Q
April 9, 2020
MASCS 4 MASKS AGAINST VIRUS
inform | inspire
HERSTORY
Becoming and Being Brandé Elise
CHARMED BY FEMME BOYS TAKE QUARANTINE BEYOND BOREDOM SHOWING LGBTQ LOVE FOR ESSENTIAL HEROES
The Q Q Voices Q News The Weekly Print Publication of Project Q Atlanta
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
Power
PLAYS
FROM FEMME EMPOWERMENT to inner queer strength and
the rallying of an entire community, Q has the LGBTQ local lockdown on lock.
Our finger is on the pulse with cover star, CBD beauty, voiceover artist and proud
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 ERIN DOHONY 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 BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD
bi femme Brandé Elise. We also meet the
Barking Leather guys as they use their sewing prowess as mask avengers, and we find MIKE FLEMING EDITOR & PUBLISHER
solace with local guru Bill Dickinson on
navigating loss in the age of coronavirus.
Speaking of the disease and the quarantine, we round up the best
headlines from our website Project Q Atlanta about Atlanta queers on the frontlines. Every single day at theQatl.com, we churn out
fresh news coverage and feature interviews from all corners of the community during this era of global uncertainty.
This week’s photo feature finds ladyboys flaunting their femininity and using it as a power tool against toxic masculinity. We check
their looks and take inventory of any lasting prejudices and negativity that we each may have swimming around our heads.
Q Advice meets two people who each have hot gossip burning a
hole in their pocket. Before they spout off to anyone who’ll listen,
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we weigh the risks and analyze their options.
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sue and on our website with your patronage, and remember to share
Q is dedicated to continuing our digital editions until it’s safe to
come back out in print. Please remember the advertisers in this isyour stories and ideas with me via mike@theQatl.com.
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Q
VOICES ger than fear. I think it is grief. And as would be expected
It’s Called
and should be honored, we all grieve in our own way.
‘LOSS’
ings first. Come in touch with those feelings, breathe into those feelings, and yes, please express those feelings with significant others.
This is particularly true for us in our LGBTQ community.
That’s the feeling I hadn’t quite put my finger on
Many of us have some devastating, unsupportive history
I’VE BEEN STRUGGLING TO IDENTIFY THE FEELING while reflecting on all the change during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know I’ve had feelings of uncertainty about safety and health and disappointment in national leadership.
I also believe that community members and leaders need to
I have deep seated feelings of sadness for 3.3 million+ lost jobs. I profoundly care for humanity who are experiencing all kinds of issues. I am sad about the tens of thousands of people who have died with COVID-19. And I harbor genuine concern for over the nearly a million fellow human beings who have or had this merciless, global virus. Of course, I also feel gratitude for the countless healthcare professionals, first responders and other essential workers who tirelessly work for our welfare and health.
As I socially and distantly interface with those in my life’s eco-system, and as I listen, read and watch this global crisis unfold, I get the sense that what we all struggle with is loss. • A loss of routine • A loss of normalcy • A loss of income • A loss of touch • A loss of patience • A loss of relatedness • A loss of life So taken together, what does it mean? Well, when we experience loss, it means we grieve! It’s not just uncertainty. It isn’t only anxiety. It’s more than disruption. It may be bigtheQatl.com
with isolation due to HIV, unaccepting families or pre-
coming-out friends, and we bring whatever that individual baggage is to this experience as well.
have compassion for and empathy with everyone in our circle of influence who is experiencing loss as well as the grief
that comes with their unique losses. That grief shows up in all kinds of forms, and typically not the best of forms. As one who cares acutely for our own
professional success and well-being, may I suggest that you “flex” with those who are
not themselves or who are not responding in ways that you are accustomed. May I
recommend that you be patient with missed deadlines, or withdrawn behaviors? May I
BILL DICKINSON
But I believe the feeling, the one I’ve been attempting to identify is loss.
4
From a self-leadership perspective, ours is to own our feel-
implore you to “check-in” more frequently,
and to advise additional help if a colleague,
friend, or significant other seems depressed or unfocused?
And, may I exhort you to accompany your people — your
own tribe — in whatever it is they are feeling. Simply staying present to another — even in your own loss of words — goes a long way to demonstrate both care and selfless
leadership. In addition, it is “OK” if your own demeanor can’t really hang with or develop another in their grief.
Please, just ask someone else to do the heavy lifting with and for you; and, all because you do care.
Finally, in loss — as well as grief — there is healing; and,
there is hope. Time is an ally; but more importantly YOU are. Let’s make a choice to respect the emotional places
of the people we hang with and love — and all the while
we proactively watch out for and care for them. This is not only self-leadership, but it is a reflection of humanity at its very best.
Bill Dickinson, D. Min. is a senior leadership advisor and proud gay man living in Atlanta. Find him on LinkedIn.
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COMMUNITY Q
Team WORK Barking Leather sews up face masks to battle coronavirus By Patrick Saunders A POPULAR GAY ATLANTA LEATHER SHOP HAS jumped into the fight against coronavirus by making fabric face masks for local healthcare workers and first responders. Barking Leather owner Ray Stewart got the idea for the project from a page on Emory Healthcare’s website listing ways to help stem the spread of the virus. “I went to Joann’s [Fabric & Crafts] and got some fabric, and because I’m also trying to keep my contractors employed, it gives them something to do as well,” he told Project Q Atlanta. It’s a change of pace for the store, which specializes in harnesses, underwear, floggers, paddles and other leather goods. Barking Leather employees have made 30 fabric face masks since the project started on March 26, according to Stewart. Michael Schevenieus, the store’s leather designer, and other employees will produce 100 more in the next few days. Emory is accepting donated face masks at 1599 Clifton Road between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, according to its website. “You have to put them in a clear plastic Ziploc bag or a clear tote, you can drive by their location, and you don’t even have to get out of the car and they will accept them,” Stewart said.
Leather designer Michael Schevenieus (above) pitches in by sewing fabric face masks.
Bottoms temporarily closed all non-essential businesses as part of a citywide shelter-in-place order on March 23. “We’re in the process right now of doing one of those [Small Business Association] loans,” Stewart said. Barking Leather moved from its longtime Chantilly Drive location to Ansley Square in September. Barking Leather also has a second shop inside the Atlanta Eagle, which closed following Bottoms’ order on March 19 to temporarily shutter all bars, clubs and other nightlife businesses.
“Whoever needs it, if they call me, I’ll do what I can,” he said.
LGBTQ Atlanta residents are finding other ways to support healthcare workers and first responders. Drag queen Wild Cherry Sucret performed a tribute show outside a Midtown condo on Saturday, and LGBTQ Midtown residents have helped cheer on healthcare workers and first responders from their balconies every night at 8 p.m.
The coronavirus pandemic has “definitely” affected Barking Leather’s business, Stewart said. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance
Read full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic in LGBTQ Atlanta at theQatl.com.
Stewart said he plans on donating masks to a local dialysis clinic as well.
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COVER
PHOTO AND COVER PHOTO BY STEVE WEST 8
theQatl.com
FREE SPIRIT Entrepreneur Brandé Elise wants to unite queer Atlanta
I
By Patrick Saunders f you recognize but can’t quite place Brandé Elise, you might remember her as the ex of a former Atlanta Dream star, as a Creative Loafing Lust List honoree, or you might even know her voice. The bisexual beauty has done voiceover work for Georgia Natural Gas, Lyft, University of Alabama, New York Times podcasts, Publix and National Geographic. The Philadelphia transplant to Atlanta and her partner Danielle Gray also founded Unoia, a CBD lifestyle brand focused on mindfulness and self-care, in 2018. Elise let Q in on her stories about moving to Atlanta, falling for Gray and what she says is missing from queer Atlanta. What was Philadelphia like growing up? I love how diverse Philly is! You just don’t realize until you move out of a melting pot how special it is. What kind of kid were you? I have always been an extrovert. I love helping folks step outside their comfort zone and do new things. Always been a very free spirit. How did you end up in Atlanta? I drove down Thanksgiving 2008 in my Mini Cooper and haven’t looked back! It was during the recession, and I got laid off from my job working for a No Child Left Behind company. My best friend from college Stephanie Lynn, aka Rose, lived in Atlanta, had an extra room and suggested I give Atlanta a try. The rest is history. How did you get involved in voiceover work? I started taking acting/improv classes and asked several classmates about other ways to prepare for roles and auditions. Someone mentioned voiceover, and they had my undivided attention. For years, I was teased about my voice and sounding proper when I spoke. So I knew that this could really be something I could excel in. Voiceover has helped with my confidence in auditioning and roles period. Think about it. I have to make you believe what I am saying without you seeing my face, so I use the same methodology with hosting and auditioning. I have learned so much about
myself through this line of work and met some incredible folks. How did you and Danielle meet?
Danielle and I knew of each other through a mutual friend and connected after meeting years later after our former relationships ended. My favorite quality about Danielle is that she’s genuinely herself and allows me to genuinely be myself. She’s a lover of life and extremely brilliant. I have never had so much love and respect within one relationship. It’s mind-blowing to think how I have never had this until now. But you know, when I finally chose myself and started living for Brandé, my gift was a decent human being. I am grateful for Dani and deserving of this awesome love. What are your thoughts about LGBTQ Atlanta? I love that Atlanta is a microcosm of LGBTQ. Whether it’s Midtown, downtown or the suburbs, we are represented well and respected for the most part. My biggest complaint upon moving to Atlanta was the divide I saw within LGBTQ. White, black, men, women — all separated. Even Pride was separated. For me, coming from the City of Brotherly Love and newly coming out, this was confusing. No one was truly working together to make this city better for the community. It seemed to be more like hang with your own people in your gay category. It was disheartening to think I could only party or hang with other African-American gay women as opposed to just hanging at any LGBTQ spot we chose. Things take time, and I believe it’s gotten better over the 12 years I have lived here, but it can always be better. There are always ways to improve. Supporting one another is hopefully something that’s coming around considering the current climate of our world. What’s something about you that people would be surprised to know? I have taught tennis since I was 15 years old and became a tennis pro/instructor at 18. I’ve taught at some pretty established tennis clubs. In Atlanta, I taught tennis during the day at Bitsy Grant Tennis Center, Piedmont Park and Washington Park while working multiple nights at various nightclubs as a bartender/cocktail waitress for years. I love the network of people I’ve met over the years. It truly has made me well rounded and a lover of people. Follow Brandé Elise on Instagram @Brande.Elise. Read more of our interview at theQatl.com. theQatl.com
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Q
IN BRIEF
Metrotainment employees say company owes them money AN LGBTQ-POPULAR RESTAURANT COMPANY LAUNCHED A fundraiser for employees as it temporarily closed operations due to
coronavirus. But some employees call it an attempt to cover up money troubles that existed well before the pandemic.
Metrotainment Cafes closed Einstein’s, Joe's on Juniper, Sugar Shack,
Metrotainment Bakery and Epic Events due to the threat of coronavi-
rus, according to a spokesperson. Four of its six Hudson Grille locations remain open offering takeout.
On March 21, Operations Director Russ Adams launched a GoFundMe campaign for employees affected by the closings, hoping to raise $10,000. The company has 450 employees, a spokesperson said.
Current and former employees quickly raised red flags, including one cur-
rent Joe's on Juniper employee who called the fundraiser "very suspicious." DJ Neon the Glowgobear
Queer Atlanta virtual events blossom in wake of coronavirus LGBTQ ATLANTA DJS, NON-PROFIT LEADERS, gamers and theater companies are lining up a slew of virtual events to stay connected with people during the coronavirus pandemic.
DJ Neon the Glowgobear did his first live set on
Facebook Live and Zoom on March 27. About 150 people watched on Facebook Live and 25 people joined the party on Zoom.
Participants also donated $550 through Glowgobear’s Venmo account for Atlanta Eagle employees
who lost work due to the coronavirus. Glowgobear plans to continue sets, which he’s named “Antivi-
rus,” on Zoom every Wednesday and Friday night.
of what they are owed, and another Metrotainment employee told Project Q that the company's payment issues go back to August.
Metrotainment CEO Jeff Landau said the company is two weeks behind on payments due only to the pandemic restrictions.
“If the coronavirus was not occurring, this would not be an issue,” he
said in a statement. “The financial difficulties we are experiencing are caused entirely by the coronavirus.”
Two lesbians among officials named to coronavirus task force TWO LGBTQ ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED so far to a task force to battle the coronavirus in DeKalb County, which has the third-highest number of cases in Georgia.
DJs Moose and Chris Griswold are also doing live
State Rep. Karla Drenner, a Democrat from Avondale Estates, and
virtual tea dance on April 5, and Mary’s has posted
leaders appointed on March 30 by DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond.
sets on Facebook, after-hours series Xion hosted a “virtual happy hours” on Twitch.
Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals hosted its first virtual networking event on April 3 on Google
Meet, and Atlanta drag performers have also embraced livestreaming and online payment services to keep the shows going and the tips coming. 10
The employee claimed that hourly employees have received less than half
theQatl.com
Pine Lake Mayor Melanie Hammet joined dozens of other county
The task force is expected to hold a virtual town hall later this month. More members of the task force are expected to be appointed. All briefs by Patrick Saunders. Find fresh news of LGBTQ local interest each weekday at theQatl.com.
CULTURE Q
Trans or non-binary, fluid and just plain femme bois take control Written and Compiled by Mike Fleming
O
f course it’s perfectly cool if you’re butch. What’s not cool is if you hate on femmes and scoff at all femininity. Even worse? If you hate on those characteristics in yourself and your partners. No more Masc4MissingOut. Meet femme boys working looks that say, “fuck you” to toxic masculinity.
Sissy that Walk
theQatl.com
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Q
FEMME continued
Fancy Britches
12
theQatl.com
Nancy Boys
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FEMME continued
Ladyboy
14
theQatl.com
THEQ?!
Q
Insta Couples, Fisting Q
& MINDING MY BUSINESS
One half of a very public, pseudo famous local Insta couple regularly hits me up on hookup apps, saying that
his (closed) relationship is chaotic and ending and that the love is dead… and would I be willing to fist him?
Meanwhile on Instagram and Facebook, the guy and his boyfriend appear to be in love. They’re traveling together more and more, increasingly melding their personal and professional lives for the world to see.
Should I bring it up? Should I expose the guy? Should I take him up on the handball?
Dear Buttplug: Skirting the juicy gossip factor of your question and leaving the scandal to reader imagina-
tions, the guy is lying, to his
boyfriend, his social followers, and maybe even himself.
So I’ll start my answer with a question:
Do you think he’s suddenly being honest with you, a stranger on the internet?
His lies are not your problem per se, and
they don’t necessarily have to stop you from
holding his heart in your hand. Still, when you
can’t trust anything he says, the level of detach-
ment has to be pretty intense to still get down with an act so intimate. Your conscience, your call.
As for bringing it up to him, don’t. If it bothers you, stop
engaging with him in person and in the apps. Let him sleep in the bed he’s making.
The same goes for telling others. You only serve yourself to
spread what you know, and it’s a petty part to play. Sharing
juicy info is tempting, but dropping it shows your strength of
character. You know enough to decide your next steps, but you don’t know the whole story — because remember, he lies.
Q
My friend has started spending time with a woman I’ve known for a while. The woman I’ve known has a tendency to wine and dine girls, fall head over heels for them, then ruin their lives with ridiculous emotional baggage. Should I have a conversation with my friend about this person and her history? Dear Meddling: Even if you’re right, you’re wrong to get in the middle of it. Injecting yourself into someone else’s personal life and romantic relationships, much less unsolicited, is unhelpful and not your place. Their relationship is not about you or the historical information you have. What if the woman has changed? People sober up, get help, mature and learn their lessons, or your friend could be exactly the match that the woman’s tendencies mesh with. Either way, it’s straight up none of your business. To you, the acquaintance is an unbearable asshole. To your friend, she’s a romantic interest that she’s perfectly capable of navigating her own big self. If you can’t keep your “warning” to yourself, imagine first that they stay together forever, and you’re the person who didn’t believe in them. Now imagine it doesn’t work out between them. What do you gain by being able to say “I told you so”? If you still want to meddle, okay, but couch it with all the above caveats. Give your friend the option to hear it. Tell her that you trust her to make decisions, and that you hope the other woman proves you wrong. No matter how it goes, prepare to live with what you decide. The Q is for entertainment purposes and not professional counseling. Send your burning Qs to mike@theqatl.com. ILLUSTRATION BY BRAD GIBSON theQatl.com
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