July 9, 2020
Sexy
AF
10 Things that Make You Truly Hot this Summer
Gays, Gifts, Gambits & Growing 2020 Retail Being Proud with No Atlanta Pride Rainbows Over Midtown For Stonewall Weekend
I take Pride in helping everyone.
Jesse Watts, RealtorÂŽ
M: 678-237-5310 | O: 404-604-3100 | jwatts5310@gmail.com jessewatts.kw.com | c @jessewattsrealtor Licensed in Georgia. Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is a real estate franchise company. Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated. Keller Williams Realty, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and supports the Fair Housing Act.
4 theQatl.com
Sexy DOES
MADE YA LOOK! Even as we offer eye candy to get attention, our Q ATLus cover story bets that every queer in Atlanta’s LGBTQ village realizes in advance that sexy is and always has been more than skin deep.
So yes, sexy is as sexy does. Flip to 10 things about you that are hotter and less fleeting than perfect abs this summer, and note that two of them are knowledge and smarts. That’s where the rest of this week’s issue comes in. Start with a Q Voices perspective on the nonbinary trans scale from writer Heather Maloney, then keep it going with Q News you can use. It’s been a busy week in Atlanta for items of queer interest, and we have coverage of Atlanta Pride’s festival and parade cancellation, as well as the other big fall events hanging in the balance due to rapidly growing threats from coronavirus. We also catch up with business owners navigating the COVID-era frontier, including those that closed under infection scares and those that now require masks to enter. One of the latter is Mark Jackson at Brushstrokes. Q Business interviews him about doubling down on faith in the community to stay afloat. As always, this issue has the Q map and calendar and Q Shots from recent events, namely the Stonewall Weekend march for black trans lives. Q Advice closes us out with a look at such demonstrations and the difference between “violence” and “property damage.” We hope you add to your sexy with these conversations, join us online every Friday for a new topic, and find more coverage of both on Project Q Atlanta at theQatl.com. Write mike@theQatl.com with your feedback.
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 2 1
J U LY 9 , 2 0 2 0
PRIDE INSIDE
Festival and Parade Canceled
10 COVER
14
Hot Summer Sexy Below Skin Deep
28
Q NEWS
18
Police Blotter
LGBTQs on Police Reform Q BUSINESS
22 Q Voices.......................... 9 Q Events....................... 20 Q Map.......................... 24 Q Advice....................... 30 6 theQatl.com
Gift Shop
Brushstrokes Masks Up for Safety
30 Q SHOTS
Pride March Stonewall Rally for Black Trans Lives
Community means everything. Cleo Meyer, Agent 1776 Peachtree St NE Atlanta, GA 30309 Bus: 404-817-0960 cleo@cleomeyer.com
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8 theQatl.com
Q VOICES
Gender
SPECTRUM
Personal standards are paramount once you’re outside the ‘expected’
NO MATTER HOW HARD WE TRY, nobody’s gender expression is going to please everyone. If we tread too far away from the traditional “norm,” we’re perceived as seeking attention or just downright weird. If we stay too close to traditional norms for male and female, then wee continue the cycle of restrictive gender roles. It’s hard to find that elusive balance that will somehow please most people around us, and thankfully through the years many have shrugged off the fears of what people might think in favor of being comfortable with themselves and who they are. Their examples make it easier for each new generation.
While society needs to catch up to accepting them, we each must value our own standards above those of the outside world. Personally, I’ll usually wear a t-shirt and jeans, generally being a tomboy. Even before I transitioned, I would imagine myself as a tomboy because that’s just how I’m comfortable perceiving myself. I might put on a dress if I feel like it, but I hear all the time that I or someone I know should do more to present “female,” as if there’s a right and wrong way to do so. These commenters wouldn’t say the same to a cis woman, and that’s usually because these “good Samaritans” want to “help” trans women. Occasionally, the woman in question might be too afraid to express herself openly on her own, but most of the time, it just comes off as invalidating to tell a trans woman, damaging her sense of self-worth because she hasn’t “taken that extra step” to express herself a certain way. It should be obvious, but being a woman isn’t solely about outwardly expressing traditional feminine traits. Gender expression is a separate entity from our gender identity, and anyone, regardless if they’re male, female, or non-binary, can express traditionally feminine or masculine traits without somehow muting their gender identity.
H E AT H E R MALONEY
Sometimes how that manifests can be as simple as presenting a little more masculine or feminine than is “expected.” Sometimes it can mean throwing traditional gender roles out the window and into a raging inferno fueled by the demise of “tradition.” Other times, it means an entire physical transition. In those cases, it’s not just the expression part, but rather the gender we’ve been assigned as a whole. Many trans men and women struggle just to exhibit traits we were told not to have while growing up, and while some feel strongly about having the gender expression that traditionally lines up with the gender they identify as, others either grow accustomed to the way they’ve known (regardless of gender) and don’t need to change their expression, or they identify strongly as a masc woman or femme man. All of those realities and presentations are valid.
Our gender isn’t the sum of our traits, but rather a point along a spectrum that we most identify with — on the most personal level imaginable. Everyone should live freely and explore themselves, and everyone should allow others to explore themselves. The more restrictions we place on others, the worse we make it for everyone, ourselves included, to live a life of personal truth. Heather Maloney is a writer, editor, and creative thinker from Atlanta with a vested interest in gender and sexuality. Read her full column at theQatl.com. PHOTO BY ROBIN RAYNE NELSON/ZUMA
theQatl.com 9
10 THINGS
10 theQatl.com
So
HOT
10 things that really make you truly sexy Balance
Interpersonal Skills
Moderation: It’s not just for alcohol anymore. Manage all aspects of life without over-doing it — work, play, fitness, activities for selfimprovement.
An ability to build personal relationships is more valuable than an ability to snag a person’s temporary attention over an app.
Humor Me Show us a traditionally unattractive person who makes us laugh, and we’ll show you the hottest queer in the room.
Love your imperfect body. Confidence in what you’re working with is more appealing than perfect abs on a person who can’t pass a mirror without stopping.
Get a Life
Up with People
Know your skills, make a plan for the future and execute it. Lasts longer than a flash of visual stimulation.
Kindness to yourself and others is sexy. Don’t compare yourself to others, positively or negatively.
Genuine Article
Diverse Portfolio
Happy all the time or constantly put out are constructs to hide your true self. Sexy is the honesty to show the complex person underneath the outer shell.
Take a stand. Spend time thinking about what’s important. Be about something.
Comfortable in Your Skin
Dependence vs. Independence
Smarty Pants
Be neither too codependent nor constantly trying to prove you don’t need anybody. Have it together, but know when to ask for help. Vulnerability, not helplessness, is sexy.
The cliché that the brain is the biggest sex organ is true, so if stereotypes come from somewhere, let yours come from a humble show of intelligence.
theQatl.com 11
IN BRIEF
Kemp signs historic LGBTQ-inclusive hate crimes law GOV. BRIAN KEMP SIGNED A HATE CRIMES BILL into law on June 26, ending a 16-year drought that had left Georgia as one of only four states in the country without such a measure.
Black Gay Pride 2019
LGBTQ Atlanta’s signature events in limbo WHILE YOU SOAK IN THE NEWS IN this issue about Atlanta Pride canceling its festival and parade (page 18), the coronavirus pandemic has also put other large LGBTQ Atlanta events this fall in a holding pattern. Oganizers of Black Gay Pride, AIDS Walk Atlanta and Out on Film say they are wary about increasing infection rates and waiting on event permits to be reinstated. Black Gay Pride is fast approaching on Labor Day Weekend. In The Life Atlanta usually holds panel discussions, fashions shows, comedy shows, a health expo and a film festival during the annual celebration. That will all look much different this year, according to ITLA President Rickie Smith. “It looks like it will be more of a virtual Pride than anything,” Smith told Project Q Atlanta. As just one facet of a usually packed five-day schedule, the Pure Heat Community Festival attracts thousands to Piedmont Park every Black Gay Pride weekend. The pandemic also put what would be the 30th Annual AIDS Walk Atlanta in jeopardy, as well as Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival Out on Film. “Obviously, we hope that there can be some live components, but that’s just something we’ll have to wait and see over the next couple months,” said Jim Farmer, director of Out on Film. “For us, a best-case scenario would be maybe a half dozen or dozen live screenings, maybe some drive-in performances as well and the rest would be online.” 12 theQatl.com
The historic measure — which lawmakers passed on June 23 after 15 months of wrangling over it – also marks the first time in Georgia history that the state has extended protections to LGBTQ people. Kemp said the Feb. 23 killing of Ahmaud Arbery near Brunswick pushed lawmakers to take action on the bill. “We witnessed a horrific hate-filled act of violence. We saw injustice with our own eyes. Georgians protested and demanded action, and state lawmakers rose to the occasion,” Kemp said. “Today we stand together as Republicans and Democrats, black and white, male and female, from rural, urban and suburban communities, to affirm a simple but powerful motto: Georgia is a state too great to hate,” he added.
Virus scare causes popular LGBTQ venues to close — again CORONAVIRUS SCARE PROMPTED A TRIO OF popular LGBTQ spots — Heretic, Blake’s on the Park and Joe’s on Juniper — to close for a time, while other nightlife venues are revisiting whether to require patrons to wear face coverings. The closures further complicate a fraught summer for LGBTQ owners of businesses, which were closed for weeks when the coronavirus pandemic reached Georgia. As they slowly reopened, they faced the challenge of convincing customers and employees it was safe to return. Heretic closed on June 27 after two patrons who attended a dance party on June 20 later tested positive for COVID-19. Two days later, Joe’s closed after one employee tested positive. Blake’s posted a sign to its doors on June 26 and confirmed with a social media announcement that the bar had closed. “This is, frankly, a very confusing and difficult time for nightlife for customers and business owners alike,” said Alan Collins of Heretic. Project Q Atlanta news briefs by Matt Hennie. Find the best local news of LGBTQ interest at theQatl.com.
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:
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www.palsatlanta.org
NEWS
Cop
TALK
LGBTQ leaders talk Atlanta police reform By Patrick Saunders
THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE shooting death of Rayshard Brooks by Atlanta police rests with Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Atlanta City Council members, according to Council member Antonio Brown. Brown, the council’s only LGBTQ member and an organizer of recent racial justice protests, said blame for the June 12 incident shouldn’t be placed solely on police Chief Erika Shields. The killing of Brooks led to the resignation of Shields, the department’s first LGBTQ leader. “Rayshard Brooks’ death is on all of our hands, not just Chief Shields. The mayor’s 14 theQatl.com
PHOTO BY MATT HENNIE
responsible, councilmembers are responsible,” Brown told Project Q Atlanta. “We all have to take accountability for our lack of action that has gotten us to this place where we’ve lost a life, and continuous lives.” The comments came during the June 26 episode of Q Conversations on reforming the Atlanta Police Department. The episode included Brown, Eagle 8 attorney Dan Grossman and Xochitl Bervera, director of the Racial Justice Action Center. There’s been mixed messaging about defunding the police, according to Brown, who said he sees defunding as “more as a reimagining of public safety, looking at how we can reallocate part of the police budget into restructuring how we see public safety in Atlanta,” he said. Police reform should involve changing the
city’s public safety system entirely, Bervera said during the event. “To rethink the way that we keep communities and people well and safe from harm. Policing in Atlanta has failed us in that,” she said. “For some people, the killing of Mr. Rayshard Brooks may seem like a new problem in the department, and it is not.” Over-policing has made some Atlanta neighborhoods look like “occupied territories,” and police are being asked to do too many things, Bervera added. “Why do we have our police department address social issues such as homelessness, mental health issues, substance use disorders?” she said. “We have deployed our police department to do jobs that should be being done by a public health and community wellness system.”
regarding body-worn cameras, create a way for citizens to submit video footage of use of force by officers, and to extend the powers of the Atlanta Citizen Review Board. But these reforms address what to do after a police shooting incident, according to Bervera. “That to me is unconscionable,” she said. “I think we should be making reforms that prevent the killing of any of our community members.” Part of that reform should involve how police are trained, according to Grossman.
Grossman agreed that police reform is long overdue.
“We have trained Atlanta police officers to have an instinctive muscle memory reaction that if someone who has some kind of a weapon who is running away from them and then suddenly turns and faces them and presents a threat, they have fired their weapon hundreds of times in training,” he said. “They are doing not what they choose to do or decide to do, they are doing what we told them to do.”
“We have ducked this issue. We have abdicated our responsibility as a society, not just Atlanta,” he said. “Our public leaders have been too cowardly to recognize some truths and make some very, very hard decisions.”
Most of the incidents that led to violent outcomes began when police intervened regarding low-level offenses, according to Bervera. Brooks was asleep in his car at a Wendy’s drive-through when police were called.
But Grossman also said that it’s not the Atlanta Police Department that’s pushed back against reform.
“They are arresting people for jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk and possession of marijuana, and when you have that, what you have are targeted communities — poor communities, black and brown communities, queer and trans communities,” Bervera said. “The most vulnerable in our communities become targeted by that kind of policing, and then with the kind of violence that we’ve seen happen.”
“It’s the city law department and it was Kasim Reed and now Keisha Lance Bottoms,” he said. Grossman was a key figure in suing Atlanta police on behalf of people arrested in the raid of the Atlanta Eagle in 2009. Bottoms created a Use of Force Advisory Council in June that led her to issue orders that would improve officer compliance
The best place for more local LGBTQ news is on Project Q Atlanta at theQatl.com. theQatl.com 15
PRIDE
PROUD
(but No Pride)
Atlanta Pride nixes 2020 outdoor festival and parade By Matt Hennie
LGBTQ ATLANTA’S BIGGEST EVENT of the year – the Atlanta Pride festival in Piedmont Park and parade through Midtown in early October – has been canceled. The coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to take the celebration online. The festival is the latest victim of the pandemic, which has forced events to be called off, closed businesses and stunted LGBTQ nightlife venues. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Atlanta Pride. The Atlanta Pride Committee announced the shift to a virtual event on Wednesday. “We regret to announce that we will not be able to hold the 2020 Pride Festival in person, due to the ongoing pandemic,” Jamie Fergerson, executive director of the Atlanta Pride Committee, said in a press release. “The health and wellbeing of our community is always our top priority, especially for the most marginalized in our community including queer and transgender folks who we know are less likely to have access to safe and competent primary care, LGBT elders, those living with HIV, cancer or im18 theQatl.com
munodeficiencies who are at increased risk. This was the main factor in our decision,” Fergerson said. In March, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms put in place a moratorium on the city accepting permit applications for outdoor events, which Pride needs to host the annual event each October in Piedmont Park. The moratorium can be lifted at any time, but Gov. Brian Kemp this week extended a ban on public gatherings of more than 50 people if social distancing guidelines can’t be met. The permit process, as well as the pandemic’s expected impact on sponsorships and fundraising, were concerns Fergerson cited as early as May. Even then, she said the decision to host the outdoor event would be based on “health interests.” Last week, Fergerson told Project Q Atlanta that Pride organizers were still tentatively planning for the 50th anniversary to be held Oct. 10-11. Organizers of other LGBTQ events in the fall – including Black Gay Pride, Out on Film and the 30th Annual AIDS Walk Atlanta – said last week they are in a holding pattern. Besides the festival and parade, Pride weekend usually includes a vibrant nightlife scene that includes packed bars and large
dances. It’s unclear whether party promoters will still host a version of their events and how LGBTQ bars – facing their own problems with coronavirus – will react with the outdoor festival and parade being called off. Atlanta Pride said Wednesday they are planning for the organization’s first-ever virtual Pride celebration but did not release details of the online event. “By moving the Atlanta Pride Festival online, we will ensure that LGBTQ+ people can still experience the joy and togetherness of our 50th Annual Pride Festival, and we hope to welcome new people to take part wherever they are,” Fergerson said.
The cancellation of the outdoor festival and parade is the largest change to Atlanta Pride since 2008. That’s when the City of Atlanta, facing a drought, closed Piedmont Park to large-scale events. That forced Atlanta Pride to move from the park to Central Park and the Atlanta Civic Center. The event also moved from its traditional date of late June to early July. The changes to the festival resulted in smaller crowds and financial losses of more than $160,000 for Atlanta Pride. In 2009, the event returned to the park but shifted to October. theQatl.com 19
Q Events
The Best LGBTQ Things to Do in Atlanta This Week
Bernadette Peters Stream the stage legend’s 2009 Broadway Cares concert, plus a bonus conversation with Michael Urie. Free for everyone, or paid VIP with Peters live benefiting Equity Fights AIDS @ Facebook Live, 8 p.m. broadwaycares.org/bernadette
THURSDAY, JULY 9
SATURDAY, JULY 11 Brandy Colbert The Stonewall Award-winning author celebrates her new YA novel The Voting Booth with the lesbian-feminist hub Charis @ Crowdcast.io, 7:30 p.m. charisbooksandmore.com
SUNDAY, JULY 12
Lips Grand Reopening Atlanta’s place for “The Ultimate in Drag Dining” is back in business with the Ladies of Lips on stage, plus digital menus and no-contact tipping all weekend @ Lips, 7 p.m. Reserve by phone 404-315-7711. lipsatl.com
Sunday Funday Mask up, then head down to the corner of Gay St. & Lesbian Ave. for an afternoon that closes out your weekend @ X Midtown and My Sister’s Room, 4 p.m. xmidtown.com, mysistersroom.com
ALL MONTH
Out Georgia Ambassador Training Learn to represent and better inform the state’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce @ Fill out an interest form in advance, then join online @ outgeorgia.com, 12 noon.
FRIDAY, JULY 10 Happy Hour & Queer Bait Mary’s sells entry in limited shifts, and continues its virtual parties online for those staying home. Get in on early and late events @ Mary’s & Twitch.tv, 6 p.m. marysatlanta.com 20 theQatl.com
Visible: Out on Television is the five-part history of LGBTQ representation on television that you don’t want to miss, now on Apple TV+. The heartwarming movie A Kid Like Jake is back, this time on Hulu through the end of July.
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theQatl.com 21
BUSINESS
Bearing Brushstrokes bets on gay retail in mask for mask fight against coronavirus By Patrick Saunders THERE’S NO STATEWIDE RULE DEMANDING THAT facemasks be worn at commercial businesses, but one LGBTQ Atlanta gift shop is playing it safe by instituting its own mask requirement: Midtown mainstay Brushstrokes. And customers are largely abiding by the rule, according to owner Mark Jackson. “Overwhelmingly, the customers have been fantastic,” Jackson said. “Most of my customers really take this seriously. It’s nice when you can be proud of our community, and overwhelmingly I’m proud of our community.”
PHOTO BY RICHARD CHERSKOV
There have been the occasional outliers though.
22 theQatl.com
“People have threatened us, we’ve been cussed out, we’ve had things thrown at us because people do not think we have a right to ask them to wear a mask,” Jackson said. “But it’s so few and far between.” The Ansley Square store for in-store and online adult toys and LGBTQ-oriented clothing and gifts reopened the storefront in May after a five-week shutdown due to the pandemic. Jackson instituted a number of precautions to create a safe environment for customers and staff. Employees wear masks and gloves, plexiglass was installed in front
“It’s nice when you can be proud of our community, and overwhelmingly I’m proud of our community.” – Mark Jackson of the registers, hand sanitizer was put out around the store, and employees are constantly cleaning. “My employees have been fantastic,” Jackson said. “I’ve never seen them clean so hard and be so diligent.” Jackson said he’ll “take every precaution possible” to keep his customers safe. “Our customers are family,” he said. “I’ve known some of these people since they were 18, and now they’re in their 40s, so you worry about family naturally.” Business has been slow since the reopening, but it’s picking back up. “A lot of our customers are unemployed,” Jackson said. “They don’t have money to spend.” Many of Brushstrokes’ vendors also shut down temporarily, which caused a product shortage. “Some product is very difficult to get in right now, which can frustrate customers,” Jackson said. “We’re still getting in orders that were supposed to be in for March. It’s kind of a balance of trying to make sure if we have to shut down again that we don’t go under financially. At the same time, we have to have product available.” Jackson is “extremely concerned” about the rising infection rates and a possible second shutdown. In the meantime, he’s finding new reasons to value his customers as everyone endures the pandemic together. “We’re grateful for people that are supporting us and grateful that they understand that we are out of things,” he said. “I’ve been in business 31 years, and it’s still nice to see that people do trust that we’ll do the best we can for them. I just turned 62, so I’ve had this business half my life, and that’s such a cool thing to be able to say.” This story is made possible through a grant from Facebook Journalism Project’s COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund. PHOTOS BY MATT HENNIE EXCEPT WHERE NOTED
theQatl.com 23
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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
24 theQatl.com
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.
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9. Gravity Fitness 2201 Faulkner Rd NE
2. Tripp’s Bar 1931 Piedmont Circle NE
6. Las Margaritas 1842 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
10. Southern Nights 2205 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
3. Woof’s Sports Bar 494 Plasters Ave NE
7. Roxx Tavern 1824 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
11. Tokyo Valentino (Cheshire Bridge) 1739 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
4. BJ Rooster’s 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
8. 2Qute Hair Salon 1927 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
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1. Felix’s on the Square 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
3. Midtown Moon 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
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7. Brushstrokes 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 8. Equilibrium Fitness 1529 Piedmont Ave NE
theQatl.com 25
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
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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 Equilibrium Fitness 1529 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
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY MATT HENNIE
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BEAUTY IN COLORS PRIDE MARCH & RALLY
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
BEAUTY IN COLORS PRIDE MARCH & RALLY
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY MATT HENNIE
theQatl.com 29
Q Advice
Right to
RIOT
There’s no ‘but’ in Black Lives Matter
Q
I keep running into resistance when I say police mistreatment of black people is upsetting, but that riots are wrong and have to stop. People don’t seem to get me that you can be pro-Black Lives Matter and pro-the majority of police who serve and protect.
“Violence can be an extreme form of personal aggression, such as assault, rape or murder. Emotional abuse can also be considered violence: withholding of resources, verbal abuse, threats to wellbeing.” The definition goes on to say that certain circumstances can facilitate violence: hot weather, frustration, long-held patterns of insult and degradation, mistrust. It’s easy to see all of these forms of violence and circumstances at play in this era of unrest. Ask yourself if you’re more worried about street fires and loud crowds, or more ready to do something about systemic violence to quell the righteous riots?
I have never held someone’s race for or against them. What can I say to people when they act like I have two heads in response to my belief that violence is a step too far and solve nothing? Dear Two-Headed: The issue with what you’re saying lies within what you’re thinking. The good news is that you are just a few word choices and thought processes away from being anti-racist instead of non-racist. You’re far from alone, and what may set you ahead of the curve is your willingness to ask the question and hear the answer. Let’s flip one of your statements and see if you hear the difference: You said that you think “police mistreatment of black people is upsetting, but that riots are wrong and have to stop.” What if we said, “Riots are upsetting, but police mistreatment of black people is wrong and has to stop.” One prioritizes the response, and the other prioritizes what caused it. Put another way, there should be no “but” in Black Lives Matter. While you mull that over, the second thing you can consider is your definition of violence. I would say looted storefronts and shattered car windows are property damage, not violence. I’ll share the American Psychological Associations official definition of “violence,” and it centers on human loss. 30 theQatl.com
As for demonstrations solving nothing, the vast majority of protests for racial justice have been peaceful, and all of them draw attention and create discussion where it has languished unaddressed for far too long. In the same way, looking at our own words can help guide internal dialogue. Prioritizing the problem instead of the response, and trying to empathize with what actual violence is and feels like, are great places to start. Q Advice is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling. Send your burning Qs to mike@theQatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON