Qnotes February 18, 2022 by QnotesCarolinas

LGBTQ Local News, Voices and Community

FEB. 18 - MAR. 3, 2022|VOL 36, NO 22

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THE CROWNS OF BLACK FOLKS – pg 10

Art has power in mental health recovery – pg 8

Big companies buy homes in Charlotte

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Feb. 18-Mar. 03, 2022 Vol 36 No 22

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Writers: Greg Childress, Kevin Herglotz, L’Monique King, Taylor Knope, David Aaron Moore, Joe Marusak, Nate Morabito, Gregg Shaiparo, Terri Schlichenmeyer , Trinity UNC Gillings Press Service

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The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues. Pride Publishing & Typesetting, Inc., dba QNotes P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222 ph 704.531.9988 fx 704.531.1361 Publisher: Jim Yarbrough Sales: x201 adsales@goqnotes.com Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, ph 212.242.6863 Managing Editor: Jim Yarbrough, x201, editor@goqnotes.com Assoc. Editor: Lainey Millen, specialassignments@goqnotes.com Copy Editor: Maria Dominguez Production: Lainey Millen, x205, production@goqnotes.com Printed on recycled paper. Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2021 and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent of the editor or publisher. Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.

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8 The Therapeutic Power of Art in Mental Health Recovery 10 The Crowns of Black Folks 12 Single-Family Rental Companies Acquiring Thousands of Homes

Beverly “Mecca“ Moss

In this article we speak with the mom, the theripst and the self care queen herself Beverly Moss.

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4 Book Banning Battles Hit North Carolina Schools 6 COVID-19 Vaccination Higher in LGBTQ Comm. 6 Madison Cawthorn Could Be Barred From Seeking Office 6 New Report Says Asheville Residential Costs Steeper Than Charlotte Prices 7 National AIDS Memorial Observes Black History Month 7 Charlotte LGBTQ Elders Launches New Programs, Looking for More

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Book Banning Battles Hit North Carolina Schools Conservatives Target Works Dealing With Race and LGBTQ Themes BY GREG CHILDRESS | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

arents of sixth graders in a gifted language arts class at Marvin Ridge Middle School received an email from their children’s teacher last month warning them that a book selected for the class’ unit on African American literature would at times be “uncomfortable.” The teacher at the Union County school, Cason Treharn, was confident, however, that her academically advanced students were mature enough to handle Melba Pattillo Beals’s autobiographical account of the Little Rock Nine’s integration of Central High School in Arkansas in 1957. Beals was one of nine Black students who stared down angry mobs of white racists and segregationists to attend the previously all-white school. The students were taunted by classmates and their parents, threatened by mobs and attacked with lit sticks of dynamite. It was an ugly time in America but also a seminal moment in the struggle for civil rights, coming as it did in the aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed “separate but equal” schools unconstitutional. Beals documented the harrowing experience in “Warriors Don’t Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s Central High.” According to an email shared with Policy Watch, Treharn thought the book would provide valuable insight into how segregation, racism and discrimination shaped the South during the 1950s. “Although this content may be intense or uncomfortable at certain times, I encourage all students to understand these ideas, so that they can better navigate the news and the world around them,” Treharn wrote to parents. But some parents objected to the book, contending that some of the themes are inappropriate for sixth graders. Beals, for example, shares that she was the victim of attempted rape. She described the rape attempt in Chapter 2. “I crept forward, and then I saw him—a big white man, even taller than my father, broad and huge, like a wrestler. He was coming toward me fast […] My heart was racing almost as fast as my feet. I couldn’t hear anything except for the sound of my saddle shoes pounding the ground and the thud of his feet close behind me. That’s when he started talking about “niggers” wanting to go to school with his children and how he wasn’t going to stand for it. My cries for help drowned out the sound of his words, but he laughed and said it was no use because nobody would hear me.”

“Please cancel in the culture war. your book order to ‘Warriors Don’t Book bans Cry,’ due to the appear to be a nature of the natural extencontent,” Treharn sion of conservawrote. “Although tives’ attempt to we are using an use Critical Race approved AIG Theory (CRT) to [Academically further divide the or Intellectually nation. CRT is an Gifted] book, feedobscure academic back from some discipline that students, parents examines how and teachers has American racallowed more inism has shaped sight into creating law and policy. a different book Critics complain choice.” educators use CRT Shortly after to teach impresthat, Union sionable children Janice Robinson, North Carolina program County Public that America and director for Red, Wine & Blue, says that most Schools notiwhite people are of the books being banned are on African fied parents that inherently and irAmerican history, about race or LGBTQ isTreharn had been redeemably racist. sues. Photo: Adobe Stock mistaken. The Janice book had not Robinson, the been banned. North Carolina Instead, others were included as part of program director for Red, Wine & Blue, the required reading assignment to give an Ohio-based group that helps to steer options to parents and students who suburban mothers toward progressive found Beals’s book objectionable. political candidates, is helping parents “The information that was sent out fight book bans. to parents was sent out in error, saying “We believe that this is just a smokethe book was banned and it was not,” screen for the anti-CRT, the anti-LGBTQ explained Tahira Stalberte, assistant rhetoric that’s been going around the superintendent of communications and country,” Robinson said. “It’s the right wing community relations for UCPS. really pushing their political agenda at the The optional books include: “Roll of expense of our kids.” Thunder, Hear My Cry,” “The Kidnapped Robinson said conservatives are atPrince,” and “The Secret of Gumbo Grove.” tempting to “whitewash” history by targetA parent of a Marvin Ridge middle ing books about Blacks. schooler said the protest against Beals’s “When you look at the books bebook was surprising because it has been ing banned, they’re books on African on the district’s approved reading list for American history, about race or LGBTQ more than five years. Parents did not issues,” she said. “Parents have a right to complain about an earlier book that had be concerned, but there is a process that similar content to that found in Beals’s schools and school libraries have in place book, the parent said. to address those concerns. The problem is “These issues have never been that people are going around the process brought up until this year when we all and pulling books off the shelf because know, CRT, hot topic, is happening all one parent has an issue with it.” across this country, so the parents chose Most educators say CRT isn’t taught in this year to bring up complaints about K-12 schools. Nevertheless, it has become it,” the parent said. an effective tool for conservative politiThe parent asked that her name not cians looking for wedge issues to fuel be used for this story because she fears their candidacies. In Virginia, for example, discussing the issue publicly would follow Republican Glenn Youngkin, a political her child throughout the remainder of newcomer, defeated Democrat Terry the school year. Such fear has become McAuliffe, a former governor, in a tightly increasingly common among parents and contested race in which CRT and educaeducators who stand against efforts to tion became key issues. ban books and push back against opponents of vaccines and masking. A growing list of complaints

Contradictory messages, fears of reprisal

A pushback against censorship

A day after her first email, and just as the nation prepared to turn its attention to Black History Month, Treharn sent a second message instructing parents to cancel their Amazon.com orders for Beals’s book.

The email exchange between Treharn and parents, as well as the adoption of optional reading materials to appease parents, show the difficulties for teachers and school districts navigating the latest battle

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

Parents have now begun to follow-up on the anti-CRT campaign by filling school board meetings to protest books they claim are too vulgar or explicit for schoolaged children. In December, a group of angry parents attended a Wake County school

board meeting to complain about library books featuring LGBTQ characters. And in Moore County, parents have filed a complaint calling for the book “George” to be removed from libraries based on the allegation that it contains sexually graphic material. The book is also one of three that Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson has criticized based on the same complaint. In fact, the book, which tells the story of a young transgender girl, does not contain sexually graphic content. It does include a pair of references that, in addition to the identity of the protagonist, have drawn complaints from some parents. This includes a passage in which the central character’s brother wonders whether she has been looking at “porn,” and another in which there is discussion of clearing the internet browsing history on a computer. At a recent Union County Public Schools Board of Education meeting, Heidi Cristaldi, a district parent, criticized her daughter’s required reading — “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer — complaining that the teacher pushed the idea that the book about a suburban college student’s trek to the wilderness is really about white privilege. “Our kids should not be shamed for the color of their skin or be told that they are oppressed or oppressors because of something they have no control over,” Cristaldi said. She also parroted a popular conservative lament that today’s students know too much about their teachers’ political affiliations, social justice causes and sexual orientation. “Our children are not social justice warriors and they should not be indoctrinated in schools to become one,” Cristaldi said. She urged the school board to “punish” teachers who stray from the approved curriculum. Stacey Swanson, a member of the district’s Policy and Curriculum Committee, reminded the school board that parents have always had the right to opt out of an assignment and to request an alternative one. “I encourage you and my community to not shy away from the value of discomfort but to lean into it, to have difficult conversations and to keep literature of value accessible to all,” Swanson said. She said parents should be more concerned about the content children read and view on social media than approved books that have gone through a rigorous vetting process. “Is there the same collective outrage for Tik Tok challenges and Twitter and the inappropriate content that lives there?” Swanson asked. “Do we monitor what children receive or their cell phone, Snapchat? I assure you there is horrendous content there as well.” This story originally appeared on NC Policy Watch, ncpolicywatch.com. : :

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CDC Reports COVID-19 Vaccination Higher in LGBTQ Communities According to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), A larger percentage of lesbian and gay adults feel COVID-19 vaccines are safe and are much more inclined to be vaccinated than heterosexuals. Vaccination rates were highest for non-Hispanic white gay men, at 94%, and lowest for non-Hispanic Black lesbian women, among whom 57.9% reported getting vaccinated. Conditions related to severe COVID-19 infection are more common in people who are LGBTQ, and they are more likely to work in places that risk coronavirus exposure. LGBTQ populations are a diverse collection of communities that can face barriers to vaccine access related to race, income and other social determinants. Lack of information about

sexual orientation and gender identity in vaccination records makes it difficult to understand how they might be impacted by vaccination efforts. “Race intersects powerfully with sexual orientation and gender,” said Noel Brewer, Ph. D., a professor of health behavior at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, who contributed to the report. “Our findings show that almost all white gay men were vaccinated against COVID-19, but only a little more than half of Black lesbians got the vaccine. Public health experts can use this insight to tailor education and outreach strategies.” The CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report cites data analyzed from the National Immunization Survey Adult COVID Module that contacted more than 143,000 adults between August 2021 and October 2021. This survey is the gold stan-

dard for vaccination surveillance, using a large sample and random digit dialing to survey U.S. households. The survey asked whether participants described their sexual orientation as heterosexual or straight, lesbian or gay, bisexual, or something else; and whether they identified as transgender or nonbinary. Results indicate that 85.4% of gay and lesbian adults received one or more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to 76.3% of heterosexual respondents. Bisexual adults had the same rate of vaccination as heterosexuals. A higher percentage of gay, lesbian or bisexual adults were concerned about COVID-19 and felt positive about the importance and safety of vaccination compared to heterosexuals. Higher percentages of transgender

and non-binary respondents also believed the vaccine offered important protection compared to cisgender respondents. Rates did not differ based on race or ethnicity among transgender, non-binary or cisgender respondents. “The difference in COVID-19 vaccination rates between white gay men and Black lesbian women is one of the largest we have seen,” Brewer said. “If vaccine surveillance efforts focus on capturing more precise information, it would help local public health agencies overcome barriers that prevent LGBTQ people from getting vaccines they need.” This article originally appeared in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health Report. https://unc.live/33kNOVf — UNC Gillings Press Service

It’s Getting Real: NC’s Madison Cawthorn Could Be Barred From Seeking Office It’s been a subject of debate for nearly a year now. Did Madison Cawthorn, Republican Representative from North Carolina, actually take part in the January 6 insurrection that occurred in the nation’s capital? When former White House resident Donald Trump refused to give up office after losing his attempt at re-election, he and Cawthorn, among others, incited tens of thousands of supporters into a frenzy that resulted in the attack on the capitol building, which led to multiple injuries and death and the destruction of federal property. Until now, prosecutors have only gone after non-elected individuals who took part in what has been described as one of the bleakest moments in American history. Cawthorn may very likely be the first elected official to be punished for what occurred that day. In documentation filed February 8, the North Carolina State board of elections seeks to to permanently disqualify Cawthorn from running for or holding

government office. In question is evidence that proves he took part in the attempt to overturn an election, and – ultimately – the form of government this country has operated with since the signing of the American Constitution. Cawthorn has filed suit to prevent the action, but North Carolina State board of elections chairman Damon Circosta, in a story carried by Slate magazine, has asserted he has confidence the board’s power to disqualify candidates is protected by the constitution. “In policing candidate qualifications pursuant to its constitutionally delegated election duties … the state does not run afoul of article 1 section 5,” the motion reads. “The state does not judge the qualifications of the elected members of the United States House of Representatives. It polices candidate qualifications prior to the elections ... states have long enforced age and residency requirements without question and with very few, if any, legal chllenges. The state has the same authority to police which candidates should or should not be disqualified per

section three of the Accountability has pointed 14th amendment.” a finger at The documentation Cawthorn and fellow directly quotes the 14th GOP Representatives amendment, which states Andy Biggs and Paul that Gosar, both of Arizona, for Americans are dis“inciting the riot as part qualified from holding of a seditious conspiracy public office if they have to use force to prevent ”engaged in insurrection Congress from carrying or rebellion against the out its constitutional and United States government statutory duties to count or given aid or comfort to the vote of the Electoral enemies thereof.” College.” In the days leading Despite what occurred up to the January 6 “Stop January 6, Cawthorn has Photo by Thomas Hawk is licensed the Steal” rally Cawthorn said he has absolutely no under openverse /CC. urged Trump supportregrets. ers to do whatever was He told Trump supnecessary to prevent certification of Joe porters that day members of Congress Biden’s presidential election. were “cowards” for not overturning the During the event Cawthorn did in fact Biden election. Later Cawthorn referred urge the crowd to fight against elected to the rioters he had initially condemned officials, those “hiding and not fighting,” following the attack on the capitol as “pohe claimed, because “they are trying to litical prisoners.” silence your voice.” https://bit.ly/34YeDPm The watchdog group Campaign for — David Aaron Moore

New Report Says Asheville Residential Costs Steeper Than Charlotte Prices Think about where rent will be the highest for an apartment in North Carolina, and places like Charlotte, the Triangle or the beach may come to mind. But, according to a new report from Apartment List, the most expensive place for a two-bedroom apartment is Asheville. A two-bedroom apartment in the scenic, mountainous, arts and tourist haven rents for a median $1,771, according to the site. By comparison, the site says renters pay a median rent of $1,421 for a two-bedroom apartment in Charlotte. The national average is $1,285. Asheville television station WLOS recently reported the city’s ranking. “Honestly, I was surprised to see...there was only a 25% increase in rent,” Anna Zuevskaya, executive director of the affordable-housing group, AshevilleBuncombe Community Land Trust, told

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

the station. affordable apartment in Apartment rental the Charlotte area is prices soared statewide a challenge. by an average 19.8%, “Finding one for less Apartment List found. than $1,000? Nearly Nationwide, there was a impossible,” the news17.8% increase. Year-topaper reported. Only year apartment rental one percent of apartprices in North Carolina ments in Mecklenburg A two-bedroom apartment in Ashegrew the fastest in County rent for less than ville rents for around $1,770. CharAsheville, by 25.2%, $1,000, according to the lotte is $300 less, while the national average is practically $500 less. according to the report. Apartment List data, In Charlotte, rent has the Observer reported. gone up about 20% Soaring rents especially over the last year. Cary, Greensboro and squeeze Black and Hispanic county resiDurham apartment rental prices rose a dents, the data show. Median and average respective 23.8%, 23.2% and 20.9%, acrent costs for a given city or town can vary, cording to the report. depending on the source and whether the Affordable Housing Nearly Impossible figure includes a broad metro region or Citing Apartment List data, The Charlotte just the city limits. For example, Rent.com Observer reported last week that finding an recently listed the average two-bedroom

rent in Charlotte as $1,680—less than Raleigh’s—and the city of Asheville didn’t even make the list, likely due to Asheville’s relatively smaller population. People Getting Displaced In Asheville, Zuevskaya’s organization is asking the city to help it add 10 affordable housing units with America Rescue Plan money, WLOS reported. Many more groups are needed to help solve the city’s housing crisis, she said. The need for more affordable units has increased since the pandemic, she said. In the past year, “we’ve seen an uptick in those inquiries about housing and about people getting displaced,” said Zuevskaya. This article appears courtesy of our media partner The Charlotte Observer. https://bit.ly/34y5mhv — Joe Marusak

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National AIDS Memorial Observes Black History Month with Panels and Stories Online Throughout the month of February, the National AIDS Memorial marks Black History Month and National Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day with featured online programming honoring Black lives touched by AIDS. A special selection of stories is being featured as part of a virtual exhibition of the AIDS Memorial Quilt and the virtual presentation of engraved names in the National AIDS Memorial Grove. The special programming, available for free to the public by visiting www.aidsmemorial.org uses the power and beauty of the Quilt and Grove to bring to light the countless Black men, women and children who have died of AIDS during 40 years of the pandemic, and the continuing impact of HIV in the Black community today. “Our hope is that these online programs help raise greater awareness about the ongoing struggle with HIV and the impact systemic barriers have on positive health outcomes, particularly in the Black community,” said CEO John Cunningham. “This collection of powerful stories are part of the hope, healing and remem-

brance these two national treasures – the Grove and the Quilt – bring to our nation throughout the year.” In the 40-plus years since the first cases of AIDS were reported, Black Americans and communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by AIDS. In 1993, HIV was the leading cause of death for Black men between ages 25-44. By 2004, HIV became the leading cause of death for Black women in the same age group. In 2019, Black Americans made up 42 percent of the nearly 38,000 new HIV diagnoses in the United States, with half of those living in southern states. While today, Black people account for a higher proportion of new HIV diagnoses and people living with HIV compared to other races and ethnicities, progress has been made, with HIV diagnoses decreasing eight percent among African American people overall from 2015 to 2019. However, racism, HIV stigma, homophobia, poverty, and barriers to health care continue to drive disparities. The Virtual Exhibition of the Quilt features touching stories that include

letters, news stories touching stories of Black and photos about Quilt lives remembered in the panels made to honor National AIDS Memorial Black men, women and Grove, whose names are children, who died and engraved in the beautiare forever rememful 10-acre space in bered through the Quilt. San Francisco. Tributes Viewers can see a panel include proudly gay made for 2-year-old musical legend Sylvester, Alexandria that shows AIDS activists Reggie her photo, a teddy bear, Williams and Ken Jones, Big Bird, and a poem poet Mary Bowman, written by her mother reality TV personality Charlene on Block and activist Sean Sasser, 2542. Another shares Gay Dance Music legend Hemophilia leader Val the panel of Belynda, Sylvester is prominently Bias, and Lonnie Payne, a Massachusetts AIDS featured in the online exhibit a long-term survivor and activist who dedicated of the AIDS Memorial Quilt Board member of the herself to helping orgaand the National AIDS National AIDS Memorial, nize Black churches in Memorial Grove. who shares the loss the fight against AIDS on Block 5718. Other panels of his twin brother include those honoring Lawrence to AIDS. Each Black men, including several that have story includes photos, narratives, and military uniforms sewn into them to honor videos. their service on Block 5976. https://prn.to/3Jpfl7q The Stories from the Grove features — Kevin Herglotz

Charlotte LGBTQ Elders Launches New Programs, Looking for More With diminishing levels of COVID infection in North Carolina and fewer restrictions on public interaction, Charlotte’s LGBTQ community is taking small steps towards normalizing social activities again. Queen City Friends, a historic social group for the Charlotte Metro area senior lesbian community that was originally founded in 1986, has been recreated anew in conjunction with Charlotte LGBTQ Elders and is offering two monthly programs for lesbians 55 and older. A group of 12 women met Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Community Matters Café at 821 West First Street in center city Charlotte. “It was a great first time,” says organizer Linda Lawyer, a longtime Charlotte resident and former columnist who penned the column “Soft Spot” for qnotes. The next event will take place Feb. 23 at Letty’s on Shamrock, located at 2121

Shamrock Drive, and fourth beginning at 7 Wednesdays. This p.m. and continuis to allow those ing through 9 p.m. who may still be working to attend with more events at least once a in upcoming month.” months. The lesbian so“Letty has cial group Queen been a big City Friends was supporter of the LGBTQ founded in 1986 Community,” to provide an Lawyer explains. alternative to CLT LGBTQ Elders and QC Friends will host a din“Like many the bars. It met ner gathering for local senior lesbians. restaurants, she twice a month in could use the the evening at business right Godfather’s Pizza now. So it will be a win-win. at Park Road Shopping Center. They had “[Queen City Friends] is a work in hayrides, Valentine dances, attended progress,” she continues. “We’re going to outdoor concerts, held picnics, and held meet twice a month, once during the day dances after women’s music concerts and once in the evening, on the second at local gay bars. Now, nearly 40 years

later, the need is there once again to give senior lesbians a place for friendship and sharing food. About LGBTQ Elders The LGBTQ Elders Group continues to follow recommended pandemic safety protocols and request testing and vaccinations, while offering programs like Queen City Friends Events and making plans for others that will help address the social and wellbeing needs of the community. They’re also seeking volunteers with an interest in leading other social groups and creating programs for men and non-binary individuals. Contact the elders group at charlottelgbtqelders@ gmail.com if you have interest in leading additional programs. https://bit.ly/3LzkpYU — David Aaron Moore

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The Therapeutic Power of Art in Mental Health Recovery People Have Long Used Art As A Way To Express Themselves and Work Through Life’s Experiences and Emotions. BY TAYLOR KNOPF | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

or Iggy Cosky, music has been the one constant in his life. “The therapeutic value of music was very obvious to me at a very young age,” he said. At seven years old, he fell in love with the guitar when he first heard Eric Clapton playing on the car radio. After that, Cosky’s father found the young boy strumming tennis rackets and broomsticks; he bought Cosky his first guitar. “I love recording music,” explained the now 32-year-old Raleigh-based musician. “I use it as a process to psychoanalyze what’s going on with myself because subconsciously lyrics will come up to the surface. I don’t know what I’m saying, but they tell me what’s going on with me. The song tells me how I’m feeling.” Cosky has always leaned into music as a way to help him understand and cope with his life’s trauma. As a child, he witnessed the deaths of both parents in a murder-suicide. Cosky moved in with a legal guardian, his older half-sister, whose husband was a guitar teacher. “He saw I had an interest in art and music, and he provided me with everything I needed to express myself,” Cosky recalled of the man who became like a father to him. “He essentially gave me the keys to myself, which is the most freeing thing an adult can do for a teenager who has experienced horrors in life,” he said. Cosky later lost another sister to suicide and his brother to a drug overdose. He said he self-medicated with drugs and alcohol and was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Cosky went on to survive more trauma, including his own suicide attempts, homelessness and a near fatal drug overdose that landed him in the emergency room at age 30. There, he decided to make a change. From the hospital, Cosky asked to go to Healing Transitions, a residential addiction recovery program in Raleigh. He’s been in recovery for two and a half years and released an album last year. People have long used creative expression to process life’s experiences, behaviors and emotions. Some, like Cosky, are drawn to art naturally. Others have discovered its healing power through therapy.

created an interactive video game where he tackled his mental health struggles. He shared it with friends and family, and it opened the door for others to share about their mental health. “People got really inspired through the virtual component, which I hadn’t anticipated and honestly didn’t have a lot of experience in,” she said, “so it ended up being really cool.” Celander said she’s also watched patients soothe themselves through art during moments of anxiety. “Maybe they’re having physical symptoms like sweaty palms or a racing heart when they’re talking or working through some of this stuff,” she explained, “and in that moment, helping them use their art materials often as a grounding experience. What are you smelling? What are you feeling and touching with your hands, whether it’s oil pastels, or chalk or watching watercolors drip down the page. So it’s both used as a kind of outlet and a grounding exercise.”

Raleigh-based musician Iggy Cosky. (Photo Credit: Taylor Knopf) hospital inpatient units to intensive outpatient programs to private therapy, both in-person and virtually. She’s worked with a lot of patients going through life transitions, or dealing with medical diagnoses such as cancer, or who are struggling with addiction issues. She’s also counseled

tional mental health therapy techniques, such as talk-based cognitive behavioral therapy. For some patients who have never worked with art, it can seem intimidating. Celander said she will start them with something like a collage, which is less threatening. “The art kind of guides the work and makes my job a lot easier, because a lot of stuff ends up coming up as people are expressing themselves creatively, and oftentimes they feel more safe doing it through art making than verbally,” she said. At the start of the pandemic, Celander thought leading virtual art therapy sessions would be really difficult, but she said it’s been amazing and led to innovative forms of art. One client took a work email about pandemic-related changes and used it to create blackout poetry, using Microsoft Paint to select words to express herself while covering the rest. Another client

Art in Therapy “Art making is inherently therapeutic. [Art therapy] creates a space for people to have the benefits of just processing the meaning and content of whatever comes up in their artwork. It’s using art in order to better express yourself or discover certain patterns that you’re engaging in,” said Anna Celander, a licensed clinical therapist and art therapist based in Durham. Celander has led art therapy sessions for patients in every kind of setting, from

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

Anna Celander, a licensed clinical therapist and art therapist based in Durham. Photo Credit: Anna Celander

caregivers of people with long-term physical or mental illness. She said she starts with establishing treatment goals and incorporates tradi-

An example of collage artwork from one of Anna Celander’s clients, which she shared with the permission of the artist.

Art as Mindfulness When Charlotte-based artist Melissa Fish stopped drinking alcohol, she said she would get thirsty around happy hour each

An example of collage artwork from one of Anna Celander’s clients, which she shared with the permission of the artist.

day. Someone in her recovery support group suggested she try baking to distract from her cravings. So, she did, and it worked. She baked cookies and decorated them in royal icing designs. Fish, 45, had always been interested in art. In college, she started as an art major but quickly changed to something else. Feelings of self-doubt crept in, and she thought she wasn’t good enough to be an artist. Fish got caught up in the college party scene and her alcohol addiction snuck up on her.

For the following decade, she stopped creating art altogether and kept drinking. By the time Fish was baking cookies in recovery, she met artist Windi White, who is now the director of development at Healing Transitions in Raleigh. White also leads art therapy groups for program participants and encourages people to embrace colors, textures, shapes and movement rather than striving to make their art look like a certain picture in their head. Fish said White saw her beautiful baked goods and fanned the creative embers in her. The two artists also bonded over their journeys of recovery from addiction and similar feelings of self-doubt as artists. “Just by sharing that I had never felt comfortable calling myself an artist, and now I was saying, ‘No, I am an artist. I am creative. I am worthy of this expression,’” White said of their conversations. Painting and creating other forms of art allows Fish to practice what mental health professionals would call mindfulness. When Fish is creating, she’s not thinking about the past, or planning out the week or worrying about the future. “I’m literally where my feet are, where the art is. My brain is there. My body is

there,” Fish said. “And you just kind of get in the zone, and it’s like being in a meditative state. I feel like that anytime I’m creating art.” In October, White hosted Healing Transitions’ first art event called Art of Recovery, where Fish displayed her work publicly for the first time. Cosky also performed his music live at the event. Art and Community As for Cosky, he’s found playing music with others to be therapeutic, too. At Healing Transitions he was allowed to bring his guitar and amp to campus, and he jammed with others in the program. Playing music while sober was new for him, and at first Cosky was concerned that he wouldn’t be as “tapped in” to the music, he said alluding to the romanticized idea some artists have about drugs and creativity. However, he discovered that writing, playing and recording music while sober gave him clarity and insight into himself. “Being sober and doing it kind of clears the fog off the mirror, you can actually see yourself for what you really are and see all your blemishes, and those can be beautiful as well,” he said. “You don’t have to hide behind them by getting high or using

alcohol or whatever.” In recovery, Cosky said he has been able to purchase all the music equipment he previously sold off to buy heroin. He now has a modest recording studio in his room in a sober living house, including a synthesizer, drum machine, software, bass, guitars and microphones. He has everything he needs to make a record, but Cosky said he’s learned he doesn’t have to play all the instruments by himself. He can invite others in. “Something I’ve learned through the process of getting into recovery is asking for help,” he said. “Recovery promotes community. You’re around like-minded people that know what it’s like to carry your pain.” He’s taught guitar lessons to others in recovery and played in groups together. Now Cosky says he’s looking for more ways to help people experience the healing power of art and music. Taylor Knopf writes about mental health, including addiction and harm reduction. She lives in Raleigh and previously wrote for The News & Observer. Knopf has a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a minor in journalism. : :

A Tax Season Reminder for the LGBTQ Community

Survivors of Long Term Relationships before Marriage Equality Qualify for SSA Benefits BY MOLLY SPRAYREGEN | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

s the 2021 tax season approaches, it’s important for LGBTQ widows whose partners passed away before marriage equality was legal to remember when filing they are eligible for social security survivor benefits. Although the Biden administration dropped appeals in two class action lawsuits late last year that had been filed by LGBTQ advocates during the Trump era to get the Social Security Administration (SSA) to grant the benefits, many senior survivors aren’t aware what that can potentially mean for them. Typically, a couple must be married for at least nine months to be eligible for survivor’s benefits, but Lambda Legal argued successfully in favor of two widows who were unable to do so because their partners died before marriage equality was legal. One plaintiff was Helen Thornton, who was denied Social Security survivor benefits after her partner of 27 years passed away in 2006. U.S. District Judge James Robart of Seattle ordered the SSA to give Thornton the survivor benefits, saying that denying her the benefits violates her constitutional due process and equal protection rights. The judge recommended a nationwide order requiring SSA to reconsider claims for survivor benefits and to stop denying survivor benefits to same-sex partners just because they couldn’t legally get married

in the past. The Trump SSA argued that the ban on benefits for same-sex couples who weren’t officially married before marriage equality was legal “reduces the risk of fraudulent marriages.” But Judge Robart said that the SSA can’t use Washington’s ban on same-sex marriage to deny people benefits, calling the marriage ban “an unconstitutional law that discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation.” The other plaintiff, Michael Ely, an Arizona gay man, won a federal court case after he too was denied Social Security survivor benefits when his husband James Taylor passed away in 2014. They were together for 43 years and they married a month after a judge legal-

ized marriage equality in their state. But six months into their marriage Taylor passed away. The SSA originally denied Ely benefits, saying that they had to have been married for nine months for Ely to qualify. Because the nine-month requirement was “based on an unconstitutional Arizona law, it cannot withstand scrutiny at any level,” a federal judge ruled in that case. The Trump administration had filed appeals in these cases, but the Biden Administration dropped those appeals to allow the rulings to stand. “For decades, same-sex couples paid into social security, just like different-sex couples.” explains Lambda Legal Senior Counsel and Seniors Strategist Karen Loewy. “The difference was, only one group always had the freedom to marry, leading to gross inequalities that continued to linger. [Now] surviving same-sex partners and spouses can securely access the benefits that they are owed and that can be essential to their continued health and safety.” This article appears courtesy of our media partner LGBTQNation. To read it in its entirety, go here. : :

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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The Crowns of Black Folks

Why Black Hair Texture Has Been Added to Non-Discrimination Ordinances BY L’MONIQUE KING QNOTES STAFF WRITER

s we move towards a more inclusive society additional descriptors of identity are added to our causes for inclusion. In recent years, hair, or dare I say “Black” hair has been part of that fight for inclusion in being added to legislation. Yup, you heard correctly, Black folks actually need legislation in order to show up to school, workplaces, athletic fields and other public spaces with their hair in its natural state. Side note, when Black folks say natural hair, it most often means Black hair that has not been straightened with searing heat or chemicals. Dyed hair that has not been chemically straightened would still be considered natural hair by most African Americans. As of this writing 12 U.S. States have prohibited discrimination based on hair texture. The majority have passed the (Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair) Crown Act while others have expanded existing non-discrimination Amendments to include hair. Last year (January 2021) Durham and Greensboro adopted Non-Discrimination Ordinances (NDOs) which includes discrimination protection for wearing hairstyles such as braids, dreadlocks or afros. A few months later, Charlotte joined them. Charlotte’s NDO “Prohibits discrimination by an employer on the basis of race, natural hairstyle, ethnicity, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, marital status, familial status, pregnancy, veteran status, religion, age, and disability.” These same protections apply to public accommodations as well. Why is legislation for this necessary you ask? Well, in case you missed John Oliver’s HBO commentary on Black Hair last year, don’t remember all the hubbub about Colin Kaepernick’s mega ‘Fro, forgot about the the high school wrestler whose locks were hacked off by his coach mid game or back in the early 2000s when Carowinds refused to hire anyone with locks; stick around a little longer and keep reading. The article you are continuing to read may very well be the most difficult I’ve written since joining the QNotes family as a staff writer. I work with a wonderful group of folks who are welcoming, affirming and take care in never tokenizing me as I am (currently) their only Black staff writer. Honestly, sometimes it’s a little much – that responsibility of assisting my wellmeaning white male counterparts as they navigate through cancel culture and political correctness. In instances like these, my Double Consciousness (the inward two-ness experienced by Black folks who consciously or unconsciously alter their behavior when in the presence of white people in order not to appear threatening or dangerous) shows up a little differently; meaning I’m not adjusting my behavior in an attempt to outrun a stereotype. Instead, I’m gently providing education and allowing my co-workers who routinely champion diversity and inclusion, to just be – human beings whose misconceptions (of under-

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

Corn Rows come in all shapes and sizes. CREDIT: AdobeStock standing or defining cultural attributes) are not malicious or intentional. When I was asked to write this article

QNotes writer L’Monique King in first grade with a “natural” or closecropped afro. CREDIT: LMK Collection

on natural hair (here forward referred to as natural Black hair as the term never seems to be used to refer to those of any other race or ethnicity but Black) I was immediately transported back to my youth. As one who grew up during America’s Civil Rights Era (‘60s and ‘70s) I was reared by a woman with an afro (also referred to as ‘a Natural’ at the time) that grew from close cropped into a massive halo of hair and back again. At seven, I begged her to cut my hair down so I would look as beautiful as her. This was a bit of a challenging undertaking for a mother and daughter with 4C hair. In the 21st century, Black hair is now categorized by straightness and curl tightness. 4C hair is the least straight hair with the tightest coils. But I digress. I still fondly remember an elementary school trip to New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) – a massive and luxurious theater where I had previously seen renditions of the Nutcracker and Swan Lake. During this particular trip to BAM, a lone Black woman took the stage and performed some poems. I was about eight years old at the time and recall being awestruck. This woman resembled my

mother, she looked like me, with her natural short afro, ebony skin and radiant smile. An unapologetic black woman, on stage in a space that generally occupied more white people than anything else was a big darn deal in the early ‘70s. Her poem “To Those of My Sisters Who Kept Their Naturals” was an ode and a charge to self-love and acceptance. Her name was Gwendolyn Brooks and she was the first Black American to win a Pulitzer Prize (though I didn’t know that back then). Mind you, this was around the same time that actress Bo Derek was being admired for wearing corn rows in the movie ‘10’– while Black women were being discouraged, put down, ostracized and fired for wearing the style Bo Derek co-oped from Black culture. During a 2020 US Magazine interview Derek lamented about the situation, “I get in trouble for it now, I get a lot of criticism for being a culture vulture, that I’m being insulting and even worse, hurtful to African American women [and] that I copied their hairstyle.” Now she can’t escape it, but when the film was originally released, she says, the

braids, dreadlocks and afros were threatening and unacceptable. Whatever the gender, whatever the occasion or the message – dating as far back as slavery – was loud and clear: You are not beautiful, acceptable or welcome as you are. Many of us internalized those messages, and those of us who didn’t, were seen as militant Angela Davis and Black Panther Party revolutionaries to fear, oppress and control. Historically this has been going on for what feels like forever. For centuries, the white ruling class has battled with our hair by shaving our heads, forcing us to cover our hair and disallowing any style that went against the grain of a white beauty standard or seemed to reflect our own culture pride, as indicated by our hairstyles. The awareness Black folks have of this situation and our need to achieve success through inclusion has greatly contributed to how much we spend annually on hair care products. According to Essence Magazine, “In 2018 the Black hair care industry raked in an estimated $2.51 billion, as Black consumers have progressively made the switch from general products to those that specifically cater to them. In 2017 African Americans captured 86 per-

Colin Kaepernick’s mega ‘fro. CREDIT: Facebook reaction was totally different. “I can’t tell you how many African American women came up to me and said things like, ‘Thank you so much. I work at a bank and my boss would never let me have that hairstyle at work but now I can.’” Sans the Bo Derek hype, as a little girl, I was surrounded by affirmations of Black is Beautiful that included, finally, natural hair. I say finally because with all that Black pride going around, the women in my community and family (mom included at one point) still saw fit to put me through the grueling kitchen chair ritual of having my kitchen erased. In Black culture, Kitchen doesn’t just refer to where food is prepared and eaten. A kitchen also refers to the nape/back of a person’s neck, where [Black] hair might be or considered fuzzy, beaded up or tightly coiled (i.e. Nappy). It’s also the part that causes the most distress during hot combing or pressing (for the purpose of straightening it). I still shudder when recalling

many of these experiences where a metal comb was place on a gas stove’s open flame and grease (aka hair pomade) was also applied to aid the process. One drop of hot grease on one’s neck however, was enough to cause the trauma similar to that of what our mothers still experience when recalling the grease stains our drippy Jheri Curls left on their sofas during the 1980s. Back in the day, and for some currently, any occasion that was deemed special or required an appropriate and/or professional look, meant Black hair had to be “fried, dyed and laid to the side.” In other words, before venturing out into public spaces – the heads of little Black girls needed fixing, correcting and styling to embody Eurocentric standards and looks as much as possible. For little Black boys, this typically meant a close-cropped Caesar cut; though between the 1940s and 1960s, many Black men were also adopting hairstyles [like the Conk] that gave them straight or wavy hair. For Black men also,

cent of the ethnic beauty market, accounting for $54 million of the $63 million spent, Nielsen reported.” All those dollars weren’t purely spent on wigs, weaves and chemical relaxers either (though those product lines account for a significant number of purchases). Today, there’s been a noticeable resurgence of Black cultural pride. Natural hair has once again made a comeback. And although we [as Black people] may continue to argue among ourselves over wigs, weaves, wearing our natural hair and all the implications of sporting whatever kind of style we do, we have more choices today than we did yesterday. Additionally, before we engage in these arguments about assimilation and reflections of self-hatred, we might also want to put some time and effort towards the economic implications of this. That is to say, we spend the most (on beauty and hair products) but do not own or control most of the market, which is currently dominated by Korean merchants and distributors. Simply stated, our hair might be at the root of our economic mobility now more than ever. If you’d like to check out John Oliver’s HBO presentation on Black hair, visit YouTube. : :

Dreadlocks, or locks are one of many natural hairstyles. CREDIT: AdobeStock

Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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Single-Family Rental Companies Acquiring Thousands of Homes Homebuyers Aren’t Just Competing Against Other People for the Limited Number of Houses for Sale BY NATE MORABITO | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Charlotte Journalism Collaborative analysis of sales data in five area counties identified thousands of homes, condos and townhouses acquired by single-family rental (SFR) investment companies over the course of a year. Realtors say those SFR companies often come to the table with cash offers over asking price and intentions to turn the homes into rental properties. “WE PUT EIGHT OFFERS ON HOUSES AND LOST THEM ALL” Katlyn Pflederer knows how it feels to lose to the SFR competition. Her family of five put eight offers down on houses in the Charlotte area and lost them all. “After months and months of it, you kind of lose your hope,” the mother of three said. “It felt like I was letting my kids down.” She said her family offered more than asking, agreed to match appraisals and even offered to waive repairs, but kept losing. “We were doing everything we could that we were comfortable with to get a house and it didn’t work out,” Pflederer said. “When so many people are struggling, I think it is a sign that there’s a problem. One time my husband called our realtor and said, ‘We’re done.’” Thankfully, that moment passed. Realtor Robin Mann helped the Pflederers navigate the eight losses, including several, she said, that came at the hands of outside investors. “They’re winning so much,” Mann said of investment companies. “My last two listings we had nine offers from the same exact investor teams before it hit market.” SFRS ACCOUNTED FOR 5% OF SALES OVER 12 MONTHS Single-family rental companies secured at least 4,100 area homes, condos and townhouses over a 12-month period in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Union, Cabarrus and Iredell counties, according to the data. Those SFRs accounted for 5% of all homes acquired during that timeframe. SFR companies mainly focused on homes in the $300,000 price range, with the average purchase around $335,000 and the median price at $285,000. When

the CJC isolated the middle range of all purchases (between $221,000 and $426,000) the percentage of properties acquired by SFR companies increased to just under 7%. “A lot of homebuyers have been locked out of the market by these investors,” broker Jonathan Osman said. “It’s not healthy for our housing market.” Osman said he sees it weekly, even before homes are officially listed. “They’re backed with billions of dollars in hedge fund money,” he said. “I mean, they’ll buy anything.” Osman argues investment companies not only deplete the available housing stock, they drive up prices, putting first-time homebuyers at an additional disadvantage. “We transfer wealth in this country by real estate,” Osman said. “Almost a generation are missing out on that inter-generational wealth transfer that comes with real estate ownership.” NOT COMPETITION, BUT INSTEAD MEETING A NEED SFR companies dispute the storyline that casts them as the villain. “There’s absolutely no data and no evidence to support the contenBroker Jonathan Osman said single-family tion that single-family rental home rental companies, with cash offers over asking companies do anything but proprice, are locking some homebuyers out of the vide a positive housing option for market. Credit: Ken Shermer consumers,” National Rental Home

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Council Executive Director David Howard said. “In today’s market, with its challenges with affordability and accessibility, single-family rentals have become even more important.” Howard said SFR companies are interested in growing cities like Charlotte, because there’s a demand for families who want to be near employment centers and quality schools. “Frankly, it makes a lot of sense for companies to be involved with a market like Charlotte,” he said. “Demand for singlefamily rental housing is strong in a market like Charlotte. If the demand was not there, you would not see the kind of activity in the rental market that you’re seeing.” Howard said there’s also a need for people who aren’t able or ready to buy yet. Mireya Gaton is one of those people. She moved to the area from California, but feared rushing into home ownership. Instead, she signed a lease with Tricon Residential, one of the region’s largest SFR buyers, to rent a home in Gastonia. “I wanted to explore the area before I committed to buying a house,” Gaton said. “Renting first was just the best way to avoid making the wrong decision.” The decision to rent bought her time to find a nearly half-million dollar home in Stallings, which she’ll close on later this year. “I think there’s a stigma,” she said of renters. “I was kind of scared, like, ‘What

kind of people would rent?’ But, I’m one of them.” TWO TOP SFR COMPANIES RESPOND Tricon Residential bought the second most homes in the area of all SFR companies from October 2020 to October 2021, according to the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative’s data analysis. “There is as much a shortage of homes in the rental housing market as in the home buying market, perhaps more so,” Tricon Residential Chief Operating Officer Kevin Baldridge said in a statement. “According to the US Census Bureau, over the last five years, the amount of owneroccupied housing in the US has increased ten percent while the amount of rental housing has increased just one percent. In 2020 alone, the amount of rental housing declined by over 275,000 homes, an amount nearly equal to the total number of homes owned nationwide by large single-family rental home companies. We receive up to 10,000 leasing inquiries each week across the country for an average of just 200 to 300 available homes. To meet this extraordinary renter demand, we’re providing needed supply through the thoughtful acquisition of existing homes and developing new build-to-rent communities. We believe that build-to-rent is a part of a longer-term solution to help meet demand and provide individuals and families with additional housing options.” Baldridge said the company’s properties are “actively maintained to a common professional standard.” According to the data, FirstKey Homes bought more properties than any other SFR company between October 2020 and October 2021. “Rising home prices and competition are a confluence of many factors, including insufficient housing supply, low-interest rates, migration to subur-

ban communities, and a massive shift to remote working, not the negligible twotenths of one percent of the homes we manage in these counties,” FirstKey Chief Communications Officer Michael Torres said in a statement. “Everyday homebuyers continue to purchase most homes, with the percentage of first-time buyers who successfully purchased properties rising to 34% of all buyers over the past year, up from 31% in 2020. We’re proud to offer single-family homes for people who choose or need to rent.” NEIGHBORHOODS AND SELLERS ARE

Mireya Gaton signed a lease to rent a Gastonia home from single-family rental company Tricon Residential. She said the rental bought her time to find. Credit: Nate Morabito NOW REACTING A report by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute identified more than 11,000 single-family homes in Mecklenburg County alone currently owned by Wall-Streetbacked landlords in June, accounting for 4.3% of all single-family homes. In response to the trend, some neighborhoods have changed their rules to try and preserve communities that are predominantly owner-occupied. Highland Creek, for example, changed its rules last year to limit rentals for the first year after a sale, according to a covenant amendment. The president of the Highland Creek Community Association said the change has already made an impact. “We have seen a huge difference and the word is out that Highland Creek doesn’t let investors in the neighborhood,” President Rob Valencia said. “Huge success for the community.” The Avalon at Mallard Creek Townhomes changed its covenant too to add a waiting period and placed a cap on the number of units that could be leased. In addition to neighborhoods taking a stand, some sellers have started refusing to sell to investors too. “I think if there is a concerted effort between homeowner and buyer to sell to people, that would kind of start to reduce this trend a little bit,” Osman said. “If the HOA’s would step up and the sellers would step up and say, ‘We’re not

Realtor Robin Mann helped the Pflederer’s overcome multiple losses, including several at the hands of single-family rental investors. Credit: Nate Morabito. doing it. We want actual people in our communities,’ then I think we would be in a better place,” Mann said. PATIENCE PAYS OFF After months of constant rejection, Mann helped the Pflederers close on a home in Union County last year in their price range. The $275,000 house is smaller and farther away than they had hoped, but they know it’s better than the alternative. “It feels really good,” Pflederer said. “The kids love their school and they’ve made a friend down the street too. They’re very happy here. I’m very happy here too, my husband especially.” WHAT CAN GIVE HOMEBUYERS AN EDGE? 1) MAKE YOUR BEST OFFER Osman said offering the highest price and best terms can help. “Communicating that you’re putting 10 or 20% down can help sway a seller that is concerned that the home may not appraise.” 2) A SIZABLE DUE DILIGENCE

Mann said investment companies often don’t offer due diligence money, so offering a larger amount for due diligence “could be a significant positive in your offer.” 3) ASK AROUND If there’s a specific neighborhood or type of home you like, ask your realtor to reach out to owners in that area to see who’s thinking about selling. Osman said that realtor could work out a deal for you on a home that doesn’t hit the market. 4) OWNER-OCCUPIED ALERT Mann said it’s also helpful to tell the listing real estate agent that the home will be owner-occupied. 5) CHOOSE YOUR LENDER WISELY Osman recommends using a lender that gathers and underwrites your loan up front, needing only a contract and occasionally an appraisal. “Not all lenders are the same and finding one who will make your approval the same as a cash offer (allowing for a quick due diligence period) can win the

day,” he said. WHAT ABOUT WRITING A LETTER? Mann said some agents frown on that approach due to potentially crossing fair housing laws. Osman discourages letter writing altogether since those letters can be used as a tool to discriminate against buyers. He said they’re outlawed in many cases. Osman added attempts to stalk a seller online is “too much.” qnotes is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions producing I Can’t Afford to Live Here, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org. : :

Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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Hot Damn

An Interview with David Pevsner by Gregg Shapiro Contributing Writer

here is much to delight (and even titillate) readers in David Pevsner’s memoir Damn Shame: A Memoir of Desire, Defiance, and Show Tunes (Random House Canada, 2021). A familiar face (and body) to fans of indie gay movies, popular TV series, Broadway and off-Broadway musical theater, and OnlyFans, Pevsner bares all in this noholds-barred memoir. Damn Shame is the true story of “a little boy who knew what he wanted in his soul but had no idea what it meant.” Readers can follow Pevsner from his suburban Chicago (read: Skokie) roots to college and the theater, with various side trips including being a naked house-cleaner, an escort, a professional organizer, and a songwriter. Pevsner manages to strike a balance between light and dark subject matter, telling his truth, (anal) warts and all. Gregg Shapiro: David, your memoir Damn Shame is separated into two acts, which feels like a nod to your theater background. Am I on the right track and is that the way it was planned from the start? David Pevsner: Absolutely. With the big

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ol’ drama queen in me, I have always felt my life has unfurled in acts and scenes, so using those elements made sense to me, with some scenes – chapters – being shorter, some longer, some simpler and whimsical, some more involved and complex. However, it’s not at all like reading a play with only dialog and stage directions. It’s still prose, still biography, and is, I believe, a very emotional, funny, and brutally honest read. GS: Having talked to, and interviewed, you over the course of many years, I can safely say that the book sounds like you. It’s written in such a way that it feels intimate in the way you are

sharing very personal experiences. Was there a specific moment when you realized that was happening and did you ever feel any hesitation? DP: I’ve always been told I write like I talk and I’m a pretty open guy who really doesn’t hold back in conversation. I adore chatting with folks, I try to find humor in all situations, I get emotional when I talk about love and heartache, and if I’m angry about something, like politics or gay rights? Get out of the damn way! Outrage, snark, and sarcasm abound. I tried to put all of that into the text, no hesitation. It’s written with the hope that it entertains because no matter what I do, I’m an entertainer at

heart. Even my personal organizing clients would attest to that. GS: In “The Boyfriend” chapter, you wrote about “my first journal.” Were you a consistent journal or diary keeper or did you rely on memory when for reference while writing the memoir? DP: I was not a consistent journal writer throughout my life. I started in high school and a little bit in college, but it became a lot of “Who am I? Why am I? I’m so depressed! I’m so lonely! I like him, he doesn’t like me, blahdy blah blah…” Yikes! The journals are just so very angst-y and dramatic, but definitely a memory booster, and I did find some material that was pretty substantive and important to my story. They kind of yammer on but there was some pretty funny stuff in there that I filched. And though I don’t think I have a great memory, while in the midst of writing certain chapters, getting as lost as I could in the story, details would pop into my head, truths that I had maybe forgotten but were important and resonant. And there’s one story in the book about a guy I was involved with in the early ‘80s that I had totally forgotten about and realized it had to be in there. I had to hyper-apply my brainpower to it, but suddenly it flowed out of me into the computer, and with Continued on page 18

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If I Meet Another Drunk, I’ll Kill Myself Tell Trinity

BY TRINITY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dear Trinity, Every time I go out looking to meet someone special, I keep meeting undesirables, drunks and the unemployed. It kills me! What am I doing wrong? Yours, The Wrong Ones Detroit, MI

stress. What do you do for stress? Thanks, Stressing Out Columbia, SC

Dear The Wrong Ones, In life, odds have it that you could easily go out to a bar, meet an uninspired, depressing yet attractive slob with an endless dialogue of sad stories just as easily as you could meet someone at the same bar, well-inspired, happy and with many success stories. Pumpkin, it’s simple, you just have to ask the right questions right up front, i.e., “What do you do for a living?” and/or “What’s good in your life?” and if the answer is “Nothing” for both questions then say, “Goodbye,” and move right along to the next drunk, I mean, happy person. If you stick close to your desires of meeting a well-rounded person, odds have it you’ll eventually meet someone great. P.S. Remember, beauty has nothing to do with success! Love, Trinity

Dearest Stressing Out, Being early (not just on time), eating slowly (or just chewing your food) and delegating work (not just doing it all yourself because no one can do it as well as you) are guaranteed medicines for de-stressing. Other anti-stress activities include: making love, listening to the ocean and being around children. You could also hit the health food store and pick some Bach Flower Remedies such as Vervain or Rescue Remedy. Everyone has stress, Honey, but some of us practice time and stress-management better than others. Start practicing!

Dearest Trinity, I work three jobs and am saving money for a condo. However, my life is so stressful that sometimes I find myself doing things out of character, which I think are a reaction to my

Hey Trinity, I messed up, fell asleep and never canceled on my last date with someone I just started dating. They’re really mad. How do I make it up to them and get them back?

Thanks, Messed Up Spokane, WA Hey Messed Up, When you make a definite plan with someone and don’t show up at all, they have every right to be mad, but Sweetie, you have every right to try to make up for it too. So try Trinity’s Fast Action Tips For How To Make Good After Standing Someone Up 1. Immediately, if she lives near you, go and attach an “I’m sorry” note on to her door with a short explanation and give the time you wrote the note. 2. Don’t make someone wait 24 hours to know why you messed up. Call ASAP, apologizing! 3. Leave a message on his voicemail and try as much as three times that whole (next) day to reach him live. 4. Don’t avoid what you did! Say, “I’m sorry for standing you up, and it will never

happen again! And sound sincere! 5. Promise, “If something comes up again next time, I’ll call and give you plenty of warning.” 6. Ask “When are you free again?” and if you have to change your plans to accommodate the situation, do so. Don’t let a week go by. 7. Invite them to dinner at your expense at their earliest convenience, even if you have to change your plans! 8. Call before your next date an hour early just to say, “I’ll see you in an hour.” You must regain their trust! 9. Bring a gift when you see her, something small and sweet that expresses, “I really want to make it up to you,” i.e., a flower, a trinket or some chocolates. 10. And lastly, don’t do it again, ever again! As you can see it’s too much work for you and too much heartache for the person you stood up! With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking” a weekly radio drama, performed globally and is now minister of WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings. Sponsored by: WIG Ministries, www.wigministries.org Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Send e-mails to: Trinity@telltrinity.com

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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And the Category Is... Inside New York’s Vogue, House and Ballroom Community Out in Print

BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER CONTRIBUTING WRITER “And the Category Is... Inside New York’s Vouge, House and Ballroom Community” by Ricky Tucker c.2021, Beacon Press $25.95 248 pages

ou love Bette Davis. Always have, always will. Ever since Madonna vowed that she did too, you’ve voiced your passion while you vogued, white-gloved hands splayed, slap the floor, frame, pose, pose, pose. It’s not “All About Eve” this time; it’s all about you when you dance like that. And in the new book “And the Category Is...” by Ricky Tucker, you know where you do it. The culture known as Ballroom is a little hard to define. It’s not a single song, although you can’t have Ballroom

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

without music. It’s not one specific place; you can attend Ballroom classes in many places and dance wherever there’s a ball. Ballroom is “a freedom, a fearlessness... in deconstructing and reinventing oneself in front of a crowd...” and it’s “a thriving arts-based culture founded over a century ago by LGBTQ African American and Latinx people of Harlem.” “In so many ways, house-Ballroom culture is...the invisible creating visibility for themselves,” says Tucker. In his eyes, Ballroom is “smart, innovative, loving, and funny...” At its very basic, it’s pageantry, masquerade and glitz, and awards are given in various categories that exhibit “realness.” Hand-movements are graded, as are spins, dips, and the way one walks; what you wear is as important as how you dance. And yes, taking a Ballroom class is better than making a fool of yourself and bringing shame to your house. That, by the way, could be a literal home led by a house mother or father and a multi-membered, created family for anyone who might need one.

Ballroom gives trans and gay people a safe place to be themselves and maybe win a trophy for it. It also offers Black dancers a chance to unite “under one cause: freedom” and to display “a powerful performative act of defiance” toward rich, straight, white, cis people—even though there are many cis people who are Ballroom fans... There are two ways of approaching “And the Category Is...”: one, if you’re a Ballroom follower or participant. Another, if you’re not. Aficionados of Ballroom will devour every page of this personal memoir-mixedwith-cultural-history. They’ll love author Ricky Tucker’s breathlessly-told tale of finding Ballroom, and himself in it; his experiences in learning how to dance properly; and the sense of insider that he lends

overall. Readers will also enjoy Tucker’s extensive interviews with LGBTQ BIPOC: Ballroom members, legends, organizers, activists, house parents, his own “fathers,” and other performers. There, and in his analysis of the interviews, we see how defying racism is a large part of the essence of Ballroom, how HIV activism fits in, and how Ballroom has been appropriated for wider audiences. On the other side of the dance floor, if you’re not into Ballroom, this book will take some getting used to. Tucker jumps in with both feet and very little preamble to prepare readers unfamiliar with Ballroom culture. Stick around; you’ll get it eventually, if you have patience. If you don’t, then fasten those seatbelts. Reading “And the Category Is...” will make for a bumpy night.. : :

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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a&e book, you write about your difficult relationonly a few tweaks, it’s ship with a boyfriend in the book. And when I named Reid. Do you finished that chapter, I know if he is aware of bawled my eyes out. the memoir, as well as GS: How much of the his presence in it? memoir is drawn from DP: I assume he the scripts of your onedoes, but I don’t know man shows? for sure. DP: There are definiteGS: How different do ly chunks from both of you think the direcmy shows because they tion your profesfocused on important sional life has taken moments in my life in would be if not for conjunction with sex and the internet and your body shame, but even social media presence if you’ve seen either of on Tumblr, Facebook, them, there’s plenty here Instagram, Twitter, beyond. Plus, I had to and OnlyFans? really whittle down the DP: If you’re talknarrative for the plays, ing about my acting and there are so many career and how my details that I had to lose erotic presence on that really up the storysocial media affects it, telling, emotional depths, well, I was working up and humor. So, though until Covid as an actor, you may recognize a few jumping from stage to situations in there from my shows, they are way TV to indie stuff and the more detailed and nuweb, and right now, I’m anced in the book. Also, focusing on the writing. Actor and author David Pevsner says he’s on a mission to end ageism, body- and sex-shaming, and to promote healthy esteem at all what plays on the stage There’s some fun stuff ages in a culture that prizes youthful appearances. (Submitted by David Pevsner) doesn’t necessarily read in the book regarding well on the page, and my online presence and my fantastic editor Scott my legit acting career, especially the ones up to and including a more graphic way as well, and as I’ve Sellers was a champion and I know there are venues professionalcollege (after, I do use more real names). read passages of it to groups of all ages at helping me adapt. But there’s a ton ly I may not be invited into, but that’s part I didn’t feel it was right of me to drag and genders, they get it, they love it, they of other stuff in the book beyond those of the book. I don’t believe that should be some names into it when I was talking totally identify. Plus, I talk a lot about agestories. This is not a retread of my plays. and I make my case for it. As for the rest about my development sexually. I’m way ism in the book from my standpoint as a This is my whole life, from birth to now, of my professional life, besides writing and upfront about it all, but not everyone is, 62-year-old gay man, but what I’ve written told through the lens of body shame and acting, I have my personal organizing biz, and though I’m working hard to loosen goes beyond that age group. If you’ve ever sexuality, covering much more ground, I produce content for my OnlyFans, I drafolks up about sex, I had to respect that. I felt irrelevant or overlooked, you’ll appreciand way more provocative and involved maturg, I narrate audiobooks (including also found that if I used the real name of ate it. And yes, I talk about being an escort than I could possibly get on a stage. And Damn Shame), I paint, and I will continue one person, it fully dragged in the name of and my sex life, there’s some full-frontal as you know, I did not hold back. to stick my toes into every aspect of the someone they were connected with that I nudity in the photo sections, and there are GS: That is true! In “The Music Man” business we call show, and I love all of it. absolutely could not expose. It was tough, a couple of fisting jokes thrown in (bechapter, which is set in 1996, you Let me be creative and I’m a happy guy. but really, the names don’t count. The excause nothing makes me laugh more than mentioned writing “essays and stories periences do. But let’s just say Topol, Kirk a good fisting joke) [laughs] but I promise GS: Finally, David, in addition to writing about my life.” Have you, in various Cameron, a teacher from Carnegie Mellon, that readers will relate to my experiences, ways, been working on this book since about your career triumphs, you don’t shy and maybe one or two others don’t come no matter their gender, age, or sexuality. that time? away from writing about your negative out so well. Fuck ‘em [laughs]. GS: In addition to being known as an DP: I never thought I had a book in performance experiences, which made me GS: Have your sisters read the book? actor, you have also had a prolific me. I thought it was just creative writing wonder if, in a way, you consider the book DP: I sent them the passages in which career as a songwriter and include song to get some stories out of my system, but to be a kind of instruction manual for they’re mentioned and they signed off. lyrics throughout. Please say something then I started to funnel some of them young performers. They haven’t read the whole book yet and about why you chose to do that? into my stage work. Most others did not DP: Lord knows there are things I I’m not sure they want to. I actually think DP: I chose to include some of my lyrics make it into this book because they did discovered on my way to being 62 and bethey’ll like it because though it sometimes because I wanted to have the essence of a not ascribe to the development of the ing a professional performer for 40 years gets a little graphic in the discussion of my musical, as they were so intrinsic to who I sweet, smart little ham of a boy into this that I would have loved to have known personal and business life, I think it’s also am. My lyrics have always come out of real introspective, self-deprecating, erotically back then, but I think we all have to go a lot of fun. And since they were my nemesituations in my life, so they were a natural obsessed, somewhat damaged but ever through what we need to by ourselves, not ses at times growing up, I asked my editor addition, and I hope, a lot of fun for the hopeful and idealistic man, and the nunecessarily through advice, to really land if I was being too harsh about them. He reader. I also think some of my best writdity/sexuality/ageism/shame themes that said that they don’t come off as evil--they ing is in my lyrics and I’m really proud of the point. However, I do feel as though I set up in Damn Shame. Maybe down the come off as typical older sisters, somethem. I’m a rhyme freak; I think a good line, I’ll do a collection of essays with the some of my experiences trying to mainthing so many can identify with. I make it rhyme crackles and can evoke a laugh or unused ones. tain the artist in me while going through clear before I mention them, and in the an emotion in a different way than prose. GS: Throughout the book, you use real self-esteem issues or stage fright or the acknowledgments, how great they are I assumed folks wouldn’t necessarily want and made-up names for people that difficulties of being fully out in the biz (it and that I love them to death, but I had to read full sets of lyrics, and I certainly you are writing about. With that in has come a long way since I started out) to use our relationship as kids to tell my didn’t want to stop the flow of the storymind, why did you choose to tell the might inspire a kid who wants to perform story. And it’s not like I could have made telling, so we were pretty judicious about story in memoir format versus fictionbut feels crippled in a way by his/her own them up or changed their names. And in choosing them – little chunks or lines that alizing it as a novel? mind. One overall theme in this book, the end, they were OK with what I wrote help to either tell my story or add some DP: I knew that I would be much more regarding not just performing, but also about them because it’s the truth, and I so whimsical or emotional texture to what’s in the moment and forthcoming if I wrote becoming your authentic self sexually and appreciate them giving their thumbs up. been written. So why not? the truth as it happened without fictionalThey’re the best. GS: Is David Sedaris, who you write personally, is confidence. I think confiizing; “truth is stranger than fiction” really GS: Did you have a target audience in about, aware of his inspiration and that holds in my experiences. There are some dence is the key, and I have struggled with mind while writing the book? he’s mentioned in your book? made-up names in the book, but when I it my whole life. And I know for a fact that I DP: I can’t say that I did, however, I DP: I don’t think so. I’ve not met him in wrote it, I used the real names. That kept am not the only one. So, if young performknew that gay guys my age would be able person or been in touch since I randomly faces, voices, and incidents much clearer ers read my story and feel inspired to find to handle the stuff that’s a little more called him on the phone 26 years ago. in my head. But for either legal reasons or their truth in regards to life and career, graphic, so I didn’t feel the need to censor GS: In the chapter title “My One and reasons of my own humanity and discreto find the confidence to achieve their myself. What I’ve since learned, though, Only,” which is one of the longest in the tion (like when I talk about sex), I chose to dreams, nothing would move me more. : : is that women love to talk about sex in book and closes out the first part of the change some names – Continued from page 14

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Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

life

Beverly “Mecca” Moss Our People

BY L’MONIQUE KING QNOTES STAFF WRITER On a chilly winter afternoon, a therapist and advocate for the underserved Black Transgender community sits at home practicing a little self-care. For Beverly “Mecca” Moss of Moss Counseling Services, PLLC, self-care looks like starting a new food blog on Instagram, where she’ll be blogging about prepping and preparing vegan meals. Self-care is important to Moss. “I give so much energy taking care of other folks, I’m at a space in my life where I need to take care of me. Part of that care is being vegan and diligent about it.” Undoubtedly, Moss does expend loads of energy caring and advocating for her clients and causes. As for how she manages shouldering the burdens of those she assists on their multiple journeys of recovery, the Brooklyn-born native and mother of two reflects on her own experiences. “I was a young mother. I had my son [when I was] 15. So, I know something about the triumphs of overcoming obstacles and resiliency.” Today Moss is a licensed mental health counselor who has resided in Charlotte for the past 20 years. She’s been practicing therapy for 10 years, and two years ago she expanded her expertise to include a license as a Clinical Addiction Specialist. Her area of focus is transgender health care. As a cisgender queer woman, what interested you about servicing the Trans community? Initially it was the LGBT community and adolescents, but I found myself embracing the Trans community more when I started doing advocacy work with the Freedom Center for Social Justice. I did that for 10 years. I’m a founding member along with [Bishop] Tonyia Rawls and [Clinical Psychologist] Lisa Griffin. My thing has always been to service marginalized communities. Typically, these are communities of people of color, impoverished communities and children. How did you begin working with the Trans Community? In January of 2012, Dr. Lisa Griffin, an

area psycholois what gave gist who had me the educacared for the tion, it wasn’t trans comthe books. I was munity in the showing up, Charlotte area being available, for 15 years that sort of was moving thing. and wanted to What obstacreate a group cles to providof providers for ing care have gender diverse you noticed or individuals – dealt with? The Charlotte There’s not Transgender enough Black Healthcare and Brown Group. At that representation time there were or integration only about within profive providers grams. Health offering HRT insurance and [Hormone employment are Replacement also obstacles. Therapy], seven Without employmental health ment, there is Beverly Moss: ‘I found myself embracing the professionno insurance, so Trans community when I started doing advoals and one many don’t have cacy work with the Freedom Center…’ surgeon. So, it insurance. A lot became a colof times, that’s laborative effort where a lack to provide transgender health care and of health care comes into play. Without the first in Charlotte. Maslow’s five basic psychological needs Why is the work important to you? (food, water, shelter, clothing, sleep) being Someone has to be on the forefront met, everything is that more challenging. If in terms of the POC (People Of Color) you don’t have housing, how can you have population within these communities. At stable mental health? We need a commuone time, I was the only one, especially nity that is looking at intersectionality and for those who were uninsured or facing addressing those needs. Especially here, financial deficits. It was important for me in the southern bible belt where there’s to give of myself. It felt like it was my purstill so much inequality and a real need for pose and fit in with my beginning goal of individuals [who can service and advocate working with LGBT youth of color. for the marginalized] to show up. Coming from a diverse environment When it comes to leadership, what myself, I hung out in The Village [New are your thoughts on transgender York’s Gayborhood] with Queer folks representation? growing up but I felt like I still didn’t know I sat on the board of Transcend enough – because it’s so much deeper Charlotte until a Black Transwoman than that. Doing this work gave me the showed interest. When she did, I bowed opportunity to serve and learn. It was a out because finally, there was true repreunique learning because ultimately, whensentation of a person who lives a Trans ever I showed up people were open to life. Sometimes as organizers we try to sharing information with me they otherhave our feet in multiple arenas – but evwise wouldn’t have [with others]. I guess it eryone isn’t meant to be on the forefront. was my authenticity. <chuckling> But seriTrans spaces – need Trans leadership beously, exposure to first-hand experience cause they know their story and what their

needs are - better than anyone else Identity seems important to you and the work that you do. How do you identify? I’m Pansexual. What does that mean for Beverly Moss? Having that Agape kinda’ love. For me, it means, being interested in individuals for who they are and not because [of] their genitalia – regardless of their sex and gender. When I first started out, I was straight, or I thought I was anyhow, <laughing>. Then, I was bisexual and then I was lesbian. When I turned 50, I realized I wasn’t any of that and found myself engaged in a relationship with a trans male. At that point I came to realize that it was really just about the person as a whole. Loving individuals as they are. Was the transition of that kind of self-discovery a difficult one to make? As a person who was frequently in lesbian circles it was awkward at first and almost felt like coming out again. Many people in the [LGBT] community don’t get it – why a person would identify as pansexual. They’d ask why I wouldn’t identify as bisexual. For me, pansexual says I’m open for love no matter how it shows up, it’s bigger and boarder than bisexuality. So I’m a Queer pansexual. I identify as Queer as well because Queer, to me, is a person whose gender identity doesn’t correspond to traditional norms. What brings you joy? Seeing fruit from the work I’ve done. Knowing that if I leave this earth today, I have touched individuals lives and been able to alter, save, shift or make a difference. And, thinking about the [LGBT] community now, compared to when I first arrived in Charlotte, there’s been a tremendous amount of growth. What would people be surprised to know about you? I ride a Kawasaki 900 motorcycle and just started roller skating again. Any final thoughts you’d like to share with Qnotes readers? It’s necessary that we all work together. That’s how you build rapport and relationships. : :

Feb 18.-Mar. 3, 2022

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Articles inside

Tell Trinity

Our People: Beverly Moss

The Crowns of Black Folks

Out in Print: And the Category Is...

Book Banning Battles Hit North Carolina Schools

Hot Damn - David Pevsner