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MMUNITY THE HEROES IN OUR CO

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Ways to Support Your Community

Screen Savor Moonwalking

Q Music Sound-Tracking Scott King: Got Milk?

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CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 14 2018

V2-46

PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC 1874 Piedmont Ave NE Suite 580-E Atlanta, GA 30324 (404) 814-3014

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EDITORIAL

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From the Editor In this world where politics and politicians seem to stoop to new lows by the day and where sexual assault allegations dethrone role models and idols, it seems like our belief systems from adolescence are being shattered – and that our heroes are crumbling before our eyes!

But you know? Being a hero is often a stealth exercise that works more like ripples in the water than one big splash. The impact of a person’s actions or personal truth can have a far greater reach than a grand heroic act.

So, in this issue, you can read about some of the heroes that are making a difference in our community here and now. It’s refreshing and a relief to see that our heroes haven’t gone away – in fact, they are much closer to you, and their work and action may even impact you personally.

That and so much more in this issue, so enjoy, Peaches!

Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com

CONTRIBUTORS Scott King Jamie Kirk Gregg Shapiro

NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media 908.232.202

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Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director

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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.

Unauthorized use of Peach ATL Media may give rise to claims for damages and or criminal offenses. Your use of the information or materials in Peach ATL Media is strictly at your own risk.

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Garden Lights, Holiday Nights

At the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Garden’s eighth annual electrical light extravaganza returns with new features and crowd favorites and is shaping up to be bigger and brighter than ever – just in time for the Holiday season!

The eighth annual in-town holiday tradition features new and enhanced displays comprised of millions of low energy-consuming LED lights including new music and motion for last year’s buzz-worthy spectacle, Nature’s Wonders.

This year brings the debut of the Skylights Lounge in the Skyline Garden. Plus, several larger-than-life plant giants from Imaginary Worlds: Once Upon a Time will be awash in holiday glow.

See the Ice Goddess and Tunnel of Light along with the Orchestral Orbs, Radiant Rainforest, Model Trains and other favorites that continue to make the exhibition a must-see holiday tradition.

In the Nature’s Wonders display, which debuted last year - the world’s largest synchronized curtain of light - guests will be immersed in cutting-edge technology that allows lights suspended from the grand treetops to be choreographed to music and sound effects.

Pre-purchase your tickets at atlantabg.org to plan your visit – be aware of varying ticket pricing due to peak nights effectively.

The What, When, and Where What: Garden Lights, Holiday Nights When: November 17, 2018 –

January 6, 2019 – nightly at 5-11 pm.

Where: The Atlanta Botanical Gardens,

1345 Piedmont Ave. NE For ticket information and other details, visit atlantbg.org.

Photos courtesy of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

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4

PEOPLE WHO CHANGED LGBTQ HISTORY

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt There is no way we can cover the actions and impact that these people had on shaping the LGBTQ history we know and live in today. So, consider this our suggestions to some further reading and research into some extraordinary people whose sacrifices and deeds effectively changed the world we live in today.

Photo: biography.com, Wikipedia

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CHRISTINE JORGENSEN After attending college and serving in the United States Army, Christine Jorgensen made a series of trips to Copenhagen in the early 1950s to undergo her gender reassignment surgery.

She became the first widely known trans person as she returned to the U.S. and made the famous frontpage headline «Ex-GI Becomes Blonde Beauty.»

Although there was some celebrity to her transition, she also faced discrimination, and she couldn’t marry because the authorities refused to change her name and gender marker on her documents. Nonetheless, she used her fame to raise awareness and visibility of transgender people.

She died in 1989, 62 years old.

MARSHA P. JOHNSON Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender rights activist and has been attributed to throwing the first stone to fight back against the police at the Stonewall Inn in 1969.

As a fierce civil rights activist, she also founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) in the early 1970s along with Sylvia Rivera.

Together they become mothers of STAR House, one of the first organizations to advocate for and support this population, which provided non-gender conforming youth in NYC with food and housing. Although she was one of the most prominent figures in the modern LGBTQ movement, she diedunder suspicious circumstances living in the streets.

BAYARD RUSTIN Bayard Rustin was a close advisor to Martin Luther King, and an openly gay activist, who among other things

organized the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King gave his legendary ‘I have a dream’ speech.

Rustin’s partner for the last decade of his life, Walter Naegle, has quoted that he was “someone who was working to expand our democratic freedoms and increase our civil liberties and our individual freedoms.”

Bayard was asked to stay out of the public spotlight for fear of being discriminated against and being associated with the illegal act of living as an out gay man at the time.Throughout his life, Rustin continued to advocate for civil and LGBTQ rights until his death in 1987 – a cause he adopted later in his life when he could live freer and truer.

KARL HEINRICH ULRICHS Who would have thought that discussing a queer movement began in the 19th century? That is precisely what Karl Heinrich Ulrichs did. In fact, he was forced to resign from his from his job as a civil servant in Germany on account of his sexuality. That prompted him to become an activist, and he published nothing less than 12 books about sexuality which includes what many consider the first theory about homosexuality. He argued that it was a condition that people were born with, and not a ‘learned corruption,’ which was the overall conviction at the time. This made him hugely unpopular but he continued to speak out for homosexual rights, and in 1867 he even urged the German government to repeal anti-homosexuality laws. Undoubtedly a pioneer of the gay rights movement, and even after his death at age 69 in 1895, the ripples of his work are still seen today.

peachATL.com | 11

PALS Are Loving New Leadership

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt PALS Atlanta has provided support to pets of people in the Atlanta area living with critical illness, disability, and the elderly. Now the organization is seeking new leadership to improve the ongoing care even more. Peach spoke to David Lile, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, about the organization and the candidate they are looking for.

Tell us about the work that PALS Atlanta does For the last 28 years, Pets Are Loving Support (PALS Atlanta) has worked to provide ongoing care and support to pets of Atlanta-area persons living with critical illnesses, disabilities and the elderly (over 65). With this help, pets and the people who love them may remain together to share the healing power of love and companionship which flows from the human-animal bond. Since its beginning, PALS Atlanta has provided services to more than 1,000 clients and more than 1,300 companion animals. Currently, we assist more than 400 animals with the help of more than 50 volunteers. We provide these individuals with free pet food, annual vaccinations, year-round flea/tick treatments, and year-round heartworm preventative.

Why do you think it is so important to provide this type of support?

For some of our clients, their pets are the only companions they have in their life. For all of our clients, if PALS did not step in and provide these services, they would not be able to keep their companion pets.

PALS Atlanta is currently seeking a new Executive Director – tell about the role of the Executive Director

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Qualified candidates should possess skills in Microsoft Office, fundraising and event planning, customer service, financial management, and grant writing. In addition to possessing the listed skills, a qualified candidate must be able to be certified through the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

The Executive Director’s responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, processing client applications, managing the receipt of inventory, managing the logistics for pick up, delivery of food, products to clients, scheduling veterinary/shot appointments, organizing volunteers, coordinating fundraisers, and keeping the Board of Directors notified of all operations.

What kind of candidate should apply for this position?

The ideal candidate should be passionate about helping others and must be able to work on multiple projects at the same time. The candidate must be organized and equally comfortable in front of 100 people as they are in front of 1. A flexible schedule is needed.

What do you hope to achieve through a new leadership?

I have always been a person that embraces change.

Change brings new opportunities and new ideas.

New leadership brings new skillsets, new contacts, and a different viewpoint. I have learned over my life that new leadership always brings new ways to do old things.

If one of our readers thinks he or she has what it takes, how can they apply?

Cover letters and resumes should be sent to david@palsatlanta.org.

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By Gregg Shapiro Movies about astronauts are nothing new and our fascination with outer space has continued into the 21st century. Recent movies such as “Hidden Figures”, “Gravity”, “Moon” and the “Martian”, and predecessors including “Apollo 13”, “The Right Stuff”, “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Capricorn One”, have all earned a place in the cinematic celebration of the celestial realm.

In “First Man” (Universal/DreamWorks), we are given an intimate glimpse into the life of Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), as well as NASA’s preparations to put a man on the moon. Armstrong’s personal story is as integral to “First Man” as anything having to do with NASA’s Space Program.

We first encounter Armstrong in an early 1960s flight test. The lengthy scene is equally jarring and claustrophobic and sets the tone for Oscar-winning director Damien Chazelle’s technically stunning film. While fellow pilots might have been critical of Armstrong’s performance, he bounced off the atmosphere and still figure out how to get the craft home to the Mojave Desert.

At the same time Armstrong was enduring the rigors of his training, he was dealing with his young daughter Karen’s cancer and her subsequent death. It’s an undercurrent that runs throughout the film, impacting his personal relationships, including those with wife

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Peach.

Janet (Claire Foy), and sons Rick (Luke Winters) and Mark (Connor Blodgett).

Armstrong’s family and professional lives are given equal screen time in First Man, and each has its share of triumph and tragedy. Those old enough to remember are sure to recall the challenges faced by NASA, including Russians determined to beat the US in space every step of the way. Friendships between fellow astronauts and their wives provide dramatic, and even sometimes humorous, situations. The losses of lives, including the Apollo 1 catastrophe, are reminders of the multitude of risks involved.

When the Eagle, Apollo 11’s lunar module, finally lands on the moon in July 1969 with Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (Corey Stoll) inside, it’s a powerfully rendered moment. Even with some creative liberties taken, “First Man” is one of the best movies of 2018, but it is not the best. Gosling is good, but Foy is fantastic and the one to watch come Oscar time.

peach rating: 3.5/5 Peaches: Ripe peach Photo: Universal/DreamWorks

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If you make plans to go to see a movie in early November 2018, you will have your pick of several titles featuring queer characters, including Yen Tan’s brilliant and devastating 1985 and Melissa McCarthy playing gay in Can You Ever Forgive Me. The overt queerness of A Star Is Born is either the most calculated move in recent memory or a love letter to gay fans. Yes, Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand are beloved by the LGBTQ community (and Garland’s A Star Is Born was directed by a gay man), but the new version, directed and co-written by Bradley Cooper is the gayest of all. You can definitely hear it on the A Star Is Born Soundtrack (Interscope). In the movie, Alli (Lady Gaga) is a singer in a drag bar. Her “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” warm-up snippet (a nod to Garland) and goosebump-inducing rendition of “La Vie En Rose” (introduced by RuPaul’s Drag Race vet Shangela) are as gay as you can get. The remaining Gaga tunes on the soundtrack that are duets with Cooper, including those co-written by her such as “Shallow”, “I Don’t Know What Love Is” and “Music To My Eyes”, are all solid numbers. Gaga’s solos – “Look What I Found”, “Always Remember Us This Way”, “Is That All Right”, “Before I Cry”, “I’ll Never Love Again” and even “Hair Body Face”, are welcome additions to her canon. Cooper holds his own alongside Gaga (far better than Kris Kristofferson did with Streisand), and the songs he co-wrote with (Willie’s son) Lukas Nelson, fit his character’s modern country persona.

Comprised of original Queen and Smile (pre-Queen band) recordings, Bohemian Rhapsody: The Original Soundtrack (Hollywood) is bound to appeal to fans of Queen and the movie (in which Rami Malek does a fantastic job of portraying Freddie Mercury) in equal measure. If for no other reason than to have the Queen version of the “20thCentury Fox Fanfare” intro, the soundtrack is worth hearing for the “revisited” version of Smile’s “Doing All Right”, the “movie mix” of “We Will Rock You”, the Live Aid renditions of “Radio Gaga” and “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the live Rock in Rio Festival version of “Love of My Life”, as well as the “Don’t Stop Me Now…revisited”, to mention a few.

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Composer Daniel Hart, who has provided the score for a number of David Lowery films, reunites with the director for The Old Man & The Gun. Hart’s score for The Old Man & The Gun (Varese Sarabande), a movie which has been described as a “love letter to the 1970s”, perfectly captures both the mood of the era and the film itself. The inclusion of The Kinks’ “Lola” and Scott Walker’s “30th Century Man” also help to set the period tone.

There was so much to admire and enjoy about the action flick Baby Driver, Edgar Wright’s 2017 Ansel Elgort vehicle. In addition to starring the exquisite Elgort, the movie was funny and fast-paced and thrilling, and featured a soundtrack of classic tunes from a variety of eras. Baby Driver – Volume 2: The Score for a Score (30th Century/ Columbia), expands on the concept, incorporating Steven Price’s score, dialogue excerpts and song selections by Run The Jewels, Boards of Canada, The Foundations, Kid Koala and others.

Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland’s Rick and Morty, about the unusual partnership of grandfather Rick and teenaged grandson Morty, is one of the funniest and most outrageous animated shows on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. In addition to songs by Clipping., Belly, Mazzy Star, Chad VanGaalen and Blonde Redhead, the soundtrack to Rick and Morty (Sub Pop) features original music by the show’s composer Ryan Elder. The blacklight poster included with the disc is an added bonus.

Based on storyteller/musician Eric Litwin’s book series of the same name, Pete the Cat (UMe/ASG), the various artists soundtrack to the new animated Amazon Prime Video family program is a purr-fect musical companion. Featuring a wide range of performers, including Elvis Costello, Diana Krall and KT Tunstall (all of whom provide character voices in the show), the expanded 28-track edition of the disc boasts nine holiday bonus tracks performed by Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews and others.

Who or what makes a hero? The definition can be either very hard to define or crystal clear. However, we have heroes right here in our community whose actions and deeds shouldn’t be overlooked or much less passed off as business as ‘normal.’

The Heroes in Our Community

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

We all know that heroes are usually not someone who slaps on a leotard and cape and flies off to the rescue. As it turns out, a hero is mostly someone whose actions demonstrate with passion and determination that what they do and who they are can make a difference in people’s lives.

Unsung? Definitely! Without impact? By no means! In fact, it seems like it is ordinary people that do extraordinary things that generate the most impact for most people – especially when it comes to the LGBTQ community.

We spoke to a handful of people, whose individual actions, deeds, or personal story has not only served as an inspiration but has indeed made an impact on our community. So, without further ado, here are the unsung heroes that are doing amazing work for the improvement of our community.

Jim Farmer Jim Farmer has served as the festival director and executive director of Out On Film, Atlanta’s LGBT film festival, since 2008. In that capacity, he has been responsible for the programming and logistics of each year’s event.

How do you feel your work is making an impact on the LGBTQ+ community?

We provide an 11-day film festival featuring work for, by, and about our community as well as year-round programming. We showcase up-and-coming LGBT artists as well as veterans who have been making positive cinematic contributions for decades. Outside of the festival, a significant amount of what we do is free.

Why do you think there is a need for your function in our community right now?

It is vital to provide positive images of the LGBTQ experience. At a time when many of the rights that our

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community felt we had are being threatened, this is more important than ever. It is so important to be able to see LGBT films together as a community and be able to discuss them afterwards. And we provide a safe haven for people to come together and experience work like this. Many of our patrons live in the Midtown area and have plenty of places to come and feel welcome, but many of our patrons outside of the metro Atlanta don’t have that luxury. Some of them are not out at work or even at home.

Share some of your ‘unsung hero’ success with us!

This has been an amazing year for us. The 2018 festival was the second most attended in our history, and we had events all year, such as screenings of “Love Simon,” “Boy Erased” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me,” collaborations with a lot of other organizations and an appearance by “Tales of the City” author Armistead Maupin in September.

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Nasheedah Bynes-Muhammad

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Grey Hardy Grey is a Manager of Production Operations at Cox Enterprises. Previously, he was the founding co-chair of the PRIDE Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Cox Automotive. He was recently honored as Business Person of the Year at the 2018 AGLCC Community Awards – Grey chose the same event to publicly identify as male for the first time on his transitioning journey.

How do you feel your work is making an impact on the LGBTQ+ community?

The work my team and I implemented through the PRIDE ERG provided education to the workforce regarding LGBTQ topics which increased understanding and inclusion within the workplace. PRIDE ERG’s offer a diversity network focused on creating a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ & Allies team members. It creates an environment of engagement, respect, and connection where ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are used to drive business impact and fuel innovation. Diversity and inclusion are an important part of the employees work experience within corporations, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) can help support this goal and their team members.

When I left the role as co-chair of the ERG, I founded last year it was imperative I stay involved and known as an out transgender manager. We all need leaders that resemble us, someone we can look up to and inspire to resemble. If I had chosen to be stealth, I would not help the transgender community be seen or counted among the corporation I serve.

By being out as a transman, I am normalizing the issue. People are scared of what they do not know or understand. If I allow myself to be transparent and lead with vulnerability, it gives others the opportunity to ask questions of me which has lead to understanding, acceptance, and even celebration of the person I am within the workforce I serve.

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Why do you think there is a need for your kind of activism in our community right now?

Due to the recent attacks against the LGBTQ+ and specifically the transgender community, my activism provides a statement, safe space, and celebration for all people. We all need leadership that offers inclusion of all people. Within the business world, an LGBTQ+ individual should know when they start a new job that the company is ready for the authentic person they are not that they are being graced with an opportunity because they are in the LGBTQ+ community. Every person should be celebrated for who they are and what they bring to the table and not feel they are working for a company to meet a quota. I have received countless letters from my coworkers across the company praising me for being my authentic self and connecting to the transparency I give. Those traits are imperative for all levels of leadership.

What is your advice to other unsung heroes?

If you want to make a difference in this world, show up and contribute. If you are complaining about an issue you do not like, get involved and make a difference. Change happens because someone chooses to make a difference not because they sat on the sidelines. There is power in numbers, and the more people that not only speak up but put their actions to work for the good of change will help our community gain the respect, and common treatment as other communities receive. Share yourself with you the circles you live in. When you meet resistance, do not shy away but find a way to “stay in the room” and keep the conversation going with individuals that might disagree or not understand. Give grace and patience to others; it will come back to you.

Nasheedah is the Director of Operations at Lost-n-Found youth. She is also a member of the Trans Housing Atlanta Project, and she works with a coalition to redefine affordable housing in the city of Atlanta. Additionally, she is a member of the Icon House of Mizarahi and walks “Femqueen Realness” in the House-Ball community.

How do you feel your work is making an impact on the LGBTQ+ community?

I’m very concerned about housing and housing rights for LGBT Youth, Trans folks, and people living in poverty. The work I do all relates to helping people to escape poverty and creating housing solutions for low-income communities. Primarily my work at LNFY is extremely awarding because although I rarely work directly with the youth in my role as Director of Operations, I have had the privilege of seeing young people go from living under a bridge to moving into their own apartments, finding employment and even coming back to LNFY as volunteers and employees.

Why do you think there is a need for your work in our community right now?

Because everybody needs a home. It’s very difficult to focus on any of the problems facing the LGBT community when we don’t know where we are going to sleep. There are many brilliant, passionate, and hardworking people living under bridges and in tents in Atlanta, and we will not tap into the full resources of our community until everyone has their basic needs met.

Anything you’d like to add?

We have the resources to end LGBThomelessness in Atlanta if we come together and do it.

Malik serves as the LGBTQ Affairs Coordinator for the City of Atlanta - a new role created under the leadership of Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. In this function, Malik works to better connect the LGBTQ community with Atlanta city government by serving as a liaison to government officials, community leaders and non-profits to move LGBTQ equality forward locally, regionally and nationally. He also volunteers as a member of the Human Rights Campaign’s National Board of Governors where he plans and executes local fundraising events.

How do you feel your work is making an impact on the LGBTQ+ community?

Because of the Mayor’s leadership in establishing this role, the LGBTQ+ community has a direct contact in city government. This is a full-time position, so for the first time in Atlanta’s history, a government official focuses solely on the needs of the LGBTQ community. In less than a year we have established a diverse 34-member LGBTQ advisory board to make policy recommendations. In their infancy, the board will focus on LGBTQ youth, health, Trans affairs, economic development, and LGBTQ arts, entertainment, and culture.

We have also held the City of Atlanta’s first recognition of the anniversary of the uprising at the Stonewall Inn, and we kicked off Atlanta Pride Week with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Congressman John Lewis, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, news anchor Thomas Robert along with 600 LGBTQ+ Atlantans and allies.

Why do you think there is a need for your specific function in our community right now?

I think this role would be important in any government, there are so many resources available that LGBTQ people don’t know about – and I’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes when they have someone who can connect them to resources they otherwise would not have known about. I also think it is important for young people to get involved.

It’s very easy to feel “woke” because you post progressive things on social media, but you have to also get out and do the work. Spend a few hours a month volunteering, make calls for a candidate that you believe in, advocate on behalf of a community that you don’t belong to – because being an ally is more important than ever.

What is your advice to other unsung heroes?

Photo: Tyler Ogburn

We cannot forget the importance of intersectionality. As people we aren’t just one tied to one identity, we’re multifaceted. From a jail in Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” To truly achieve equality and equity we must stand together. LGBTQ people will have to advocate for black lives; black people are going to advocate for immigrants, women are going to have to advocate for LGBTQ people. We have to stand together.

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Zachary grew up in Tupper Lake, NY. He has been in Atlanta for a little over eight years, and he works as a chiropractor at the Any Spine Chiropractic Center which he co-owns with his friend Justin. He has been with his partner, Alfredo, for almost four years, and future plans include building a tiny house in the woods. Piedmont Park and the Beltline are some of his favorite places in the city, and he is in the park every day running, bike riding, or laying in a hammock. To see more of Zachary and to learn some cool stuff about your body, check out IG @anyspine.

Zachary LaVigne

30 | 11.14.18

It Takes A Village

By Jamie Kirk

People that tend to take on the crosses of others, not just for themselves are really special. These types of folks are the real heroes and she-roes.

They take action without being told to do so. They typically don’t wait to be told what to do; they just do it. These types of people are proactive and sometimes even seek out how they can bring about change and positively impact the lives of others.

We tend to associate the work of a hero with names like Martin Luther King, Jr., the Dalai Lama, Jimmy Carter, Rosa Parks or Oskar Schindler. But we have heroes all around us. We interact with heroes every day. We eat with them, we shower with them, we privately discuss things with them, etc. - because each one of us is a hero in our own right.

Mind you; we will likely not get the name recognition. We will likely not get a star on the Hollywood walk of fame or have our image plastered on Mt. Rushmore. But we can make big differences in small ways. The way that we make a difference only matters in our heart. We have to believe that had we not put in the efforts, we will never get the chance to realize and appreciate the magnitude of them.

When I think of a hero, be it in the community or otherwise, my mind shifts to the fact that a hero sometimes has to place themselves in harm’s way.

Heroes tend to “act first” and then sort out the impact. Heroes seek out the “what” to do, then figure out the “how.” So, when we are placing ourselves in a position to make a difference we have to do it without any motives, taking action from a selfless place and accepting that we may not even get told Thank You. But we have the right intention.

For ourselves, our communities, our family, and our friends.

32 | 11.14.18

Being a hero means believing in something higher than yourself. Sacrificing, Listening, being crucified, being shamed in public and taking an unpopular stance are all attributes of a hero. It should feel good when you take on something bigger than yourself for the greater good. It should warm your heart to know that you are making a difference in the lives of others. Accepting that we each are a hero means that we are committed to changing the world through our own example without expecting a kind word or any word, for that matter. A hero offers up more than they thought they had to give.

A hero acts on instinct and just respond from their heart of what needs to be done.

Every one of us has the potential to be great. Every one of us can love our neighbor regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic status.

Our ability to be a hero is when we seize those moments, overlook the differences and just do the right thing. We have to throw caution to the wind, focus on the good we can share, exploiting behaviors that are toxic, bigoted or just plain mean. A hero does not mind being the “bad guy/girl”; they are operating from a place of unparalleled goodness.

Lastly, heroes are most effective in a network. So, when you observe someone doing good work, join them in their pursuit of greatness. People need to believe; I didn’t say expect, that a village is in their corner. Take the focus off of you and help someone else carry the burden. Heroes need to feel that they are not alone.

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

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Must be 21 to Enter.

Get the details on these and other great upcoming events on our website calendar.

We’re closer to Atlanta than you think!

November is still a busy month at TRE! Karaoke with Brett McMichael, Nov. 10; Volunteer Appreciation/Fall Clean-up, Nov. 16-17; Thanksgiving Dinner, Nov. 22 Black Friday Tailgate Party, Nov. 23

peachATL.com | 33

Got Milk?

Celebrating a community hero who helped bring us out of the ghetto and into the mainstream

By Scott King

Graphic:Shutterstock.com

The Mattachine Society plotted. The Stonewall rioters ignited. Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man to hold public office in the United States, did his best to make sure that that fire stayed lit. In a functioning, well-ventilated fireplace.

As a result of Harvey Milk’s vision and organizational efforts, the Briggs Initiative failed. Queer politics moved forward enough that there was an organizational infrastructure solidly in place when the AIDS crisis hit a few years later.

With the daring of a revolutionary and the acumen of a seasoned bureaucrat, Harvey Milk organized the defeat of the at-the-time on a roll Anita Bryant and her Briggs Initiative in California.

Visionaries like Martin Luther King dreamed in poetry.

Harvey Milk walked on concrete paved with prose.

Bryant was then considered a national treasure and an international star who was on a mission to make sure that “the homosexuals” were shamed out of existence, or at least out of public life. Her “save the children” histrionics make Donald Trump’s 2016 talking points seem subtle by comparison, even considering the 40 years of fear-mongering politics between them.

But these colors don’t run, gurl. Harvey Milk stood up with a fearlessness rivaled only by his predecessors in the civil rights movement and the women’s liberation movement in the decades prior. As can be glimpsed briefly in the Gus Van Sant film bearing his name, Milk went to parts of California that are still today conservative, if more polite and bougie in contemporary times.

In1978, conservative California was the wild wild west.

Milk entered into the (barely) metaphorical lion’s den of Governor Reagan era Orange County, knowing that getting into these markets would allow people to hear his message: young, frightened queer people and young on the fence moderates and would be leftist activists.

These formats would also provide the opportunity for people to scream at him. They called him f----t. Sissy.

Pervert. Queer. As we all know, these terms of disenfranchisement were hurled at LGBT people, and perceived LGBT people, as commonly as “lib’ral” is slung at anyone with a funny haircut in 2018.

But Milk didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked. Not with cockiness, but with an understanding. He was a bodhisattva of seeing through the swirling chaos of combat into the end zone of victory.

34 | 11.14.18

It’s the same concrete that still lies outside that famous camera shop on Castro Street in San Francisco. It’s that same substantive fortitude that laid the foundation for Colorado to elect the nation’s first openly LGBT governor.

On the anniversary of the defeat of the Briggs Initiative, no less.

It’s the same concrete on which I kiss a handsome man goodnight after a successful date, without fear of losing my job or my well-being. It’s the same concrete on which we March to Piedmont Park every October for Pride.

At the time of this writing, we have a man attempting to ascend the governorship of Georgia who vows to sign legislation that would guarantee private businesses the right to discriminate against LGBT patrons. Private businesses that are open to the public - restaurants, bakeries, hotels, gas stations and hardware stores - would be able to refuse service based solely on the perceived or acknowledge sexual orientation or gender identity of a customer.

While this foreboding bit of news pisses me the f off, it does not scare me. Why not? Because I know that the queens of Atlanta, greater Georgia, and beyond will not stand for this. No, they will not. They will sit for it. We will stage sit-ins and love-ins and kiss-ins and justbegayandchill-ins. The path of righteousness and activism was paved for us by our forebearers in the Civil Rights, women’s Liberation and LGBT Civil Rights Movements.

We will honor their legacy by acting up and sitting down.

Harvey Milk will be watching over us as we do this. He will have a smile on his lips and a twinkle in his eye.

Let’s make him proud.

Annual FRIENDSgiving Potluck Thursday November 22nd Bring a dish or just come celebrate with Friends & Chosen Family @ your neighborhood bar

1544 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 Ansley Mall Behind Publix

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Nov 14 – Nov 21

TransCelebration Night

Divertidos! ATL Latin Pride

Join the cast of Lips Down On Dixie for a special pre- Join the event that celebrates all the intersections of sentation before The Rocky Horror Picture to celebrate identity — race, nationality, language, sexual orientafriends of all gender identities. tion, gender, and culture – at four venues across Atlanta.

Check future-atlanta.com for schedule and tickets.

Friday, November 16, 11:30 pm – 2:30 am

Plaza Theatre

STAFF PICK!

November 16-18

Heretic, Las Margaritas, BJ Roosters, Westside Cultural Arts Center

LGBTQ Night at Atlanta Symphony Orchestra The Symphony Orchestra’s LGBTQ Night is presented in partnership with HRC, and a portion of ticket sales will go to the organization. The orchestra will perform the Tchaikovsky thrill ride piano concerto that has appeared in everything from cult films to late-night comedy.

Saturday, November 17, 8 pm Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Love Bazaar: Eli Escobar

SCAD FASH: Cinematic Couture

NY-based DJ Eli Escobar has been spinning house and disco beats for more than two decades – and now he comes to Atlanta for a special edition of Love Bazaar.

Opening sets by Vicki Powell (Deep South ATL) and Elio Stereo.

“Cinematic Couture” is an exhibition that focuses on the art of costume design through the lens of film and popular culture. It features more than 50 costumes from period film and television created by the world-renowned London firm, Cosprop Ltd.

Saturday, November 17, 10 pm – 3 am

Opening November 20, 2018 (through March 3, 2019)

The Music Room

SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion and FIlm 38 | 11.14.18

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT NEW FACES 2018?

PHOTOS: Keith Baily

40 | 11.14.18

MIDTOWN 1

Monroe Dr. NE

14

Amsterdam Ave.

NE ve . tA

Piedmont Park

on

11

dm

6 12th St. NE

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

42 | 11.14.18

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

When the world throws you Let be your savedandgay.com

Cheshire 23

ansley 21

37

e

ge

Rd

on tC ir .

Piedmont Park BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE 2425 Piedmont Rd NE 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd

32 33 34 35 36

Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's

805 Lambert Dr. NE, Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spa / bath 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

Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness

NE

.

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino

e. nt mo ed

39 38

Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

41

Pi

28 20

Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

Av

ge Rd Brid hire

r.

E

Ches

.N

.

25

BJ Roosters Opus 1 Tripps Woof's

31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den

35

24

id Br

Dr

Rd

BARS 20 21 22 23

40

32

oe

hir

36

nr

dm

es

ll D

31 er

Mo

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29

Ch

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27

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

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

1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE

peachATL.com | 43

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

MARY’S

MIDTOWN

amsterdamatlanta.com

1287 Glenwood Ave SE

AMSTERDAM

502 Amsterdam Ave. NE

ATLANTA EAGLE

marysatlanta.com

SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH

BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

sisterlouisaschurch.com

CHESHIRE

SWINGING RICHARDS

BARKING LEATHER

1400 Northside Dr NW

805 Lambert Dr NE

BULLDOGS

Dining

2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

MIDTOWN

736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

communitashospitality.com

atlantaeagle.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

BLAKE’S ON THE PARK

blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE

893 Peachtree St NE

friendsonponce-atl.com

466 Edgewood Ave SE

swingingrichards.com

10TH & PIEDMONT

MODEL T

991 Piedmont Ave NE

699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

einsteinsatlanta.com

modeltatlanta.com

EINSTEIN’S

MY SISTER’S ROOM

1077 Juniper St NE

66 12th St NE

frogsmidtown.com

mysistersroom.com

TEN ATLANTA

tenatlanta.com

990 Piedmont Ave NE

CHESHIRE

SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO

ANSLEY BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1447 Piedmont Ave NE

GCB & PLEASURES

brushstrokesatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

FROGS CANTINA

Fitness

931 Monroe Dr

MIDTOWN

G’S

communitashospitality.com 219 10th St NE

HERETIC

HENRY’S

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road

132 10th St NE

BJ ROOSTERS

JOE’S ON JUNIPER

hereticatlanta.com

barkingleather.com

henrysatl.com

URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com

500 Amsterdam Ave NE

CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com

bjroosters.com

joesonjuniper.com

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

1049 Juniper St NE

OPUS 1

LA HACIENDA

Spas/Baths/Adult

900 Monroe Dr NE

MIDTOWN

1931 Piedmont Circle N

CHESHIRE

FLEX SPA

WOOFS

LAS MARGARITAS

76 4th St NW

2425 Piedmont Road NE

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

CHESHIRE

ANSLEY

ROXX

MANIFEST 4U

MIDTOWN MOON

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

ANSLEY

FELIX’S

COWTIPPERS

1086 Alco St NE

TRIPPS

woofsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

lahaciendamidtown.com

lasmargaritasmidtown.com

cowtippersatlanta.com

THE HIDEAWAY

1600 Piedmont Ave NE

1544 Piedmont Ave NE

DEKALB

MIXX

LIPS ATLANTA

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

3011 Buford Hwy NE

mixxatlanta.com

OSCAR’S

oscarsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

44 | 11.14.18

atldragshow.com

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

flexspas.com

manifest4u.org

2103 Faulkner Rd NE

THE DEN

thedenatlanta.com

2135 Liddell Drive NE

Georgia Body Works.com Mobile Fitness and Massage “I come to you, so let’s get started!”

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peachATL.com | 45

10 WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Volunteer at a nonprofit

Write letters with suggestion to elected officials Shop locally

Clean Up Your Neighborhood Attend community events

Vote in local elections

Donate to local charities

Encourage your employer to sponsor local initiatives

Share positive aspects of your community

Be friendly 46 | 11.14.18

Sunday Funday = Playmates and soul mates...

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peachATL.com | 47

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

I didn’t say that, my mouth did!

This change of season sinus crap is unacceptable. I need the “Mariah has to sing tonight” drugs.

Me: Did you know there is a laundry folding machine now?

Him: We don’t need that!

Me: Why not?

Him: I have y..

For every Christmas light lit before Thanksgiving an elf kills a reindeer

Me: *giving him a death glare* Him: You have me! You have me…

Remember as kids when peer pressure was all about drinking, smoking, and drugs? Now it’s all about voting and I can live with that.

It takes a lot of money to look this cheap!

Only thing open past 11pm is the bars and legs

Anybody go to Chomp ‘n Stomp and then spend most of Saturday night and Sunday morning in the bathroom?

Asking for my intestines!

I asked a coworker if the mustache was for Movember. She was not impressed.

48 | 11.14.18

the atlanta eagle wil be closed friday, november 16th for the final filming of a new netflix series. please accept our apology for any inconvenience. we will reopen at 7pm saturday, november 17th

50 | 11.14.18

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)

Take some time to chill out and find some balance.

It’s great to have goals, and working toward them can give one’s life a sense of purpose. But one-track minds often don’t see all the lovely roses along the way. Smell that? Thought so.

It’s okay to feel selfish today. You do and you do and you do for those people for what? Do unto yourself today, because no one else is going to. Make a list of your five favorite things to do, and rank them in terms of how recently you’ve made time to do them. Then do the one that is at the top of the list -- you deserve it!

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

You have a tendency to cling to boyfriends with the strangling intensity of an anaconda. Strange, though, that no matter how tightly you coil, they still manage to get away. Perhaps a looser grip will keep them from running away in the first place.

People will be drawn to you like paparazzi to Brangelina today and, for once, you won’t mind the attention. You’ll make the social rounds and enjoy the company of those you meet. They’ll like you, too, until you inevitably start stinging them with that pointed tail.

Then they won’t be so enthusiastic.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

You may not like taking the risk, but you may have to probe into unknowable depths today. It’ll be strange and new and you may stumble along the way. But you’ll suddenly have a feeling that you’ve been there before, and the rest will be sheer pleasure. Ah, aren’t those first dates the best?

It’s good to use your dreams as an insight to what’s going on in your subconscious. In your case, you may want to call a therapist. Perhaps he can best explain the type of dreams that would have Freud, Dr. Phil and the Amazing Kreskin baffled.

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

Your emotions will rage like a storm at sea today. The churning and upheavals will be enough to make a normal man nauseous, but you’ve navigated these waters many times. This tempest will run it’s course, too, and it’ll be smooth waters until the next one blows in.

Today’s a good one for decision making. Your confidence and research usually produce a sure-fire winner, and you rarely make the wrong choices. Word of this gift may filter to friends, who will ask you to make their decisions for them. Kindly decline, because your superpowers only work on yourself.

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

Your search for Mr. Right may be hampered by your inability to see past the surface. He may look good on the outside, but that’s all there is. Get to know someone before jumping head over heels. He may not be there waiting for you with a net.

A fight with a friend or lover may have you feeling emotionally exposed today. There’s nothing worse than a knock down drag-out brawl with another to make you feel like crap. Offer an olive branch today, and maybe you can talk without coming to blows.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20)

Your emotions will determine whether you’re prancing through fields of flowers today, or shaking your fist at the storm clouds. It could go either way and the truth is you won’t be able to control it. You’ll have people around you walking on eggshells, not knowing with which ‘you’ they’re dealing.

Prepare for a coming onslaught as your emotions begin to rage. You’ll question every aspect of your life shortly before bursting into tears. You’ll scream at people who ask what’s wrong with you, then fall into a pitiful display of self-loathing and despair. You know, just an average day.

WHAT happened was . . .

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

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

I know a lot of people think this is a non-issue, but it isn’t for me – and it never was. I am not very well-endowed ‘down there,’ and I have always had insecurities when it comes to my penis size. I have never had any problems meeting and attracting guys, and I have had some wonderful relationship with great, handsome men – but I have this underlying fear of sex or romantic partners judging me for my lack of size. I keep thinking ‘they have got to think it’s a turn-off with a small dick.’ I have always had these concerns, but now they seem to grow beyond that to a point where I almost feel ashamed about myself. How do I grow beyond this?

Sincerely Down-Sized Dear Down-Sized You’d be surprised about how many guys worry about their penis size – but in your case, it goes a little bit beyond that and dips into more severe confidence issues. You write that you haven’t had problems attracting other guys, which I’m assuming means that no one has actually rejected you because of your penis size. Think about that for a moment. Also, think about how important penis size is for you in another man – is it porn star equipment or you won’t ever touch him? You know just as well as I do that that is not how things work. If there is a physical attraction, that does not only amount to what kind of junk he carries in his trunks; it is a sum of what that other person is. How sad would it be if we only went after the penis size in other people? Granted, some people think like that, but I honestly don’t think they have very emotionally fulfilling relationships either. But again, I think your issue may go a bit deeper, so I suggest you talk to a therapist and try to get to the bottom of why you experience this kind of insecurity. I guarantee you that it is probably not about penis size.

My boyfriend is out of a job, and now it’s been a year, and I’m just about the end of my rope with him! He does nothing but lay around the house and stream shows, and I’m afraid he has gotten a little too comfortable with the fact that I foot the bill for just about everything. I still love him, but I don’t understand why he isn’t more active in applying for jobs, even part-time gigs that would get him out of the house and keep his energy and momentum up. I have stopped making vacation plans with him because it will honestly be a little too expensive if I have to cover the costs for the both of us, and he has even asked about planning a trip because he needs to get away. My patience is wearing thin, and he is not listening to my suggestions to apply for more jobs – I have even offered to pay for a coach that can get him out his daze. And quite honestly, it is making him much less attractive to me. Do I break up with him?

Do I make comments?

Sincerely Bill Footer Dear Bill Footer You are well on your way to resenting your boyfriend and vice versa. You give him advice he is not listening to, and he feels like you are telling him what to do. Not good. You can suggest that he changes his approach, but you can’t force it. You don’t have to support him financially, and you don’t even have to stay with him for that matter – but don’t threaten him with those consequences or risk to erode any love and trust that exists between you. Instead, you can let him know just how unhappy you are with the situation – that’s a different approach that might give him the push he needs to change things for the both of you. Also, have you considered that your boyfriend could be depressed or suffer from social anxiety? There’s no doubt he needs your support, but it may be entirely different than what you imagined.

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

52 | 11.14.18

the

ethel merman disco christmas spectacular!

WORLD PREMIERE Book by PAUL CONROY & Musical Arrangements by NICK SILVESTRI

Imagining what Ethel Merman’s unaired 1979 Christmas television special would be like.

December 6-22, 2018

Tickets: $15 and up Out Front Theatre Company 999 Brady Avenue, Atlanta

www.OutFrontTheatre.com