October 28, 2021
Wicked Weekend Atlanta’s Halloween Planner
The Best LGBTQ-ATL Masquerade Parties 10 Costume Ideas To Spark Your Creativity Gay Voting Guide For Election Day in Atlanta
All On YOU
FROM HALLOWEEN TO ELECTION DAY, this issue of Q ATLus dresses you up, points you in the right direction and advises you where to go and what to do. From there, the choices are all on you. 10 Q Things masquerades in costumes that might spark fresh ideas of your own. Q Events then lists the biggest and best costume parties and boo bashes throughout the week. Halloween would be enough special event for one week, but there’s more. Early voting is already underway in metro Atlanta with a record number of out LGBTQ candidates. We profiled more than a dozen since qualifying, and Georgia Equality endorsed seven of them. Their gay voting guide is in Q Politics. Speaking of politics, Chamblee gets its first openly gay mayor this year. Meet him in Q News, as well as a few more hot tidbits from local life. We close with Q Advice for submitting, or not, to a control freak, and as always offer Q Shots, the Q Map and even Q more at theQatl.com. Reach out in our DMs or via mike@theQatl.com.
MIKE FLEMING EDITOR & PUBLISHER MIKE@THEQATL.COM GRAPHIC DESIGN DECATUR ATLANTA PRINTING JOHN NAIL, DESIGNER DECATURATLANTAPRINTING.COM
LOCAL ADVERTISING INFO@PROJECTQATLANTA.COM RIVENDELL MEDIA NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM 212-242-6863 theQatl.com 5
INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 4 ISSUE 46
OCTOBER 28, 2021
DRESS UP
Costume Ideas Spark Your Creativity
COVER
22
8
Maskqueerade
Gay Halloween Weekend Events
14
19
STAGE
COMMUNITY
Out Front Flashes Back To 1980
GE’s LGBTQ ATL Voter Guide
Great Skate
10 Q Things....................8
Ballot Box
Q ADVICE
Q News.........................11
All Mine
Q Politics.......................19
Help! My Boo is a Control Freak
Q Stage..........................14 Q Events.......................22 Q Shots.........................25 Q Advice.......................29 6 theQatl.com
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Q
10 THINGS
Costume
QUEENS
Clues from Halloweens past solve your costume conundrum
Movies
Death Masks Warrior Pose
Comics Cosplay
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Period Piece
Hero Worship
Rainbow Bright
Evil Intent
Less is More
Don’t’ Bother. They’re Here. theQatl.com 9
NEWS
‘Who WE ARE’ Chamblee official to become city’s first LGBTQ mayor By Patrick Saunders CHAMBLEE CITY COUNCILMEMBER BRIAN Mock is running unopposed in his race for mayor. Even before Election Day, that secures his spot in history as the city’s first openly LGBTQ leader.
Q
“We will help one another, and we will watch our community get stronger and stronger. I’m just not going to have it any other way,” he added. Mock is one of at least four LGBTQ candidates running for mayor in Georgia this cycle. Antonio Brown in Atlanta, Robin Biro in Tucker, and Khalid Kamau in South Fulton. There are at least four other LGBTQ mayors already in office across the state – in Canton, Doraville, Hiawassee and Pine Lake.
He told Project Q Atlanta it was hard to put into words what becoming Chamblee’s first out mayor means to to him. “Proud for sure,” he said. “When I think about it, it’s not really about me at all, it’s just who we are as a city. And it’s why I love our city so much.” “As a gay kid growing up in Alabama, I never in my wildest dreams would have thought anyone would be calling me mayor one day,” he added. Mock launched his mayoral campaign in July with the endorsement of outgoing Mayor Eric Clarkson. When qualifying ended in August, Mock’s was the only name on the list. “I hope that the reason I did not draw an opponent is because folks have watched me on council and believe I’m doing a good job,” he said. “Those who know me know that I work long hours and give everything. I do my very best.”
MOCK TO BECOME STATE’S FIFTH LGBTQ MAYOR
Mock was first elected to the council in 2013. The council unanimously selected him as the city’s mayor pro-tem for the second time in 2020. He officially takes over the top spot in January. “I can assure you of this,” he said. “Each and every day of my administration, our city will celebrate diversity, we will respect each other, we will tear down roadblocks, we will build each other up.”
Chamblee City Councilmember Brian Mock
KOONTZ CRUISES TO SECOND TERM
Also running unopposed is Doraville City Councilmember Stephe Koontz. She begins her second term in that city’s District 3 seat in January. Koontz is the state’s only openly transgender elected official. Koontz began her first term in 2018 and led the effort to ban conversion therapy in Doraville in 2019. She also led the effort to pass a broad, LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance in Doraville, leading to an avalanche of similar measures in recent years. Mayor Liz Ordiales is running unopposed for re-election as Hiawassee’s mayor. Pine Lake City Councilmember Jean Bordeaux is the only other LGBTQ elected official up for re-election in Georgia this year. She and three others qualified for the race for three spots on the council. The top three vote getters will secure those posts. Antonio Brown theQatl.com 11
Q
IN BRIEF NEWS
Emory gives lifetime achievement award to Atlanta HIV ‘hero’ THE EMORY CENTER FOR AIDS Research honored Atlanta HIV groundbreaker Melanie Thompson as its first-ever lifetime achievement award recipient.
Ashley Diamond
Trans inmate still in peril as DOJ revives Georgia prisons investigation THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF Justice last month renewed an investigation into whether Georgia prisons protect LGBTQ inmates from sexual abuse by staff and other prisoners. “We are here today to announce that the U.S. Department of Justice is launching a state-wide civil investigation into prisons of Georgia,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said on Sept. 14. “We are also investigating sexual abuse of gay, lesbian and transgender prisoners by prisoners and staff.” In a federal lawsuit filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2015, transgender inmate Ashley Diamond alleged that she was repeatedly raped, denied medical treatment and otherwise abused while in Georgia prisons. The state settled in 2016. Diamond filed a federal suit again in 2019 and has documented nearly 20 sexual assaults and attacks since then. 12 theQatl.com
CFAR also established an annual lectureship in Thompson’s name at the Sept. 30 ceremony, where some of the leading HIV researchers in the U.S. Melanie Thompson sang her praises. She told Project Q Atlanta that she was “absolutely floored” when she got the news. “It is just such an incredible honor and particularly so coming from dear colleagues with whom I have worked for many years as we have tried to turn the tide of HIV in Atlanta and Georgia,” she said. Thompson’s work with people with HIV started at the very beginning of the pandemic as a healthcare professional. She founded the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta in 1988. Among its efforts were trials that contributed to FDA licensing 25 HIV/AIDS drug treatments.
Citing city mismanagement, HIV agency threatens housing contract
ONE OF THE LARGEST HOUSING PROVIDERS FOR people with HIV in Atlanta wants to cut ties with the City of Atlanta, alleging years of mismanagement of its HIV housing program, breach of contract, and over $1 million in unpaid bills. Positive Impact Health Centers also claimed that the city is sitting on over $70 million in “desperately needed” funds owed to other nonprofits through the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program. PIHC is just one of more than two-dozen agencies that face budget shortfalls without promised city reimbursements. The group said that the city owes it alone $1.3 million to cover January through September 2021.
Positive Impact’s board of directors unanimously voted on Sept. 21 to end its HOPWA contract with the City of Atlanta after 28 years in the program. The nonprofit also threatened to sue the city if it doesn’t provide a transition plan within 30 days. A City of Atlanta spokesperson told Project Q that the city supports Positive Impact’s decision and blamed the agency. The two sides were still negotiating at press time. Find more on these stories and other news of LGBTQ interest at theQatl.com
Q
STAGE
Let’s Go To Out Front launches season with first full post-pandy production By Mike Fleming ATLANTA’S LGBTQ THEATRICAL troupe kicked off its 2021-22 live-theater season on Oct. 21 with three fun-filled weeks of the musical favorite, “Xanadu.” The show Out Front Theatre’s first fullscale production since March 2020. It follows online offerings, a few live events and months of creative and ingenious pandemic pivots. So “Xanadu.” Wow. The 1980 camp classic film-turned-2007 Broadway hit is just as hilarious, fantastical, kitschy and roller-skate-licious as gay audiences want and need it to be. The story follows the Greek muse Kira, who descends from Mount Olympus onto Venice Beach, Calif. All the funk and fun goes down on her quest to help struggling artist Sonny achieve his creative masterpiece – the first roller disco. “But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the 14 theQatl.com
situation, and chaos abounds!” the production promises. The stage musical was Tony-nominated with a book by Douglas Carter Beane and Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farmer. And yes, it is based on the 1980 Universal Pictures film with a screenplay by Richard Danus & Marc
PHOTO BY TYLER OGBURN
Rubel that starred Olivia Newton John as Kira.
The Out Front Cast features Anna Gonzalez as
big screen role.
Duke as Danny. Playing other celestial beings
Fun fact: It also starred Gene Kelly in his final
Kira, Russell Scott as Sonny and Clint Clark-
“Xanadu” in Atlanta runs Thursdays through
in the Out Front cast are Brandy Sexton, Max
Sundays through Nov. 14. It is a co-production
Mattox, Precious Anika West, Emily Dee and
with Georgia State University.
Bradley T. Johnson.
In an unusual twist, that means performances
‘Xanadu’ stages Oct. 21-Nov. 4 at Out Front
the-time cast. The final week of performances
3 p.m. Visit outfronttheatre.com to view the digital
through Nov. 6 are by Out Front’s all-queer-allfeature a cast from GSU.
Theatre, 8 p.m. except Sundays, which are at program and buy tickets
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POLITICS
Q
Big BACKING Georgia Equality endorses some, not all LGBTQ candidates By Patrick Saunders GEORGIA EQUALITY WEIGHED IN WITH endorsements in several municipal races as early voting continues and Election Day approaches on Nov. 2. The endorsements also steered clear of several races — including the one for Atlanta mayor — at least until some likely runoffs narrow the field. In an announcement earlier this month, Georgia Equality endorsed seven LGBTQ candidates across races in Tucker, Hapeville and Atlanta. “During municipal elections, voters may tend to be less engaged than during higher profile years, but these races couldn’t be any more important to our work,” GE executive director Jeff Graham said in a press release. “Right now, 13 Georgia cities and counties protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, and this
Among Georgia Equality’s LGBTQ endorsements are Atlanta City Council candidates (from top left) Liliana Bakhtiari, Devin Barrington Ward and Alex Wan.
year’s endorsed candidates will help grow that number when they are elected,” he added. Among those getting Georgia Equality’s support for Atlanta City Council were Liliana Bakhtiari in District 5, Alex Wan in District 6 (over another LGBTQ candidate — Courtney DeDi) and Devin Barrington Ward in District 9. theQatl.com 19
GE ENDORSEMENTS continued
Georgia Equality endorsed LGBTQ Tucker candidates for mayor, Robin Biro, and city council, Imani Barnes.
The group also made a dual endorsement in the Atlanta Board of Education At-Large Seat 7 race. GE backed both gay educator and advocate Stephen Spring and progressive LGBTQ ally Royce Mann. Georgia Equality also endorsed gay educator Brett Reichert for a seat on the Hapeville City Council and made two LGBTQ picks in Tucker: Robin Biro for mayor and Imani Barnes for City Council District 2, Post 1. All three would make history as the first openly LGBTQ people to hold those positions.
Runoffs loom large Georgia Equality opted not to endorse a candidate in the Atlanta mayoral race and some Atlanta City Council races, citing the large number of candidates. Instead, the group’s board rated some LGBTQ candidates and their opponents as “satisfactory” based on their responses to a survey. The board plans to “reassess that decision ahead of the inevitable runoff election,” which takes place on Nov. 30. Georgia Equality rated six LGBTQ Atlanta candidates as “satisfactory” without an outright endorsement, including Antonio Brown for mayor. The others are Atlanta City Council candidates Kelly-Jeanne Lee in District 1, Larry Carter in 20 theQatl.com
District 4, Brandon Goldberg and Jereme Sharpe for Post 1 At-Large and Keisha Waites for Post 3 At-Large.
“During municipal elections, voters may tend to be less engaged than during higher profile years, but these races couldn’t be any more important to our work.” — Jeff Graham, Georgia Equality Executive Director Candidates not listed as “satisfactory” either didn’t submit a survey, or the group found the candidate’s survey responses “insufficient.” Georgia Equality did not differentiate those two categories. The only two LGBTQ council candidates that Georgia Equality did not list, satisfactory or otherwise, were Mike Russell for Atlanta City Council president and Jason Hudgins for Atlanta City Council District 10. Early voting runs through Oct. 29. Election Day is Nov. 2. Read the full list of Georgia Equality municipal election endorsements at theQatl.com.
Roy Mead
Instagram.com/theQatl
Q
EVENTS
Homo Halloween The Best LGBTQ Things to Do for Halloween This Week Compiled by Mike Fleming
SATURDAY, OCT. 30
THURSDAY, OCT. 28
Night of the Demons Just your friendly neighborhood Slumber Party Massacre @ Mary’s, 10 p.m. marysatlanta.com
Scaryoke DJ Darlene spins, and Calico DeVille emcees while you sing your Halloween-loving heart out @ Hideaway, 10 p.m. facebook.com/atlantahideaway Swinging Richards Halloween Thursday is college night, Friday and Saturday are costume parties, and the stage is all nude all night all weekend @ Swinging Richards, 8 p.m.
FRIDAY, OCT. 29 Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin Two great tastes that tastes great together @ State Farm Arena, 7:30 p.m. statefarmarena.com BJ’s Fun House Dress up or dress down. It’s boys on the bar all night through Sunday@ BJ Roosters, 9 p.m. facebook.com/bjroostersatlanta Boo Ball With a promise of “queer and creepy” from Southern Fried Queer Pride, what’s not to love @ Best End Brewing Co., 9 p.m. southernfriedqueerpride.com Apocalypse DJ Allison Nues and Vizacaya’s own Las Bibas headline Medusa’s costume fun @ Future, 10 p.m. DJ Cindel spins the afterhours party, 3 a.m. future-atlanta.com Natty Fright Night Demarcus Austin hosts a $500 Fetish Costume Contest, and DJ Mister Richard lays down the backbeats @ Hideaway, 10 p.m. . facebook.com/ atlantahideaway DILF: Make Me Howl Joe Whitaker’s popular party gets the Halloween treatment with Miami DJ Alex Ramos and your costumes @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com 22 theQatl.com
Heretic Halloween With $1,500 on the line, you better know the costumes will be killer. Emcee Misti Shores calls the shots @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com Hideaway Halloween Charmaine Sinclair Dupree hosts a $500 costume contest while DJ Darlene plays your faves @ Hideaway, 10 p.m. facebook.com/atlantahideaway Superhero Halloween DJ Paulo Fragoso and ATL’s one and only Phoenix are ready to put your cosplay on display @ Future, 10 p.m. DJ Ed Wood does afterhours, 3 a.m. future-atlanta.com Bad vs. Evil Party The Anubis party series takes over the BJs basement. Being bad never felt so good with DJ Hansel Leyva @ BJ Roosters, 10 p.m. instagram. com/anubisparty Resurrection Halloween 2021 tempts and taunts with a costume contest featuring cash and prizes @ X Midtown, 9 p.m. facebook.com/XMidtownX DJ Rob Reum spins a Friday Fright Night, too. Costume Contest The 25th annual lesbian costume event to end all gives away $200 @ My Sister’s Room, 8 p.m. mysistersroom.com Pennies from Heaven The cute event name may be a classic after 33 years, but it doesn’t belie the big money flowing as costume prizes @ Blake’s, 10 p.m. blakesontheparkatlanta.com
SUNDAY, OCT. 31 Halloween Drag Spooktacular
Ticks, treats and lots of good to eat with the
queens of Atlanta’s drag dinner theater @ Lips, 12 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. lipsatl.com Haunted Heels Party
Lisa Carr, Calico DeVille and DJ Rob Reum will oversee a $300 costume contest on Halloween proper @ Hideaway, 7 p.m.
Falcons Pride Day For the first time in team history, the local NFL team invites its gay fans to celebrate and get rainbow franchise merch too @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium, 1 p.m. atlantafalcons.com
TUESDAY, NOV. 2 Harry Potter Sorting Hat & Potions Class Party Treat your gay tacos to these gay-delivered tacos and margaritas. HP trivia to boot @ Guac y Margys, 7 p.m. guacymargys.com
Roy Mead
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NEW FACES AT FRIENDS
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS
PHOTOS BY RUSS BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD
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227 10th St. NE 2. Bulldogs Bar 893 Peachtree St NE 3. Friends on Ponce 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 4. My Sister’s Room 84 12th St 5. X Midtown 990 Piedmont Ave. NE 6. Atlanta Eagle 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
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Bars
Restaurants North Ave. NW
North Ave. NW
Clubs Retail/Services
Not Shown
Future 50 Lower Alabama St SW, Suite 180
8. Henry’s Midtown Tavern 132 10th St NE
Mary’s 1287 Glenwood Ave SE
9. Joe’s onRalph Juniper McGill Blvd. NE 1049 Juniper St NE
Sister Louisa’s 466 Edgewood Ave SE
10. Zocalo Mexican Kitchen & Cantina 187 10th St NE Highland Ave. NE 11. Barking Leather After Dark 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE (inside Eagle) 12. Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE
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
3
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Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
7. Flex 76 4th St NW
Ponce De Leon Pl. NE
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Charles Allen Dr. NE
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St. Charles Ave.
Glen Iris Dr. NE
1. Blakes on the Park
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Spring St. NW
7
2 Juniper St. NE
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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
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5. Barking Leather 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 6. Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave 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
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Q Advice
Control
FREAKS
Doing only what he wants with no reciprocation
Q
My husband of one year, whom I adore with every fiber of my being, controls my life.
Before we were married, it was little stuff. When I would make suggestions, he’d shoot them down. I got used to it. After a whirlwind courtship, including leaving my job, my belongings and my friends to move to his city, his control evolved into making every decision for both of us. He even approves – or more accurately, disapproves – each of my clothing choices. He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. I never thought I’d find one like him who was as into me as I am into him, but I did, and it’s (usually) perfect. Still, I did upend my life. Now he has announced that his dream is to live in yet another city, and that he’s already landed a job there. We move in a month. I’m not ready to unsettle yet again. Then again, my devotion to him is non-negotiable. Dear Submissive: There’s a line between dominant personality and control freak. Your husband crossed it a long time ago. There’s a line between willing sub and insecure victim. You crossed that one, too.
Control freaks are actually more about the “freak” than the “control,” and you already know where he stands on the continuum. He’s been grooming you for this role, and you consciously or unconsciously agreed to go along with it as the noose tightened on your individuality. It’s a tough knot to loosen when it gets this far, as you already know, but not impossible. On the surface, yours is like a classic dominant-submissive relationship. The Dom is in charge, and the Sub allows him to call the shots. The difference is that Sirs and Boys have a predetermined agreement and adore their roles. Your relationship slowly morphed into something you would have never agreed to at the start. You can either formalize your Dom-Sub interactions if you decide that’s what you wanted all along, or you can pull yourself up by the insecurities to change your situation. Either way, it’s crucial that you come to an understanding. Try to sort out what you really want before approaching your husband, and try to do it before you move.
Q
We’re typical queers who eat out almost every meal, and every night is an argument about where to eat. Neither of us is ever down for the other’s suggestion, and both of us get frustrated. Help! Dear New Rule: Set a guideline that you can’t say no to a suggestion without making one of your own, and you each get two suggestions. Now agree to be reasonable humans and — gasp — compromise. The Q is for entertainment, not counseling. Send burning Qs to mike@theQatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON
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