has been done already, with 30,000 pounds of food coming in during September and October, but we need to be prepared for the most critical months of the year. The needs for this season are: spaghetti sauce, spaghetti, canned pastas, cereal, oatmeal, dried beans, canned fish, canned meats, canned soups, canned vegetables and fruits, boxed hamburger helper, complete boxed meals, macaroni and cheese, boxed instant potatoes, small bagged rice, peanut butter, jelly / jam, corn bread mix, ramen noodles, boxed pasta sides, other canned and boxed foods, hygiene products, and frozen meats. Each food box provides meals for a month for an adult. We will help each person until they no longer have a need. I pray that you rise to this occasion, because without your help someone will struggle with hunger this holiday season. Please contact Pastor Greg at pastorgreg@covenantofthecross.com or 615-612-5040 for more information or to help.

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Drag has been around for a very long time, since men “DRessed As a Girl” played women’s parts on stage. But even in my lifetime drag has changed so much. Many queens have played a part in developing the art, but one huge influence here in Nashville is Chyna Charles. This legendary queen can be found in boy form on a daily basis dishing out drag advice at Performance Studios. And I thought why not have a kiki with Chyna and chat about her career as a drag queen / “drag expert,” as well as how drag has changed during her career!

QA &

SO WHEN DID YOU START DOING DRAG? I started doing drag in the later part of 1992 or early 1993. I started because I actually started doing backup dancing as a boy for another queen…. When the group broke up, we had all this makeup and stuff so I decided to use it. There was a talent night, so I got my stuff together and did the contest. I didn’t win but I did make first runner up. I kept trying, though. WHO INSPIRED YOUR DRAG? I tended to draw inspiration from a lot of people. I was blessed to be starting out with some of the legends in the business. Vanessa Del Rio was the first queen to actually get me to start taking bookings. She booked me at the Warehouse on Monday nights: we called it “Black Night.” WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME HARDSHIPS YOU HAVE FACED IN YOUR EARLY CAREER? HAVE YOU FACED ANY RECENTLY? When I first started, there was a time where all I did was drag. I worked a show five nights a week. I didn’t have a boy job or anything else. It was all Chyna, Chyna, Chyna! Yeah, I made money but I had to take a few steps back and look at myself, because I didn’t wanna lose myself inside of Chyna. I had to stay Charles. A lot of people lose themselves on stage and don’t know how to separate the two. It happened to me for a little while…

HOW HAS DRAG IN NASHVILLE CHANGED? Oooh, some people will not like what I’m going to say, but that’s okay. Back then, drag was completely different. I started with great queens: almost all were National Title holders. There were always pageants, like every month. Back then people appreciated the value of your talent, not whether you were a so-called transie, transgendered, tranny, pre-op or whatever. It was just about your entertainment value, but it’s not like that anymore. Also, when I started there were thirteen drag bars in Nashville and they were all successful, but now there’s only one “big” place to go to if you really want to get your name out there. DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE ARE MORE RESTRAINTS ON THE YOUNGER GENERATION OF QUEENS HERE NOW? Yes! Everybody wants to get on Play’s stage, so they think that is the image they have to look up to instead of being their own person. They are trying to emulate someone else instead of finding out who they are. WHAT’S CHANGED ABOUT DRAG THAT YOU REGRET? Back then we were allowed to go and work places as many shows as we wanted…. Now when you work at a bar, the people don’t want you to work anywhere else within a fifty-mile radius if not more: signing contracts, putting more restrictions on performers…. There was more freedom and it was a lot more diverse.

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SEPTEMBER 2014

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE? Well, I feel like it is good exposure to get your name out there, but at the same time it has wrecked the drag world…. The girls are mainly doing it for the money, duuhhhh. But when the fame gets them, they act as if they should be put on a pedestal. They don’t necessarily perform to their ability, but they expect things to be just handed to them….

Read more about Chyna’s career, drag daughters and her thoughts on Drag Race at outandaboutnashville.com!

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September 26 – 28 Fall BearFest & Pool Closing Party Fall is upon us and time to enjoy the pool one more weekend before the frosts come! Come party with BEARS, BEARS, BEARS! Hirsute mean and those that admire come to the mountains for a very festive weekend with Deutsch flair! German inspired menus and HOT parties.

October 10 –12 Cowboys ‘n Boots Weekend Country music and men in tight jeans! A country recipe for fun! Cowpoke Ho-Down on Saturday night at The Tavern with country music. Dust off your hats and get back on that horse! It is going to be a long hard ride! Break out the boots men.

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WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS BOBBI WILLIAMS

As a child in the 1950s I saw Milton Berle doing comedy in exaggerated drag. It taught me a simple lesson—a man in a dress is an object of humor—and it pushed me into the closet for forty years. That comedic tradition is still one of the most difficult barriers transgender people have to face. Number ten on Jerry Seinfeld’s top ten rules of comedy reads, “When all else fails, put a guy in a dress.” The top movies on the American Film Institute's list of 100 Funniest Films of All TIme are Some Like It Hot and Tootsie. There are clear rules for the “guy in a dress” comic device: H e should be forced to dress as a woman because of some extenuating circumstance, i.e. On the run from the mob (Some Like It Hot), he needs a job (Tootsie), war (I Was A Male Order Bride), a need to be with his children (Mrs. Doubtfire). There can be no doubt that he’s straight; he can’t be seen as enjoying or being comfortable in the female role. H e has to get into awkward situations where another man finds him attractive or comes on to him (even though the audience can tell what's going on). He has to be “outed” at the end and then be forgiven. He can’t be seen as an attractive woman. H e can’t ever completely pull it off because much of the comedy comes from stumbling in high heels, squirming to get into pantyhose, struggling with make-up, and so on.

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the ignorant, “shuckin’ n’ jivin’” black man. And while the minstrel shows are gone, Drag Queens still perform in gay bars and night clubs. It’s part of a tradition of men performing as women that goes back to the thirteenth century when females were forbidden on stage, so boys played in female roles. And even as far back as in Ancient Greece male actors portrayed women in this way. The comic stereotype isn’t likely to be separated from the transwoman or the drag queen anytime soon. As long as the “guy in a dress” comic archetype continues, abetted by drag shows, the public is likely to be confused about gender identity. Maybe there’s a place for the serious female impersonator and the comic “gender-bender,” but the bearded lady, the clown in drag, the over-the-top queen, and the “guy in a dress gag” need to go. No one today would perform in blackface. Why, then, in comic drag? We should not be made the butt of a joke in any community. Bobbi Williams is a professor of American Satire and Comedy for Southern New Hampshire University. Comments may be sent to her at bobbi@bobbiw.net

[Put a Guy in a Dress]

E S T. 1 9 9 4

So, it’s no surprise that the general public is confused by gender identity. Even if they get past the comedic tradition, they have to sift through some confusing terminology. There’s the Tranny, which is generally applied to those in the sex trade—just a notch above the more pejorative she-male. There’s the Transsexual, for those who have “officially” changed their gender. (Many reject that designation because they now are women or men.) There’s the older Transvestite, men who “dressed up,” replaced by Crossdresser, a “part-timer” who “dresses” once a week or so. All of these get tossed under Transgender, a term the media applies to anyone who does not fit within society’s gender boundaries. So where does the comic drag queen fit in? “Are you a drag queen?” I’m often asked by gay men as well as straight people. I answer “No.” Then, “Are you gay?” “Not necessarily,” I say, because sexual orientation and gender identity are not the same. Comic drag muddies the issue because, in a way, it is to gender identity what minstrel shows were to racial stereotyping. They both promote a stereotype: in one case, the “man in a dress” joke, and in the other,

SEPTEMBER 2014

DR. BOBBI WILLIAMS IS AN AUTHOR, TEACHER, AND CONSULTANT FOCUSING ON LGBT HEALTH. TWO BOOKS OF HER WORK HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED: ME & BOBBI & THE GYRLS (A SHORT STORY COLLECTION) AND TRANSFIXED “A NOVEL”.

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