Q ATLus Magazine | August 13, 2020

August July 13, 23, 2020 July 16, 2020

Snaps Q’s Favorite Portraits,

Part 2: Femme

Going All in On You When In Lockdown Et tu, Gays? Embracing Our Nonbinary Siblings Exposing COVID’s LGBTQ Inequities

Divine INSPO OUR BEST-OF PORTRAIT SERIES continues in this issue with the

femme side of the coin to last week’s masc side. Find lesbians, nonbinary folks and drag queens channeling their most luscious selves for your inspiration in a few of our favorite portraits by Jon Dean and James L. Hicks.

Speaking of gender role inspo, Q Voices kicks off coverage this week with the nonbinary journey of Bentley Hudgins. You might know them by day in their role as an activist, or by night as drag performer SHI. The combination of those sides was liberating in more ways than one.

Liberation is also on the minds of LGBTQ people of color, and at least they’re getting their word out more these days. One of those truths is the disproportionate affect of most systems against them. That includes COVID risks and resources, and Q Community finds four local queer leaders to lay it out for us.

Inspiration and liberation can also be found in our weekly features. Q Events finds online and in-person stuff to do, and the Q Map shows you where to do it. Q Advice offers self-care tips for someone who doesn’t want to be found post-lockdown “huddled, unbathed with the remote clutched in one hand and a box of Valentine candy in the other.”

Devour this week’s issue, find more content daily at theQatl.com, and write in at mike@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 V O LU M E 3 I S S U E 2 6

AUGUST 13, 2020

THEY/THEM

Journey of Nonbinary Self-Discovery

13 COVER

8

Femenergy Q Community Portraits: Part 2

24

COMMUNITY

Color Story COVID’s Uneven Risk of Harm

Q Voices.............................. 8 Q News............................. 11 Q Events........................... 24 Q Map.............................. 26 Q Advice........................... 30 6 theQatl.com

11 30

Q EVENTS

Stay or Go

Live and virtual downtime options

VOICES Through the art of drag, I’ve been able to express

They,

parts of myself that have been tucked deep inside of me for years. There’s always been something inside

THEM

One Atlantan’s continuing journey to non-binary self-acceptance AS A NEWLY OUT NONBINARY QUEER

person, it’s been a little harder moving about in this new world than I had anticipated. It reminds me of the difficulties of standing firm in

of me that found power in the ether that lies above binary gender, and I’ve recently allowed myself to step into that power.

Still, I don’t think I was ready for the bullshit that I would encounter from every circle when I came out as non-binary. Even after reminding folks of my preferred pronouns (they/them), people still insist on always using he/him.

I find myself wiping off eyeshadow in the morning because I’m too worried about the negative attention I might get in the walk back to my car after the workday. The building I work in

my bisexuality in my college years,

has no gender-neutral bathrooms,

but it just feels different this time.

and I’ve yet to find a single-use

It was confusing for me now as it

restroom either.

was then. I knew I was attracted to more than just cisgender

So I hide behind a man-body

women, but the default for not

and present myself in a way that

being straight, as it is traditionally

makes it less dangerous to move

understood, was being gay. All I knew is that people’s parts weren’t as important as their humor, their

BENTLEY HUDGINS aka SHI

smile, or the way they liked my food when I cooked for them.

Close friends and family have jokingly referred to my process of stepping into my sexual orientation publicly as a “glass door closet case.” Even though I tried my hardest to hide it, it was pretty obvious to most that I wasn’t straight. However, the vast major-

about the world. I save up this energy for drag performances as “SHI” where my gender fluidity is

appreciated and celebrated.

I’m not the only one who feels and lives this way.

Countless trans folks and gender-nonconforming people hide the beauty inside of them, just to feel safer, but doing so chips away at the soul inside of us.

I don’t know what’s next for me in my journey. I

ity of people were set referring to me and thinking

want to celebrate every part of myself, but some-

of me as strictly gay.

times it isn’t safe for me to do so, and I don’t know

“Gay” and “straight” both feel equally as inappro-

if I’d survive another assault.

priate to me personally, and I’ve had many a conver-

Queer activist Bentley Hudgins performs as SHI.

sation with fellow bi folks who feel similarly.

Reach them at howisshitho@gmail.com.

8 theQatl.com

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.

10 theQatl.com

COMMUNITY

Lives at

STAKE

How coronavirus hits LGBTQ people of color hardest

By Patrick Saunders

LGBTQ PEOPLE OF COLOR ARE MORE likely than white LGBTQ people and the general population to have their work hours reduced, lose their jobs and ask for delays in paying bills due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study.

The findings, released by the Human Rights Campaign and the PSB Research Bureau, did not surprise four local LGBTQ leaders of color who discussed it with Project Q. State Rep. Renitta Shannon, a Democrat from Decatur, said it’s due to racial disparities in employment and health care.

“When you look at the fact that only one in five Black/Brown people on average have jobs that could transition to work from home, and that we are disproportionately represented in the uninsured population and overrepresented in the population of retail and minimum wage workers, it’s not hard to see how this would affect Black and Brown communities in disproportionately negative ways,” she told Project Q Atlanta.

A whopping 38 percent of LGBTQ people of color have had their work hours reduced due to the pandemic, compared to 29 percent of white LGBTQ people, according to the study. Some 22 percent of LGBTQ people of color lost their jobs due to the pandemic, compared to 14 percent of white LGBTQ people.

“Prioritizing these communities for support and outreach are essential to ensure equitable responses from government and philanthropy,” said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

The disparities can be seen in Atlanta, said Atlanta City Councilmember Antonio Brown.

“The reality is when we talk about ‘Black Lives Matter,’ there is a demographic of some of the most vulnerable Black lives which are the LGBTQ community, especially the community in which we have a prominent number of young people specifically in this city that are living below the poverty line,” he said.

Policies must be enacted to close these economic and racial disparities, according to Shannon.

“This is what has to happen, otherwise we will just continue to be vulnerable to pandemics destroying lives,” she said.

“Clear, measurable objectives” must be created to address the disparities, according to HIV activist and THRIVE SS co-founder Daniel Driffin.

“Until we really have equity built into the system, we will continue to not be shocked when these reports come out,” he said.

Read the full report, and more news and community PHOTO COURTESY GREG VAUGHAN stories of local LGBTQ interest, at theQatl.com theQatl.com 11

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COVER

High

FEMME Serving Femenergy in Q’s lifetime portrait gallery

By Mike Fleming

AS OUR “MASC” PORTRAITS IN

the series showed last week, collaboration is part and parcel of the Q family of publications. The people we count on are uncountable, but there are a few without whom we could not exist. 

Phoenix

By Jon Dean House of Brooks, 2018 theQatl.com 13

PORTRAITS continued

The photographers who help us tell the visual stories of LGBTQ Atlanta are among those contributors most critical to our brands.

From covers to photo essays, oneoff interviews to feature spreads, portraits by Jon Dean, James L. Hicks and Russ Bowen-Youngblood bring our pages to life almost every week.

In this week’s second part series, we look back at just a few of their stunning contributions.

Whether they are drag, trans or nonbinary, they all give us Queen Goddess Realness.

Adam Zee

By Jon Dean ‘Curvy Queers,’ 2018 (RIP Adam Zee, 2020) 14 theQatl.com

Molly Rimswell

By Jon Dean The Other Show, 2019 theQatl.com 15

PORTRAITS continued

Sawyer Cheimis

By James L. Hicks ‘Queer Magic,’ 2019 18 theQatl.com

PORTRAITS continued JayBella Banks

By Jon Dean ‘Faces of Pride’, 2019

20 theQatl.com

Jesse Pratt-Lรณpez

By Jon Dean National Coming Out Day, 2019 theQatl.com 21

PORTRAITS continued

Ursula Andress

By James L. Hicks ‘Queer Burlesque,’ 2019

22 theQatl.com

Stasha Sanchez

By James L. Hicks Stars of the Century, 2020 theQatl.com 23

Q Events

The Best LGBTQ Things to Do in Atlanta This Week FRIDAY, AUG. 14

August 13 – August 19 SUNDAY, AUG. 16 Oddball Virus Desiree Dik hosts an online drag show of oddities you won’t forget even if you try. Look for Dragula stars as well as Atlanta’s own up-and-coming king Perka Sexxx @ Vimeo, 9 p.m. instagram.com/desireedik69

TUESDAY, AUG. 18 Body Talk Charis hosts editor Kelly Jensen and several of her contributors discuss this book featuring “37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy” during an online event hosted @ Crowdcast, 8 p.m. charisbooksandmore.com The Other Show

ALL MONTH

Edie Cheezburger, Jaye Lishe and their cast take it online for their left-of-center show @ Twitch, 9 p.m. twitch.tv/theothershow Sisters Summertime The backyard and patio (only) are open again for women who love women in the open air @ My Sister’s Room, Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m. – 3 a.m. Pssst. They also sell gallon margs and taco bar kits for delivery or pickup. mysistersroom.com

FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY Forced He played Hedwig. Now he plays its creator.

Chad Darnell performs John Cameron Mitchell’s play about hosting Hedwig in Russia. Stream benefits Rainbow House, available Aug. 14-16. showtix4u.com 24 theQatl.com

Elena Undone is the true lesbian love story that you don’t want to miss. You can also catch the hilarious movie Gayby and trans child’s tale Just Charlie.

All three run on Hulu through August. Also this month, Jason Stuart and Mitch Hara’s quirky dysfunctional couple comedy Smothered lands on Amazon Prime, as well as the return of HBO’s Looking (photo) on Netflix and Prime.

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

on tA ve .N E dm Pi e

5

10

11th St. NE

9

10th St. NE

Amsterdam Ave.

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14th St. NE

12th St. NE

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Spring St. NW

Q Atlus Map

11 6

Virginia Ave. NE

2 9th St. NE

12 7

Key

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

26 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.

Ponce De Leon Pl. NE

r. NE roe D Mon

Charles Allen Dr. NE

NE

NE

Piedmont Park

Piedmont Ave.

Spring St. NW

8

3 Juniper St. NE

85

Peachtree St.

75

West Peachtree St. NE

8th St. NE

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Key

 Bars  Restaurants  Clubs  Retail/Services

Cheshire Bridge Road 5. The Heretic 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

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

nr Mo

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4. Oscar’s 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

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r. NE

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5. Barking Leather 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 6. Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE

D Monroe

Piedmont Park

1. Felix’s on the Square 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

3. Midtown Moon 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

8

6

Ansley Park 2. The Hideaway 1544 Piedmont Ave NE

E

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7

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Morningside Dr. NE

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Ave. NE

1. Sequel Bar 1086 Alco St. NE

Key

 Bars  Restaurants  Clubs  Retail/Services

7. Brushstrokes 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 8. Equilibrium Fitness 1529 Piedmont Ave NE

theQatl.com 27

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

28 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 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

theQatl.com 29

Q Advice

You Need

YOU

Self-care in the age of COVID

Q

I’m losing it. I did OK for a few months in quarantine, but now I’m falling apart. Lockdown was fun at first, a challenge after that, and well, now I need help.

At my age and with a complicating medical condition, I’ve basically been on COVID house arrest for six months. I walk, I Zoom and I cook, but even as some people find ways to justify getting out more recently, I don’t feel safe enough to join them.

Hell, at this point, I don’t feel sane enough to join them either. One of my creeping fears is that I will be too far gone by the time it’s safe to return to society.

Like, they’ll find my body huddled, unbathed with the remote clutched in one hand and a box of Valentine candy in the other.

What can I do while I wait for the all-clear?

Dear Quarantina: The struggle is real, so take heart that you are not alone. Therapists, gurus and liquor stores are working overtime to stem the tides of depression, loneliness and cabin fever.

Still, not being alone in the battle doesn’t solve your immediate problems. The American Psychological Association offers self-care tips and tricks, and we share them here with hopes all of us can just make it to 2021.

Prioritize. Pick one bite-size thing that matters most, and do it. If it’s to take a shower today, get that under your belt.

Pivot. When something is too hard, move on to something you can accomplish and reward yourself for getting it done.

Find a Routine and stick to it. Use it as a guide when you feel lost.

Create a Separate Workspace. Don’t binge shows and eat where you create and focus.

Exercise. Even if it’s light movement, do it not because you have to, but because you deserve it.

Check in. Reach out to colleagues and friends who also may be struggling. Helping them can help you.

Limit News Consumption. Set a time, place and parameters. This includes social media. Then stop.

It will be there tomorrow.

Practice Mindfulness and Relaxation. Purposely carve out time every day for meditation, prayer or centering.

Learn Something New. Engage the brain, and prep for a future when you can put your newfound knowledge and skills to use.

Cut Yourself Some Slack. Because you’re human, not a superhero. Expectations are yours alone, and they are within your power to adjust.

Q Advice is intended for entertainment, not professional counseling. Send your Qs to mike@theQatl.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON

30 theQatl.com