Q
LGBTQ in the
ATL for MLK
inform | inspire
All
THAT
Melissa Scott makes mogul moves Stir that Petty Pot
40 Years of Armorettes Q ueer v. Q ueer Hunger Games January 17, 2019
Fighting Our Own Racism The Q Q Voices 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 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 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
Us & THEM
MLK’s legacy and the queer balancing act of individual needs and the greater good AT Q MAGAZINE, WE MAKE IT OUR BUSINESS to celebrate LGBTQ locals making good in the gayborhood, and to hold feet to the fire when anyone goes astray. At the same time that we relish in our niche and devote ourselves to queer culture, we also try to square it with what our readers and ourselves can contribute to wider culture. In an environment with so many options for our coverage on any given week, it’s a balancing act that’s more difficult than it may appear on the surface. Still, we take example from people like local lesbian luminary Melissa Scott. The business owner, reality TV star and civic advocate wields all her roles with grace and swagger under pressure. We get to know Scott and her philosophies a little better in our Q Cover Story and photo shoot, and MIKE FLEMING EDITOR & PUBLISHER the timing works out great for another big deal in Atlanta this week: MLK Weekend. The holiday that traces its historic roots here can also point to a slate of LGBTQ events celebrating the civil rights icon with both reverence and revelry. This issue lays out the best of them in Q Events. And speaking of balancing queer stuff with mainstream issues, check out this week’s 10 Queer Things. In it, we offer 10 actions that every person of every race can do every day to chip away at racism within our own community. Speaking of events, local icons and issues, as well as that ever-present balancing act of worthy coverage, we also celebrate four decades of one of the oldest drag troupes in America. If you only think of fun camp drag when you think of Atlanta mainstay the Armorettes, let their 40th anniversary show of “laughter and tears” offer a different story. Q Milestones revisits the $2 million success against HIV and the hearts of gold behind it. We also preview a mammoth production this weekend at Buckhead Theatre, complete with wildly popular returning cast members from decades past. Elsewhere, Q Voices examines how television asks us to choose queer against queer in a “death match” that columnist Ian Aber thinks is none too cute, and the Q advice column shows how inserting yourself into other people’s business can get even uglier. On the pretty side, though, check out the smiles in this week’s Q Shots and the ever-more things to do in the Queer Agenda calendar of events. We also run down the best Q News you can use from our homesite Project Q Atlanta. Enjoy, and reach out if you need me at mike@theQatl.com. theQatl.com
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 9 JANUARY 17, 2019
EVENTS
Reverence & Revelry
COVER
16 22
Power Broker Melissa Scott on business and community
10 QUEER THINGS
13 10
Race Relations
30 Butch Queens
How queers can f ight racism amid our own ranks MILESTONES
26 FEATURES Q Voices
8
Q News
13
Q Shots
29
Queer Agenda The Q
About Time
32 White Party
40 years of laughter and tears for the Armorettes
38
19 38
36 Serving Face theQatl.com
7
Q
VOICES
Drag Race
2000
Defending even the queens we hate because these are the most visible queers in America
BACK IN THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY FIGHT OF THE mid-2000s, before states that allowed same-sex marriage were stacking up faster than empty champagne flutes at a fancy brunch, there was a significant side conversation that marriage equality would be a death knell of the queer rights movement. Some said that marriage equality would be nothing more than heteronormative equivalency, a way for our heterosexual overlords to control and domesticate and mainstream us. The thought was that doing so would strip away the very thing that makes being queer so special We existed outside the suffocating miasmic bubble that is the straight world, and some of us liked it that way
But if there is one phenomenon in our culture that brings queer people and our culture speeding into the center of mainstream culture, it ain’t marriage, hunty. It’s RuPaul. More specifically, RuPaul’s Drag Race and how it single-handedly launched a national interest in all things drag, and by extension, queer. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been in a social situation with some straight person who I can barely find a thing to talk about, but when the subject turns to Drag Race, there’s suddenly this shared herstory. All of the of our differences fade away as we both agree that Kim Chi is our favorite queen, even though she looks like she’s trying to kill roaches every time she walks a runway. theQatl.com
We all know that being visible requires a lifetime of strength and determination, and they deserve a degree of our respect simply for their willingness to be on the show. What I have found lately though is that while I love RuPaul’s Drag Race, I’m coming to loathe the All Stars seasons, where queens from past seasons compete for a place in Ru’s Hall of Fame. In All Stars, RuPaul and the judging panel do not eliminate the queens week by week. They have the weekly winners lip sync for a chance to pick who is eliminated. Not only are these queer people pitted against each other in high stakes competition, they’re the ones sending each other home.
IAN ABER
While there is merit to that argument — marriage as an antiquated notion that’s been utilized by men to commoditize and control women — there is no doubt that queer people participating in its tradition have and will change, even elevate the institution. You know, like we do property values in the neighborhoods we move into.
8
Sometimes it can get a little weird when a straight guy is going off on how much he hates Phi Phi O’Hara, and while I also hate her, I find myself defending her as a fellow queer against the harsh critique of a straight person. For me, even the ones I don’t like on the show, the villains or the petty ones, I love those queens because they are queer and visible.
Now from a strictly tea-and-shade point of view, the tea is scalding, the shade is deathly cold and the entire show takes on a new spin as the queens are challenged with the decision to have the eliminations based on performance or play a strategic game. Do they send home the deserving queen, their biggest competition, or the person with whom they have preexisting beefs?
Not only are we judging the queens on their runway and drag skills, the audience also ventures into judging fellow queers on ethics and morals. As the world watches, we battle queer versus queer for the pleasure of queers and straights alike, and nothing could unify us more thoroughly than rehashing every moment online, turning every look and side eye into a meme. We are living in a post drag race world now. Everything about being queer is slightly less mysterious, foreign and “other” in our society, and it did not take a generation of queers married and living lives in communities around the country to do it. Nope, a cinch for the gods did that, a death drop did that. The future is female, but thanks to RuPaul, that may just be the way future tucks. Ian Aber is a queer columnist, comic and showrunner. Read his full thoughts on this topic and all of his columns at theQatl.com.
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9
Q
10
10 QUEER THINGS
theQatl.com
10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO
FIGHT RACISM What everyone of every race can do every day to actively end racism LISTEN Don’t diminish others’ experiences by comparing your own hardships or struggles. Ears open, mouth shut, mind on healing. WHEN TALKING, ASK QUESTIONS If engaged on the topic of racism, ask open ended questions. Admit you might not know everything. Repeat what you’ve heard, and ask if you’re getting it right.
PRIVILEGE CHECK What does it mean to be white? What allowances, opportunities and assumptions do you get automatically that you may not have previously recognized?
REMEMBER IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU Don’t express your own lack of racism when the topic comes up. It’s not extraordinary; it’s mandatory. CHALLENGE RACISM You’re not “respecting” that old uncle by avoiding or ignoring him. If necessary, learn how to engage without escalating.
FURTHER VISIBILITY
With intention, include diverse peoples in your work, your play, your discussions, your acknowledgements, your spaces. EDUCATE YOURSELF Other people are not your encyclopedia. People of color or of other backgrounds than you aren’t here to further your understanding. Find appropriate times and ask permission to “interview” people. WITNESS OUT LOUD
If you hear racist remarks or see discrimination in action, speak up. Let everyone else know you heard and are not OK with it, and learn to do so in productive, defusing ways. NO MEDAL FOR YOU Don’t expect congratulations or rewards for doing the right thing. It’s not other people’s job to approve or certify your edification. BE YOURSELF Well, unless that self is racist. Find opportunities to further the cause that fit your personality and interests. Incorporate it into the life you already lead. theQatl.com
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‘Extremely
ALARMING’
Lack of meds for HIV-positive Fulton inmates cause for concern By Patrick Saunders
LESS THAN TWO-THIRDS OF HIV-POSITIVE INMATES in the Fulton County Jail received medication to treat the virus last year, leading a prominent HIV activist to criticize the company that provides healthcare at the jail and the county commissioners who oversee it.
NEWS Q That committee is tasked with addressing HIV in Fulton, which has the second highest rate of new HIV diagnoses in the country with 100,000 people or more, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The Fulton commission faced criticism for failing to appoint members to the committee over a year after its creation. Vacancies remained as of the November committee meeting. During that meeting, it was revealed that the Fulton County Jail blocked the use of 1,000 rapid HIV testing kits. That prompted an HIV/AIDS expert to say that the jail “could not care less about public health.” Tracy Flanagan — the spokesperson for the Fulton County Sheriff ’s Office, which operates the jail — told Project Q that the facility stopped using the tests because “rapid tests are considered antiquated.”
Birmingham, Ala.-based NaphCare — which provides healthcare to inmates at correctional facilities in more than 25 states — recently had its nearly $21 million contract with the Fulton jail renewed by the Fulton County Commission. That move — coming on the heels of a steep drop in the percentage of HIV-positive Fulton inmates receiving HIV medication — prompted Daniel Driffin to criticize NaphCare and county commissioners. He said “nothing is shocking” when it comes to HIV in Fulton. “For the commissioners to renew their contract with NaphCare and less than half of inmates received HIV meds in modern times is a crime and it is malpractice for the medical professionals delivering services,” said Driffin, a local HIV activist and co-founder of THRIVE SS.
“To have large fluctuations within a service delivery is extremely alarming and it continues to show the commissioners don’t understand, and worst, don’t care,” he added. Driffin called for an investigation into the matter to find out what happened and how to keep the situation from repeating itself.
The percentage of HIV-positive inmates on HIV medication hovered around 70 percent each month through August 2018, according to numbers provided by the Fulton County Jail. But that number plummeted to 44.6 percent in September and 41.7 percent in October. The amount increased to 60.4 percent in November. Numbers were not available for December.
The jail housed about 2,500 inmates per month in 2018, according to the county. It averaged about 183 HIV-positive inmates a month, or 7.3 percent of the jail population, according to a jail spokesperson. After a rash of inmate deaths in 2017, Fulton fired its medical provider and signed NaphCare to a $20.7 million contract for 2018. On Dec. 19, the county commission renewed the contract for 2019, increasing the amount to $22.8 million. Driffin is likely to be appointed to the Fulton County HIV/AIDS Prevention, Care & Policy Committee this month by Fulton Commissioner Marvin Arrington, according to Dorsha Simmons, Arrington’s chief of staff.
INMATES GET ‘HIGHEST QUALITY HEALTHCARE’ Flanagan said the jail’s medical staff determines the care for HIV-positive inmates. “The doctor determines who is prescribed what. The population is constantly changing, which affects the numbers,” she said. NaphCare disputed the numbers cited by Project Q. The company said the number of HIV-positive inmates receiving HIV medications in September, October and November were in line with the numbers from earlier in 2018. But Flanagan said the numbers showing the large drop were provided to them by NaphCare. “These patients are currently cared for by our full-time infectious disease nurse practitioner with support from our on-site doctors, corporate chief medical officer and a consulting infectious disease doctor,” NaphCare spokesperson Stephanie Coleman said. “NaphCare engages in every effort to provide appropriate antiretroviral medications to all HIV patients in our care. However, some patients refuse treatment, while others are discharged from jail before we are able to start medications,” she said. “At NaphCare, our goal is to ensure that every patient we treat receives the highest quality healthcare to support a healthy return to the community,” Coleman added. Visit theQatl.com for fresh LGBTQ news updates every day. theQatl.com
13
Q
IN BRIEF
Architects of anti-LGBTQ ‘religious freedom’ push nab state jobs THE MAIN FORCES BEHIND Georgia’s “religious freedom” fight couldn’t convince voters they deserved to stay in office, so now they’re joining the staffs of incoming statewide officeholders instead.
V-103 drops Miss Sophia from hit morning show By Patrick Saunders POPULAR ATLANTA DRAG QUEEN Miss Sophia was dropped as a cast member from V-103’s popular “Frank & Wanda in the Morning” on Jan. 3. Miss Sophia (photo) expected to ink a new contract at a meeting with V-103 General Manager Rick Caffey. Instead, she and cohost Wanda Smith were replaced. It came as a complete surprise, she told Project Q. “When we first arrived, the numbers were in the tank. We did bring the numbers up — we were the number one morning show,” Miss Sophia said. “I was expecting because we did what they hired us to do, they would give us a new offer.” This was Miss Sophia’s second stint with V-103. She was on the same morning show with Smith and Frank Ski from 2005 to 2010. The station brought her back in late 2017 to work with Smith and Ryan Cameron, but Cameron left. Ski returned to take Cameron’s place. Miss Sophia said that Ski didn’t treat her well the first time they worked together, and that she suspected it was because she was gay and a drag queen. She says that she plans to stay in Atlanta “for at least another year,” and that she expects to restart her Wednesday night “Komedy & Karaoke” at Mixx. “Look out, because Sophia is still around, and I have some things up my sleeve,” she said. “I came back to Atlanta with a plan and now that I’m no longer with V103, I can move into my direction, my purpose.” 14
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State Sen. Josh McKoon (photo left) — the face of the state’s “religious freedom” fight for the last five years — will be the top aide to Jim Beck when he takes over as insurance commissioner, according to the AJC. McKoon lost a bid for secretary of state in the Republican primary in May. He was slated to become executive director of the Georgia chapter of the Faith & Freedom Coalition, an anti-LGBTQ group that opposes marriage equality, but those plans are now on hold. Brad Raffensperger beat McKoon and
From left: Sen. Josh McKoon and Rep. Sam Teasley
others in the Republican primary and ultimately defeated Democrat John
Barrow in November. Raffensperger
hired state Rep. Sam Teasley (photo
right) as his external affairs director, the AJC reports.
Teasley lost his House District 37
seat in November. While in office,
he pushed anti-LGBTQ “religious
freedom” bills for years, both alone and with McKoon.
Gov. Deal issues parting shot at ‘religious freedom’ bills GOV. NATHAN DEAL TOOK AIM at controversial “religious freedom” legislation in the final days of his administration. He told the AJC in an exit interview that the bills make Georgia look “weak.” “They couldn’t give an example why it’s needed in Georgia,” he said. “On a human level, we’re a loving state. I don’t see any reason to pass something that lends itself to the implication that the government is encouraging discrimination. That’s not good government. It doesn’t make the state strong. It makes it weak.” Deal’s veto strained his relationship with the Georgia GOP, but corporate leaders, Democrats and LGBTQ groups praised him for the move. The governor held firm to his opposition
Gov. Nathan Deal
to “religious freedom” legislation in his remaining years in office. His successor, former Secretary of State Brian Kemp, has vowed to sign a “religious freedom” bill, despite House Speaker David Ralston’s “serious concerns” about such legislation.
The reviews are in! Wow. I just found Q, and it’s great!
Congratulations on the new magazine. Atlanta didn’t even know Finally! A queer publication what it was missing!
for everybody, not just some.
A gay magazine I actually want to sit down and read! I just wanted to tell you how much my husband and I love your new magazine…
omg I love your mag!
Q magazine is the best thing to happen to Atlanta! I thought I knew what to expect in local rags, but Q is totally different. I need to pick up more often.
Q is informative and
energetic, something that was sorely You guys are like a missing in the ATL. breath of fresh air.
Thank you for bringing Q to Atlanta! You guys should have done this years ago!
Atlanta needed this.
Readers love
Q
The Weekly Print Publication of Project Q Atlanta
and your messages are the proof! Thank you for the support, and please continue reaching out!
Q
COVER
Photo by Russ Youngblood 16
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Mogul
MOVES
Queer entrepreneur Melissa Scott has business cred, reality show fame and the ear of the mayor
improved. I believe the gay community in Atlanta presents a more unified front in general at this time. I also believe the forming of the mayor’s LGBTQ advisory board will assist with regard to this topic as well.
By Patrick Saunders
I no longer have to wait in line at security at the airport [laughing].
D
on’t let Melissa Scott’s mild-mannered temperament fool you into thinking she’s not out there hustling and making moves. The lesbian business owner has her hands full in a variety of areas across Atlanta and across TV screens nationally. Scott owns a party bus business, she DJs under the name DJ M, and she’s an event promoter under brand including TraxxGirls. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms named Scott to her LGBTQ Advisory Board last year, and though her Soul Bar at Pal’s Lounge closed last fall, Scott has plans to open it back up in a new location. She’s become instantly recognizable in some circles after her notoriety got a major boost in the cast of VH1’s Love and Hip Hop Atlanta in 2017. On the show as in real life, Scott is often a calm voice of reason at the center of all the drama. During a recent a flurry of activity, she found time to pose for a Q cover shoot and talk with us about how the show changed her life, about racism in LGBTQ Atlanta, and about the new moves she has on tap for 2019. Soul Bar became part of a tour of black LGBTQ Atlanta venues following a racism controversy at an Atlanta gay bar. Has racism in LGBTQ Atlanta changed then? I believe the issue of racism in the LGBTQ community has
How did Love & Hip Hop Atlanta changed your life?
I have to be a little more cautious with regard to how I respond to things publicly. In addition to the many career accomplishments I’ve had, doing the show has made me more of an influencer. I want to ensure I always have a positive influence on people and at a minimum, I am a part of the solution and happiness. How much do you feel a responsibility to represent LGBTQ folks on the show? I’ve never really considered it much. I am a “gay character,” however, I am Melissa Scott and my main goal and responsibility has always been that of portraying a well-mannered and educated black woman that happens to be gay. What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you? I feel as if I am very transparent, however, I hear people are surprised that I am very nice and approachable and that I do have a heavy southern accent after speaking to me for a while. You’ve always got your hand in different ventures. What’s coming up from you that we should keep an eye out for in 2019? I have escalated my promotional field, in that I am now executing arena events in addition to the festivals and marketing events I’ve curated in the past. theQatl.com
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Q
COVER, Continued
‘I want to ensure I always have a positive influence on people and at a minimum, I am a part of the solution and happiness.’ — Melissa Scott
Follow Melissa Scott on Instagram at @dagreatdjm
Photo by Russ Youngblood 18
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Q
THE QUEER AGENDA The Best Queer Things To Do in Atlanta This Week
January 17 — January23 THURSDAY, JAN. 17 Clue House
An iconic Atlanta mansion transforms into the Clue house with a full cast of characters so you can play Murder Mystery. Six nights only @ Atlanta Historical Society
Swan House, 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays through Jan. 26. deerbearwolf.com Pride in Tech
Skill sharing with the LGBTQ business heads of Metro Atlanta As-
sociation of Professionals and the Flatiron School @ WeWork, 6 p.m. maapatl.org
The G8yties
Dance to the oldies @ Heretic, 10 p.m. Xion extends the party across the parking lot @ BJ Roosters, 3 a.m. hereticatlanta.com
SATURDAY, JAN. 19 Armorettes 40th Anniversary
Laughter through tears is their favorite emotion, now for 40 years @ Buckhead Theatre, 8 p.m. Read the Q preview in this issue. thearmorettes.com Paulo
Like Cher and Madonna, this spin-
meister only needs one name for his
Tribal Bitch fans @ Heretic, 10 p.m. hereticatlanta.com
LGBTQ-MLK Weekend More events than you can
handle serving reverence and
revelry to honor Atlanta’s and civil rights’ native son. Read the Q preview in this issue,
and check us online for even
Moonlight Cabaret
more events. theQatl.com.
Alexandria Martin adds this special MLK
Weekend show to her already busy return
weekend. Raquel Lord, Maya Ross Monroe and
Raquel Rea Heart join the veteran Armorette @ Midtown Moon, 11 p.m. facebook.com/midtownmoon
SUNDAY, JAN. 20
The Cinema of Joseph Cornell
The gay-run Film Love begins a collab-
Gender Fabulous
oration with the High in this tribute to
Shaving Workshop
the experimental film side of an amaz-
ing visual artist @ High Museum, 7 p.m. frequentsmallmeals.com/film_love, high.org
Questions and answers on tech-
niques and products, with special
consideration to trans and gender
Cliterati
non-binary attendees. Product
rates this time with Southern Fried Queer Pride @ Charis Books
Maxim Barbers of Decatur, 5 p.m.
The regularly scheduled gathering of feminist literature lovers collabo-
giveaways and more suprises too @
& More, 7:30 p.m. charisbooksandmore.com
maximbarbershop.com Adult Skate
FRIDAY, JAN. 18 Dandy Lion
A group show presents works
under the subtitle (Re) Articulating Black Masculine Identity
@ Hammonds House Museum, 6:30 p.m. Exhibit runs through April 28.
The MLK edition of the alternative queer dance party beats you into the night @ MJQ Concourse, 10 p.m. facebook.com/MJQConcourse Cherry Bomb
Wild Cherry Sucret does triple duty this weekend with a double-duty Sunday. She continues the MLK Weekend celebrations and extends the weekly Armorettes show @ Midtown Moon, 10 p.m. facebook.com/midtownmoon Find even more LGBTQ events in the Queer Agenda each Thursday at theQatl.com.
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1492 Piedmont Ave NE • Atlanta, GA 30309 • 404-343-651
4 • KITCHEN HOURS: Mon-Sat 4 -10 p.m. • Sunday: 3-10 p.m.
Q
EVENTS
Atlanta Does
‘WINTE
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Weekend events put the LGBTQ in the ATL for MLK By Mike Fleming
T
he annual Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend is just one of the annual celebrations that makes Atlanta the South’s gay go-to, from Friday all the way through Monday’s big annual LGBTQ breakfast, march and rally.
Celebrities, porn stars, DJs, go-go dancers, and more pack the town for the yearly commemoration and celebration of how far the movement has come and how far we have yet to go. Be ready for thousands of people partying with purpose, with equal parts reverence and revelry. We start with an introduction to meet the major players. These party promoters know what’s up, and they’ll have fun throwing it down.
ROCKSTARS PRODUCTION ‘WE ROCK MLK’ From the guys who bring you non-stop Black Gay Pride action in fall comes three days of fab that lets you party — what? — like a rock star of course. While venues are being finalized, secure your passes to Friday-through Sunday fun and this year’s theme “All the King’s Men.” VIP options available for each event. rockstarsproduction.com. WASSUPNATL ‘FREEDOM 2019’ The party promoters at Wassup create an ultimate getaway. Five amazing nights, five supersized parties, and 5,000 same-gender loving men. Multiple celebrity guests. wassupnatl.com ‘I AM KING’ Angel X, Dream Team and ATLBlackPride.com join forces and streamline this year’s offerings. One venue, open bar, every night. There’s a reason they call it “Epic.” atlblackpride.com L.U.R.E. Melissa Scott, Blue Diamond Entertainment and Frisky Girls join forces for the “Ladies Ultimate Reunion Experience” dance party and “mix-her” for women who love women. The new weekly event gets supersized for MLK Sunday.
R PRIDE’ theQatl.com
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Q
EVENTS, Continued
FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 Friday Upgrade: MLK Edition Truth Lounge, 11 p.m. rockstarsproduction.com Fluid Friday
Speakeasy Lounge wassupnatl.com
I Am King Epic Open Bar
Oshun, 11 p.m.
atlblackpride.com
SATURDAY, JANUARY 19 Ultimate Day Party Gold Room, 5 p.m.
rockstarsproduction.com Saturday Night Live
with Amiyah Scott
Aurum, 10 p.m.
rockstarsproduction.com
L.U.R.E.
For women who love women HDF, 6 p.m.
eventbrite.com/luresundaysatl All The King’s Men Main Event Opium
rockstarsproduction.com Fame & Fortune Sunday
With Diesel and Sidney Starr Ice Bar, 10 p.m. wassupnatl.com Adult Skate
MLK Dance Party
MJQ Concourse, 10 p.m.
736 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE facebook.com/MJQConcourse Cherry Bomb
with Wild Cherry Sucret Midtown Moon, 10 p.m.
facebook.com/midtownmoon I Am King Epic Open Bar Oshun, 11 p.m.
atlblackpride.com
MONDAY, JANUARY 21 I Like It Saturday Kompass
wassupnatl.com I Am King Epic Open Bar Oshun, 11 p.m.
atlblackpride.com
SUNDAY, JANUARY 20
theQatl.com
Audre Lorde Breakfast
Loudermilk Center, 10 a.m. rustinlordeatl.com MLK Day
March & Rally
Including a gay contingent from Breakfast
MLK Sunday Funday
Peachtree @ Baker Streets,
rockstarsproduction.com
mlkmarchcommittee.com
02 Lounge. 3 p.m.
24
LGBT Bayard Rustin/
1:45 p.m.
Q
MILESTONES
LIVING L Popular veterans return for Armorettes 40th anniversary By Mike Fleming
Q
ueer Atlanta is a world away from 1979. Half of the people reading this weren’t even born when a group of burly, bearded gay men donned cheerleader drag to support a Hotlanta Softball team for fun and fundraising. “The Amorettes have always had a special place in the LGBTQ community,” says Tony Kearney, who started going to shows in 1992 and joined the troop in 1999 as queen Wild Cherry Sucret. “In the beginning, they were literally the cheerleaders for the cause in the Atlanta gay community,” he says. “40 years later, they have still kept it moving, giving out checks to numerous agencies that represent all facets of the community.” And camp. Lots and lots of camp that will be celebrated in full with a supersized 40th Anniversary Show on Jan. 19 at Buckhead
26
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Theatre, as well as a special edition of their weekly show the next night at Midtown Moon.
“The Armorettes were always campy, but the beginning girls really owned it from facial hair to balloon boobs, to the tragic outfits,” Kearney says. “The emcees in the show will take you through the history of the group, and some of the classic pairings will be working together once again.” Some of the show’s content is such a huge surprise for longtime fans that queens are keeping it hush-hush, but the reveal will be worth it,” Kearney promises. “The show will start with a bang and end with an even bigger one,” he says. “The production value of the performances will be elevated to match the occasion and the venue with big props and some yummy male dancers. Get those iPhones out.” It’s the stuff legends are made of. Speaking of which, some of the most popular names from casts past are confirmed for the lineup. Jayne Russell, Anita Mann, Knomie Moore, Deva Station, Bubba D. Licious, Alexandria Martin, Coretta Scott Queen, and of course your favorite Sucret.
EGENDS “We will have a couple original Armorettes there in the senior citizen section of course,” Kearney laughs. “The best part is that some of the queens have not performed since departing the group.” When HIV hit in the early ‘80s, the Armorettes took on an even deeper role in queer Atlanta. The group made AIDS its sole mission with weekly shows and other special events. That’s when they also coined a motto that provides the theme for the Armorettes: Laughter & Tears. “People have always come to our shows for different reasons,” Kearney says. “Some people are there to laugh, to remember loved ones, to escape, and some to cry. The Amorettes have provided emotion outlets to people over this crisis.” “I remember a show where a patron came up to me and hugged me and said this was the literally the first time he had laughed since finding out his status,” Kearney remembers. Through all of it, the group has raised more than $2 million against AIDS, and it’s a legacy that the members believe can live beyond the disease because of the heart at the core of the group.
“The Amorettes were leaders in the queer community in the beginning when no one was really paying attention to the crisis,” Kearney says. “People were angry and sad and needed to do something. I think when the day comes that there is a cure, the Amorettes will pick up the mantle for another needy cause like LGBTQ homeless youth, people without insurance, queer housing, domestic abuse. They will find their niche where they can help.” Because they care. It goes deep, and it goes on and on, Kearney believes.
“Think about this. A group of gay men in wigs and dresses in 40 years have raised over $2.3 million one dollar at a time,” he says. “Atlanta has been blessed to have this group in the community. It has been a privilege for us to entertain you. Now for one huge night, we are all together again in one place, and we will truly see the magnitude and the difference we made in people’s lives across decades.” The Armorettes 40th Anniversary show takes place on Saturday, Jan. 19 at Buckhead Theatre. Tickets are expected to sell out. The celebration continues on Sunday, Jan. 20 at Midtown Moon, followed by a special edition of Wild Cherry Sucret’s Cherry Bomb show for MLK Weekend. Visit armorettes.com.
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THEQ?! Stirring
explosion when you and/or yours are in the splash zone? Do something about it before it escalates.
Inserting yourself into other people’s situations is not a good look
Maybe more LGBTQ folks can learn to stop gossiping, and stop glorifying our role in other people’s concerns for self-entertainment. Too many of us insert ourselves into other people’s lives by stirring an already boiling pot, and it’s not cute.
THE POT
Q
If I know something someone is saying is a lie, do I say something or sit back and wait for an explosion?
Dear Vague: Your question is like cotton candy. Full of the idea of intrigue but with no real substance. You’re probably attempting to shield yourself or the possible offender from being identified through details, but you’ve left so much to the imagination that it’ll be hard to help. One answer could offer something to benefit us all, though, so let’s seize the opportunity. It lies in whether the situation has anything to do with you, i.e. is this person’s lie or its consequences any of your business? Can your interjection make a positive difference for everyone involved? If this lie directly affects you or your personal concerns or the effect can hurt someone close to you, stop reading this and speak up. Why wait for an
But that’s probably not the case since you had the time to ask a magazine for advice and are questioning it yourself. If this is none of your business, step off or at least step lightly. If for example the potential fallout is between a couple, you could be remembered as the problem when they work it out.
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I’ll never forget my ex’s alcoholic spite, cheating and backstabbing as long as I live. It was bad. Like, Cops bad. Hair-pulling, throwing things bad. I’m glad to be away from her. That was years ago, but a friend of mine who wasn’t around back then is dating her now. I felt I owed it to the friend to warn her about this toxic P.O.S., so I did. Now she’s mad at me. I was just trying to protect the friend from sure trouble, but somehow I’m the bad guy. I don’t give two shits about the ex, but how can I move forward with the friend? Dear Petty: Even if you’re right, you’re wrong. Injecting your experiences on someone else’s private life, much less unsolicited, is not your place. Their relationship is not about you. Your dire predictions may be perfectly accurate, but there’s also a chance that you could be wrong. Just because the ex was a nightmare with you doesn’t mean she hasn’t changed, sobered up, matured or learned her lessons — or that your friend will make the same mistakes you did. You’re the exact wrong person to offer these people any input. To you, she’s the asshole who wreaked havoc. To your friend, she’s the romantic interest she’s trying to grow. No matter how you slice it, you’re the odd woman out. Your friend’s defensiveness was predictable, even probable, and you poked at a sensitive spot with a stick anyway. You can try to rebuild trust by admitting to yourself what you did wrong and apologizing sincerely. Assuming you’re able to repair the damage, stop judging — even and especially if you’re right about your ex. Be prepared to take “I told you so” to the grave. The Q is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling. Send your burning Qs to mike@theqatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON
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