Q
October 3, 2019
Q ueer Special Events Help Stride Into Pride
inform | inspire
Growth
INDUSTRY
Cannabis Reaches New Highs with Roots in Queer Atlanta
Ending Our Own Self-Segregation Queering ATL’s Gay Chamber of Commerce
Dating, Sex & The Harsh Truth
Q Shots Queer Agenda The Q 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 ART DIRECTOR JOHN NAIL JOHN@THEQATL.COM
High TIME Cannabis, comedy and queer community unity
IT SEEMS PROGRESS ONLY rockets forward in hindsight and inches
along in the moment. Even as some LGBTQ advances solidify, some lan-
guish like nagging sores. It’s high time for marijuana and racial inclusion to pick up the pace.
Those two examples pop up in multiple ways
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 BENTLEY HUDGINS TAMEEKA L. HUNTER HEATHER MALONEY ERIC PAULK KYLE ROSE JAMES PARKER SHEFFIELD VINCE SHIFFLETT ALEXANDRA TYLER VAVA VROOM RUSS YOUNGBLOOD NATIONAL ADVERTISING RIVENDELL MEDIA SALES@RIVENDELLMEDIA.COM 212-242-6863 LOCAL ADVERTISING SALES@THEQATL.COM 404-949-7071
in this issue of Q, and they’re rife for improvement and tough to die out because they’re
rooted in cis, white, straight moralism and
privilege. In fact, that could be a key reason to move them out of the hands of jaded systems MIKE FLEMING EDITOR & PUBLISHER
and into the arms of queer self-governance.
This week’s cover story offers cheers to an
LGBTQ-led effort to legalize, distribute and use cannabis and its derivatives in Georgia. We look at the growth of the local industry since state laws began
clearing a limited path, as well as a fact sheet that shows increased acceptance and use of cannabis-based substances.
Speaking of bucking established systems, Vince Shifflett is challenging queer self-segregation in Q Voices this week, and Mehran Khaghani is doing it
on stages across the country. Khagani talks to Q about anti-color, anti-queer
discrimination, all while keeping it funny, in his upcoming appearance at Red Clay Comedy Festival.
Still, sometimes challenges to what people need to hear come with direct
action and words. Atlanta’s LGBTQ chamber of commerce moves the gay out of its name in Community, and the Q advice column this week offers brief, harsh truths about some common queer conundrums.
In the week leading up to Pride, we also have the Queer Agenda calendar of upcoming events, Q Shots photos of past ones, and Q News to keep you in
the loop. Shoot me your thoughts on any and all of it at mike@theQatl.com. theQatl.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 45 OCTOBER 3, 2019
STRIDE INTO PRIDE
The week’s best LGBTQ events
COVER
22 18
Pot Shots
Queer Atlanta takes aim at cannabis
COMMUNITY
13 11
Business Heads
29 Bi Bi Now
AGLCC rebrands to reflect inclusiveness COMEDY
15
Laugh Out Loud
35 Foam Party
Mehran Khaghani hits Red Clay Festival
FEATURES
Q Voices Q Community The Queer Agenda Q Shots The Q 6
theQatl.com
8 11 18 29 38
38
36 #Winning
Richard Cherskov
Michael Birnholz
richard.cherskov@cruiseplanners.com
michael.birnholz@cruiseplanners.com
888-402-0004 richardandmichael.travel
Q
VOICES
Are We SEGREGATING OURSELVES?
I BELIEVE WE ARE ONE HUMAN RACE LIVING IN ONE
I recently had a white friend who needed assistance due to
world and created by one source. So why all the segregation?
his new HIV diagnosis and no insurance. I found a non-prof-
There is segregation based on religion, race, culture, sexual
it organization that is actually run by a friend of mine. I
orientation and politics.
reached out to him. His first question was, “Is he black?” I
We say we want to end racism and segregation, but are we actually part of the problem? Any progress we’ve made on segregation got worse again after 2016 in my opinion. It seemed we were headed
was shocked. He stated, “This is an organization that aids the black community suffering from HIV.” I have been told by black men, “I really like you, but I could never take a white man around my friends and family. They would give me a hard time.” The funny part
in a better direction, then we backtracked and
is, they sure don’t mind sleeping with me but
are now headed the wrong way.
refuse to socialize with me in public. I have
It’s disheartening. So what can we as individu-
experienced it on more than one occasion.
als do about racism and segregation?
Obviously, there are plenty of white guys who
We need more integration and less separation. I am sure we have all heard churches referred to as “black churches” or “white churches.” Why
behave the same way. They love to sleep with VINCE SHIFFLETT
the segregation, particularly in these institutions? God has absolutely nothing to do with your “black church” and “white church.” The building is not the church. Each individual is the church, regardless of the color of your skin. I recently started attending a Buddhist Temple. So refreshing. A huge mix of all cultures, ages, races and people. It is truly a place where all are welcome and all worship together regardless of differences. I see advertisements all the time on social media for things such as “Black Men Travel,” for example. Are we segregating ourselves with our words? We can learn something from each other if we take down the walls that separate us. We are often that wall. As part of the gay community, I have heard of “black house parties” and “black clubs.” Just last week a friend of mine said, “It’s black night at the Eagle.” Black night? We preach against
8
black men but would never think of dating one or taking one around their family or friends.
I guess what is really on my heart is love for all. Let’s begin to integrate and not separate. Let’s be more careful with our words. Let’s invite everyone to our events. Let’s love everyone and all people. Let’s stop dividing ourselves with the labels we put on events. Will we ever learn and understand others’ views and lifestyles if we are only hanging around people who are just like us? Make friends with people who are different. Make friends with people who are of a completely different religious belief. Make friends with people who have different sexual orientations and preferences from yours. Let’s all appreciate and respect each other. Let us come together. Let’s have some dialogue and figure out how we can come together in the midst of such a segregated world.
segregation but continue to segregate ourselves with our labels as
Vince Shifflett is a critical care registered nurse and writer living
opposed to welcoming everyone. Leave the label off.
in Atlanta. Visit vinceshifflett.com.
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ENTERTAINMENT *APPEARANCE COURTESY OF IHEART MEDIA
ATLANTA PRIDE CELEBRATION OCT. 11-13, 2019 | ATLANTA PRIDE.ORG
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COMMUNITY Q
Q ueering Your BUSINESS AGLCC becomes Out Georgia Business Alliance MEMBERS OF THE ATLANTA GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER of Commerce were treated to a special announcement on Sept. 20 when they gathered for their annual awards gala at the Four Seasons Hotel — a name change that keeps up with changing times. The day after the event, Executive Director Chris Lugo posted about the name change to Out Georgia Business Alliance, which encompasses more than just the L and G of LGBTQ business owners in the chamber membership. The AGLCC is now the Out Georgia Business Alliance, expanding and embracing a bold new challenge to wrap our arms the LGBTQ+ and allied business community across the entire state of Georgia. Through the power of economic development and advocacy, we are intentionally working for a thriving, loud, equitable, inclusive, and more fully representative Georgia, with a bright spotlight on the FULL spectrum of this Rainbow Economy. As we shift gears to Out Georgia Business Alliance, we're going to need your feedback, guidance, and help. Know that we are listening and ready to better serve YOU...and we're going to need more incredible human beings and organizations helping us grow this wonderful community. Our business is your business. TOGETHER, it's time to challenge what's possible here in Georgia!
In addition to the announcement, queer choir OurSong performed to open the event, and Condace Pressley, WSB's programming operations director, served as emcee. Here are the award recipients of the night: Guardian Angel Award U First Corporate Ally United Parcel Service Small Business of the Year A Better Buzz Brand Goods Rising Star Malik Brown of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ office Business Person of the Year Kimble Sorrells Business Woman of the Year Jai Davis of BoxFit Fitness Business Man of the Year Jim Farmer of Out on Film Member of the Year Dan Dunlop of Dunlop Productions
Photos by Laura Baccus
Congratulations to all the winners. See Q Shots photos from the event in this issue, with a full gallery at theQatl.com. Find the Out Georgia Business Alliance on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and at theAGLCC.org. theQatl.com
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Q
IN BRIEF
Cowtippers demolished to make way for new bank By Matt Hennie A POPULAR LGBTQ HAUNT FOR 25 YEARS, COWtippers met its maker on Sept. 21 when heavy-duty construction equipment reduced the building to a pile of rubble in a matter of hours. It marked an unceremonious end to the restaurant, which served up steaks, fries and cocktails for years to queer crowds. Its expansive deck overlooking Piedmont Avenue also played host to scores of drag shows and fundraisers. Metrotainment — the parent of Cowtippers, Joe’s and Einstein’s — closed the restaurant for good on Dec. 27 after first announcing it would shut down in January 2018. An “outpouring of support” convinced owners to delay the opening not once but twice.
Jon Ossoff pledges ‘unwavering’ LGBTQ support in Senate By Patrick Saunders FORMER U.S. HOUSE CANDIDATE JON Ossoff called David Perdue’s outsider persona “a joke” as he launched his campaign to unseat the U.S. senator. Ossoff stirred LGBTQ excitement during his 2017 campaign for the 6th Congressional District seat but lost to anti-LGBTQ former Secretary of State Karen Handel. In an interview with Project Q, he vowed to stand up for LGBTQ people if he wins a seat in the U.S. Senate in 2020. “I am a resolute and unwavering ally of the LGBT community,” Ossoff said. “Georgians, no matter their sexual orientation or gender, will be able to count on me to fight for them every day in the United States Senate with a clear voice advocating on behalf of the human rights and civil rights of every single Georgian.” Ossoff was the fourth candidate to jump into the Democratic primary, but he said his sights are set on Perdue, who he called “the embodiment of corruption in American politics.” He also promised to march in the Atlanta Pride parade on Oct. 13. 12
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What will replace the legendary restaurant? A Chase Bank branch. Metrotainment opened Cowtippers in 1993 and bought the property it sat on in 2002. The company sold the property to a developer intent on a new 3,470 square-foot bank.
LGBTQ Atlantans raise $10,000 for Teresa Tomlinson’s Senate bid By Patrick Saunders TERESA TOMLINSON’S race to unseat U.S. Sen. David Perdue got a boost from several LGBTQ donors at a Midtown Atlanta fundraiser on Sept. 18. The event raised over $10,000 for the candidate, according to cohost Dennis Collard. Tomlinson, Dennis Collard, Teresa Tomlinson and the former Columbus mayor, is Stephen Spann one of four candidates running in the Democratic primary for the chance to face Perdue in November 2020. “As a gay man, I support Teresa because her record of fighting discrimination against our community goes back decades, long before she ever ran for public office,” Collard told Project Q Atlanta. LGBTQ co-hosts of the fundraiser were Chris Morter, Stephen Spann (Collard’s husband), John Reid, Jeff Quigley, Greg Blazer and Galen Kovach. Other LGBTQ donors in attendance included Nancy Goodman, Michael Grover, Heath Miller, Brad Schneck, Luke Shouse, Beth Shapiro, Thad Woody and Chris Cochran. Tomlinson touted her LGBTQ record in an interview with Project Q in May, and spoke out against Donald Trump at Georgia Equality’s annual gala in June. She faces Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry, former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico and former 6th Congressional District candidate Jon Ossoff in the Democratic primary. PHOTO COURTESY DENNIS COLLARD
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COMEDY Q
A
THOUSAND Suns
Burning and building bridges with comic Mehran Khaghani at Red Clay Comedy Festival ď ľ
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Q
KHAGHANI continued By Ian Aber
M
ehran Khaghani first made a splash as a contestant on NBC’s Last Comic Standing back in 2015. Since then, he’s been captivating audiences all over the
country and plans to wow Atlanta this week.
Born in London to Iranian parents, Mehran grew up in the UK,
Iran, Turkey and the suburbs of Boston. He makes his local debut at Red Clay Comedy festival in East Atlanta with performances
on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5. He chatted with Q about his life and career, gay “normalcy,” and what to expect from him during the festival. How did you get started in comedy? Faced with yet another admin or restaurant job, I decided that poverty and near constant drunkenness was preferable to getting fired for the 44th time. That’s a real number.
What is the most rewarding part of being a comedian? The most rewarding and the most confusing part of being a
comedian is the immediate positive reinforcement and loving
Describe your comedy in three words. Festive. Intimate. Vulgar. What is your pop culture obsession? British naked competitive fashion baking pansexual dating reality television of the poor.
Comedians you adore and everyone should know about? Comedians that everyone should know about that not enough
people know about? Sean Patton. Jessica Kirson. Leah Bonnema. Mrs. Smith. Aida Rodriguez. Aaron Berg. No particular order, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a bunch of people. Cole Escola makes me laugh and laugh and laugh. Where do you see yourself in five years? Self-publishing my way into the hearts of America’s fellow angry party people.
response from an appreciative audience. For a deeply dam-
‘Sometimes you burn a bridge
and approval mean.
to make sure you never suffer
What is the worst part?
its indignity again.’
aged person, it’s just insane what those smiling faces of shock
— Mehran Khaghani
The easiest way to advance, career-wise, is to say shit old white guys can’t say anymore. Everyone’s a sell-out.
Advice you have for other queer people wanting to be comedians?
Normalcy.
Develop a thick skin early and fight like hell. You’re on your
If you did drag, what would your drag name be?
own, baby. Be fucking undeniable — to everyone.
Make sure you’re having fun and you love it, because that’s all you have when you watch some completely evil bastard you work with get rewarded by the industry. Also, marry well. What’s the worst advice you’ve received in comedy? “Burn no bridges.” Sometimes you burn a bridge to make sure you never suffer its indignity again.
Jenny Craigslist Ask yourself a question here. When was the first time you saw a stranger’s penis? Answer that question here. My father was a stranger to me and I think he was inside my
mother as I was being born. I had to fight to get out. Head to head combat. I’m still fighting dicks.
And when you burn it, burn it with the brightness of a thousand
Mehran Khaghani plays the Red Clay Comedy Festival on Friday,
were there should remember just how you burned that bridge.
8:30 p.m. redclaycomedyfestival.com
suns. Create a legend around it. Ten years from now, people who
16
Least favorite trend in gay culture?
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Oct. 4 at Argosy, 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 5 at Midway,
Q
THE QUEER AGENDA The Best Queer Things To Do in Atlanta This Week
October 3 – October 9 THURSDAY, OCT. 3 Out On Film
Atlanta’s LGBTQ festival continues
through Sunday with screenings at three
venues, including the Q Spotlight series of
films like Ham (photo) on Saturday. See our
preview of the remaining Q Spotlight films in this issue of Q. outonfilm.org
FRIDAY, OCT. 4
HRC Volunteer Fair & Mixer
Get to know the local arm of the national rights organization, first with a volunteer
fair @ Metropolis, 2 p.m., then a mixer @ Henry’s, 3 p.m. hrcatlanta.org Outworlders Game Night
Atlanta’s LGBTQ and allied sci-fi, fantasy and gaming group plays @ Rush Center, 6 p.m. outworlders.org Premiere Party
Chris 180 and its LGBTQ programs benefit from this annual gathering of white attire @ The Gathering Spot, 7 p.m. chris180.org
Red Clay Comedy Festival
Comics from around town and around the world descend on East Atlanta Village, through Sun-
day. redclaycomedyfestival.com. Lineup includes
queer comedians like Mehran Khaghani. Read the
Q interview in this issue.
SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Queer Day Hike
Do 3.8 miles with a 100-foot elevation
with the LGBTQ climbers of the Venture
This Is Me
theventureoutproject.com
ent a free Pride performance @ Saint Mark UMC, 8 p.m. voicesofnote.org
Out Project @ Muscogee Creek, 8:30 a.m.
SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Totally ’80s Party with Impact
Martha Wash and Taylor Dayne (photo) sing, while
DJ Mike Pope pumps the beats for this Positive Impact Health Centers shindig with an ’80s bent
@ Tabernacle, 8 p.m. positiveimpacthealthcenters.org
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Photo by Dan Lax
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Atlanta Women’s Chorus, Our Song and Atlanta Freedom Bands pres-
Stride Into Pride
It’s an official Atlanta Pride warmup with the guys @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com, atlantapride.org
SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Bubbles & Biscuits
The Victory Fund, which helps train and elect out candidates, raises funds
@ Wimbish House, 11 a.m. victoryfund.org Queer Con Atlanta
It’s an LGBTQ Expo you don’t want to miss
@ Red Light Production Studio, 4 p.m. queerconatl.com Armorettes
The camp drag crazies with the hearts of gold do their weekly
fun-and-fundraising show @ Midtown Moon, 8 p.m. armorettes.com
TUESDAY, OCT. 8 LGBTQ Business Forum
The LGBTQ Institute of the civil rights center hosts this session @ National Center for Civil & Human Rights, a.m. atlanta.net/events/detail/lgbtq-insti-
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tute-business-forum
Rocky Horror Bingo
Pets Are Loving Support throws its monthly drag bingo, this time with a cult classic theme @ Lips, 7:30 p.m. palsatlanta.org
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 9 Sissy That Run
Frontrunners hosts a
Pride Week run @ John Howell Park, 6:30 p.m. frontrunnersatlanta.org
Scream 2
Wussy hosts its queens and queers
for this horror fave @ Plaza Atlanta, 7 p.m. wussymag.com
Find more queer things to do in the expanded edition of the Queer Agenda at theQatl.com. theQatl.com
19
Q
COVER
Growth
INDUSTRY
Inside the queer roots and major players of Georgia’s medical marijuana boom By Patrick Saunders
O
n April 17, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill into law that allows cannabis to be grown and sold as cannabis oil in Georgia. It was a milestone for the medical marijuana movement, since patients as of 2015 could legally use cannabis oil but had no way to buy it without breaking the law. Passage of that law was yet another sign of the industry boom for cannabis oil and CBD oil in Georgia. Many LGBTQ people are at the center of that growth, which is appropriate seeing the role that queer people played in the beginning of the medical marijuana movement. “If you look at the first medical marijuana legislation passed in California, it was a direct action from people dying of AIDS in San Francisco,” Colton Griffin tells Q. As CEO of Flourish, an Atlanta-based company that helps medical marijuana companies monitor logistics, Griffin is one of the LGBTQ people playing a role in Georgia’s booming medical marijuana business. San Francisco legalized medical marijuana in 1991, blazing a trail that other California cities followed until the state became the first in the nation to legalize it in 1996. “So a group of activists there really spearheaded the legislation and got the medical program passed in California, which has grown over time,” Griffin said. Flash forward more than two decades, Georgia is now one of 34 states with medical marijuana programs.
CBD Oil vs. Cannabis Oil It’s a confusing time for retailers and consumers when it comes to the differences between CBD and cannabis oils, and what’s legal. CBD oil is derived from hemp and contains trace amounts 22
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of THC, the drug that gives marijuana its high. It’s legal in Georgia to sell and possess the oil, so it’s available at stores and even infused into food and drinks in bars, restaurants and coffeeshops. Even so, Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black warned business and consumers in May that the FDA prohibits adding CBD to food and drinks. CBD oil is also available online at retailers including Sabaidee. Studies have shown that CBD oil can have healing properties, such as lowering inflammation, improving bone health, lowering blood pressure, reducing pain and improving sleep. It can be used in oil form or in a cream or vaporizer pen. There’s even chewable CBD treats for dogs. Gay Locust Grove resident Joshua Rivera began using CBD oil two years ago to treat his anxiety. “It definitely helps,” he tells Q. “I have really bad anxiety, so without it it’s just over the edge, but with it, it just makes me feel normal. I would completely recommend it over pharmaceuticals any day.” Cannabis oil has higher levels of THC and therefore comes under more scrutiny from state and federal officials. Gov. Nathan Deal signed the 2015 bill into law that allowed patients registered with the state to buy cannabis oil to treat eight specific illnesses. The list of illnesses was expanded to include AIDS and five other ailments in 2017. About 10,000 people are registered in Georgia as medical marijuana users, according to the AJC. “If you look at the way cannabis is changing people’s lives, the medical stuff is not just a façade,” Griffin says. “There’s real teeth to it.” With the legal barrier to transport and attain cannabis oil out of the way, next steps include a state-appointed oversight board to create regulations and licensing for up to six private companies to grow it. Then the seeds need to be planted and harvested, and the state needs to approve the dispensaries.
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23
Q
CANNABIS continued “They’ve passed the legislation to give the framework to open these businesses up,” Griffin says. “Those companies will need to build out their facilities and hire everybody and plan everything, and they’ll have retail sales. I think the goal is to have medical sales for retail patients by the end of next year.” “It’s a pretty long process to get to market, but once you’re there, it’s worth waiting for,” he says.
The Future of Medical Marijuana in Georgia Looking forward, business continues to boom in Georgia’s CBD and cannabis oil industries, and entrepreneurs like Griffin are making the most of it. He started Flourish in 2017 after realizing clients in those industries had challenges adapting their software to all the different rules and regulations across the country. Flourish can now help their clients manage inventory from seed-to-sale. They have about 30 employees in eight states with another 30 working outside the country. All the core product development still happens here in Atlanta. Flourish turned heads in August when they raised $2.1 million in a seed round, which Griffin says they’ll use for research and development, sales and marketing and staffing up. The new funding brings Flourish’s total amount raised to $3.4 million, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. “We desperately needed to hire some more people,” he says. “All of us were wearing multiple hats. We added about 10 or so people in the last couple months. Flourish’s biggest client is Atlanta startup Surterra Wellness, a CBD and cannabis oil company that has a slew of local LGBTQ employees. Surterra raised $100 million in funding in June with plans to expand its workforce from 1,500 to 2,000 employees, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. That company’s employees and people like Griffin at the center of the CBD and cannabis oil boom are doing all they can to keep up with the demand. “It’s a multibillion-dollar industry being built up overnight,” he says. “It’s chaotic, but also very exciting.” 24
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Q
CANNABIS continued
Pot
SHOTS
Fast facts as a new era for CBD and cannabis oils increases acceptance of recreational marijuana By Mike Fleming CANNABIS HERB is more closely linked to recreation and euphoria than cannabis oil and is showing growing popularity across every age group 18-70. LGBTQ PEOPLE are twice as likely to use marijuana and its relative products. MARIJUANA IS the most commonly used illegal drug in the United States, with approximately 22.2 million users each month. MARIJUANA CAN affect the source of neuropathic pain — nerves — in ways that no other drug can. Studies also show effective treatment of muscle spasms, glaucoma, epilepsy and other conditions. IN THE U.S., recreational use of marijuana is legal in 11 states and the District of Columbia. 14 more states have seen legislative efforts on the docket, in varying forms and levels of success. SALES OF EDIBLES and other derivatives are up 300% since 2015. Once legal, marijuana sales typically rise 35% each year. POT STOCKS and IPOs are popping up all over the U.S. and Canada, making it the No. 1 growth market in 2018. LEGAL MARIJUANA is credited with job creation, soaring tax revenues and even increased home values. STUDIES OF LEGAL cannabis use show no upticks in use by teens or adolescents, criminal activity, traffic safety, or workplace anxiety. 26
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MARIJUANA IS associated with declining alcohol consumption. Sources: NBC News, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Complementary Health, Marijuana Business Daily, World Health Organization, NORML
28
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BI+ BAR CRAWL FROM BLAKE’S TO MSR
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
Q SHOTS Q
PHOTOS BY LAURA BACCUS theQatl.com
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Q
Q SHOTS
AGLCC COMMUNITY AWARDS
Full gallery on Project Q at theQatl.com
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November
7, 2019
Anti-LGBT Q Lawmak Comes Ou er t as Trans
inform | insp ire
GOP Rene ws on LGBTQ Attack Rights
Eye of Be hol Kink vs. Ew der: ww!
Suzanne Westenhoe fer: ‘I’m Still Here, Bitch es!’ Butch Que er Hubby’s Dr Snubs ag Debut The Weekly
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FOAM PARTY AT BJ ROOSTERS
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Q
Q SHOTS
DRAGNIFICENT FINALE AT HERETIC
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PHOTOS BY RUSS YOUNGBLOOD
Q
THEQ?! Short and...
SWEET?
Harsh truths make for easy relationship and sex advice that’s still hard to hear
Q
I’m turned on by a hot girl eating food like it’s her last meal. Like, she just can’t get enough in her mouth at one
time. I watch her lips and tongue, and I imagine feeding her and
to try on each other, as well as prevention methods you prefer. Like any difficult talk, do it with authenticity and sensitivity, and let the guy decide for himself. Hint: If the guy would hate you for this, it wasn’t going to be a good lay anyway.
Q
The greatest person is interested in me, but they’re lean and pretty. I only like big, hulking, hard-nosed partners.
This one’s otherwise perfect, but the pretty-skinny-smooth thing is a total turn-off. Help! Dear Silly: Preferences and triggers are valid until they’re in the way. It sounds like your narrowly defined hankerings are keeping you
controlling what she tastes and when.
from what you really want.
Call me crazy, but is it too much to hope that a woman might
There are ways to broaden your horizons. You might not learn
share my unusual, unique kink? Help! Dear Crazy:
The good news is you’re actually not crazy. The bad news might be you’re not even that unique. Others are out there, so spell out your desires for a hungry girl and see who bites.
Q
My relationship was so good once!! The excitement is gone! How can I get it back!?!
Dear Lazy: Dial back the exclamation marks, turn down the
volume, and listen — to yourself and what you real-
ly want, as well as your significant other’s deepest desires. If there’s a chance to work it out and spice things up, it’s together.
Q
I’m longtime HIV-positive, but I still can’t figure out how to disclose without de-
creasing chances of getting laid and increasing chances of the guy hating me. Dear Wrong: We are each responsible for our own risks and behaviors. Your
assumptions play a part of the stigma against you, so stop buying 38
into it. Couch status conversations in the fun activities you want
theQatl.com
to prefer chicken over your all-beef diet, but a nice leg and thigh sometimes can be fun. Rather than relegating this person forever to the friend zone, open your mind to the possibilities. Meanwhile, watch porn with decreasingly “hulking” actors, explore their charms, and see what comes up. The Q is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling. Send your burning Qs to mike@theqatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON