June 25, 2020
50 Years of Pride Power in Atlanta
Stonewall Weekend Parties and Purpose
Pride Flags Take You Beyond the Rainbow
Travel on Hold, But A Dream Vacation is Now
Then & NOW 50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEKEND, Atlanta’s first Pride march to remember Stonewall was unable to get permits. Dozens of people marched down sidewalks instead, stopping for every traffic light, to say they were here, queer and not going anywhere. When the first Pride permits were granted in 1973, hard-won media recognition forced some local marchers to cover their faces so as not to be outed and fired at work. It was only last week that those same employment fears were finally quashed when the Supreme Court ruled that employers can’t legally terminate us for being gay or transgender. We are covering our faces in Piedmont Park again this month, though for very different reasons. This time, faced with widespread unrest and injustice, we’re louder and prouder at Pride. Pride is protest and protest is Pride once again, because it’s clear that as far as we’ve come, LGBTQ Atlanta has quite a way to go as individuals, as a society and as a community. After spending much of June saying Pride wouldn’t be the same under COVID-19, Stonewall Weekend and its true meaning — passionate demonstrations and hell, yes, rowdy celebrations of who we are and where we stand — couldn’t come at a more appropriate time. If the first Pride was a riot, and Atlanta’s first march was civil disobedience, the fates of June 2020 have put us right where we need to be five decades later. This issue of Q Atlus glances back and pushes forward with all the politics, parties and people that say everything old is new again. Pick us up in print each week, and find fresh content online every day, on Project Q Atlanta at theQatl.com.
RICHARD CHERSKOV PUBLISHER & SALES RICHARD@THEQATL.COM 404-917-9678 JOHN NAIL ART DIRECTOR JOHN@THEQATL.COM
MIKE FLEMING EDITOR MIKE@THEQATL.COM RIVENDELL MEDIA NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM 212-242-6863 theQatl.com 5
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 3 ISSUE 1 9
JUNE 25, 2020
HELMET ON
Shop owner gets your head straight
24 COVER
14
Pride Power
Stonewall Weekend 2020 Q TRAVEL
Dream Vacay
11
Trips are held up, but plans are a go
25 Funday
16 QUEER THINGS
Flag Corp
12 Q Voices.............................. 9
LGBTQ Flags beyond the rainbow
26 Sister Act
30
Q Map.............................. 18 Q Events........................... 24 Q Advice........................... 30 6 theQatl.com
29 Out Loud
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8 theQatl.com
Q VOICES
Georgia.
EQUALITY.
GE calls for racial justice in the LGBTQ rights movement THE CRIMINAL LEGAL SYSTEM HAS FAILED time and time again to uphold the most basic tenet of democracy, that of equality. The American criminal legal system is indeed broken, and has proven itself deeply dysfunctional, consistently dangerous, and quite literally deadly.
violence in our work. We stand as LGBTQ organizations, a movement inspired by and indebted to the black Civil Rights movement, to own that we have not sufficiently shown up historically or in the present moment in addressing racial justice in our work. We simply have not done enough. We have a political responsibility — and indeed a moral obligation — to show up better and do more. To that end we are calling for a renewed commitment to not only fighting for racial justice, but also, a commitment to ending anti-black violence in our movement, and in this country. Georgia Equality commits to doing the following: • Partnering with black-led organizations and working in coalition and collaboration to address racism in the criminal legal system.
Black people, many of whom are LGBTQ, bear the brunt of racial disparities in every facet of • Addressing not only racial the institution, from arrests to sentencing. Nowhere is this more justice but anti-blackness in the evident than in the killing of LGBTQ movement. black people by police. As early as • Working toward ensuring ERIC elementary school, black children PA U L K more equitable distribution of are overly policed, resulting in resources in supporting movethe spectrum of criminalization referred to as the ment work, particularly around racial equity. school-to-prison pipeline. • Amplify the national conversation on anti-transWe as LGBTQ organizations cannot back away gender violence disproportionately impacting from this outrageous injustice. black trans women and provide resources to As we confront the recent deaths of George Floyd, support their safety. Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery [and since • Ensuring more black people are represented in this was written, Rayshard Brooks], all in a string leadership of our organizations. of killings of African Americans by police officers or former police officers around the country, it is imperative that we take action. We must recognize that racial justice is an LGBTQ issue, that racial disparities in the criminal legal system are LGBTQ rights issues, and that the killing of black people by police is an LGBTQ rights issue. So even as we grieve, grieve the countless deaths of black people at the hands of the police, we are calling for a greater commitment from the LGBTQ community to address racial justice and anti-black
• Advance Hate Crime legislation. With this statement, we proclaim our support and unified voice in shifting our movement toward a more robust commitment to racial justice. We believe that this shift is necessary and will be a critical path forward in our efforts to dismantle injustice in our country. Eric Paulk is the deputy director of Georgia Equality in Atlanta, with a career focus on issues of criminal justice reform and social justice for black and LGBTQ people. theQatl.com 9
Q Travel
Dream WORLD How to make your daydream vacation a reality By Richard Cherskov LGBTQ TRAVEL THIS SUMMER IS A bummer. Gay Days is canceled, as are community cruises and Pride Month destination celebrations. No wonder the “Post 10 Travel Photos That Inspire You” thing is going around on social media. People love to remember that there is a world out there waiting to be explored, just not right now. I’m participating, and I’m taking it further by making actual travel plans. You can too. Travel has been my primary hobby for my entire adult life. I love every aspect: planning the trip, wandering around airports, and boarding trains and cruise ships. Heck, I even like packing. To me, getting there and back is half the fun on top of the destination itself. The pandemic has put a damper on travel, so I get enjoyment just thinking about potential trips. You can even plan trips you never take and have fun researching all the ins-and-outs, daydreaming about how to get there, what to see, and how to pay for it using points and miles to save money. So I’m not actually taking any trips right now. I can still enjoy the process. There are so many places I’ve yet to visit, and so many places that I’d gladly trade a tooth to see again — especially these days.
Now is a great time to start thinking about a trip, even if it doesn’t happen this year. Start by accumulating points and miles for travel without ever stepping onto a train. One of the best ways is to sign up for a rewards credit card. Some offer sign-up bonuses of 100,000 or more points — enough to take you just about anywhere for almost nothing if you plan it right. Two of my favorite travel blogs that go into great detail about acquiring miles and points are Lucky’s onemileatatime.com and thepointsguy.com. Both of them are not only knowledgable but out and proud. Check out their credit card recommendations, sign up for a card and earn the bonus. When travel starts again, those points will be ready to help pay for your trip. Hotels, resorts and airlines are all offering some great incentives to book now. Look for resort credits and buy one night - get one free deals just for booking during these uncertain times. Most airlines have generous cancellation policies these days, so if the travel horizon doesn’t brighten when your trip comes around, you’re covered. I’ll go into more detail about points and miles in later columns, but for now, dream about some of those bucket-list destinations and play around on Google Flights. I prefer Kayak.com for checking out hotels and car rentals. Plan a dozen trips, just for inspiration, because dreaming about a trip — to me — is half the fun of taking one. theQatl.com 11
10 16 QUEER THINGS Original Gilbert Baker Pride Flag
‘Traditional’ Pride
Hot pink = Sex Red = Life Orange = Healing Yellow = Sunlight Green = Nature Turquoise = Magic/Art Indigo = Serenity Violet = Spirit
Fly Your FLAG
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POC-Inclusive
Progress
Bisexual
Pansexual
Asexual
Labrys Lesbian
Polyamorous
Intersex
Which LGBTQ Pride flags might you see during Stonewall Month? Genderfluid/Genderflexible
Leather, Latex & BDSM
Bear Brotherhood
Transgender Pride
Non Binary
Straight Ally
There are more queer Pride flags than listed here. Let us know what’s missing at mike@theQatl.com.
theQatl.com 13
Q
WHILE MOST OF LGBTQ ATLANTA WAS busy scrolling through memes about going without haircuts, one of the most popular places to get one took the time to refresh both shops and really think about what the new era would look like too. Randy Addison owns Midtown’s two Helmet Hairworx locations, and he considered quarantine and the state closures of his businesses as an opportunity. “It’s been a complete mixed bag, to be honest, but I’m one of those people who believes the challenges of 2020 are here to create perspective and new outlooks,” Addison tells Q. “The ‘new normal’ keeps changing, but fortunately we were able to do facelifts at both locations during the closure. Fresh paint and rearranging really make the spaces pop.” Like many in the service industry unable to work, Helmet staff took it hard but also understood the ne14 theQatl.com
cessity of the closures. From there, a little teamwork paid off as they hunkered down and got to work. “I’m proud of my team and how they embraced caution and safety,” Addison says. “We were all on the same page from the outset, which made it much easier to devise a reopening plan. Like most major disruptions in life, we’ve been adapting and shifting our plans as new information comes out. “So, how has it been? Like riding a roller coaster. With a mask on,” he laughs. Addison keeps a clear head about his roles as stylist, business owner, community member and supporter of social justice. He let us in on bringing his thinking and his shops into the next phase of Atlanta 2020. What does the “new normal” look like at Helmet? We work in socially distant shifts, team A and team B,
High
INTENTION Helmet emerges from
lockdown with new look and outlook
so that if we need to contact trace, it’ll be much easier.
Anything else?
Clients must wait outside or in their car until their
We are living in a time in which discomfort is a learning tool. So many shortcomings are being revealed and exposed in a way that is impossible to ignore. So what will we do with these lessons? Will we learn or figure out creative ways to sweep them under the carpet? I’m trying every day to find meaning and a path while running a gauntlet we all helped create, through denial, ignorance or privilege.
stylist is ready for them; they must enter wearing masks and allow us to take their temperature, as well as cashless forms of payment and gratuity. We sanitize our stations between clients and wear hospital scrubs or smocks that are easily changed and laundered several times per day. What have the reactions to the changes been like? Our clients have been amazing and very supportive. They understand that close proximity can lead to personal risk, and they have really respected our rules and guidelines to keep them and our team safe. We know that, over time, more and more will feel comfortable returning and look forward to welcoming them when they are ready.
More than ever, high intention plays the biggest role in how we represent ourselves and serve our community. As the saying goes: Integrity isn’t just a value; it’s the value on which all other values rely. Helmet Hairworx is at 970 Piedmont Ave., near 10th Street, 404-815-1629, and at 1186 North Highland Ave. in Virgina-Highland at Amsterdam Ave., 404-249-9133. Visit helmethairworx.com. theQatl.com 15
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Q Atlus Map
11 6
Virginia Ave. NE
2 9th St. NE
12 7
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Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
Bars
Restaurants North Ave. NW
North Ave. NW
Clubs Retail/Services
Not Shown
1. Amsterdam Cafe 502 Amsterdam Ave. NE
8. Flex 76 4th St NW
2. Blakes on the Park 227 10th St. NE
9. Henry’s Midtown Tavern 132 10th St NE
Mary’s 1287 Glenwood Ave SE
10. Joe’s on Juniper Ralph McGill Blvd. NE 1049 Juniper St NE
Sister Louisa’s 466 Edgewood Ave SE
4. Friends on Ponce 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 5. My Sister’s Room 84 12th St
11. Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina 187 10th St NE Highland Ave. NE
6. X Midtown 990 Piedmont Ave. NE
12. Barking Leather After Dark 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE (inside Eagle)
7. Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
13. Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE
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Future (Opens July 3) 50 Lower Alabama St SW, Suite 180 Glen Iris Dr. NE
3. Bulldogs Bar 893 Peachtree St NE
4
The T 465 Boulevard SE Swinging Richards 1400 Northside Dr NW Lips Drag Show Palace 3011 Buford Highway NE Lost ’n Found Youth Thift Store 2585 Chantilly Dr NE
Ponce De Leon Pl. NE
St. Charles Ave.
Ponce De Leon Pl. NE
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Charles Allen Dr. NE
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Piedmont Park
Piedmont Ave.
Spring St. NW
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85
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75
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8th St. NE
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Bars Restaurants Clubs Retail/Services
Cheshire Bridge Road 18. The Heretic 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
24. Gravity Fitness 2201 Faulkner Rd NE
15. Tripp’s Bar 1931 Piedmont Circle NE
19. Las Margaritas 1842 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
25. Southern Nights 2205 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
16. Woof’s Sports Bar 494 Plasters Ave NE
20. Roxx Tavern 1824 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
26. Tokyo Valentino (Cheshire Bridge) 1739 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
17. BJ Rooster’s 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
23. 2Qute Hair Salon 1927 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
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31. Barking Leather 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
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30. Oscar’s 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
32. Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE
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27. Felix’s on the Square 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
29. Midtown Moon 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
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14. Sequel Bar 1086 Alco St. NE
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33. Brushstrokes 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Bars Restaurants Clubs Retail/Services
theQatl.com 19
Q Atlus Map Directory The businesses on the preceding pages are integral parts of Atlanta’s LGBTQ landscape. Those listed in boxes are consistent Q partners and community allies. BARS, CLUBS & RESTAURANTS Amsterdam Cafe 502 Amsterdam Ave. NE Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE BJ Roosters 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Blakes on the Park 227 10th St. NE Bulldogs Bar 893 Peachtree St NE Felix’s on the Square 1510 Piedmont Ave NE Friends on Ponce 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE Future 50 Lower Alabama St SW, Suite 180 Henry’s Midtown Tavern 132 10th St NE The Heretic 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road NE The Hideaway 1544 Piedmont Ave NE Joe’s on Juniper 1049 Juniper St NE Las Margaritas 1842 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Lips Drag Show Palace 3011 Buford Highway NE Mama’s Cocina 1958 Piedmont Road NE Mary’s 1287 Glenwood Ave SE Midtown Moon 1510 Piedmont Ave NE My Sister’s Room 84 12th St Oscar’s 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
20 theQatl.com
Roxx Tavern 1824 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
Sequel Bar 1086 Alco St. NE Sister Louisa’s 466 Edgewood Ave SE Swinging Richards 1400 Northside Dr NW The T 465 Boulevard SE Tripp’s Bar 1931 Piedmont Circle NE Woof’s Sports Bar 494 Plasters Ave NE X Midtown 990 Piedmont Ave. NE Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina 187 10th St NE
RETAIL & SERVICES 2Qute Hair Salon 1927 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Barking Leather 1510 Piedmont Ave NE Barking Leather After Dark 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE (inside Atlanta Eagle) Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE Brushstrokes 1510 Piedmont Ave NE Lost ’n Found Youth Thrift Store 2585 Chantilly Dr NE Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE
ADULT Flex 76 4th St NW Southern Nights 2205 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Starship Galaxy/Starship Novelties 2273 Cheshire Bridge Road NE Tokyo Valentino 1739 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
PALS supports people in Atlanta who are elderly or who are living with or disabled due to a critical illness. We provide pet food and basic veterinary care for the pets of our clients, which enables them to keep their pets. You can support PALS by:
• Attending our monthly Drag •
• •
Queen Bingo fundraisers. Making PALS the beneficiary. of your Amazon Smile, Kroger Plus or Chewy.com accounts. Making a donation online. To learn more about PALS or to donate visit:
www.palsatlanta.org
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THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Q Events
Atlanta Pride BLM Vigil Honor black and trans victims of police violence with a socially distant program sponsored by Atlanta Pride @ TBA. Save the date. atlantapride.org Under the Udala Trees ATL LGBTQ Book Club discusses this this title by Chinelo Okparanta, and Decatur illustrator Noah Grigni also reads from their children’s book It Feels Good to Be Yourself. Charis Books & More hosts online @ Zoom, 10 a.m. charisbooksandmore.com
SATURDAY, JUNE 27 one in two Out Front Theatre and Out of Hand Theater host a live virtual reading of this lowercase play with uppercase punch about HIV and black gay men with a talkback after the play @ Zoom, 8 p.m. outofhandtheater.com, outfronttheatre.com Karaoke, Comedy, Drag & DJs Live! Atlanta’s lesbian nightspot takes their reopening responsibilities seriously, and their commitment to stage shows and dance parties just as much @ My Sister’s Room, every Wednesday through Sunday night. mysistersroom.com
Virtual Stonewall Film Festival In celebration of Stonewall Month, Out on Film screens a classic or sure-to-be movies like Unsettled (photo) with post-screening discussions each Thursday through July 2 @ Eventive, 7 p.m. outonfilm.org Motoqueers Pride Panel Members of Dykes on Bikes, Fat Boom Girlz Atlanta and Atlanta Female Riders join queer motorcycle enthusiasts from across the country in an online discussion @ Zoom, 7 p.m. facebook.com/ dykesonbikesatl
FRIDAY, JUNE 26 Q Conversations This week’s online meeting between the community and newsmakers discusses police reform with LGBTQ dignitaries in Atlanta @ Crowdcast, 12 noon. theQatl.com Eagle Nights The leather and levis you miss have missed you too. City regs and socially responsible partying commences seven nights a week @ Atlanta Eagle, 8 p.m. atlantaeagle.com 24 theQatl.com
DJ Joe Gauthreaux He’s a gay circuit icon, and this place is practically his second home. Make moves @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com Twisted Dee Martello Cross the parking lot from Heretic to keep the party going until sunrise @ Xion Afterhours, 3 a.m. – 7 a.m. facebook.com/xionatlanta
SUNDAY, JUNE 28 Sunday Funday Two words that just feel good together are the calling card for LGBTQ venues with extra motivation for Stonewall Sunday. In Midtown, check out Sunday Funday-branded programming at The Hideaway, My Sister’s Room, Midtown Moon, Blake’s and X Midtown, 4 p.m. theQatl.com
MONDAY, JUNE 29 Love, Creekwood Charis hosts a “Simonverse Novella Celebration” with Love, Simon author Becky Albertalli and actor Clark Moore, who played Ethan in the movie. Online @ crowdcast, 7:30 p.m. charisbooksandmore.com
SUNDAY FUNDAY AT TEN
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY LAURA BACCUS
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Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY LAURA BACCUS
26 theQatl.com
MY SISTER’S ROOM REOPENING
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
GA BOY TEA DANCE AT DISTRICT
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY LAURA BACCUS
theQatl.com 27
MARCH FOR BLACK TRANS JUSTICE
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY MATT HENNIE
theQatl.com 29
Q Advice
Stepping IN My friend’s boyfriend did blackface
Q
My friend has a history of bad decisions, and I admit up front that parenting him is my go-to move. Recently, he mysteriously started dating someone and became Facebook official out of the blue.
Dear Judy: You are being a friend, indeed. Try being a friend in deed. There are times that I would suggest you not take on roles like therapist for which you’re not qualified or babysitter for which you don’t have the time. This is not one of those times. It’s time to step in, and not lightly. Your friend needs to see that desperation for love and affection may have blocked his view.
I’m very critical of the company my friend keeps, because in the past he’s had a hard time judging people and trusting his instincts. With evidence from his history, I’m afraid they’re doing meth, and that this romance will damage my fragile friend. He truly cannot withstand another emotional crisis. When he posted a new pic of himself with the dude, I seized an opportunity: “I see you are dating someone. That explains why you’ve been so out of touch.” His response was, “I literally just met him Thursday. It’s gotten intense really fast.” So with no other details, I did what any good Judy would do: Google the fuck out of this new guy. I found the usual stuff: disappointing educational background, slapdash work history and most disturbingly, a photograph from more than a decade ago of himself in blackface with “2Pac” and “thug life,” scrawled on his chest with eyeliner. Do I bring up the blackface situation, knowing that it might come off as my usual judgment, or do I let it slide and let the rage seethe within me? Blackface 12 years ago isn’t the most shocking thing I’ve ever seen. I mean, I knew better 12 years ago, but this is Georgia, and slow people can be, well, slow. But it’s 2020. How tone deaf must one be to keep that photo posted? 30 theQatl.com
You said it: It’s 2020, and this is Georgia. Atlanta is literally ablaze with messages that racist systems and attitudes of the past need to be abolished. If this photo is easily accessible by anyone who looks, you need to point it out to your friend and vocalize repeatedly if necessary that this is not OK. And I don’t mean just black face, though for the record, black face is never, ever, under any circumstances, for any reason, an OK thing to do. Not in tribute. Not as a joke. Never. What about… Nope! Never. It’s also not OK to let a friend with substance abuse history spiral back into it unchecked. Say something. You are still not his parent or his counselor, but there’ll be time to get him to somebody for the long haul later. Q Advice is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling. Send your burning Qs to mike@theQatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON