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Party Pump: Full Body Circuits Playlist for Pride Month

Peach Recommends: After Forever

Joining the Tribe

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From the Editor Atlanta is definitely turning up the heat these days! The pools are open, the beaches are calling, and the city is bursting with life, so right now is the time to look and feel fabulous, gather your friends close, and live your best life possible!

Darren Floro-Bryant guides you to a little party pump with some efficient circuit training, Q Music provides you with a summer playlist full of Pride, and Scott King gives you some valuable advice on how to make close - perhaps even lifelong - friends when you’re an adult. And that’s just a fraction of what we packed in this issue to turn up the heat on your late spring.

Steve Tyrrell steve@peachatl.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Darren Floro-Bryant Scott King Jamie Kirk Branden Lee Gregg Shapiro

DISTRIBUTION

May I suggest you start out by road-tripping to build a closer connection with a few favorite friends, and then you go to one of the many summer circuit parties around the country – Gay Days is this weekend, so if you’re quick, you get on the road right now with your new future BFFs.

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The content of Peach ATL Media is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed by any writer, advertiser, or other person appearing in the Peach ATL Media are not necessarily those of this publication, its management or staff. The information and materials appearing in the magazine are not guaranteed or warranted as to accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials found or offered for a particular purpose. It shall be your responsibility to ensure that any products, services, or information available through Peach ATL Media meets your specific requirements. Peach ATL Media is not responsible for claims made by advertisers, content of information, changes, events, and schedules. The magazine contains information and material which is owned by or licensed to Peach ATL Media, including but not limited to articles, advertisements, design, layout, graphics, and logos. No part or portion of Peach ATL Media may be reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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•Allene Harrison, NP-C •Rachna Gadhok, MD •Katherine Liang, FNP

After Forever on Amazon Prime After Forever is a unique, romantic, touching, funny and heartbreaking new short-form internet series that tells the story of Brian and Jason, a 50’ish New York City gay couple that has it all until they don’t.

The series stars Emmy-nominated Kevin Spirtas (Days of Our Lives, Friday the 13th/Part VII) as Brian and Atlanta’s own Mitchell Anderson (Doogie Howser, Part of Five), as Jason. It features Tony Award winner Cady Huffman (The Producers), Drama Desk Award winner Michael Urie (Ugly Betty, Buyer and Cellar), Broadway, film and television star Anita Gillette (Moonstruck), David Dean Bottrell (Boston Legal), Jim Newman (The Village People), Finn Douglas (House of Cards), Robert Emmet Lunney (The Exorcist TV Series), and Colleen Zenk (As the World Turns).

After Forever was co-created by Emmy-nominated television writer, playwright Michael Slade, and Kevin Spirtas. Season One was directed by Emmy Award winner Jennifer Pepperman.

Perfect for binge-watching, the episodes average 11 minutes each, allowing viewers to watch the entire season in 90 minutes.

The What, When and Where!

What: After Forever short-form internet series When: Streaming on Amazon Prime Where: Premieres on April 24 More info at afterforevertheseries.com.

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WHY IT’S GREAT TO BE GAY IN ATLANTA

By Branden Lee Branden Lee is a writer and actor now living in Atlanta. Follow Branden on Twitter and Instagram @Brandeness and watch him on his YouTube channel SexxxPerTease.

10 | 05.30.18

The south doesn’t have the most open-minded or gay-friendly reputation, but Atlanta is certainly the exception. Atlanta is the liberal capital of conservative Georgia. There’s plenty to do, and plenty to enjoy if you’re a gay man in Atlanta. Such as…

ATLANTA IS THE NYC OF THE SOUTH Atlanta is the capital of the southeast, and NYC is the capital of the northeast. All the gays from surrounding states flock to be to free of their conservative families and small hometowns to live their gayest lives in these gay capitals. Atlanta is also a huge entertainment hub, just like NYC. Entertainment is the biggest field gay men flock to whether they pursue acting, writing, makeup, crew work, etc.

There are plenty of opportunities to shine.

THERE ARE SO MANY MEN Since so many gays flock to Atlanta, that creates a huge amount of eligible bachelors.

Atlanta must rank highly for most gay

men per capita because the gays are everywhere. So many say it’s impossible to find a steady relationship here because men can’t commit because there are so many options. Also, so many men view Atlanta as a vacation destination for when they want a wild weekend away, so there are constantly new hot men coming into the city.

ATLANTA PRIDES ARE EPIC With Black Gay Pride and standard Gay Pride, Atlanta hosts some large pride celebrations that garner lots of gays.

Gays can be free to let their freak flags fly, and have at least one weekend to be out, proud, and unashamed without having to worry about all the homophobia going on in the country. Even when it’s not pride, gays can feel free to hold their partner’s hand and kiss in public. There are so many gays in Atlanta; the heteros are used to seeing gay affection.

MINORITY IS THE MAJORITY Many black gay men often feel excluded in the gay community, and unwelcomed in gay spaces. Hence why Black Gay Pride was created.

Seeing “not into black guys” is extremely common in other parts of the country, especially in the north.

In Atlanta the majority of the gay population is black. Here black gay men can finally feel welcomed, included, and thrive. No longer a tokenized or fetishized minority, but actually the majority population.

Which is why Atlanta is such a beloved city amongst the black gay population.

peachATL.com | 11

Raising Funds for a Cure

By Mik Hyldebrandt

In the ongoing fight against blood cancers, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has raised a lot of money for a cure with their annual Man and Woman of the Year Campaign. Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the fundraising initiative, LLS has nominated Atlanta-based Heath Ponder, the first ever Atlanta Man of the Year, to be an All-Star candidate for this year’s campaign. Peach talked to Heath Ponder about the mission, inspiration, and how the 10riginals team has come together once again to meet their most ambitious fundraising goal yet.

How did you get involved with LLS? My father was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when I was a freshman in college. After seeing firsthand the difficult protocol he endured and the amazing work the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society does which directly impacts blood cancer research and patient families, I began volunteering with the Georgia Chapter 17 years ago.

What aspect of your involvement in LLS is most important to you?

Over the years, I have volunteered for LLS through the Light the Night Walk as an Executive Council Member, the Man & Woman of the Year Campaign since inception, and in the last four years, have served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Georgia Chapter. I must say, the Man and Woman of the Year campaign has been the most rewarding experience due to our being able to raise as much money as possible in ten weeks through friends, family, and events. 77% of the proceeds go directly to research and finding a cure for blood cancer. This is unique!

You have been Man of the Year before – what inspired you to take a second nomination?

Correct. I was honored to be named the first Atlanta Man of the Year after my team and I raised $25,000 in ten weeks. That first year, we only dreamed of what Man and Woman of the Year would become. It has grown each year exponentially. Our Team 1Originals has now had 3 Men of the year; myself, Scott Thomas, who raised over $100,000 and Brian Fuller, who raised over

12 | 05.30.18

$130,000, and a Runner Up, Stephen Beckwith, who raised over $90,000. Additionally, I served as Chair in 2015 alongside Scott Thomas as my Co-Chair when we hit the $1,000,000 mark and last year’s campaign raised a whopping $1,300,000!

Since this is the 10-year anniversary, they nominated me as the Atlanta All-Star Candidate to compete against other All-Star candidates throughout the country for National Man of the Year. We pulled Team 10riginals back together again to raise as much money as possible for this amazing organization and to FIND A CURE for BLOOD CANCERS! Our team this year consists of the most hardworking friends who amaze me at their level of support; my husband, Jim Lesti, Holly Firfer Arnold, Jeff Paramore, Scott Thomas, Kevin Brown, Wells Curlee, Boo Green, Ty Stapleton, and Travis Darnell.

How has your involvement with LLS developed you as a person?

Over the last 17 years, LLS has proven to me what giving back is all about. I am so thankful I found this amazing organization to which I dedicate my time. The staff members of LLS are some of the most dedicated individuals I have ever known and are truly passionate about finding a cure and believing that #somedayistoday.

What is your fundraising goal?

Team 10riginals has a goal this year of $125,000 in ten weeks, and the campaign ends with the Finale Gala at the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead on June 9. We have 22 men and women candidates this year, and our overall goal for the campaign is $1,500,000. I have no doubt we will knock this number out of the park!

How can people help and get involved?

If you would like to donate to help us find a cure for Leukemia and Lymphoma and blood cancers, please visit http://bit.ly/MWOYHPonder. We have until noon on June 9th to receive donations before the campaign ends.

Thank you for your support!

Swipe Out

By Gregg Shapiro

Living, as we do, in a post-“Love, Simon” (and post-“Call Me By Your Name”) world, gay movies with younger male lead characters may forever be judged differently. That can be both good and bad.

In the case of writer/director Mike Roma’s “Dating My Mother” (Gravitas Ventures), it falls squarely in the middle. Twenty-three-year-old Danny (Patrick Reilly, making his feature film debut), who has ambitions of being a screenwriter, has returned to New Jersey after living in California after graduation. He’s temporarily moved in with his widowed, hairdresser mother Joan (Steppenwolf and Law & Order actress Kathryn Erbe) while supposedly working on a script on spec.

Danny and Joan have a sweet relationship and do many things together, from going to the movies to walking the dogs to attending parties. At one of those parties, Danny runs into old, straight high school friend Khris (Michael Rosen). Danny isn’t just an undisciplined writer, he also has no self-control when it comes to wine or pot; a source of conflict between him and his mother.

After getting hit on by one of the party guests, Joan decides to re-enter the dating pool and sets up an account on match.com. This inspires Danny to explore some the gay dating/hook-up sites.

The fantasy sequences in which Danny interacts with some of the online guys he’s interested in are definitely the comedic highlights of the movie.

Joan, who is having more luck than Danny interacting with guys online, ends up meeting and falling for a guy named Chester (an almost unrecognizable James Le Gros). Meanwhile, Joan’s best 14 | 05.30.18

friend Lisa (the always wonderful Kathy Najimy) is having relationship trouble with an unfaithful boyfriend.

Danny, on the other hand is in something of a downward spiral. He doesn’t enjoy his part time job at the library. His writer’s block is causing him frustration. Then he gets the bad news that the series he was hoping to write for is going with different writers altogether.

Predictably, the increased time that Danny spends with Khris leads to an awkward kiss moment that completely backfires. Making matters worse, Danny and Joan are constantly at each other, resulting in a harsh exchange of words and Joan’s hurt feelings.

Will Danny get his shit together or run the risk of forever alienating his mother and friend? By the time Danny meets Richard (Paul Iacono) at the writer’s group that meets at the library and tell him about his screenplay about a mother and son navigating the world of online dating (get it?), you may actually find yourself rooting for him, after all.

Even without the star power or thoughtfulness behind “Simon” or “Name”, “Dating My Mother” is still a pleasant distraction.

peach rating: 2.5/5 Peaches: Ripe peach *The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Peach.

peachATL.com | 15

Playlist for Pride and Beyond By:Gregg Shapiro

A less than subtle branding project by MGM Resorts (yes, you read that right), Universal Love: Wedding Songs Reimagined (Sony) is a six-song EP on which queer and queer allies flip the script on popular tunes, making them about same gender love, intact pronouns and all. Bob Dylan (!), who won an Oscar for “Things Have Changed”, the theme song to the 2000 queer-oriented movie Wonder Boys, maintains his ongoing love affair with the American songbook with his rendition of “He’s Funny That Way”. Death Cab For Cutie’s Benjamin Gibbard (who has a lesbian sister) leaves his distinctive mark on the Beatles’ “And I Love Him” and Valerie June belts out Noel Coward’s “Mad About the Girl”.

Naturally, queer artists are also represented here.

St. Vincent has her way with the Spector/Greenwich/Berry chestnut “And Then She Kissed Me”, Kele Okereke goes for the Motown number “My Guy” and Kesha wails on Janis Joplin’s “I Need a Woman to Love”.

As we are all well aware, various artists compilations such as Universal Love and Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin (Rocket/ Island) are often a mixed bag. This is especially true in the case of Revamp, beginning with opener “Bennie and the Jets” by Elton John, Pink and Logic. It’s the kind of concept that must have looked good on paper, but crashes and burns in its execution.

For the most part, the strongest renditions on Revamp are those by artists that honor and expand on the original versions. The best examples include

16 | 05.30.18

Miley Cyrus (“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”), Lady Gaga (“Your Song”), Florence + The Machine (“Tiny Dancer”), Sam Smith (“Daniel”) and, while they are certainly not Elton and Kiki Dee, Q-Tip and Demi Lovato (“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”). Biggest disappointments include Mary J. Blige (the overwrought “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”), Ed Sheeran (the bland “Candle in the Wind”) and Mumford & Sons (the sludgy “Someone Saved My Life Tonight”).

With his beard and bulk, Donovan Woods may look like a bear, but he’s not. So, don’t be misled by the title of this Canadian singer/songwriter’s new album Both Ways (Meant Well); dude is straight. Nevertheless, the incredible music video for the first single, “Burn That Bridge”, features a same-sex male couple performing the dance of new love.

The song definitely stands on its own; but you should make a point to see the accompanying video. As for the rest of the album, Woods, who cites Nobel Prize winning short story writer Alice Munro and the late feminist poet Bronwen Wallace among his inspirations, will amaze you on songs such as “Truck Full of Money”, “Our Friend Bobby”, “I Live A Little Lie”, “Next Year” and Rose Cousins duet “I Ain’t Never Loved No One”.

Everywhere you look, more and more same-gender couples and spouses are becoming parents.

Whether it’s via adoption, surrogacy or alternative insemination, gay dads and lesbian moms abound.

Like their straight counterparts, LGBTQ parents are probably in search of family music that can be enjoyed by one and all. There’s an added bonus when a specifically queer angle exists, as with Songs for the Rainbow Family (Leather/Western) by The Diesel Tykes. Another project of prolific gay musician Scott Free, The Diesel Tykes album features a marvelous assortment of guest musicians including

lesbian family musician Laura Doherty (the vegan tune “Adopt A Cow”), lesbian duo Congress of Starlings (“The Out Song”), trans artist Elias Krell (the powerful “Dress Me in Yellow”) and soulful singer JC Brooks (the tropical “Pride and Joy”). Because kids love to dance, Songs for the Rainbow Family gives them plenty of opportunity to move on “LGBT (Alphabet Song)”, “Baby Steps”, “Every Day Is Earth Day” and “Momma and Mommy”.

If the kids (or the adults, for that matter), didn’t get enough dancing on The Diesel Tykes’ album, consider spinning Wild Is Everywhere (Unbreakable Chord) by San Francisco-based Sara Lovell.

“Raspberry Pickleberry Wormnut Pie” adds a touch of twang to the electro beats.

The aptly titled “Bounce” encourages listeners to “wear your sparkle” and “shake the ceiling and floorboards” as well as the “wall and windows, too”.

“I Want It Now” takes a retro path, while “Stand Together” and “How To Love Yourself” have meaningful messages for listeners.

It’s hard to imagine what old man Disney would have thought of one of his former child stars being christened “lesbian Jesus”, so it’s a good thing he’s not here to follow the career of Hayley Kiyoko. A long way from Disney’s other Hayley (Mills, that is), Kiyoko has just released her long-awaited/early anticipated debut album, the ironically titled Expectations (Atlantic).

Seriously, you are just asking for trouble with a title like that. So, does it live up to expectations? Yes and no. “What I Need” featuring fellow out artist Kehlani has summertime hit written all over it.

“Mercy/Gatekeeper” and “Under The Blue/Take Me

In” reveal Kiyoko’s experimental side with promising results. The sunny “Palm Dreams” could benefit from a clubby remix and “Molecules” has an atomic charge. The remainder tends toward the generic, running the risk that Kiyoko could get lost in the young, post-Britney diva shuffle.

You have, no doubt, heard out singer/songwriter Daphne Willis’ funky dance track “Do It Like This” on the Comcast commercial, right? If you’ve been following her since her 2010 debut album, you’re aware of her transformation from latter-day goggles-wearing hippie chick to full-on Nashville funkster. That soulful persona dominates on her latest album Freaks Like Me (Barefeet), especially on songs such as “Dopamine”, “Out of the Black” and “Lose Control”. You can also hear the effect of old Nashville on Willis on the powerful closing ballad “The Letter”.

Maybe you recognize the name of lesbian singer/ songwriter Sera Cahoone from when she was in the bands Carissa’s Wierd (sic) or Band of Horses. Perhaps you know her solo work from when she was an artist signed to the legendary Sub Pop Records label.

On Cahoone’s new EP, The Flora String Sessions (Lady Muleskinner Records), she performs gorgeously rendered “revisited arrangements” of seven songs from her four previous full-length studio albums.

Pianist and composer Fred Hersch is easily the most productive gay man in the world of jazz, releasing at least one album a year since 2009. Additionally, Hersch found time to write his memoir, Good Things Happen Slowly: A Life In and Out of Jazz, which was published in 2017. On his latest live album Live in Europe Palmetto) with the Fred Hersch Trio, he performs six originals along with two covers each by Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.

peachATL.com | 17

Darren fitness

Get On the Gay Days Party Pump Circuit

By Darren Floro-Bryant

It’s almost time for the gayest event at the happiest place on earth - the countdown to GayDaySŽ has begun! Whether your plans include some fun in the sun, late night parties, spinning in the Mad Tea Cup ride or just spinning at a T-dance, your workout may end up taking a backseat. So, to help you stay on track during the festivities, try out some full body circuits.

There are several benefits to full body circuits. First of all, they are a time-efficient workout because they group a series of exercises to work the major muscle groups of your body in one circuit. They also keep the intensity up because you can move from one exercise to the next with little rest in between.

There are two approaches you can take to full body circuits. One approach is to do a different variation of a circuit every day; each day working your major body parts differently. Another approach is to do a series of multiple full body circuits every other day, efficiently and effectively working your whole body in one shot, allowing you to take a break the next day for recovery time like lounging by the pool or walking around one of the parks with your friends.

Full body circuits will allow you to minimize your time in the gym with maximum 18 | 05.30.18

benefits, keep you on track with your fitness goals, and leave you more time to be with your friends and celebrate.

The following page has four great full body circuits you can do that will attack your body from many different angles. Each variation follows the same major body part format, flowing between legs, biceps, triceps, chest, back, and finally shoulders.

Depending on your available time, you can do just one of the circuits or, if you have the time, add in a 2nd, 3rd or even 4th circuit.

Every circuit is meant to be done in 3 sets before moving onto the next circuit if you choose to add on.

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Circuit # 1

Goblet squat - 12 reps Bicep curls w/dumbbells - 12 reps Bent over tricep kickbacks - 12 reps/arm Push-ups - 12 reps Bent over high rows (scarecrows) - 12 reps Standing side raises (lateral raises) - 12 reps ~Repeat 3 times~

Circuit #4

Reverse lunge (all on right foot, then all on left foot) - 10 reps Dumbbell standing hammer curl - 10 reps Cable tricep extension (press down) - 10 reps Incline bench dumbbell press - 10 reps Wide grip cable lat pull-down - 10 reps Bent over Y-ups (light weight) - 10 reps ~Repeat 3 times~

Goblet Squat Bent Over Y-Ups Bent Over High Row Tricep Cable Extension

Circuit #2

Front lunge (all on right foot, then all on left foot) - 12 reps Flat plate curls - 12 reps Dips - 12 reps Narrow push-ups - 12 reps Bent over reverse flys w/ dumbbells -12 reps Upright row with KettleBell - 12 reps ~Repeat 3 times~

BONUS - Body Weight Circuit Option

Squats: 30 Wall sit (iron chair) and hold a bicep flex 0:30 Bench/chair dips: 30 Push-ups: 30 Bent over reverse fly isometric hold: 30 Single arm side raises while other arm stays up (shoulder height) in isometric hold-: 15/arm Single arm front raises while other arm stays up (shoulder height) in isometric hold–: 15/arm

Upright row w/ kettlebell Flat Plate Curl

Circuit #3

Side-2-Side squats holding a weight plate or dumbbell - 12 reps per leg Incline bicep curls w/ dumbbells- 12 reps Skull crushers w/ dumbbells - 12 reps Flat bench dumbbell press - 12 reps Seated cable row (narrow grip) - 12 reps Seated alternating shoulder press - 12 reps per arm

Wall Sit Side Raise

~Repeat 3 times~ Seated Cable Row

Skull Crusher

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Darren Floro-Bryant has worked as a certified Group Fitness Instructor, Fitness Coach, and Personal Trainer for more than 25 Years. He also owns DFB Fitness and Foundation Fitness, operating out of Gravity Fitness. DFBFitness.com / FoundationFitness.co.

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I break into dance whenever the mood and music move me. I won’t let my HIV rob me of anything in life. I know that staying in care and on treatment helps me to be the best mother, wife, and HIV prevention educator I can be. I tell other HIV-positive women: All the fear that you have can be overcome. Every day I wash down my pills with a prayer. I’ll continue to do so until my dying day—and HIV will not be the cause of it.

Get in care. Stay in care. Live well. cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks

SORDID LIVES AT OUT FRONT PHOTOS: Sher Pruitt

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TROIS SUNDAYS AT MSR MY SISTERS ROOM PHOTOS: Sher Pruitt

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ATLANTA PRIDE’S

STONEWALL CELEBRATIONS

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WEDNESDAY JUNE 20

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NFFLA ATL BEER BUST AT WOOFS PHOTOS: Sher Pruitt

PLEASE CHECK OUT FACEBOOK AND OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE PHOTOS 26 | 05.30.18

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Brendan was born in Brooklyn and lived in Florida for 15 years before moving to Atlanta in 2014. He majored in graphic design and advertising, and he currently works in property management with aspirations to work in real estate. He is currently single and loves seeing his family, going to the gym, hanging out with friends on the weekends as well as spending Sundays bingewatching Netflix shows on the couch. His guilty pleasure is baking desserts from scratch – something both his friends and family really appreciate too!

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What If There Is No Label?

By Jamie Kirk

There are lots of designer labels. There are so many types of ice cream. There are many different car brands. There are several brands of coffee and tea.

What would happen if we removed all the labels and didn’t read anything about our purchases? How would that work if we didn’t have an expectation of what we bought, ate, or drank?

The same questions as above exist related to people.

What if we allowed people just to be? What if we allowed people to not come with a warning label (meaning social media, friends who know them, or the ever popular google search)? What if we didn’t have preconceived ideas about what the person drove, where they lived or how much money they made? What if we didn’t expect the person to be dominant or submissive or a combo of both? What would happen if we stripped off the labels?

I think what would happen is that we would be surprised at how uniquely different and interesting people could be if we just allowed them to BE. Removing the label equates to freedom and individuality. Labeling someone or something limits them to our perception of them, which is most often wrong. Ripping off the label provides the person a springboard actually to exceed your expectations.

We all want to have people in our life that are authentic and have the liberty to be themselves. People that can share with us when they feel weak, unsupported or sad. It is important and even necessary that our friends and family don’t feel judgement on days when they are not their best selves. Those close to us should be able to be vulnerable when necessary. Our friend groups and close family members should be emotionally naked with us and not feel repercussions when they share information with us that may not shed them in the best light.

That is why it is such a win-win when we celebrate one another in our most raw form. A form that may not

30 | 05.30.18

have on makeup, might not have six-pack abs, could be non-degreed, big-boned, manic, bi-polar, addicted, or whatever. Each of us has the responsibility not to expect anyone to meet expectations that we have deemed appropriate. Expectations that look and feel like something we would do. Expectations of them based solely on what we had imagined them to be like.

Ripping off the label is the first step.

As I mentioned earlier, removing the label is a weight lifted for all. Celebrating individuality can kick-start a new friendship or relationship in the right direction.

The same holds true for existing relationships. People change minute by minute. We experience different emotions in a 24-hour period and to focus on one or two of those “expected” emotions or attributes is wrong. People should be allowed to think and behave as they see fit. Having to succumb to a label or a title is exhausting. Being someone we are not, or someone we are struggling to become un-naturally can cause us to become sick; emotionally, mentally and physically.

The next time you want to label someone as a Top, Bottom, Bear, Twink, Rich, Lonely, Bitter, Happy, sit back and ask yourself “Is this accurate? Would the person be offended if they knew what my private thoughts are? What if I am wrong ?” Your answers to these questions should properly guide you and help you settle into a more thoughtful visualization of the person in your presence. Celebrating one another should come without a disclaimer. The ability to see someone at face value should not be challenging. It should be welcoming. And by welcoming, I mean just that - opening your arms and heart to everyone and everything you met; just as they are.

Jamie Kirk works for a software company and is a certified spinning instructor. He also enjoys yoga, swimming, bicycling and running. He aspires to start a blog about what we put in our bodies not only fuels our body but our mind and spirit as well. Follow Jamie on IG @tysonsdad

Joining the Tribe

Or How to Make and Keep Friends as an Adult Gay

By Scott King

The first six months I lived in Atlanta, I dated around. This guy told me he loved me after four dates. We broke up at Joining Hearts.

with them, I had studied my boyfriend’s clique, their interrelationships and their dynamics as a group, the whole time we were together.

So much drama.

They looked at friendship as a linear thing. Not as a cycle or a circuit as Atlanta can often feel. There are so many different groups of people floating around here and intersecting.

As I prowled through the city that spring and summer, I tried to treat people with kindness and respect. Sometimes I failed, sometimes the guy I was dating failed, and sometimes things ended amicably.

Regardless, I was constantly worried about collateral damage. I didn’t want to get a reputation, and I didn’t want to burn bridges or interstate connectors.

That’s when I realized how big this city is. The LGBT community, the commuter community, and the metro area itself. All of them vast and storied and a bit overwhelming.

Facebook helped. I was like wow, so-and-so doesn’t know so-and-so. I’m going to get off scot-free here.

As the glitter of that summer literally faded, I met and started dating someone for real, right as the leaves turned. My bf had a large, tightly knit clique of friends. I didn’t really fit in with them, but most of them were kind and accepting to me right off the bat. Most of them. They made matching t-shirts for the members of the group. They even made me one.

My boyfriend and I broke up the next year right before Christmas. On Christmas Day, I ordered Chinese food with my best friend in town. We drowned our sorrows in soy sauce. Fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra raw.

I knew I had to regroup. Even though I didn’t click

Every person in the group was looked at as a whole soul, not as their permanent or temporal connection to the group. Each person and each relationship had a beginning, a middle, and an end. And while you’re at the beginning, and while you’re in the middle, you never know where you are, until it’s the end. It could be the year-and-a-half like my boyfriend and I lasted. Or it could be for life, especially after marriage equality happened. Put a ring on it, they told me with their eyes.

I think they were onto something.

In bigger cities, connections with other humans can be very brief. And I don’t mean connections just of a sexual or romantic kind. I mean that moment you have with the lady at the counter as you share a laugh about something ridiculous going on outside the shop window. That connection may be temporally brief, but it is spiritually infinite.

That’s the way friendship should impact your life.

The majority of my best friends are those I met in college or in grad school or in the prodigal years where I was waiting tables and living hand-tomouth. Probably because we had a long but finite amount of time to spend together in an intense and intensely structured set of circumstances. That’s what bonds people together.

Continued on Pg. 36

34 | 05.30.18

GAYKEYWESTFL.COM

peachATL.com | 35

When you get outside of structured environments like school or work, it’s harder to make those connections, and it’s more difficult to build the intimacy of unconditional friendship. I mean the kind of friendships where maybe you haven’t talked for a year, but, when you do pick it back up, it’s like no time has passed, and no closeness has been lost.

So how do we do this? How do we build friendships in adult life that are as solid as those we had with our war buddies, our childhood companions, and our adolescent co-conspirators?

Here are my suggestions:

ROAD TRIP IT Get into trouble with your gays. Learn about their real taste in music, not just what they pretend to be into. Learn what their flatulence smells like. Learn how they deal with stress and how they interact with strangers.

And yes, you can work out to your heart’s content the week before, so that if you end up at a beach or in a towel in a hotel room, all those accidental group photos will look good, on Facebook on Grindr or on the wall at the post office.

COMMUNICATE DM your peeps, even when you don’t need something, even when you’re not lonely. People, especially those who know you, can smell desperation.

And no I do not mean a fragrance for a man or woman by Calvin Klein. I mean that transparent stank that makes people not want to hang out with you. It also leads them to believe that you don’t actually want to hang out with them, that you’re just looking for someone to hold onto while surfing the void.

36 | 05.30.18

It’s not groovy.

Don’t overdo it on the ass-kissing or gratuitous compliments, either. Just share things that you think are funny or interesting. You know, the stuff you have in common with them that made you friends in first place.

BURN BRIDGES You don’t end up where you don’t belong. You can’t make everyone happy; you’re not tequila.

When people screw you over, untie the knot and let loose. Mix in tequila and a few metaphors, and you’re ready to start fresh. Fresh as the lime in the coconut.

GET OUT Netflix can wait. Get your keys, get your phone, and walk down the street to join your friends at the place. 92% of the time you’ll be glad you did. You’ll make connections, and you’ll move things forward.

Those are pretty good odds.

BE LOVE Think about how nice and obsequious you are to someone on whom you have a crush. Now relax a little bit and think about how happy you want that person to be, not just about how happy you want them to make you. Then treat everyone you meet like you would that crush. Treat yourself that way, too.

And then just be. Be love.

And then let’s be friends.

Scott King’s milkshake brings all the boys to the yard. He could teach you, but he’d have to repeal and replace. Scott King is, like, a really smart person.

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May 30 - June 6

2018 Atlanta Food & Wine Festival

Heyday ‘80s Dance Party

180+ chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and pit masters from across the region take you on an unforgettable journey through the South with delectable food and beverage options. Tickets through xorbia.com.

The best 80s party in town – always on the first Saturday of the month – returns to the Basement. Whether you are an 80s child or not, dresses the part or comes as you are, this party is some serious fun!

May 31-June3

Saturday, June 2, 10 pm

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h2(H)oe w/ Asia O’Hara from RPDR 10 h(2)Hoe returns with the amazing talents of Asia O’Hara from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Strip down to your speedos to show off those Coppertone asses and crotchless tankinis. Additional performances by Brigitte Bidet, Colana Bleu, Evah Destruction, and more.

Saturday, June 2 The Heretic

Kubrick Matinees

Sugar Tea Dance

In honor of the upcoming release of the documentary FILMWORKER about Stanley Kubrick’s righthand man Leon Vitali, Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema will be hosting two Kubrick Matinees of his most groundbreaking work.

Sugar is back with another edition of the amazing tea dance that will not only kick off Pride month but also satisfy your sweet tooth and melt in your mouth. DJ set

by DJ Alex Ferbeyre, and pre-sale tickets available at sugaratl.eventbrite.com.

Saturday, June 2, 11 am – Eyes Wide Shut Sunday, June 3, 11 am – The Shining

Sunday, June 3, 5-10 pm

Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema 38 | 05.30.18

Loca Luna

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40 | 05.30.18

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PLEASE CHECK OUT FACEBOOK AND OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE PHOTOS 48 | 05.30.18

MIDTOWN 1

Monroe Dr. NE

14

Amsterdam Ave.

12th St. NE

NE ve . tA

Piedmont Park

on

11

dm

6

18

Pi e

Juniper St. NE

14th St. NE

7

9

2

10th St. NE

10

. NE

19

oe Dr

e. NE Piedmont Av

Juniper St . NE

Peachtree St. NE

3

Monr

Charles Allen Dr. NE

12 W. Peachtree St. NW

15

16

4th St. NE

8

13

BARS Amsterdam Blake's Bulldogs Friends The Model T My Sister’s Room Ten Atlanta

5

Dining 502 Amsterdam Ave NE 227 10th St NE 893 Peachtree St NE 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 66 12th St NE 990 Piedmont Ave NE

9 10 11 12

10 th & Piedmont Campagnolo Einstein's F.R.O.G.S

clubs 13 Atlanta Eagle

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

spa/bath 15 Flex Spa

50 | 05.30.18

991 Piedmont Ave NE 980 Piedmont Ave NE 1077 Juniper St NE 931 Monroe Cir NE

fitness

retail 8 Barking Leather

4

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ponce De Leon Pl. NE

Spring St. NW

17

76 4th St. NW

16 17 18 19

G’s Midtown Henry’s Joe's on Juniper La Hacienda

219 10th St NE 132 10th St NE 1049 Juniper St NE 900 Monroe Dr NE

billards/Darts drag dancers leather non-smoking area Patio

’ Cheshire 23

ansley 21

37

e

on

Rd

Piedmont Park

ir .

BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE 2425 Piedmont Rd NE

Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd 805 Lambert Dr. NE, Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Jungle

2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2115 Faulkner Rd NE

Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spa / bath 31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den

32 33 34 35 36

Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's

2103 Faulkner Rd NE 2135 Liddell Drive NE

1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 1544 Piedmont Ave NE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

Dining 37 Cowtippers 38 Eclectic Bistro

Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

NE

.

tC

BJ Roosters Opus 1 Tripps Woof's

e. nt mo ed

39 38

BARS 20 21 22 23

41

Pi

28 20

25 ge

Av

ge Rd Brid hire

.

24

id Br

E

Ches

.N

35

29

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Dr

Rd

40

32

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hir

36

nr

dm

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ll D

31 er

Mo

Pi e

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33

. NE

Manchester St. NE

Piedmont Rd. NE

22

42 L

ul

IX

34

x Rd

Fa

26

BL

Le no

30

Lambert Dr.

PU

St.

.

A l co

1600 Piedmont Ave NE 1425 Piedmont Ave NE

Retail 39 Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE 40 Brushstrokes/Pleasures 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

Fitness 41 Equilibrium Fitness

1529 Piedmont Ave, Suite L

NOT SHOWN

The Cockpit Atlanta Mary's Sister Louisa’s Church Swinging Richards Lips Atlanta

465 Boulevard SE 1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE peachATL.com | 51

A snapshot of Gay Atlanta’s favorite destinations. View their ads in Peach ATL & visit their websites for weekly event listings.

Bars & Clubs

EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD

Retail

MIDTOWN

THE COCKPIT

MIDTOWN

thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot.com

BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK

AMSTERDAM

amsterdamatlanta.com

502 Amsterdam Ave. NE

ATLANTA EAGLE atlantaeagle.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE

BULLDOGS

465 Boulevard SE

MARY’S marysatlanta.com

1287 Glenwood Ave SE

SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH sisterlouisaschurch.com 466 Edgewood Ave SE

SWINGING RICHARDS

barkingleather.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

CHESHIRE BARKING LEATHER barkingleather.com 805 Lambert Dr NE

SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO

swingingrichards.com

2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

1400 Northside Dr NW

ANSLEY

friendsonponce-atl.com

Dining

BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR

MODEL T

MIDTOWN

1447 Piedmont Ave NE

modeltatlanta.com

10TH & PIEDMONT

893 Peachtree St NE

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

communitashospitality.com

MY SISTER’S ROOM

991 Piedmont Ave NE

mysistersroom.com

EINSTEIN’S

66 12th St NE

TEN ATLANTA tenatlanta.com

990 Piedmont Ave NE

CHESHIRE HERETIC hereticatlanta.com 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road

BJ ROOSTERS

einsteinsatlanta.com

WOOFS

Fitness URBAN BODY FITNESS

frogsmidtown.com 931 Monroe Dr

urbanbodyfitness.com

G’S

500 Amsterdam Ave NE

communitashospitality.com

CHESHIRE

219 10th St NE

HENRY’S JOE’S ON JUNIPER

1931 Piedmont Circle N

1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

MIDTOWN

OPUS 1 TRIPPS

brushstrokesatlanta.com

FROGS CANTINA

henrysatl.com

1086 Alco St NE

GCB & PLEASURES

1077 Juniper St NE

bjroosters.com

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

boynextdoormenswear.com

132 10th St NE

joesonjuniper.com

GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spas/Baths/Adult

1049 Juniper St NE

MIDTOWN

LA HACIENDA

FLEX SPA

lahaciendamidtown.com

flexspas.com

900 Monroe Dr NE

76 4th St NW

2425 Piedmont Road NE

CHESHIRE

CHESHIRE

ANSLEY

LAS MARGARITAS

MANIFEST 4U

woofsatlanta.com

MIDTOWN MOON

lasmargaritasmidtown.com

manifest4u.org

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

2103 Faulkner Rd NE

FELIX’S

ROXX

THE DEN

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

THE HIDEAWAY

ANSLEY

1544 Piedmont Ave NE

COWTIPPERS

MIXX

cowtippersatlanta.com

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

mixxatlanta.com

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

OSCAR’S oscarsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

52 | 05.30.18

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DEKALB

LIPS ATLANTA atldragshow.com

3011 Buford Hwy NE

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10 THOUGHTS YOU WILL HAVE AT A GAY CIRCUIT PARTY THESE ARE THE GAYEST DAYS WHERE YOU WILL LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE

$6 dollars for a bottle of water?

Fans are for cooling not clapping!

(After more drinks) This shirt is coming off!

Where are my friends?

Is everyone here on drugs?

I don’t want to take off my shirt

Everyone here is so good-looking

Touch me, I’m sweaty!

Please don’t touch me, you’re sweaty 54 | 05.30.18

Yes, everybody is dancing with everybody now!

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Text your Peach Pits to 256-60-PEACH, or e-mail mikkel@PeachATL.com Illustrations by: Jerel Ely

Showing a lot of cleavage doesn’t fix your face.

Working in retail has taught me how to engage in conversation without listening to a word they’re saying.

Me: I really need to make it to the gym.

Summer body come thru!

If you’re not at the table, you are probably on the menu.

Him: You are holding two cupcakes…

Me: Don’t come for me like that!

A banana has 150 calories and a gin and tonic has 110 calories – guess which one I’m having tonight?

I love my dog – and he’s great to test out a guy’s date-ability too.

Going from Obama to Trump is like going from the newest iPhone to two soup cans and some string.

Aren’t those rugby Bucks going to Amsterdam soon? It seems every other event is by the Bucks these days Why doesn’t my place of work have a field day?

I need to get outside and play!!

56 | 05.30.18

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)

It’s very possible that you will want to take a step back this week in order to take a closer look at your relationships. Your address book is full of names.

Your phone rings off the hook. You receive tons of texts and emails every day. Yet isn’t it funny that you feel alone?

You see new horizons. It’s possible that the changes you’ve been going through lately aren’t completely finished. You may even have a hard time keeping yourself from running away from it all. Use this week to think about what you want. Things aren’t completely clear.

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

If you feel you’ve been looking to the past lately, it’s in order to liberate yourself from it. You may feel like revisiting your childhood or rekindling certain relationships with old friends. Looking backward isn’t the best way to move toward the future. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be!

You hide your emotional needs from others. You need to be able to trust someone in order to share your feelings. They have to guess at your deepest secrets. Today you could save a lot of time in your love life if you just tell your partner what you want out of your relationship.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

Sometimes your relationships are like magnets.

When you want to get close, the other person tries to get away from you. When you take a step back, he or she runs back into your life. Human nature is complex. Right now you’re probably taking a step back, although you haven’t given up completely.

This week you may want to change some of the moral and social values that get in the way of relationships.

After surmounting these kinds of obstacles yourself, and watching others struggle with them, you’ve decided that it’s time to do away with them once and for all.

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

You’re entering a period of doubt, especially about your love life. You like your relationships and feelings to be clear. You may think a lot about your relationships over the next few days. Are you sure you’ve chosen the right person? Are his or her feelings sincere?

Could you live without this person?

The people around you sometimes have a hard time understanding where you’re going. You’re living in an imaginary world that has little to do with reality. If you decide to stay home and lie around the house, you will have no problems. If you have to go to work, try to be as clear as possible with others.

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

For a month you may have had problems communicating with the people close to you. This is nothing to worry about, yet it might make you feel off balance.

This is a great week to settle conflicts from the last month or make your feelings clear to other people.

You may have doubts over the next few days. Don’t make any important decisions about your future during this relatively unproductive period. If someone in your personal life asks you to make more of a commitment, you may be tempted to put on the brakes without really knowing why. Wait a while before answering this kind of question.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20)

You have a tendency to live your life vicariously through your partner. This week you may come to the realization that this isn’t healthy for you. You may realize that you give more of yourself than you get back, draining you of energy. In fact, you’re almost completely out. Be selfish this week.

What are you afraid of, Pisces? Is it contact with other people? It’s as if an invisible rope were holding you back from getting close to people, or worse, pulling you back. What’s this about? You’re going through a period that’s closely linked to your past. Get rid of the skeletons in your closet!

58 | 05.30.18

WHAT happened was . . .

What Happened Was...

Trouble in the love department? With sex? Or just people in general? Send us your queries, questions, and problems, and we’ll give you the answers served straight up and with a little ice.

I’ve been seeing this guy for about two months now, and I feel like we are getting serious – all good, because I do want a boyfriend. But something bothers me because he prefers me to call his office number, and he rarely responds to text or calls on his cell. Plus we have never been to his place because he says it’s small and a mess. Could he have a boyfriend already?

Dear Pickem-Apart In the long run, it’s often the little things that grow to be major issues. When you think about it, that little thing will amount to quite some time if that guy was indeed your life-long partner – in your case hours and even days smelling his bad breath. You have to get into a relationship accepting the person for who they are, but those little things could also be little alarm bells that you should listen to. Maybe this guy has a serious dental problem and the fact he is ignoring it is definitely a turn-off. And maybe you not wanting him is the push he needs to get that taken care of.

Sincerely Evasive Loverboy Lover Dear Evasive Loverboy Lover Yeah, the signs aren’t that good. Not getting a reply on your cell phone is weird when everyone is practically glued to their phone. Also, that you haven’t been to his house at all. It sounds like bad excuses. One pretty surefire way of finding out if he is already involved is to ask directly and see how he reacts. If you ask him straight up, he will probably be caught off guard, and you can tell a lot from his reaction. Does he stammers and struggle to find the words? Does he come up with a half-hearted excuse for an open relationship? Or maybe; does he fess up and admit he is spoken for? You have to be prepared though because with the signs out there already, it is not looking good.

I seem to go through the same cycle with every guy I meet: I think he’s great, and I think everything is perfect … – and then some little thing completely turns me off. The last guy was the one – or so I thought until I smelled his breath… Am I being too discerning and picky?

Sincerely Pickem-Apart 60 | 05.30.18

My boyfriend is a very open and honest person, and he jokes he is an open book. Lately, I have found out that a lot of our friends have intimate details about our sex life, which I don’t like. I am much more private and would like to keep the intimate details to myself.

How do I tell him to SFTU? Sincerely Intimacy Over-Cher Dear Intimacy Over-Cher It’s really quite simple: maybe your boyfriend is okay with sharing accurate details about your intimacy, but if you are uncomfortable with it, he needs to end it right now. Sit him down and tell him how it makes you feel, and lay down some ground rules for how and when he can discuss what goes on in your bedroom. For example, if you initiate a conversation that involves either of your genitalia, he can pursue it. Otherwise, he should keep it under wraps. And for the record: you only need to have this conversation once.

NEED ANSWERS? REACH OUT TO US, AND YOU WILL GET THEM! SEND YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS VIA OUR EDITOR AT MIKKEL@PEACHATL.COM.

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