Peach magazine issue i47v2

18 Sexiest

Men Alive

Mitzi Pennigton’s Gobble,Toil & Trouble

party with Help us celebrate 2018 accomplishments and look toward the future of HIV care in Atlanta

Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018 Music, open bar, body painting, silent auction, and 3 course meal by Endive.

Summerour Studio 409 Bishop St. NW Atlanta, GA 30318

BENEFITS

Host Committee/Sponsor Reception: 5:30–6:30 p.m.

Main Event: 7:00 p.m.

Buy tickets: PositiveImpactHealthCenters.org

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

CONTENTS

NOVEMBER 21, 2018

V2-47

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EDITORIAL

Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director mikkel@peachatl.com Rodney Belcher Graphic Designer

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From the Editor With busy schedules, relationships, and everything else going on in our world, it can seem hard to list the things you are thankful for – which is why Thanksgiving is so important to many!

It is a perfect time to gather with our chosen or related family and make sure we acknowledge the fact that we are thankful for each other and all of the good fortunes in our lives.

Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com

CONTRIBUTORS Chris Azzopardi Mitzi Pennington Scott King

NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media 908.232.202

Here at Peach, we are thankful that we have been a part of the community as the premier guide to everything gay in Atlanta. As the year is coming to a close, I can assure you; we have plenty of great issues in the making for your reading enjoyment. So stay tuned and keep on reading!

Happy Thanksgiving, Peaches!

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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.

6 | 11.21.18

The Fur Ball Masquerade Party with a purpose at one of the most iconic venues in Atlanta to help PALS raise much-needed funds to help care for the pets of people living with terminal illnesses and the elderly.

Prepare yourself for a night of magic and mystery in the grand Egyptian Ballroom at the Fox Theatre. This black-tie optional event includes an open bar, heavy passed hors-d’oeuvres, a souvenir mask, a themed silent auction, music by Sed The Saint, and many other surprises throughout the night.

General admission is $125 and VIP tickets $150 which secures you access to the VIP cocktail hour at 7 pm.

Peach is a sponsor of the Fur Ball Masquerade.

About PALS Atlanta It is the mission of Pets Are Loving Support, Inc. to provide ongoing care and support to the pets of Atlanta area persons living with disabilities due to HIV/AIDS, terminal illnesses, and the elderly. With this help, pets and owners may remain together to share the healing power of love and companionship which flows from the human-animal bond. Learn more at palsatlanta.org.

The What, When, and Where What: The Fur Ball Masquerade

benefiting PALS Atlanta When: November 29, 2018, 8:00-

11:00 pm (VIP cocktail reception at 7:00 pm) Where: The Egyptian Ballroom

at the Fox Theatre Tickets ($125-$150) through palsatlanta.org or call 404-876-7257

8 | 11.21.18

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Gobble, Gobble, Toil and Trouble The festivities are amongst us! What will you be bringing to the Thanksgiving table? I usually bring the drinks. Being together with family, especially family that you don’t normally associate with, can be draining. So, it’s important to re-fill with a good Old Fashioned, or whatever else floats your boat.

I spoke with some of my best drunks, and I’ve put together a list of must-have Thanksgiving drinks and what kind of blackout fun you should expect from each one.

My personal favorite holiday concoction came from a performer I once knew: Miss Missy Ma’am. She could down five fireball shots before even getting on stage. Those shots were also the main reason she frequently fell off the stage. A few years back, while visiting her at the Betty Ford Clinic just before the holidays, she gave me her recipe for her “Basic Becky Shots.” You take Fireball (or your favorite cinnamon-flavored whiskey), and mix a 2-to-1 ration with the pumpkin-flavor sauce you can steal from your local Starbucks. Downing anywhere from three to four will get you lit! Temporary amnesia and the urge to buy UGG boots on Amazon are side effects, but they can be remedied with Advil and not logging onto Amazon while drunk.

My second tasty treat came to me by accident. I volunteered at the 2018 New York Fashion Week as a bartender. I get to sneak into all the after parties if I volunteer. I was mixing a tequila drink when a shoe nearly hit me and shattered a jar of vodka-infused gummy bears. In my shock, I bumped into a food rack and spilled some jalapeno powder, a pinch of lemon zest and two teaspoons of mango juice into the drink as well. I got so distracted figuring out who threw the shoe, that I didn’t notice my drink was well received. As it turned out, Cardi B was going at it with Nicki Minaj, so I had to name my drink “The Hot Tamale” in honor of their scuffle. I do have to warn you that the individual who drank it wound up getting so drunk on just one serving, he walked onto a runway while a fashion show was going on.

The last delectable I have to share is non-alcoholic. We all have that special someone we keep inviting to parties, even though they don’t drink and kind of drain everyone else’s buzz. This drink I can’t take much credit for. I was hanging out with a Nobel Prize nominee by the name of Mrs. Ima Doctor. She was getting her house ready for guests, and I noticed a pitcher of dazzling, purple liquid. I asked what kind of drink it was, and she mentioned it was for her ‘non-drinking’ guests. She calls it “Something to Toast With” punch. It’s made by mixing two-parts Hydrogen with one-part Oxygen. Then a splash of food coloring as a finishing touch. The only real drawback to this drink is consuming too much will make you have to use the restroom frequently, and you won’t get drunk like everyone else. Have you ever been sober around a group of drunks?

I hope your Turkey day shenanigans are filled with stories of “I can’t believe we did that!” and “I shouldn’t be alive!”. Stuff that bird, pour on the gravy and make sure you are always topped off. To add more spice to your partying, ask your family who they voted for while you make them a drink or two.

Yours drunkenly,

Mitzi Pennington is the self-proclaimed sex symbol and advice-giving-guru alter ego of Mirza Muftic. She came from humble roots of middle America and married into money shortly after dropping out of college. Her late husband’s fortune allows her to travel the world and have a sense of enlightenment one normally gets from actually working for their money. Mirza has had none of those experiences in his life. On occasion, Mirza will perform as Mitzi around Atlanta. His other interests/day job include film editing, retouching, and stop-motion animation.

10 | 11.21.18

peachATL.com | 11

Ethel Merman

Disco Spectacular! is

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt It was an 18-hour drive and the original diva qualities of Ethel Merman that prompted Paul Conroy, the founder and producing artistic director of Out Front Theatre Company, to write The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular! Peach talked to Paul about inspirations, the cast, and the music of the show.

Tell us a little about the background for The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular?

Two years ago my boyfriend and I were driving back to Atlanta from Boston after spending Christmas with my family. Somewhere around New Jersey, I put on The Ethel Merman Disco Album, and I started to think “I wonder why Ethel Merman never recorded a Christmas album?” After that, I started to wonder “What if it was a Disco Christmas album?” - and two years later The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular is about to come to life on our stage. It became a natural fit to base the show at Studio 54 in 1979 (the same year that her disco album came out) because it felt like the end of a magical time.

With the 80s ready to roar in and the world about to change, Ethel and disco felt like a time capsule that I wanted to preserve and share with people for the holidays.

What is it about Ethel Merman that is so inspiring to you?

I know that to most of the modern gay community, Ethel Merman is not exactly the inspiring diva that some other women may be. But to me, she is the definition of a diva; and one of the first. She made her Broadway debut in 1930 and didn’t stop performing until a couple of years before she died in 1960. Watch the clip on YouTube of her on The Judy Garland Show with Judy and Barbra Streisand. Barbra is in shock and nervous as hell to be standing next to Ethel on stage. She was loud, opinionated, funny, strong-willed and (again) loud and my hope is that in 2018 we can celebrate not just the powerful women that are making our world a better place today, but we can also honor women like Ethel who spent decades doing things her way and was a household name. She was the original belter (really), and you can see the influence from her in countless women singers and performers that have taken to stages in the years since she first came into America’s hearts (and ears!)

Tell us a little about the cast of the show?

We have a cast of 13 for this show; with performers that are still in college all the way to seasoned Atlanta actors. Casting the right performers to take on the larger-than-life characters in the show (Andy Warhol, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer) proved to be a very fun challenge. We wanted to make sure that people could make the characters their own, while still making them identifiable to audiences. I never wanted anyone to play a cartoon version of any of the celebrities on stage, but rather make them as human as they really were.

12 | 11.21.18

The music plays a huge part in this show – How did you choose and arrange the songs for the show?

One of my best friends, and Out Front’s Resident Music Director, Nick Silvestri, is the person behind all of the music in this show. He has been working with an insanely talent musician (Adam Wolfe), and they have taken ten or so classic Christmas songs and made them feel right at home in the disco era.

When audiences come to the show, they are going to hear some songs they know and maybe a few new ones. I really think that there is power and warmth in the collectiveness of a community knowing certain songs, and hopefully, we’ll give them a reason to dance to them too!

Anything you’d like to add?

This is our first holiday show at Out Front, and we are only in our third season! The Atlanta LGBTQIA+ community has been so outstanding in supporting all of our productions and endeavors, so I hope they enjoy this holiday gift we are wrapping up for them, and that they will keep coming back show after show for many years to come!

-The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular plays December 6-22 at The Out Front Theatre Company.

Tickets and showtimes are available at outfronttheatre. com.

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

JUNE 2019 NYCPRIDE.ORG/2019

PRODUCED BY

H O S T PA R T N E R

WORLDPRIDE LICENSOR

H O S T PA R T N E R

Where to Get Your Turkey On!

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

There are many different ways of celebrating Thanksgiving – but one unifier is food! Whether you are celebrating on your own, with friends, or with family, there are plenty of places to go for a feast, if you don’t feel like cooking an entire Thanksgiving dinner!

The Classics

The Bars

The Colonnade – 11 am – 8 pm As one of the oldest and most well-known restaurants in Atlanta, you know you will get an ultra-traditional Thanksgiving dinner served here. As the rule goes, there is no table reservation, so it’s come early and wait for a table. And as most Atlantans know; it is worth the wait! The turkey dinner includes four courses, but you can also order off their list of special entrees for the day.

10th & Piedmont – 11 am – 8 pm Celebrate Thanksgiving in the heart of the gayborhood with a delicious prix fixe menu created by executive chef Carmichael Robinson. This is the first year the restaurant deviates from their buffet concept, but it promises to be just as delicious along with their extensive drink and wine menu. Book at 10thandpiedmont.com or walk-in the day of (with a chance of them being sold out.)

Mary Mac’s Tea Room – 11 am-9 pm Serving made from scratch Southern fare since 1945, Mary Mac’s Tea Room offers a Southern Special for Thanksgiving that includes pork roast, baked turkey, fried chicken, and ham along with all the fixins. you can make your reservation at marymacs. com or do a regular walk-in (with a bit of a wait.)

Hideaway Annual Friendsgiving Potluck – 4 – 11 pm Whether you bring a dish or just come to celebrate, this Friendsgiving at the Hideaway is cozy and a lot of fun! Turkey will be provided, so just sign up for what you want to bring, so invite your friends and come celebrate!

Livingston Restaurant + Bar – 11 am – 6 pm The restaurant located at the historic Georgian Terrace hotel serves up one of the best Thanksgiving buffets in the city with a chef’s carving station featuring turkey and prime rib along with a hot and cold buffet, and an extensive variety of desserts too.

Make your reservation at livingstonatlanta. com.

Model T Thanksgiving Potluck – 3 pm – 11 pm Model T will be hosting their final potluckstyle Thanksgiving dinner before they close.

The concept remains the same: staff and patrons bring a dish, turkey will be provided, and the meal delicious and cooked by friendly faces.

14 | 11.21.18

- since 1997 -

- since 1997 -

Named People Magazine’s “Best Wedding Cakes in Georgia!” www.metrobakery.com

Be Thankful & Party On

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

In preparation of or as a release from spending a lot of time with the family, you may need to get out and blow off some steam while enjoying an adult beverage. Here are some of our picks for parties happening around Thanksgiving.

Horror Picture Show hosted by Lips Down On Wednesday, November 21 Dixie, who will be doing a special performance before the viewing.

Thanksgiving Eve with DJ Seth Breezy The Plaza Theatre, 11:55 pm – 2 am benefiting Joining Hearts The Heretic throws one of the ‘traditional’ Saturday, November 24 Thanksgiving parties that kicks off the Holiday weekend on the dance floor with beats by DJ SIR! Submit to Daddy!

Seth Breezy. Come out to burn some calories Break out of your Thanksgiving food coma and on the dancefloor before feasting on Thursday. come to the Eagle to party with Daddies and The Heretic, 10 pm – 3 am chasers alike. Things might get naughty now that you’ve been so good!

Thanksgiving Eve Karaoke at MSR The Atlanta Eagle, 10 pm – 3 am This is the 22nd time that MSR is having a karaoke night at the eve of Thanksgiving, Pop Karaoke so come sing your heart out at the bash Get ready to belt! This hosted by Thad Stevens.

Thanksgiving edition of the My Sister’s Room, 7 pm – 2 am karaoke night will snap you out of your food coma!

Trivia Night at Woofs Midtown Tavern, 9 pm The recurring weekly trivia night will surely be sprinkled with a little Thanksgiving fairy dust on this particular night!

Woofs Sports Bar, 8 pm

Friday, November 23 Transmission NOIR: a dark dance pop up party This Black Friday special pop up of Transmission focuses on the darker sides of dance, darkwave, dark electronics, witch house, horror disco, Italo, synth, industrial/EBM, death rock and beyond.

The Deep End, 10 pm – 2:30 am The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Plaza If you need a complete break from Thanksgiving and family festivities, you can head to the Plaza Theatre for their weekly showing of infamous The Rocky

16 | 11.21.18

Sunday, November 25 Eastern Conference Finals: Atlanta United Vs. New York Red Bulls This soccer game is going to be bigger than the Thanksgiving football game! The Eastern Conference finals between Atlanta United and New York Red Bulls is shaping up to be the sporting event of the season – and don’t forget to check out the tailgate party at the Gulch before the match!

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 5 pm (tailgate starts at 12 pm)

ATLANTA, IT’S TIME TO

RAISE THE BAR

Book Online

piedmontbarbers.com 2350 Cheshire Bridge Rd 404.248.9999

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Everyone in Atlanta has the right to breathe smoke-free air, and it’s time for Atlanta to raise the bar and ensure everyone can breathe smoke-free air at work.

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smokefreeatl.org.

smokefreeatl.org • @smokefree_ATL peachATL.com | 17

A Star Is Reborn

By Chris Azzopardi

Kathy Griffin’s priorities shifted after, well, you know. The head. More precisely: a gory replica of President Trump’s own head made from a ketchup-dosed Halloween mask that Griffin holds in the infamous pic that spread like an online wildfire in May 2017.

It caused a stir – and then it caused Griffin’s career to take a major hit. Promoters pulled the plug on already-scheduled tour stops, CNN cut her from her annual televised New Year’s Eve stint with Anderson Cooper (who publicly sided with CNN), and Griffin says she experienced a thorough investigation by the Secret Service, organized by Trump.

Griffin was sure she wouldn’t tour again – or do much of anything. But after organizing a mailing list for fans who essentially helped route her Laugh Your Head Off tour, she traveled around the globe, stopping at cities in the U.K., Australia, Mexico and the United States this year.

Looking back during our recent interview, Griffin recalled the responsibility she felt to tour and acknowledged being a different kind of artist now, one with a harrowing story of her own to tell. (Talking about the Real Housewives of Dallas might be less pressing for you, too, if the Secret Service was in your business.)

But during this breathless 35-minute-long interview, the comedic spitfire didn’t just take on Trump – she delightedly got back to her frivolous pre-head-pic roots, dishing on Hollywood star stories like eating Lady Gaga’s chicken eggs, the awards show competition for Best Aretha Franklin Tribute and the hilarious text from Cher she received that fateful May day.

Photos courtesy of Kathy Griffin

18 | 11.21.18

Continued on pg. 20 >>>>

What’s this about a potential New Year’s Eve special with Stormy Daniels?

I am so bummed. Every single show, when I say I have been pitching New Year’s Live with Kathy Griffin and Stormy Daniels, the audience spontaneously bursts into applause and not one buyer will go for it. I’ve had, like, five meetings and what happens is the creative team loves it and then they kick it upstairs to the check signer and the check signer is inevitably a 65-year-old white guy who’s never been a fan of mine and then they just shut it down before I can even finish the pitch. (Laughs) I still think it’s a damn winning idea. And once again I think I’m... wait for it... ahead of my time.

No, Anderson Cooper probably won’t call her ever again I don’t think he’s that kind of guy. In my experience with him he’s, like, not the kind of guy that would pick up the phone. He’s like (CNN president) Jeff Zucker; those two don’t roll like that (laughs). They are powerful white men, one gay, one straight. But at the end of the day I’m still a woman and I’m still a click down, a rung down on the ladder compared to a man, gay, straight, white or of color. But you know me, I’m still trying to get up that ladder one broken rung at a time, dammit.

Feeling “a sense of responsibility” to tour It’s bizarre but it’s almost like America has to forgive me. I don’t like saying that because I didn’t do anything wrong – the picture was totally covered by the First Amendment. I do feel, honestly, a responsibility to go city to city and say to people, “If you threw this picture up on Twitter tomorrow, or god forbid your 13-year-old kid did, they should not have to be subject to being decimated by the president and the Department of Justice putting them under a two-month investigation, being put on the no-fly list, then the Interpol list, being detained at every airport and spending hundreds of thousands in legal fees.” So, I felt a sense of responsibility that I’ve never felt before.

Putting pop culture on hold I really feel like this is the kind of material that commands what I call “the great halls.”

I’ve always loved doing stand-up and talking about the Housewives, and I’ll always love talking about pop culture, but for this particular tour, this is a real story, it’s got an arc, and there’s a lot of meat on the bone. And there are parts of it that people really didn’t know about. I talk about being detained in airports.

It’s sort of a miracle – and I’m not a religious person. I love walking the audience through the process because, like I said, it has actually a historic footprint. After starting the tour in Auckland, New Zealand, and going everywhere, I got to come back to my own country of origin. I was able to work again, and prior to that I could not get one day of paid work. And you know, the story keeps growing. Like, I’m just gonna be honest – and I hope this doesn’t scare readers – but the show is three hours because more crazy shit kept happening.

Live Nation was running the show. I ended up not using them anymore, but they had the show going into March and they were just spreading it out, sending me wherever. I was like, “Guys” – and I mean guys, like all old white guys – “I’m not the same Kathy Griffin from Suddenly Susan and My Life on the D-List to, like, a fifth of America... to a fifth of America I’m a high-ranking member of ISIS! It’s gonna take a minute! I gotta correct the record here in a very different way! (Laughs) Even though it kills me to do it and it terrifies me, of course, to like not have any work after the (tour). (Griffin is self-financing a special based on the tour.)

“A different kind of artist”

Is political commentary a comedian’s responsibility?

There are some cities I know I can’t play now, and I may never be able to play again. Like, I don’t know if I can ever play a casino again. Ever. If I can use the word “artist” without sounding like a total asshole, I am a completely different kind of artist than I was before the photo. I was considered completely toxic in Hollywood and unhirable. And putting me into the Harvey Levin TMZ machine and the AMI David Pecker machine, and then putting hit pieces on me, constantly, that I have lupus or that I’m a bald – in other words making me unhirable by putting out shit like that. The idea that they all coordinated with the actual White House is so insane that my own representatives couldn’t wrap their brains around it.

I had to figure out a whole new business model.

I kind of think it’s our duty. I mean, I’m 57. I was little in the 60s, but it’s a little bit of a 60s mentality, which is (that) comedians, I think, have always been on the forefront of social commentary, as have all artists. So it still hurts to this day – if you research the comedians who stuck up for me, it’s little to none. To this day, I have not had an advocate.

Fan love made performing this year’s post-controversy shows “beyond special”

20 | 11.21.18

How comedy has changed in the Trump era When I did say in my horrible press conference, “If this can happen to me, it can happen to you,” that is the one thing I stand by. During the “W” years, I was very much against the war, but I still went to Iraq and performed because you could do that; you could be saying things that were liberal, but you could also go and support the troops. Now everything is so dumbed down.

I will tell you something a little chilling: I’m not gonna name their names, but three of the most famous comedians in the world called me and said, “We’re all watching you.” I’m like, “What do you mean?” speaking to unnamed person much more famous than I. And all three of them said, “We saw what happened to you and we don’t fucking want that to happen to us.” And I would say, “Well, then you need to speak up about it,” and that’s where I lost them. I still think a lot of comics don’t get it. It’s gonna be somebody else next. It’s probably gonna be a beloved comedian because I’m an easy target. I’m already divisive and shit.

Trump is dying to know what Kathy has said during these shows about him, right?

Oh, absolutely. It’s like all those years I used to make fun of Oprah and then over the years I would just meet people from Harpo who would all say, “We all watch your specials and we all go to your shows.” When I was invited to the freakin’ White House Correspondents Dinner, oh my god, it was a dream come true. I was scared shitless to go because I thought, Oh god, it’s a room full of enemies. But I had so much fun getting in fights with cabinet members because (laughs) they were there and they just couldn’t escape me and I was invited and it was heaven. And you know Brian Kilmeade, that piece of shit from Fox & Friends? So, he wanted a selfie! I go, “I did not seeing that coming, Nazi.” Obviously, normally, I would take one – I had a lot of friends calling him a Nazi and telling him to “fuck off” while in an Oscar de la Renta ball gown.

But how about Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born?

This is one of those topics that I call “gay untouchable,” meaning I haven’t seen the film yet and yet I’m afraid to say that. If I do see it and I have one criticism, I’m afraid to say it. Like as an ally I believe there is a law that I have to love this movie. And as a gay man sight unseen I already want it to win Best Picture. Based on the commercial, that there’s even a moment when Lady Gaga acts like she’s not sure if she’s a good singer – that’s why she should win the Academy Awards. I’ve met Lady Gaga. She gave me eggs. I went to see Tony Bennett and Gaga and I had never met Lady Gaga before and I was like, “What? How did these two gay guys never meet?”

So I got in touch with her team and said, “Can I come back stage and say hi?” and it was really sweet. She had brought a present for me and then she brought a present for Tony as if she wasn’t seeing him every night that year.

It was this beautiful wrapped box of eggs, and she gives me a box of eggs and I’m super excited because I can’t help it. And Tony’s like, “What are these?” And I’m trying to explain to Tony, “Oh my god, you got eggs from Lady Gaga – is this epic or what?” And he’s like, “What, toots?

I just did 17 duets with her; can I get more than eggs?” I, of course, was very excited and I made a Gaga omelette.

… and Taylor Swift finally addressing her political views Guess what? I’m now pro-Swiftie. Hear me out, hear me out. By the way, I don’t mean as a singer – she’s not a very good singer. But, like, whatever. Nobody sings anymore. But there are two reasons I am pro-Swiftie. No. 1: I think it’s so cool that when that asshole DJ grabbed

her ass in the photo she went to a Colorado courtroom with almost no press and sat there for four days and won that case for women everywhere. Having done meet-andgreets for decades, and I know I’m Granny and she’s Taylor Swift, but guys do that – guys grab my ass and guys grab my tits because they think it’s funny. You know what, props to her – and really big props because I think that because she has country roots, she will pay a price.

I love that she’s got more people to register (to vote). But as someone who has paid prices, yeah, she’s probably getting a lot of country hate right now.

Aretha Franklin wearing different dresses for each new day of her funeral service Fabulous, necessary. Knew how to do it, always did. But here’s what I love: I love that now that she’s gone, we can actually enjoy her deliciously bitchy moments. I love the people who are putting up all of these clips of her, like, not suffering fools. I’m sure you’ve seen the one where they’re like, “What do you think of Auto-Tune?” and she’s like, “What’s that?” It’s like, as if her voice wasn’t good enough. But I also am fascinated by – you know there’s a competition of tributes? There’s been three major award shows with tributes and now they’re trying to out-tribute each other. There was an AMAs tribute, there was a BET tribute. They’re gonna keep doing them until they fucking get it right. Like, it wouldn’t surprise me if four years from now there was another Aretha tribute... which I’m also all for.

And, uh, what did Kathy think of Madonna’s tribute to Aretha?

OK, hold on. I’m gonna give you a gay smack down right now, you son of a bitch. You young baby-gays stay away from her! Don’t you dare judge. She’s fucking 60 and let me tell you: Hollywood has been trying to age me out of the system since I was 40. They’ve been trying to put me out to pasture and I refuse to moo. Madonna has done so much for the community and, honestly, for women as well, and also, she’s legit talented. She really did turn into a beauty icon as well. They gave her shit about being “chubby” so then she got anorexic and muscly and then it was never enough and now she’s like a fucking Olympic athlete at 60. Having been told 1,000 times how ugly and old I am, it probably just fucking got to her and she thought, “All right, I’ll get some fillers.” And, yes, I personally would prefer she’d tone it down with the fillers, but I’m gonna give her a pass. She gets what I call the “Liza Pass.”

Cher helicoptering onto the set of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again like the queen she is I mean, what else would you expect? She’s probably helicoptering into her mansion right now. I have not been in the helicopter, but I can tell you the day of the Trump photo when the world caved in, Cher made me laugh so hard because she texted one line: (impersonates Cher) “You wanted to be famous, bitch!”

As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

peachATL.com | 21

LA CHOLOTECA FEAT. DJS ESME & BRIAN ROJAS AT MJQ CONCOURSE PHOTOS: Mikkel Hydlebrandt

22 | 11.21.18

peachATL.com | 23

HEIFER REVIEW - COWTIPPERS PHOTOS:Andrea Dwyer

24 | 11.21.18

Tuesday-Thursday 5:30pm til 10:00pm Friday & Saturday 5:00pm til 10:30pm Sunday Brunch 11:00am til 4:00pm

TRIVIA TUESDAYS

FIRE-IT-UP FRIDAYS

TRIVIA W/RON SCOZA 1ST PRIZE $50 TAB 2ND PRIZE $25 TAB 3RD PRIZE FREE APPETIZER $5 SUMMER STORM $3 DRAUGHT & DOMESTIC BEERS

$5 CHERRY TREE FIREBALL $5 FUZZY FIRE

WINE-DOWN WEDNESDAYS 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE

THROWBACK THURSDAYS $5 OLD-FASHIONED MARTINI $5 ROSE KENNEDY

SALSA SATURDAYS $5 HOUSE MARGARITAS & MOJITOS $5 HONEY BADGER

SUNDAYS SUNDAY DRAG BRUNCH BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS OR BLOODY MARYS

1/2 PRICE APPETIZERS TUESDAY-SATURDAY UNTIL 7:00PM ASK ABOUT OUR DINNER SPECIALS 1425 Piedmont Ave NE, Ste B, Atlanta, GA 30309

6TH ANNUAL

4PM - 8PM BEER BUST RAFFLE

JINGLE BALL

SUNDAY DECEMBER 2ND CHRISTMAS GIFT DRIVE BENEFITTING

1544 PIEDMONT AVE, NE ATLANTA, GA 30324 ANSLEY MALL BEHIND PUBLIX peachATL.com | 25

FRIENDS NEW FACES FINAL 2018 Photos: Keith Bailey

26 | 11.21.18

visit www. fuegoproductionsatl.com for more information

FROM NYC via PUERTO RICO

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE

Phoenix BY

HERETIC ATLANTA

2069 CHESHIRE BRIDGE ROAD NE

DEcember 14th · 10pm - 3Am

a portion of the proceeds goes to toy party 2018

visit www. fuegoproductionsatl.com for more information

FROM MIAMI via PUERTO RICO

@ BJ ROOSTERS 2043 Cheshire bridge road

DECEMBER 15th · 3AM - 7AM a portion of the proceeds goes to toy party 2018

Aaron was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit and attended Michigan State University. He moved to Atlanta in 2007 because of a job transfer and has since made it his home. In fact, Aaron renovated a condo at the beginning of 2018, so he is planning to stay. He currently works as a marketing manager for the KimberlyClark Corporation in Roswell, and his hobbies include travel, cooking and wine, reading, volunteering, fitness, hanging out with friends, and anything related to the arts (movies, concerts, Broadway shows, etc.).

Aaron Bernardo @ abern404

30 | 11.21.18

18

of Peach’s Sexiest Men Alive

By Scott King

Man alive! A day without beautiful men is like a day without sunshine. Why even bother getting out of bed?

Since People Magazine keeps screwing it up so royally, I have taken it upon myself to make this year’s definitive list of the 18 Sexiest Men Alive.

Get it? Rest assured that men of every gender and orientation were considered for this list. Now let the man candy parade begin!

Colin Kaepernick Adam Rippon

Jake Shears

A true queen rules with dignity and grace. Adam Rippon has zero body fat and gives zero effs what you think about him. He disposes of his haters with the flick of a wrist, whether they be vice presidents or anonymous internet trolls.

He’s witty, hilarious, sharp as a blade, and exudes a joyful playfulness that has even Ellen Degenerous asking him to visit more often.

Adam Rippon is walking, talking sex. USA! USA! USA!

Jake Jake Jake. Jake that booty. Could we ask for a groovier queer icon in rock and roll? When I found out JS was BFFs with Kylie Minogue, I couldn’t sleep for days. That is just too fabulous for words. You represent us well, Jake!

Standing up, or kneeling down, for what you believe in is sexy. Colin Kaepernick, minus that terrible black leather jacket and turleneck, is also sexy. The dreds. The tats. The determination. I feel ya, bruh.

Kameron Michaels Vanity and conceitedness are not sexy. Unless of course you have the goods to back back back it up.

Only someone as sexy in any gender presentation as KM could inspire me to break all of my rules. The ice queen cometh!

Barack Obama

Mark Consuelos Kelly Ripa has superior taste in men. Another hottie with the body, a different type of body, but even more of a killer smile.

That’s killer pun intended if you’re a Riverdale fan.

Whenever he co-hosts Live with Kelly and they talk about their remote control bed, I die.

32 | 11.21.18

Oooh, baby, I love your way. You may not very often think of Barack Obama in a sexual aspect, but imagine for a second that he were unmarried and of an ambiguous sexual orientation. Then he calls you up for a date and invites you to a nice dinner. Would you not break the furniture with excitement? I would.

Also, there’s the fact that he was the best U.S. President since FDR. How bout’ that?

Trent Reznor Woof daddy! Trent Reznor has become the 21st century’s only true rock n roll animal. Never mind the 90’s and its heroin chic aesthetic, the Trent of now is the one we want to get all beasty with. As a bonus, he still makes good records.

Hey pig, indeed.

Continued on pg. 34 >>>>

peachATL.com | 33

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

LL Cool J

Finn Balor

And the hottie with the body award goes to ... Hey lover. This is more than a crush. We doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it well. You know that she was raised out in Brooklyn, but do you know that he actually does represent queens? Yes, LL Cool J was part of the team to help discover trans actor and budding superstar Lavern Cox. It’s not only ladies who love cool James okaaaaay.

Could we ask for a hotter ally in the world of professional sports and sports entertainment? This red hot ginger of an Irishman aggressively promotes LGBT-inclusiveness and anti-bullying in pro sports and the pro wrestling world. Cute as a bug and fit as a fiddle, he’s got the pro wrestling world and its LGBT fans singing his praises. I second that emotion.

Okay okay okay I give.

I submit to your sexiness. You have me pinned me down with your hotness. Care to go another round? I can’t wait to vote for you for President.

Ben Cohen I’m guessing many of you have shaken hands, spoken to, or made eye contact with Ben Cohen. At a pride parade in Atlanta in 2011, Ben was on one of the floats and pointed at me, made eye contact and gave me the thumbs up. My life will never be the same.

Hottie Quickie David Duchovny

Brian Sims

I cannot get over this guy. I was a couple years into puberty when I saw season 1 of The X-Files. My so-called life, then and now, will never be the same. Oh, Mulder, you’re such a card. My heart will always be with you on your quixotic journeys. Did you know that David Duchovny the man has written three novels? They didn’t even get trashed by the critics. I haven’t read any of them, but when I went to look for one at the bookstore in Ponce City Market, the cute girl behind the counter and I had quite a lovely chat about how hot DD is.

The sexiest man alive, and America’s future first LGBT President, is progressive, feminist, a journeyman, and extremely comfortable with both his masculine and feminine sides. Representative Sims, the hands down heartthrob of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, climbs mountains while sporting amethyst scarves and a bright bear’s smile. Brian Sims is the sexiest man alive. So, who will be his first lady?

Vote for me!

34 | 11.21.18

Ryan Reynolds Without a doubt, Ryan Reynolds is the hottest red-headed Canadian actor named Ryan. America is still #1 tho

Liev Schreiber I admire vegans for their passion and commitment, but I must admit I do love me some steamy beef.

Nick Tortorella Gender fluidity never looked so good. I have been

impressed with Nick ever since they came into fame.

Carry on, you sexy thing

Conor McGregor Bad, Conor!

You’re so naughty.

Don’t make me come over there and smack you!

Neil Degrasse Tyson A man’s brain can be sexy. So can his passion. And his giggle. And his mustache. And his panache

You deserve Personalized Care & Individual Attention – that’s what we deliver at Family Health Care of Atlanta • Participating in many clinical trials • Certiied HIV Specialist, American Academy of HIV Medicine • 20+ years experience in Family & HIV Care SPECIALIZING IN DERMATOLOGY, STD’S, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, UROLOGY, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS

peachATL.com | 35

New look and feel, same great cause!

December 16th 2018 at

Opera

1150 Crescent Ave NE, Atlanta, GA

● Photos with Santa ● Silent & Live Auctions ● Raffles & Games

● Catered hors d'oeuvres ● DJs & Live Shows ● Adult Beverages

VIP Tickets $250 (+Toy) General Admission Tickets $25 (+Toy) Purchase tickets in advance at forthekid.org and bring an unwrapped toy valued at $20+ forthekidatl

Nov 21 – Nov 28

Love Actually in Concert w/ ASO

Queer AF Sunday Funday

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra invites you to experience the holiday favorite ‘ Love Actually’ in the most spectacular fashion! While the movie is screened on a giant 40-foot screen in the Symphony Hall, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the film score live! Tickets via atlantasymphony.org.

Come out and celebrate being queer AF! With a cast of incredible performers like Elese, Syraja, Dotte Comm, and Drew Friday, My Sister’s Room is taking Sunday Funday to the next level.

November 23-24

My Sister’s Room

Sunday, November 25, 8 pm

The Atlanta Symphony Hall STAFF PICK!

Cirque Dreams Holidaze Get ready for a sleigh-load of that special acrobatic magic that only Cirque du Soleil can provide. For two nights only, you can experience the new Cirque adventure, which is best described as Broadway musical and family holiday spectacular wrapped in one!

November 24-25 The Fox Theatre

SIR! Submit to Daddy!

Flight of the Butterflies at Fernbank

DJ Daniel Weaver and DJ Aaron Fries return to make you submit to SIR! This party might just get a little heated – especially if you find your special Daddy! Club Sponsor for the evening is the Panthers L/L, and they will be doing a toy drive benefiting Dekalb DFCS & Auctions benefiting Lost-N-Found.

Experience the incredible adventure of one of the longest migrations of butterflies on earth in breathtaking 3D - back by popular demand to the 4-story Giant Screen Theater at the museum. Tickets can be purchased through fernbankmuseum.org.

Saturday, November 24, 10 pm – 3 am The Atlanta Eagle 38 | 11.21.18

Showing now until January 10, 2019 Fernbank Museum of Natural History

GLADD PHOTOS: Sher Pruitt

40 | 11.21.18

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 | 11.21.18

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

Pi e

29

Ch

idde

kn

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 | 11.21.18

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!”

678-557-1780

Personal Training • Massage • Entertainment georgiabodyworks.com

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peachATL.com | 45

10 Things to Be Thankful For

It’s time to count your blessings!

1 1

Family – chosen or related

Food (in abundance)

6

Having a pet

Friends and your chosen family Freedom of speech

2 2

67

Abundance of food Family

Your home

7

Faith (of ALL kinds)

3

8

Freedom … and drink Someone you love

3 4

4

Access to Internet

Money in the bank

5

9

Time off and time-out

Time Off

5

Money in the bank

10

Your pet The ability to enjoy life

46 | 11.21.18

8

Your health

10

9

Sunday Funday = Playmates and soul mates...

MISERABLE MONDAY

MAKE MONDAY YOUR B#TCH! feel better faster with Intravenous (IV) Therapy

20% Off Your first visit Promo code: davidmag 404.939.7666 | replenishIV.com | Hours: 10am-6pm 549-6 Amsterdam Avenue NE | Atlanta, GA 30306

Atlanta:

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18+ MegaMates.com

peachATL.com | 47

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

I felt this guy’s sweater the other day, and I swear it was made of boyfriend material.

Asking for a friend: Are you too drunk if you look for your phone with the flashlight on your phone?

Me: Bring me up some water Me: And the charger!

Me: And a snack!

I can’t decide if I need a triple espresso, six shots of vodka, a hug, or two weeks of sleep.

Me: And that’s an actual snack, not code for dick Him: Damn!

The Jungle is having a reunion party?

Does that mean my H&M t-shirt from last year is vintage too?

This Thanksgiving I’m going to stop eating as soon as I am full. Said no one ever.

Remember that time when you only wanted to be older?

Yeah, you were wrong, weren’t you?

I was listening to jeopardy in the other room and thinking “damn! I’m getting all the answers!” Then walked in and saw it was teen jeopardy…

By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you blocked and deleted. You may now kiss my a**!

48 | 11.21.18

50 | 11.21.18

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)

Your own interests can take care of themselves for now—you need to help out a friend or coworker! Your selflessness does not go unrewarded, and everyone is better off as a result.

Your playful energy is turning heads all around the neighborhood—or wherever else you find yourself! Enjoy the attention and make sure that everyone gets a little piece of you.

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

Your health should be at the top of your mind this week—if it’s not, something is likely to happen to remind you in some small way. Schedule a checkup or start a new, positive health habit.

You’re in the middle of a situation that doesn’t seem to offer you a winnable option. If you find a way to give in without giving up ground, you can come out ahead in the very long run.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

You are bursting with good energy lately—or you should be. If you can’t feel the love, you may need to shake things up at work or in your other routines to ensure that you’re in the right place.

You are in the middle of something big and strange, and you might need to be explicit about what exactly you want out of life. Once that’s past, you should find a straight path to your goals.

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

You should take a little greater care with saying “yes” to new projects—you never know what might come of them any day this week. Your energy is better spent clearing your inbox, anyway.

You’re finding it easier than ever to handle people at home or at work—even in new or changing circumstances. Your ability to adapt to cultural norms is heightened now, so make the most of it.

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

You and your partner, or a best friend or business partner, need to hash out some old feelings. That isn’t as painful as it sounds, though, as after a brief moment of awkwardness, it turns into something positive.

You sometimes stand back in social situations—not because you’re shy, but rather because you want to see the big picture and how it fits together. This week, you’re better off just getting in the thick of it.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20)

You and a partner need to buy something together— though if you don’t have someone that close, you may still want to pool resources with someone you trust quite a bit.

Someone owes you big, and now is the time to get them to pay up. It may not be fun, but your backbone is reinforced this week, and they should at least be able to get you some portion of what’s yours.

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 am dreading the next few days because we have to visit my boyfriend’s family for the holidays. What I haven’t told him is that they don’t like me! His dad has even told me they don’t approve of him being gay but indulge it because they don’t want to lose him, his brother completely avoids me, and his mom is actively avoiding any issue related to being gay – it’s like it doesn’t exist! My boyfriend is oblivious to all of this, and he doesn’t notice all the tension when we are all together. And he also got really upset with me for voicing some of these concerns and suggesting he go by himself. So here we are!

How do I cope with this situation?

My partner is coming undone. We are both in our 50s, we have been together a long time, we have a very progressive (open) relationship, but I recently found out he is using meth, which explains a lot of his erratic behavior and crazy mood swings. I don’t want to lose him, but he is kind unraveling right before my eyes, and I can’t seem to reach him at all. He is even threatening to leave me, saying I am ignoring our relationship and focusing on other guys while he is the one strung out half the time – so who’s ignoring who? I love him, but I feel this is getting beyond anything I can do. I want to help him, but he is actively pushing me away. What can I do?

Sincerely Son-in-Naw

Sincerely Crystal Method

Dear Son-in-Naw

Dear Crystal Method

It seems like your boyfriend is using some of the same suppression techniques that are prevalent in his family! How can he not be aware of the fact that the mood changes when you are around his family?

How can he not notice that his brother avoids you?

That his mother brushes over any subject regarding (homo)sexuality? Honestly, it comes off extremely self-consumed that he forces you to be there only to get doted on by his family while you are left out in the cold. But as experience shows, confronting him doesn’t work, so you need to tell him about how unhappy you are with the situation instead. You need to let him know that his family is treating you appallingly behind his back. He may get upset and even side with or defend his family, but it’ll give you the chance to argue as to why you either shouldn’t be there at all or why he should start paying some attention to his toxic family dynamics in order to create a more comfortable environment for the both of you.

Even though relationships change with time, there is always the underlying premise of commitment. There has to be an effort and willingness to collaborate to make this thing work. And honestly; it doesn’t sound like either of you are doing that work right now. Marriages aren’t self-sustaining, and they aren’t indestructible, so imagine the state of yours when you are romantically/sexually involved with other men, and he is strung out on meth. You both have the power over your own behavior, which for you means making yourself more available to your husband who is obviously struggling right now. As for your husband, there is his use of mind-altering drugs that clearly indicates that he isn’t inclined to contribute to creating a more solid foundation for your relationship. If he continues to use meth, things are honestly not looking good for you, so hopefully, your positive influence will urge him to take a look at his own behavior. A good first step is to suggest that he checks out Narcotics Anonymous for some help and much-needed perspective. So yeah, there is a lot of hard work ahead of you both, and there are no guarantees, but if you agree on working on the commitment to each other, you have taken the first step – together.

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

52 | 11.21.18

The Heretic

2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd. NE

December 8th • 10 PM - 3 AM