December July10, 23,2020 2020 July 16, 2020
Give
WAY
’Tis the Season (and Year) to Gift Differently
Phylle Carter Puts Out Call To ‘Love Out Loud’ Drag, DJs, Drinks, Heifers & Honeypots Cut the Cord on Your LGBTQ Mommy Issues
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GIVE & Get
THE WAY IN WHICH WE GIFT is only the latest aspect of LGBTQ life in Atlanta to change with the events and circumstances of 2020. Q ATLus is here to help give, receive and enjoy each other this season. Your shopping may be online this year, and you might not even deliver the presents in person. That’s OK. LGBTQ and allied retailers are still here for holiday shopping. 10 Queer Things picks out a few ideas that are much better than a big box or online shopping juggernaut. Maybe even closer to our hearts for seasonal giving are Atlanta’s corona-battered LGBTQ nonprofits. We profile 15 of our favorites in a year-end Giving Guide. To give to them is to karmically get in return, so consider their rough year if your resources are greater or pockets are deeper. Just in time for the holidays, local R&B crooner Phylle releases his new music and video project ‘Worthy’ this week in Q People. Looking further ahead, gay businessman Cale Hall of Creative Approach had to shut down shop but is already eyeing 2021 for a triumphant return in Q Community. There’s fresh local Q News for you as well. While you’re wrapping gifts and humming Christmas music, wrap yourself in Q Advice and Q Events. We hope both bring you a little holiday cheer. When you’re done, carry that feeling with you every day on our website at theQatl.com. You can always reach out if you need us on our socials or via 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 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 3
DECEMBER 10, 2020
GIVING GUIDE
LGBTQ-ATL Nonprofits
8 COVER
19
Holiday Shopping Buying Locally, Online
14
COMMUNITY
Try Again
Gay Business Closes, Hopes for 2021
11 PEOPLE
Mr. Carter
Singer Phylle Returns with ‘Worthy’ 10 Q Things.......... 8
Q ADVICE
Move On
Over 30 and Living with Your Mom 6 theQatl.com
30
Q Community..... 11 Q Giving............. 19 Q Events............. 24
Q
10 THINGS
For DELIVERY Shop Local Small Businesses Online for Gifts of the Heart Worthmore Jewelers John Varvatos Rings Sterling Silver $589 -$889 worthmorejewelers.com
City of Decatur Shops Gourmet Oils & Vinegars Splash of Olive Bottles from $13.50, Sets from $37 S splasholive.com
Brushstrokes Pleasures Tea Towels Cute Sayings $12 Graphic Tees From $21 facebook.com/brushstrokesatlanta
Lost N Found Thrift Store & Out of the Closet Looks For Less Pieces from $5
Gift Cards Dog Care (Diogi) Including Walking, Training & Daycare From $22 per session di-o-gi.com Car Care (Precision) Nothing Shows You Care, Like Full Auto Winterizing, $79 404-633-9493
8 theQatl.com
Funky Furniture From $25 outofthecloset.org and lnfy.org
Antiques & Beyond Antiques Decades to Centuries Years Old Furniture, Rugs, Art, China, Novelties, Accessories antiquesandbeyond.com
PHOTO BY McCALL STUDIO
Barking Leather
Leather Garmet Falls Floggers Multiple colors, from $139.99 barkingleather.com
theQatl.com 9
New
ERA
Pandemic leads Creative Approach to shut down By Patrick Saunders
CREATIVE APPROACH CLOSED ITS popular Midtown Atlanta location after the coronavirus pandemic caused an 85 percent drop in revenue.
COMMUNITY
Q
that lasted through July. The writing was on the wall at that point. The company had 44 employees in the two locations before the pandemic. That’s now down to just nine. Two Atlanta employees accepted Hall’s offer to relocate to Savannah. The plan is to reopen Creative Approach in Atlanta, but it will look entirely different from before. “Our Atlanta business model will change forever,” Hall said. “We had a nice showroom with lots of space. That probably won’t be needed anymore. We’re hoping by the end of 2021 we’ll have another brick-and-mortar spot in Midtown that will be a third of the size.”
It was “a horrible feeling” to make the move, according to Cale Hall, the out owner of the design and printing company.
PHOTO BY RUSS BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD
“We never would have thought in a million years that the pandemic would do this,” he told Project Q Atlanta. “2019 was our best year and we had planned to basically kick ass this year.” The Atlanta location closed in July, five years to the day after it opened. The Savannah location of Creative Approach remains open. The business experienced an immediate drop in revenue when the city ordered most businesses to close in March, even though officials deemed Creative Approach “essential.” “That Friday, we had about $30,000 of business cancel right then,” Hall said. Much of Creative Approach’s business is supporting events but the pandemic ended those. Another big chunk of its revenue is printing portfolios and other projects for Georgia Tech and SCAD Atlanta students. Online learning eliminated the need for printed materials.
Cale Hall
Another business of Hall’s — the gay bar Club One in Savannah — held up much better through the pandemic. The bar shut down in March, reopened in June on a trial basis and closed down again after a coronavirus outbreak. When the club opened yet again, it was with limited capacity and even tighter safety precautions.
“It just made no sense to sit there and lose $100,000 a month,” Hall said. “There’s no amount of stimulus that can help with that, unless I win the lottery.”
“We have to be very careful because you just never know,” Hall said. “The people there working make sure everybody keeps their masks on. They don’t play either.”
The federal Small Business Administration granted Creative Approach two pandemic loans
For the full story and all of Project Q’s coronavirus coverage, visit theQatl.com. theQatl.com 11
Q
IN BRIEF
Groundbreaking Atlanta HIV group closing after 32 years THE AIDS RESEARCH CONSORTIUM OF Atlanta closes this month after three decades as one of the most respected HIV/AIDS research facilities in the country. ARCA enrolled thousands of residents in some 300 clinical HIV drug trials since it opened in 1988. The effort contributed to the licensing of 25 HIV/AIDS drug treatments by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.
PHOTO BY PATRICK SAUNDERS
“COVID probably contributed to the timing of our closing, but I think the changing landscape of HIV research has contributed the most to our
Melanie Thompson
closing,” ARCA Founder and Executive Director Melanie Thompson told Project Q Atlanta. “We’re very proud that we were able to contribute to the FDA approval of almost all of the drugs that currently exist for HIV treatment and prevention,” she added. ARCA was the first HIV clinical research center in Atlanta. It played a critical role in huge steps against AIDS and is widely credited with helping to change the perception of HIV. ARCA’s collaborative model made it possible for people to join studies offering lifesaving treatment when thousands per year in Georgia were dying with complications of AIDS. It also invited people with HIV/AIDS to have input in establishing best practices and wrote and participated in the first PrEP study in the U.S. While ARCA is ending, Thompson’s work is not. She said the HIV landscape now means people getting into care and staying there to keep the virus suppressed. People with HIV also need housing, transportation and mental health services amid challenges like structural racism, stigma and discrimination.
Critics knock new Georgia ‘free speech’ bill as anti-LGBTQ A STATE LAWMAKER FROM FAYETTEVILLE proposed a bill that critics said could be used as a “sword for discrimination” against LGBTQ students in Georgia. State Rep. Josh Bonner, a Republican, filed the Forming Open & Robust University Minds Act on Nov. 16, two months before the Georgia General Assembly starts a new session. House Bill 1 would ensure that all common areas on public college campuses are open to speakers and would eliminate speech codes in Georgia law. Bonner introduced the bill based on two incidents represented in court by anti-LGBTQ Alliance Defending Freedom. A Georgia Gwinnett College student alleged that the school prohibited him from sharing leaflets about his Christian faith on campus. At Georgia Tech, the student government 12 theQatl.com
denied funding for an on-campus appearance by anti-LGBTQ speaker Alveda King.
A provision in the bill prevents public colleges from denying benefits or privileges to religious, political or ideological student organizations based on the “actual or anticipated expressive activity of the organization,” states the legislation. That’s an attempt to circumvent a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said schools can refuse funding to student groups engaged in discriminatory conduct, according to Georgia Equality. Both Georgia Equality and the ACLU of Georgia said they supported parts of the legislation, but the devil is in the details,” said Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham. Read the full stories and more local LGBTQ news on Project Q Atlanta at theQatl.com.
I take Pride in helping everyone.
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theQatl.com 13
Q
PEOPLE
New Phylle album wants you to ‘Love. Out. Loud.’
We are Sampson McCormick
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‘WORTHY’ By Mike Fleming
IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER 2020 AND THE height of civil unrest in Atlanta, LGBTQ R&B artist Larry “Phylle” Carter worked on his fourth album Worthy and an accompanying video project that dropped last week.
The Atlanta-based musician, educator, husband and black gay advocate records mononymously as “Phylle.” He said that Worthy turned into his most mature and authentic offering to date. It brings together R&B, Soul and a “healing” vibe, he said. “When I say ‘healing,’ I mean looking at life and love trauma from an empowering reassuring way,” Carter said. “That is why it is titled Worthy, I believe we all are worthy of the life we desire.” Summer’s atmosphere of upheaval fueled him to release any apprehension in his creative process, Carter told Project Q. “It forced me to face and process my feelings in the moment,” he said. “There was no ‘I wonder how people will receive this.’ It was all gas, no brakes.” “I wanted this project to be very personal and authentic,” he added. “No flexing, no pretending, just me.”
SETTING AN EXAMPLE The full album Worthy drops Dec. 13 on all. In addition to a titular single and the single “L.O.L. Love. Out. Loud.” that are already out, the album is preceded by the 19-minute immersive video “The Worthy Experience.” “[The ‘Experience’ video] is where I was more vulnerable and showed the emotional connection between the songs,” Carter said. Those kinds of connections with others mean a lot to the singer. In fact, it’s his favorite part of creating music. “The best part about recording is being able to
touch people’s hearts,” he said. “Being able to help people be more kind, more understanding, more loving. That is the blessing of it all.”
In the meantime, Carter keeps a full plate of singing, acting and activism. He’s on multiple Signal 23 TV and ACTV web series as well as an upcoming movie. Some of Carter’s time also goes to The Aiken Foundation, which aims to raise and reinvest funds in nonprofits that support minority groups and minority-owned businesses. “Everyone does not have the capacity to scale a wall, however with a ladder a wall is easier to have access,” Carter said. Being Black and gay informs not just Carter’s art, but all of his activities. Staying visible as both is critical, he said. “I believe LGBTQ influences my work the same way being Black does,” he said. “These are part of my DNA. I am not without them. I know the importance of exposure to examples, so I am open about being part of the community. “We all experience love, heart break, joy and pain, though their origin might be a bit different,” he said. Carter said that the unique creativity and diversity of LGBTQ Atlanta holds a lot of potential and avenues to explore every side of ourselves. He also sees places we could be better. “I would love to see people love and accept themselves more so they will have more space and grace to love those who are different from them,” Carter said. “If we all take those steps forward together we can build stronger loving communities.” “It is our responsibility to create that change instead of it being forced upon us,” he said. “Help your neighbor, be kind, smile. We all are out here trying.” Visit phylle.com or @PhylleWorld on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Pre-order “Worthy” anywhere you download music. theQatl.com 15
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GIVING GUIDE
Q
GIVE a Little
Local LGBTQ causes need the gift actually keeps giving all year By Mike Fleming WHILE YOU’RE BUSY MAKING A LIST AND checking it twice, don’t forget that there are worthy non-profits making life better year-round for local LGBTQ people. Non-profits always need benefactors. In 2020, multiply reasons to give by 1,000. Sharing with organizations that make Atlanta a better place is also a year-end tax break, so giving back in some ways is like doing yourself a favor, too. Not to mention juicy, delicious queer karma. Do it for them, do it for you, but just do it. Here are a few of our favorite local non-profits for your consideration this year. Local LGBTQ causes need the gift actually keeps giving all year.
AID ATLANTA
Known for its AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run, AID Atlanta started providing HIV/ AIDS-related services and education at the beginning of the crisis in 1982. Since then, it evolved to serve a broader range of clients. In 2014, it became an affiliate of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. aidatlanta.org
ATLANTA PRIDE The largest festival in the Southeast is free to all comers thanks to donations and sponsorships. The committee officially donates to other LGBTQ causes and other non-profits in the equality movement. atlantapride.org theQatl.com 19
GIVING GUIDE continued COUNTER NARRATIVE PROJECT Under the watchful eye of director Charles Stephens, CNP builds power among black gay men, working in solidarity with all movements committed to racial and social justice to amplify black gay male voices through media, advocacy and political education. thecounternarrative.org
PETS ARE LOVING SUPPORT PALS was founded at the dawn of the AIDS crisis. It helps critically ill and elderly people keep and care for their pets. Fundraisers include Drag Bingo games at Lips. palsatlanta.org
POSITIVE IMPACT HEALTH CENTERS
GEORGIA EQUALITY If it’s happening in LGBTQ rights in Georgia, these activists have a hand in it. From lobbying in the legislature to grassroots initiatives, these dedicated staff and volunteers are busy yearround. georgiaequality.org
Client-centered care to give the HIV community a life worth loving on a sliding scale of fees. Services include HIV specialty medical care, dental referrals, testing, risk reduction, mental health counseling, psychiatry and substance abuse treatment. In 2020, they added a pharmacy. positiveimpacthealthcenters.org
HRC ATLANTA The host of HRC Atlanta Dinner & Silent Auction supports local and national LGBTQ initiatives with year-round fundraising. hrcatlanta.org
SnAP
JOINING HEARTS Prolific in giving against HIV for more than three decades, this group throws Atlanta’s largest queer pool party and scores of satellite events. joininghearts.org
The Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative is a black, trans-led, Atlanta-based coalition to build a black, queer, trans, feminist movement toward practical abolition. snap4freedom.org theQatl.com 21
GIVING GUIDE continued THRIVE SS This group led by black men supports health equity for people living with HIV through lessening gaps of disparities. thrivess.org
SOUTHERN FRIED QUEER PRIDE A springtime event series and year-round party crew is just the beginning. Few other, if any, organizations in town reach directly into the day-to-day lives of young and disenfranchised LGBTQ people of color. southernfriedqueerpride.com
TRANS HOUSING ATLANTA PROGRAM SOMEONE CARES, INC. Since 1996, Someone Cares offers a holistic approach to fighting HIV/AIDS to LGBTQ, marginalized, indigent, homeless and high at-risk populations. Services include primary care, addiction counseling and treatment, mental health counseling and treatment, and drug screening collection. someonecaresatl.org
THAP connects transgender and gender nonconforming people in metro Atlanta directly to available safe housing and supportive services. transhousingatlanta.org
SOUTHERNERS ON NEW GROUND SONG is a regional queer liberation organization made up of people of color, immigrants, undocumented people, people with disabilities, working class and rural and small town, LGBTQ people in the South. southernersonnewground.org 22 theQatl.com
VOICES OF NOTE Through the combined efforts of Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and Atlanta Women’s Chorus, performances promote equality to diverse audiences, serve as a catalyst for social change, inspire hearts and minds to change and embrace each other. voicesofnote.org
Q Events The Best LGBTQ Things to Do in Atlanta This Week THURSDAY, DEC. 10 Happy Hannukah The LGBTQ-founded Congregation Bet Haverim kicks off “eight crazy nights” and the PALS 5K last oneVirtual with retiring gay rabbi Josh Lesser in charge. congregationbethaverim.org
FRIDAY, DEC. 11 Love, M After a World AIDS Day premiere, this play about mothers and sons starring Chris Hecke streams through the end of the month @ Horizon Theatre, 7 p.m. horizontheatre.com Porch Pop-Ups Every Friday and Saturday for your gift-giving needs, special deals with social distancing go outside with the trans- and lesbian-led feminist bookworms @ Charis Books & More. charisbooksandmore.com
SUNDAY, DEC. 13 Holiday Spectacular!
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Atlanta’s place for drag dinner theater is booking your socially distanced parties and putting on this special show every Sunday @ Lips, 6:30 p.m. through Dec. 27.
SATURDAY, DEC. 12 Heretic Anniversary Party DJ Joe Gauthreaux lays down background music for your masked, distanced celebration of 29 years as Atlanta’s go-to gay dance bar @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com
Honeypot Sunday Dip your paw into a leather, bear and friends night with Victor and Tim @ Hideaway, 9 p.m. Happy Hour specials 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. facebook. com/atlantahideaway
TUESDAY, DEC. 15 Tuesday Trivia Theater veteran and venue regular DeWayne Morgan hosts the fun with the top prize of $50 bar tab. Drink specials too @ Hideaway, 9 p.m. facebook.com/atlantahideaway 3 Bears Gayming Almost every night, the trio of husbands led by Gamemaster Herb are up to video game fun with music and art to boot @ Twitch/3bearsgayming, 7 p.m. PALS Furry 5K. Pets Are Loving Support jumps 2020’s “virtual run” bandwagon. Sign your donors for PALS, then record your run online through today, Dec. 15. One-mile kids or pet walks also encouraged @ GiveSignUp. palsatlanta.org
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 16 Country Night Two-steppin’ and boot-scootin’ every Wednesday on the dance floor, with Warp Zone gaming in the lounge. No cover @ Heretic, 8 p.m. hereticatlanta.com Find dozens of LGBTQ weekend events every Thursday at theQatl.com.
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Clubs Retail/Services
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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
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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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As a family, we stand together through the best and worst of times. LGBTQ small businesses often give back to benefit our community, and for these holidays, we can express our gratitude to them for keeping us united. By shopping local, we support our friends, neighbors, and loved ones. We’re all in this together.
2043 CHESHIRE BRIDGE RD NE SUITE 1 • ATLANTA, GA 30324 (404) 634-5895
Q Advice
Moving Out,
MOVING ON
Time to leave. Your ex. Your mom. Both.
Q
My ex and I broke up a few months ago, and I’m still living in her house. I mean, it didn’t work out, but that’s no reason not to split the bills, am I right? We’re both solid, reliable lesbian citizens, but to say there are no roommate issues would be a lie. Mostly we’ve both been pretty cool, but she still tries to mother me in ways that I couldn’t tolerate when we were together. It’s like I’m inconveniencing her when I spend the night out, or stay out on a work night. She says he’s looking out for me, but I’m pretty sure she’s just jealous. How can I stay cool with everything and still let her know she needs to move on? Dear Lazy Leslie: Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees, so let’s clear some of the psychological underbrush. Start with the emotional weeds. No matter how cool you try to be, and how good you are at it, coming back together as friends is better after a clean break to re-establish your own paths. Also, give the lady a break. What are the chances that she’s not as much jealous or in your business as she is just worried? Imagine waking up wondering where someone is at dawn. No call, no text, just an empty house. Update her or tell her in advance not to expect you. It’s common courtesy whether you’re exes or not. You should consider whether you’re taking advantage of the poor gal, because hey by the way, you totally are. You said it yourself: It’s her
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house. Just like your parents told you back in the day, her rules. And until you get out of there, it’s kind of her business.
Finally, you say she needs to move on. So do you. The good news is that you seem ready to hit the town without her. The bad news is that you can go out every night into your new life, and still come home to your old situation. Make plans and move.
Q
I think my mom might be co-dependent. We’re best buds, and she loves hanging out with my gay gaggle. Lately, I’ve been having visions of still living with her in 40 years with dozens of cats and no life except each other. Help! Dear Grey Gardens: There’s nothing wrong with being one of the thousands of gay men who have close relationships with their mothers. Try creating some distance and see if it suits you better. You can always go back and start a cat farm later. Q Advice is intended for entertainment, not professional counseling. Send your Qs to mike@theQatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON
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