Q Magazine Atlanta | April 18, 2019

Q

Queer Things to Do On Easter Weekend

inform | inspire

April 18, 2019

RAWR

Bear Pride takes over Atlanta gay bars

LGBTQs Rally for Brent Star’s Kidney

No You Don’t Have to Have Sex with Them

Q News The Queer Agenda Q Shots The Weekly Print Publication of Project Q Atlanta

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EDITOR’S NOTE Q Q MAGAZINE THE WEEKLY PUBLICATION OF PROJECT Q ATLANTA PUBLISHERS INITIAL MEDIA, LLC MIKE FLEMING PUBLISHER & EDITOR MIKE@THEQATL.COM MATT HENNIE PUBLISHER & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MATT@THEQATL.COM RICHARD CHERSKOV PUBLISHER & GENERAL MANAGER RICHARD@THEQATL.COM ADVERTISING SALES RUSS YOUNGBLOOD SENIOR SALES REPRESENTATIVE RUSS@THEQATL.COM

Bears &

BONNETS

Two big weekends collide, rain down on queer Atlanta

WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU COMBINE a late-season Easter with the annual Atlanta Bear Pride party series? We’re all about to find out.

There was a time when there was one party option on Easter Sunday if you were queer and in town that day. Welcome to a newer, more diverse reality.

ART DIRECTOR JOHN NAIL JOHN@THEQATL.COM PROJECT Q ATLANTA PATRICK SAUNDERS EDITOR PSAUNDERS@THEQATL.COM CONTRIBUTORS IAN ABER LAURA BACCUS GABRIELLE CLAIBORNE BUCK COOKE CHARLES E. DAVIS JON DEAN BILL DICKINSON JIM FARMER BRAD GIBSON JAMES L. HICKS TAMEEKA L. HUNTER HEATHER MALONEY ERIC PAULK KYLE ROSE JAMES PARKER SHEFFIELD VINCE SHIFFLETT ALEXANDRA TYLER VAVA VROOM NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM 212-242-6863 LOCAL ADVERTISING SALES@THEQATL.COM 404-949-7071

MIKE FLEMING EDITOR & PUBLISHER

Not only will Armorettes Easter Drag Races bring field day games to their parking lot, but there are also social Sunday opportunities for other segments of the queer village. 10 Queer Things runs down the top Easter-themed events this weekend.

What’s more, your chances of seeing an Easter bonnet on a burly bear this year go up this year. That’s because it’s also Bear Pride Weekend, and it could easily dovetail with other stuff going on in Midtown with events at several venues over three days.

This week’s Q Cover Guy welcomes all comers in a. special-section rundown of the fifth annual weekend featuring nearly a dozen parties at Heretic, Woofs, Xion, Blake’s, BJs and Manifest4U. In Q Community, Brent Star needs a kidney, and the performer is asking for help from LGBTQ Atlanta. In Q News, a tangled web of deceit leads to a mess for Atlanta Police to unravel in the deaths of two local gay men. Alongside those two blockbusters, our homesite Project Q Atlanta provides more local stories of LGBTQ interest.

A busy week for events doesn’t stop at Easter and Bear Pride. The weekly Queer Agenda offers even more LGBTQ things to do. You’ll find that calendar in addition to our other reliable weekly standards, Q Shots photos and The Q advice column.

Like what you see? Have ideas for future issues and coverage? Drop me a line at mike@theQatl.com, send me presents because Easter is on my birthday this year, and visit us for fresh content daily at theQatl.com. theQatl.com

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 22 APRIL 18, 2019

HOPPIN’

Easter Weekend Events

COVER

23 8

Growlers Bear Pride Special Section

COMMUNITY

13

Laughter Through Tears

36 Kinky Kitty

Brent Star needs potential kidney donors NEWS

17 FEATURES 10 Queer Things

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Queer Agenda

19

Q Shots

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The Q

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Just Tragic

40 Evolved

The f inal days of one DeKalb school teacher

46 44 Gay Games

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Q

10 QUEER THINGS

Friday, April 19 PasQUEERa features DJs Esme (photo) and Brian Rojas at Mary’s, 10 p.m. marysatlanta.com

Big Basket Ball invites you to “go at it like rabbits” with Easter brunch through 3 p.m., plus DJ beats, electric lemonade and free entry with bonnet at Bulldogs. facebook.com/bulldogsbaratlanta

Hoppin’ & Poppin’ Easter parties in the LGBTQ-ATL

Saturday, April 20 Caftan Pool Party opens Deep South’s SHEaster Weekend with a daytime theme party at Moxy, 12 noon. facebook.com/ deepsouthatl

Easter Swank features swanky ladies and beats by DJ Amy Alexander at Henry’s, 9 p.m. henrysatl.com 8

theQatl.com

Honcho celebrates its 3rd anniversary with SHEaster Weekend’s keystone event at The Music Room, 10 p.m. facebook.com/deepsouthatl

Sunday, April 21 Easter Sunday Funday calls for bonnets and boys showing out at Ten Atlanta, 2 p.m. tenatlanta.com

Armorettes Easter Drag Races continue the decades-long tradition outside at Midtown Moon, 2 p.m. thearmorettes.com

Sugar with DJ Russ Rich returns with dancing queens and circuit queers for the second year at Loco Luna, 4 p.m. facebook.com/beyondatl

Easter Sunday Service. DJ Vicki Powell’s monthly soiree for the cool kids gets SHEaster-ized at Sister Lousia’s Church, 6 p.m. sisterlouisaschurch.com

Easter Gospel Brunch and Showstopper Sunday offer two chances for holiday drag dining at Lips, 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. lipsatl.com theQatl.com

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COMMUNITY Q

Oh My STAR !

“I didn’t know who I would help by doing so. A lot of people are going through problems. When you reach out, you never know what kind of response you’re going to get,” he added.

By Patrick Saunders

Star said he plans on asking Melissa Carter, another prominent LGBTQ Atlanta personality, about her battle with kidney disease. Carter, the Georgia Voice columnist and former “The Bert Show” radio host, received a kidney transplant in 2002.

Entertainer Brent Star appeals to community for kidney donation BRENT STAR IS USED TO MAKING PEOPLE LAUGH for a living, but on April 4, he posted a serious request on Facebook: he needs a kidney.

The Atlanta comedian and drag performer’s health problems started one night in 2016. He had trouble breathing and went to Grady Hospital.

“Then later on after they ran some tests to find out what the hell was wrong, they were like ‘Oh, your kidneys are messed up,’” Star told Project Q Atlanta.

He’s been receiving dialysis treatments three times a week for a three-and-a-half hour visit ever since. It’s cut into his performing time, causing him to turn down several gigs.

Carter said that reaching out to people for a donor is “a good lesson in acting out the value of your own life.”

“You need to see yourself as worth saving before you can ask others to do the same,” she told Project Q. “The journey to that life-saving surgery is 80 percent mental and only 20 percent physical. You have to learn to live in the moment, enjoy your doctors, nurses, techs and dialysis mates, and find happiness in the process.”

“In doing so, your appreciation for that gift of life you will eventually receive never fades, and you’ll use it to its full potential,” she added.

“I get too tired on the days I have to do [dialysis],” Star said.

Doctors told him that both kidneys are affected, but that you can live off of one healthy one.

“All this time I’ve been living off of fumes,” he said.

Star resisted going public with his search for a kidney donor because he didn’t want people treating him differently or feeling sorry for him. But he’s keeping his sense of humor intact.

“Hell, I didn’t want that slowing me down from getting a boyfriend,” he said. “I don’t want a dude to be like ‘Ewww, his kidneys are bad.’

You know? You don’t put that kind of information on Grindr.”

But Star said he knew he had to announce it sooner or later.

Doctors told him it could take up to eight years to find a donor.

“Now that I’m approaching my third year, I was getting scared that I was going to miss my shot,” he said.

He posted a video on Facebook on April 4 revealing his search for a kidney and asking potential donors to fill out an online questionnaire with the Living Donor Program at Piedmont Healthcare. “[Potential donors will] have to go through tests like making sure their heart is strong enough to withstand transplant surgery,” he said. “[Doctors] also have to make sure that that person’s kidney is up to their standards.”

Star said the response to the video was overwhelming.

“It made me glad I did it. So many people have shared the video,” he said. “Then there are some people who sent me messages that were just surprised. They want to get tested and see if they’re a match. It’s just like ‘Wow.’”

Brent Star

Star is looking for a donor with blood types A or O. Potential donors can call the Living Donor Program at Piedmont Healthcare at 404-605-4605, or f ill out an online medical questionnaire at piedmont.org. theQatl.com

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Q

IN BRIEF

Atlanta mayor wants Drag Queen Storytime at City Hall ATLANTA MAYOR KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS IS OPENING up the doors of City Hall to a drag queen who got snubbed by Fulton County.

Bottoms issued the invite to Steven Igarashi-Ball, who performs as Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker, to read to children as part of the Drag Queen Storytime series (photo). The invite follows Fulton’s decision to cancel an April 6 Drag Queen Storytime event at the Alpharetta Branch Library.

Bottoms tweeted the announcement on Friday.

“Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker and all of our LGBTQ friends are always welcome at Atlanta City Hall,” she wrote. “How about we host your next story hour? @CityofAtlanta — let’s make it happen! #OneAtlanta”

Igarashi-Ball has participated in Drag Queen Storytime since September 2017 with the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System endorsement at its branch on Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Officials from the Alpharetta branch initially invited Igarashi-Ball to bring Drag Queen Storytime to its location but canceled without giving a reason.

Igarashi-Ball went public about the county’s actions after several weeks of trying to get an answer about why the event was called off.

“I felt that if our program and myself were under attack, I would have a right to know who my attackers were,” he told Project Q Atlanta in March.

A Fulton County spokesperson also refused to provide a reason for the cancellation to Project Q. Igarashi-Ball was able to reserve a room for Drag Queen Storytime at the Alpharetta Branch for April 27, but the event will go on without the endorsement of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System. He told Project Q he was “thrilled” that Drag Queen Storytime has received the mayor’s attention.

“Like the mayor, we are committed to a community that celebrates inclusion, diversity and creativity,” Igarashi-Ball said. “We hope to take the mayor up on her offer and have a collaborative event scheduled in the next few months.”

Peer coaching group Rainbros rebrands to meet LGBTQ demand

By Patrick Saunders THREE YEARS AFTER PEER COACHING ORGANIZATION Rainbros launched, the group is expanding its reach and changing its name to reflect more of LGBTQ Atlanta.

Goodbye Rainbros, hello Belong.

Rainbros co-founder James Brian Yancey said the group focused more on gay men initially, but the organization grew faster than expected and some people felt alienated.

“As we started getting involved with more and more things early on, the brand raised questions about, ‘Can I participate in this,’” Yancey told Project Q Atlanta. “That was obviously a significant flag that we needed to move with a rebrand faster than we planned.”

Once they settled on the new name Belong, the peer coaching program needed expanding.

“The biggest change is having dedicated coaching teams for the lesbian community and the transgender community” in addition to one for gay men, Yancey said.

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James Brian Yancey

When someone applies for coaching with Belong, they’ll be able to choose the sexual orientation or gender identity of their coach if they want to.

Belong will also continue the social activities it was known for under Rainbros. Those include walk-and-talks, service projects, theater nights and potluck dinners.

Find more community updates on queer Atlanta by Project Q at theQatl.com.

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CRIME Q

Tangled

WEB

Married DeKalb teacher dies in police chase after killing boyfriend

over the phone. They met on Jack’d about a year ago.

Police also interviewed McClendon-Thompson, who said he discovered that his best friend and Jones had sex. He said that he was talking to the best friend that day, and the friend was “bragging about meeting a new guy on Jack’d and kicking it with him,” according to the incident report.

The best friend sent McClendon-Thompson pictures of the new guy, who turned out to be Jones.

McClendon-Thompson told police that he broke up with Jones and blocked his calls. He said they had dated off and on since November and had sex twice. He also said he never threatened Jones, and that Jones was sending him threatening emails. The officer advised both men to cease communications with each other.

By Patrick Saunders A GAY HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER SUSPECTED OF shooting and killing a man he had been dating on April 8 died hours later after crashing his car during a police chase to apprehend him.

Roy McClendon-Thompson, 42, is suspected of shooting to death James Curtis Jones, 45, during a confrontation at Jones’ apartment near Perimeter Mall, according to the Dunwoody Police Department. McClendon-Thompson, who is married to a different man, accused Jones of cheating on him, according to police.

About 5:20 a.m. on Monday, police received several 911 calls reporting screaming and shots fired at the Arrive Perimeter Apartments where Jones lived, police said in a press release.

When Dunwoody police officers arrived, they found Jones in a parking deck with gunshot wounds to his chest. Police and DeKalb paramedics tried to resuscitate him, but he died from his injuries, police said.

McClendon-Thompson was a social studies teacher at McNair High School, police spokesperson Sgt. Robert Parsons said.

“The school is very upset. He was a very well regarded, respected teacher,” Parsons told Project Q Atlanta. “A lot of confused, shocked and sad people certainly today.”

After investigators identified Jones, they discovered a police report that Jones filed on Saturday. He told officers that McClendon-Thompson threatened him in text messages.

Roy Mclendon-Thompson. Photo via Facebook.

Surveillance footage from the apartment complex showed McClendon-Thompson coming and going around the time of the shooting, police said. After the shooting, police “immediately looked for Mr. McClendon-Thompson,” Parsons said.

Police arrived at McClendon-Thompson’s home in Ellenwood and waited for a search warrant to arrive. While they waited, the garage opened and McClendon-Thompson fled in his car.

“[McClendon-Thompson] caught [ Jones] cheating on him, which started the argument,” according to the incident report.

Police pursued him into Clayton County, where he crashed head-on into a commercial vehicle on Bouldercrest Road and died, police said. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating the accident while Dunwoody police continue to investigate events leading up to the shooting.

Jones told police he was scared of McClendon-Thompson, who he alleged had mental health issues and threatened Jones

Project Q Atlanta updates news of local LGBTQ interest every day at theQatl.com. theQatl.com

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Q

IN BRIEF

Atlanta companies scored, fell on LGBTQ equality SOME 14 METRO ATLANTA-BASED CORPorations, law firms and financial institutions nabbed a perfect score on their approach to LGBTQ employees, customers and policies.

The companies — down from 16 in 2018 and 16 in 2017 and up from 13 in 2016 and 11 in 2015— were ranked in HRC’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index, which was released on March 28. They were among 29 Georgia companies included in the annual survey.

Two notable Atlanta-based companies that perennially earn perfect scores on the index took a step backward this year. Delta Air Lines scored an 85 and Home Depot scored a 90. Both dropped for exclusions in same-sex domestic partner medical and soft benefits. Delta also lost points for exclusions in medically necessary care for transgender employees.

Georgia lawmakers close ‘historic session for LGBTQ rights’

By Patrick Saunders WHEN THE GAVEL FELL ON APRIL 2, GEORGIA LAWMAKERS ended a 2019 legislative session that saw successful efforts to fight the state’s HIV epidemic, the defeat of anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” legislation and a hate crimes bill go farther than it’s ever gone.

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, said the session was “much better on LGBTQ issues than we thought it was going to be.”

“Definitely in the House, you could see the influence of the number

of Democrats that won in seats [in 2018] that nobody expected they

would win, and how that really allowed for the voices of moderate Re-

publicans to come forward, especially on LGBT issues,” he told Project Q Atlanta. “That’s why you saw that vote on the hate crimes bill come out the way it did.”

Some 571 businesses — out of 1,028 ranked — earned a perfect score of 100 on the index, down from 609 last year.

The 14 LGBTQ-perfect firms and companies headquartered in metro Atlanta (and their 2018, 2017 scores) are: Alston & Bird (100, 100), Coca-Cola (100, 100), Cox Enterprises (90, 90), Eversheds Sutherland (100, 100), First Data Corp. (100, 100), InterContinental Hotels Group Americas (100, 100), Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton (100, 100), King & Spalding (100, 100), Morris, Manning & Martin (100, 80), NCR Corp.

(100, 100), Southern Co. (100, 100), SunTrust Banks (100, 100), Troutman Sanders (100, 100), United Parcel Service (100, 90) Find the other Georgia company scores at theQatl. com, and read the full report at hrc.org.

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House Bill 426 passed in the House, the first time an LGBTQ-in-

clusive hate crimes bill has passed in either chamber of the Georgia

legislature. The bill later stalled in a Senate committee but is held over to the 2020 session.

Graham said that vote revealed a path forward, not just on hate crimes, but on LGBTQ issues overall.

“If you look at the number of Republicans that voted for the hate crimes

bill, as well as the number of Republicans who decided to take a walk and not take a position on the bill, that gives us a really good list of people to begin to build relationships with,” he said. “Some of the moderate Re-

publicans we already have relationships with. I could really see over the next couple sessions some serious movement on LGBT issues.”

Find a full redux of the session from some of Georgia’s f ive LGBTQ members of the state legislature at theQatl.com.

Welcome Atlanta Bear Pride!

Enjoy our spacious outdoor patio.

Fabulous Sunday brunch with housemade Bloody Marys.

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Sun - Thurs, 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Fri - Sat, 11 a.m. - midnight 1824 Cheshire Bridge Road 404.892.4541 | roxxtavern.com

JUNE 5-9, 2019

CAMP BEAR 2019

Timberfell’s own 11th Annual Bear Event!

This fur-friendly event provides special mixers, pool parties, cookouts, t-shirt vendors, and after hour parties. This will beat all other bear runs, as Timberfell is a private resort, so Bears can be Bears! The 15th annual Mr. TimBear contest will be held in conjunction with this event. Special Guest DJ TBA

Attendees must register for the run at

www.campbear.net

Book lodging reservations at 800-437-0118 Camp Bear sells out fast and registration is limited to 350 bears/cubs/admirers for this 4-day WOOF-OUT, clothing optional BEAR event so make plans to be there!!

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Q

THE QUEER AGENDA

Prince Purple Party

The Best Queer Things To Do in Atlanta This Week

You wear the color, and VJ Anthony plays the

April 18 – April 24

Purple One’s hits all night long @ Amster-

dam, 10 p.m. amsterdamatlanta.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 19 — SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Honcho

Atlanta Bear Pride

The annual weekend of parties includes Bear Invasion Kickoff on Friday, as well as the Ready 4 Hope Bear B Q, Bearracuda and Afterhours on Saturday at Heretic and Xion. Sunday it’s

Deep South’s keystone weekend event.

Clark Price from Pittsburgh’s Hot Mass headlines @ The Music Room, 10

Bears & Beers at Blake’s and an underwear party at BJs and Manifest. That’s not even all. Find the full schedule as part of the Q preview in this issue. atlantabearpride.com

p.m. Keep your ears open

during the event for the

afterparty with DJs Harry

Cross and Ash Lauryn, 3 a.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

facebook.com/deepsouthatl

TRANScending Barriers

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

Celebrate the second anniversary of this local resource group @ Midtown Bowl, 6:30 p.m. transcendingbarriersatl.com Social Fridays

The rebranded Belong, formerly Rainbros, grabs a meal @ Roxx, 7 p.m. belong.lgbt PasQueera

Deep South kicks off a full

weekend of events with DJs Brian Rojas and Esme

Big Gay Easter

@ Mary’s, 10 p.m.

The holiday’s always been gay af, but it hasn’t al-

marysatlanta.com

ways included so many options. Read our preview

Nonsense Dance

of the best in this issue of Q and look for even

Party & Egg Hunt

more announced online. theQatl.com

Everybody’s favorite

Cockfight

straight-inclusive ’80s party takes

Get in on the ground

on the holiday weekend @ The Basement, 11 p.m.

floor of this sexy

nonsenseatl.com

un-executed new

SATURDAY, APRIL 20 Sandy Springs Artsapalooza

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

hosts artists, musicians and vendors @ 6100 Lake

The local LGBTQ sci-fi, fantasy and

too. sandyspringsartsapalooza.com

Park, 11 a.m. outworlders.org

The gay-run Atlanta Foundation of Public Spaces

Outworlders Spring Picnic

Forrest Drive, Sandy Springs, all day and Sunday

gaming group eats outside @ McKoy

Caftan Pool Party

Channel your inner Mrs. Roper with Deep

South by the pool @ Moxy Midtown, 12 noon. facebook.com/deepsouthatl Swank

The Easter weekend edition of this lesbian

cocktail blowout @ Henry’s, 9 p.m.

facebook.com/bellissima.atlanta

pilot with a table

reading @ Robert

Mello Studio, 5 p.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 23 Painting Your Passion

Trans Gentlemen of Excellence hosts this night of

spoken word, open mic artists and artistic painters @ Rush Center, 7 p.m. transgentlemenofexcellence.org Dear Evan Hansen Opening Night

The hit musical makes its way to Atlanta

through the weekend @ Fox Theatre, 8 p.m.

foxtheatre.org

Find even more LGBTQ events in the Queer

Agenda each Thursday at theQatl.com.

theQatl.com

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COVER Q

Hot, Hairy,

HISTORIC Fuzzy Wuzzy was a 5th annual Atlanta Bear Pride 

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ATLANTA BEAR PRIDE continued Q

By Mike Fleming

I

t’s almost hard to believe that the wild idea to combine some of Heretic’s most popular parties into one blowout weekend is already a standard on Atlanta’s gay dance calendar, but that’s Alan Collins, general manager of Heretic, and his reliable event promoters for you.

With four successes under their belts, Collins and his Atlanta Bear Pride co-founder Matt Bearracuda join forces once again with other promoters and several Atlanta bars to host Atlanta Bear Pride. Big, beefy boys officially come out of hibernation for this spring kickoff celebrating bears, cubs, and throngs of their loyal admirers.

And they owe it all to the weekend’s namesake patrons, Collins says.

“We’re so fortunate in Atlanta to have such an amazing community of furry fellas and their admirers,” he tells Q. “Atlanta Bears are genuinely good people who really know how to have a good time.

Atlanta Bear Pride is the perfect opportunity to show thousands of people from around the country some hairy Southern hospitality.”

Of course, it’s not just the gay bears who love Heretic, and it’s not just bears who should consider coming to any or all of 10 events scheduled for April 19 – 21 at Heretic, Xion, BJ Roosters, Woofs, Blake’s and Manifest4U. “The bears are throwing a party, and we want everyone to come!” Collins says.

To that end, Bearracuda is just the tip of parties, entertainment, and organizers tapped for Bear Pride 2019.

The Bear Invasion crew is also on board, as well as the guys at Ready 4 Hope and their big fundraiser Bear-B-Q. DJs include legends Tony Moran, Manny Lehman and Alain Jackinsky, as well as popular Atlanta spin masters.  theQatl.com

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ATLANTA BEAR PRIDE continued

Friday warms up at Woofs, then Bear Invasion takes over at Heretic. Saturday sees the Bear-B-Q by day and Bearracuda by night at Heretic, as well as an Afterhours set at Xion into the wee hours. Sunday finds the Bears & Beers Sunday Funday at Blake’s, followed by the ABP Underwear Closing Party at BJ Roosters. Late night Bear Pride specials at the gay sex club Manifest4U are available late each night.

Enjoy this year’s Bear Pride Q cover guy serving you all the fur you can handle, and start your own hirsute pursuits with the Atlanta Bear Pride lineup on Page 33. 

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ATLANTA BEAR PRIDE continued Q

Bear Pride Weekend

Hit 10 official Atlanta Bear Pride events this weekend FRIDAY, APRIL 19 Atlanta Bear Pride Warmup Party Woofs, 7 p.m.

2425 Piedmont Road NE woofsatlanta.com ABP Kickoff: Bear Invasion with DJ Manny Lehman Heretic, 10 p.m.

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road hereticatlanta.com Bear After Hours Play Party $5 off sex club membership with Bear Pride mention Manifest 4 U, midnight 2103 Faulkner Road NE manifest4u.org SATURDAY, APRIL 20 Ready4Hope Bear-B-Q Beer Bust with DJ Mike Pope $20 all you can eat and drink Heretic, 12 noon 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road hereticatlanta.com

Bearracuda Atlanta with DJ Tony Moran $10 before midnight, $15 after Heretic, 10 p.m.

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road bearracuda.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 21 Bear Pride Sunday Funday T-Dance Blake’s on the Park, 4 p.m.

227 10th Street NE blakesontheparkatlanta.com

Bear After Hours Play Party $5 off sex club membership with Bear Pride mention Manifest 4 U, midnight 2103 Faulkner Road NE manifest4u.org

ABP Underwear Party with DJ Stan Jackson $5 BJ Roosters, 9 p.m.

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

Xion Afterhours with DJ Alain Jackinsky $20 Advance, $30 Door BJ Roosters, 3 a.m.

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road facebook.com/xionatlanta

Bear After Hours Play Party $5 off sex club membership with Bear Pride mention Manifest 4 U, midnight 2103 Faulkner Road NE manifest4u.org

theQatl.com

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Q

Q SHOTS

KINKY BEATS WITH KITTY GLITTER AT HERETIC

Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com

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PHOTOS BY RUSS YOUNGBLOOD

Q

Q SHOTS

HOTLANTA VOLLEYBALL BEND & SNAP AT TEN

Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com 38

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PHOTOS BY RUSS YOUNGBLOOD

Q

Q SHOTS

EVOLUTION WITH COCO ROSE AT RED LIGHT CAFÉ

Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com

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PHOTOS BY RUSS YOUNGBLOOD

Q

Q SHOTS

ATLANTA BUCKS MISS RUCK N MAUL AT OUT FRONT

Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com

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PHOTOS BY RUSS YOUNGBLOOD

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Q

Q SHOTS

FIELD DAY FOR AV200 @ EMORY ACTIVITY CENTER

Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com

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I think I may need an intervention. I have terrible taste in men for romance and sex.

My ex is toxic, but I have gone back to him twice. One minute, I’m over dating, the

next I’ve met someone I want to see seriously. One morning, I want to take a break from sex, that afternoon I’m saying goodbye to another online hookup.

You already know that your ex is poison, and that the chase for

tricks is more satisfying than the catch. Please reach for the inner

strength and emotional support to stop making the same mistakes.

As for your 23-year-old colleague, it’s normal for him to test the

waters with leg presses in the car, but it’s not normal for you to take advantage of it. It’s not fair to waffle on your feelings and take his still-closeted emotions along for the ride.

Q

After the end of my 10-year relationship, I got reacquainted with myself as a solo act, and I became a Grindr power user.

Now that I’ve had enough time with both, I’m open to dating again. But after a decade off the market, it’s a whole new world out there.

Back in the day, you didn’t have to navigate the end

of a fun date, only to then cross paths an hour later on Grindr. How do I

get comfortable in this

new dating reality?

Dear Old Dog

I’m constantly turning over

with Tricks:

a new leaf on men, only to feel

compelled in the moment like I

The technology

simply must have sex with this person.

My current situation surrounds

a closeted younger guy at work.

He’s 23. I’m 37. One minute I’m

thinking we should just be friends, next

minute he presses his leg against mine and I think I might go for it.

Dear One Minute Next Minute: My head is spinning, so I can see why you are spiraling. You might need a deep dive into your self-esteem and your motivations

around sex. People have sex for all kinds of reasons, and you could

be getting something out of these encounters that excites you even as it sabotages your well-being.

Many people are simply drawn to drama. The long and short is that

we become addicted to the adrenaline, then create situations for the thrill even though we know it’s ill-advised.

46

theQatl.com

changed, but run-

ning into someone after a

date, perhaps a bar, did happen

when you were young, fun and slutty.

Now that you’re fun and slutty but not as

young, the awkwardness is the same, though maybe

better since it’s not face-to-face.

You probably just forgot, but tricking pitfalls are many,

and the “problem personalities” are plenty. Maybe it lost its lus-

ter after a real relationship, because the payoff doesn’t look as good as it used to — in either the pursuit or the prize.

The answer to returning to real dating is still the same as your glory days too. You’re most likely to meet your match while living your

best life doing things you love — things you love besides tricking.

The Q is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling.

Send your burning Qs to mike@theqatl.com.

ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON