Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Q 1
2 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022 2301 Freedom Dr. Charlotte, NC 704-373-912428208
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 3 inside this issue 4 A Beautiful Resilience Gala For event listings, calendar.qnotescarolinas.com/events-visit DeLesslin GeorgeWarren considers himself a pollinator bee on the Catawba River DeLesslin George-Warren, a queer artist, researcher and community organizer weaves past and present to reclaim and revitalize Catawba Nation culture. PAGE 21 A Beautiful Resilience Equality NC celebrates is forty-third anniversary on August 27 with Beautiful Resilience Gala at Bay 7 Durham.in PAGE 4 Mission: The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, enter tainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlight ens, 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@qnotescarolinas.com Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, ph 212.242.6863 Managing Editor: Jim Yarbrough, MaterialSr.Digitaleditor@qnotescarolinas.comx201,&AudienceEngagementEditor:ChrisRudisillchrisrudisill@qnotecarolinas.comContentEditor:DavidAaronMoore,specialassignments@qnotescarolinasCopyEditor:BaileySidesProduction:TommiePressley,x205,production@qnotescarolinas.comPrintedonrecycledpaper.in
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Writers: Joey Amato, Alex Bollinger, Bil Browning, James Burrell, Sam Carnes, Torie Dominguez, Blake Douglas, L’Monique King, Lorenza Medley, David Aaron Moore, Leslie Oliver, Chris Rudsill, JohnRussell, Greg Shapiro front page Graphic Design by: Tommie Pressley
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Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022 Vol 37 No 09 charlotteobserver.com/1166/ a local news partner of The Charlotte Observer lifenewsa&eviewseventsfeature These rates only cover a portion of our true cost, however, our goal is to serve our community Mailed 1st class from Charlotte, NC, in sealed envelope. Subscription Rates: ☐ 1 yr - 26 issues = $48 ☐ 1/2 yr - 13 issues = $34 Mail to: P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222 city:address:name: state: zip: credit card – check one: ☐ mastercard ☐ visa ☐ discover ☐ american express card #: exp. date: signature:SUBSCRIBE! 6 Pride in Pride: Singer Daya Headlines a Weekend of Fun 12 Millennials in the work place 14 SNL Comedy Group Chooses Charlotte to Film Movie 14 Trump GreenwithConsidersReportedlyThirdRunMajorieTaylorforVP 14 More Details: What Is Monkeypox and How Dangerous Is It? 15 Drinking in Public: Charlotte City Council Could Vote on Social Districts 15 HRC North Carolina Gala 15 Lindsey Graham Says He Won’t Support Respect for Marriage Act 16 Latest Updates on Monkeypox 17 Latest Updates on Monkeypox Continued 22 Better Than Ever: An Interview with Phil Dean Walker 20 Pride Pixies Aims to Change the World Through Inclusivity 23 Our People: Riley Murray 18 Spiritual Reflections: Pride’s Power 19 ‘Blind Angels’ Docuseries feat. North Carolinians
Equality NC will hold its annual gala on Saturday, August 27, in downtown Durham. It will be the first time in three years since the organization has held an in-person event of this size due to the COVID-19Accordingpandemic.toJohnson, the annual event offers North Carolinians an oppor tunity to pause and reflect on all that has been accomplished for LGBTQ people, the allies that stand alongside us and the work that lies ahead. With an increase of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and legislation across the country, that road ahead may be more than a bit bumpy. “After almost three long years of a pandemic that has ravaged our commu nity, and attacks that have threatened our democracy and our way of life, the Gala offers our community a moment to be together in celebration and build resourc es for our fight,” says the organization’s executive director Kendra R. Johnson. Equality NC is the state’s largest LGBTQ rights advocacy group and political lobby ing organization. Founded in 1979 as the North Carolina Human Rights Fund, it was originally started to provide legal services to those who were fighting prosecution under the North Carolina Crimes Against Nature Law. Separately, a political action committee called NC Pride PAC formed in 1990 in the wake of the Jesse Helms / Harvey Gantt Senate race. According to Equality NC’s website, the two joined together in 2002 to form what we know today, linking the PAC and foundation to manage the ongoing need for lobbying and advocacy work. It is the oldest state wide LGBTQ equality organization in the United States. The 43rd anniversary gala is titled Beautiful Resilience and includes keynote speaker Nadine Smith, the executive direc tor of Equality Florida, with special guests Minnesota City Council President Andrea Jenkins and Activist Charlotte Clymer. It is black-tie optional, and guests are encour aged to “be your fabulous self.” When asked about the theme, Johnson says that “Beautiful Resilience is a nod to what we know to be true about our com munity – in the face of all odds, even as we are attacked and demonized, we survive, we create, we celebrate, and we do so with this incredible grace and beauty. We can not lose sight of that.” That level of distinction can easily be seen in the lineup of speakers and honor ees. “Andrea [Jenkins], Charlotte [Clymer] and Nadine [Smith] speak truth to power,” says Johnson. “All three represent more of what we need to see in leader ship in this country.”
Say Gay” bill has encouragedpeopleLGBTQdouscreateshownalreadytotremenharmforyoungandhasother right-wing politicians to try and follow suit. “So many of the political and electoral fights that impact our daily lives are hap pening in state legislatures, especially across the South,” said Smith in a recent phoneSheinterview.pointedout that state organization leaders like herself and Johnson make a point of supporting each other, sharing ideas, learning from successes and mis takes. The close relationship helps them do this important work “better every day.”
“We will have many opportunities throughout the remainder of the year to socialize, to gain political education, to get pro-equality candidates elected and to build a weCarolinaNorthwherecanall thrive.” For keepsocialEqualityandencgala2022,one.bidpal.net/visitchaseandaboutinformationmoretheGalatopurtickets,https://followNConmediatouptodate with the organization’s news and events.
A Beautiful Resilience Equality NC Celebrates Its Forty-Third Anniversary With Gala at Bay 7 in Durham by Chris Rudisill Qnotes Contributor Named to Time Magazine’s annual 100 Most Influential People list this year, the executive direc tor of Equality Florida, Nadine Smith, will headline the Equality NC Gala. (CREDIT: Courtesy JR Davis / Equality Florida)
“Equality North Carolina has always been a generous teammate and we know their success and ours are tied together,” continued Smith. “I’m eager to be part of an evening celebrating the work and encouraging people to lean in and defend progress and build grassroots power.” According to Johnson, the gala prom ises to be equal parts inspiring and fun. Other highlights of the evening include a musical performance by local indie-jazz group Tea Cup Gin and a silent auction. Tickets are $250 each or $450 per couple. She recognizes that the event is costprohibitive for many in the community but notes it is just one of many ways people can come together to support Equality NC.
Tea Cup Gin will perform at the Beautiful Resilience Gala on August 27 in downtown Durham. Photo cour tesy of Tea Cup Gin.
events
Smith was named to Time Magazine’s annual list of 100 most influential people in the world earlier this year. She comes from a long line of activists and barrier breakers. Her grandparents helped form the Southern Tenant Farmers Union to fight for the rights of sharecroppers. While in college, Smith co-founded IGLYO, the world’s largest LGBTQ youth and student organization. She was also one of the cochairs of the 1993 March on Washington that drew a million marchers and was part of the first Oval Office meeting between a sitting President and LGBTQ leaders. Following the Pulse Nightclub massacre, she and Equality Florida gained national attention after leading a rapid response and call-to-action that provided direct resources to survivors and the families of thoseFloridakilled.has also taken center stage more recently in the attacks on LGBTQ people DeSantis’Governordertheonespeciallyrentdominatethatcurpolitics,thoseyouthandtransgencommunity.Ron“Don’t
Editor’s note: Chris Rudisill is a former board member of Equality Florida. ::
4 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 5 HIV didn’talonecause the clogged artery in my HIVSmokingneck.withdid. Brian, age 45, CaliforniaBrian, age 45, California HIV didn’talonecause the clogged artery in my HIVSmokingneck.withdid. #CDCTips Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse. You can quit. CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.
After Ugly Politics and A Pandemic Lockdown, It’s Time To Celebrate
opportunitiesvicesinformationincludefairincludestwo-dayyou.tationsactivitiessometake.munitycity’stheareFestivalstand.preparedourwhaters.ourselvesknowcommunitysmartandwehowtohelpandothRegardlessofgetsthrownway,we’retotakeaCharlotte’sPrideandParaderepresentativeofkindofstandthisLGBTQcomisreadytoHere’salookatoftheexcitingandpresenwaitingforTheQueenCity’scelebrationavendor’swithboothsthatartexhibits,onserandvolunteerfrom local nonprofits, retailers selling goods of interest, a food court and more. What’s more, there are numer ous nationally-knowncalbands,musiciansentertainers,andincludingloperformersandand celebrated record ing artists performing live throughout most of the celebration. All this fun takes place in the PNC Bank Festival zone on Saturday August 20, from noon to 10 pm and continues again on Sunday August 21 from noon to 6:00 p.m. Specifically reserved for Sunday August 21 beginning at 1:00 p.m. and continu ing to 4:00 p.m. is the Bank of America Charlotte Pride Parade returning to uptown Charlotte after an absence of two years, this year there will be more than 170 participating entities and more than 40 floats. The parade kicks off at 9th Street and Tryon and crosses over six city blocks, before making the turn at Third and Tryon and ending at College Street. Headlining the presentation on the Charlotte Pride main stage presented by Truist is Grammy winning artist Daya. She’ll perform Saturday eve ning at 8:45 p.m. The singer and songwriter is just 22 and has already earned a Grammy for her nine-times-platinum Chainsmokers collaboration “Don’t Let Me Down,” as well as gold certifi cation for her debut album “Sit Still, Look Pretty.”
Grammy winning singer and songwriter Daya will perform on the Pride main stage Saturday, August 20 at 8:45 p.m. (CREDIT: Screen Capture)
C hances are, if you’re reading the print version of this, you’re some where in center city Charlotte at the latest incarnation of the annual Pride Festival & Parade. After two years of virtual and limited in-person events, what is believed to be the city’s largest annual parade and one of its largest festivals is expected to bring more than 200,000 visitors to Charlotte. It is one of the largest LGBTQ Pride events in the southeast and, reportedly, second only to Atlanta’s Pride events. Take a look around you. People are excited and happy to be with other people again. Even the city’s Mayor Vi Lyles is enthusiastic about the events. “Charlotte’s annual Pride Week is the principal celebratory event for our LGBTQ+ community and its allies,” Lyles told Pride organizers. “Each year, the Pride Parade is one of the city’s most attended festivities and it serves as a special mo ment of acceptance and camaraderie for everyone involved. “For two years, I have missed the beau tiful, smiling faces, the rainbow-decorated parade floats, and all the joy this event brings to the Queen City,” she continued. “I’m excited for the return of the festival and parade and can’t wait to celebrate with you.” Keep your eyes peeled, because she’s probably somewhere close by. Over the past six years, the world has changed a lot. A former TV show host turned wannabe politician captured the oval office and empowered anti-LGBTQ forces to act out in ways not seen since the late 20th Combinedcentury.withapandemic that kept us practically locked up for two years, it should come as no surprise that many in the LGBTQ+ community have been men tally and emotionally impacted in ways not unlikeThesePTSD.days we can see there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, and we’re ready to come out and celebrate. COVID isn’t completely gone and now we have monkeypox looming on the horizon, as well. In other words, celebrate sensibly. We’re a
6 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
The then 19-year-old told readers that she was in a same-sex relation ship with another woman and that the two were very much in love. “The support has been beyond and though it wasn’t always easy I also recognise how privileged I am to have had so much of it, so I especially wanna be there for those of u who aren’t surrounded by the most accepting family/ friends/communities. Stay authentic, talk thru it with people u trust, know you’re loved and that I’m thinking of u. That’s my long post of the month love yall be gay be free be wild n love lots xo.” : : by David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer
Thrust into the musical arena at age 16 with her double-platinum debut single “Hide Away,” the Pennsylvania-bred multi-instru mentalist has opened for the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen and MARINA, and is currently headlining her own national tour. After a well-earned respite from a fast journey into a big bang career, Daya has recently returned with a new body of work entitled “The Difference.” She also had the chance to explore her own personal identity and posted on Instagram in celebra tion of National Coming Out Day 2018 the following message: “One day late, but happy 1st national coming out day to me! What a crazy thing! All I gotta say is follow your gut and don’t feel like you owe any sort of explanation to anyone. Your sexuality is yours only, so build with it at a pace that works for you. I’m proud to be a bisexual member of the LGBTQ community.”
F CUSINCHARLOTT ECHARLOTT E Annual LGBTQ Newcomer & Community Resourcesponsoredby
Pride in Pride: Singer Daya Headlines a Weekend of Fun
CHARLOTTE FUNNY BUS TOUR
Continued on page 10
Tours of the Queen City
A dream,food-lover’sFEAST offers neighbor hood walking tours in addition to custom and private activities and work shops.Regular weekend offer ings include Friday evening tours of historic SouthEnd, and the “Soul of the South” program exploring traditional flavors throughout Uptown. Lunchtime on Saturday sees patrons introduced to the quirky dining and gallery experiences of NoDa. A few hours later, tours wind through Dilworth, Plaza Midwood, and Uptown’s contemporary dining scene. Each option seeks to highlight a variety of venues, incorporating around half a dozen stops including everything from timeless diners and mom-and-pop delis to upscale gastropubs. Groups of 8-16 people can book custom tours for week dayTheafternoons.company also works with clients to build private, hands-on culinary experi ences to their exact specifications. It cites past programs in which chefs and artisans have guided patrons in cheesemaking, the world of possibilities available at local farmer’s markets, and the intricacies of a great cup of coffee. 980-258-9992feastfoodtours.com
These excursions presented by Charlotte NC Tours offer a novel way to explore uptown, especially appealing to patrons in search of a happy medium between the impersonal experience of viewing the city through a bus window and the tedium of schlepping on foot over pavement hot enough to melt the soles of their sensible shoes. Starting and ending inside the Overstreet Mall, that center city staple featuring a network of skyways extending along College St. on either side of Trade, the standard 90-minute tour includes stops at the Levine Center of the Arts, the Mint Museum, and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, as well as the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. Guides specialize in knowledge of local history, architecture and design, and deliver a mandatory crash course (no pun intended) on Segway safety beginning 30 minutes before departure. Rule #1: helmets are a must. Because of the requirements of PT (personal transporter) operation, there are a few more guidelines here than you’d find in your average walking tour. Participants must be at least 14, and minors need a companion no younger than 21, along with a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian. The device is suitable for riders between 100 and 260 pounds. The company also offers holiday and haunted Segway journeys and a bike tour. Call or go online for ticket prices and charlottenctours.com704-962-4548schedules.
FEAST TOURSFOOD
Explore and learn more about charlotte in unique and diverse ways BY TORIE DOMINGUEZ | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s Community Building Initiative has two decades of building bridges under its belt. Eleven years ago, the organization launched a pilot program designed to introduce Charlotteans and their neighbors to the region’s history, and deepen their ap preciation of its diversity and nuance. The program was soon extended, and the CBI now stages public tours six times a year, on the second Friday of alternat ing months. Collaboration with the Arts & Science Council, the city’s Historic Districts Commission as well as the Levine Museum of the New South have helped to develop an engaging series of events based on expert knowledge and commitment. In ad dition, community and corporate groups can arrange for custom private tours. Contact the CBI for program specifications and 704-943-9763pricing. cbicharlotte.org/programs/bus-tours
CBI BUS TOURS
Somewhere at the corner of school field trip and dive comedy club, you’ll find Comedy City Tours’ Funny Bus. Yes, the 90-minute journey in a brightly painted open-air trolley-like craft departs from a popular city park (First Ward, specifically) just across 7th Street from Imaginon, but this ride is definitely not suitable for children. The closest you’ll get to familyfriendly is their PG-13 program offered as a rolling Sunday matinee; the other 22 shows a week are rated R. Tour guides aim to keep patrons laughing while they learn, poking fun at the Queen City while feeding interest in neighborhoods and sites from quirky to historic. Check out the Funny Bus website for more information, to purchase tickets or, if you fancy yourself a performer, to apply for a 704-639-3186ToursChoosefunnybus.netjob.Charlotte funnybus.net LIBERTYCHARLOTTEWALK
BEYOND THE GRAVE HAUNTED HISTORY
Newcomers will find awesome spots the locals have known about for years. Locals will be able to get a taste of a side of Charlotte they rarely visit, or perhaps a new restaurant that’s just popped onto the scene. Either way, you’re in for a treasure trove of beautiful Charlotte goodness.
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 7 Whether you’re new to the city or a native or longtime resident, Charlotte always has something new and exciting to offer. With so many new sights and sounds to experience, catching one of these local tours is among your best bet at exploring a city you’ve already come to love and adore.
Every night, just as the summer sun sinks below the horizon, or long after dark in the winter, history buffs and connois seurs of the weird gather in the plaza outside Truist Tower on N. Tryon St. A guide in period garb, lantern clasped in one hand, is there to meet them. This is the Charlotte offering of Carolina History and Haunts, a company whose expertise extends to the creepiest corners of Winston-Salem and Greensboro in addition to the Queen City. Patrons trek through time as they visit the sites of centuries-old battles, haunted houses, cursed theaters and spooky hotels, pubs and cemeteries, all while learning about the birth and growth of the city from the 18th century to the modern day. The wheelchair-accessible 90-minute walking tour is open to all ages, but opera tors advise that some content may be inappropriate for children, and kids must have an adult along. Tours operate yearround, rain or shine, and depart hourly between 7 and 9 p.m., as well as at 2 p.m. for those who’d prefer to face 888-651-9785fromofdemonsCharlotte’sinthelightday.Ticketprices$19.00.
Included among the dozens of events making up Charlotte’s City Walks series, the Charlotte Liberty Walk is the brainchild of the May 20th Society. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to preserving the memory of the 1775 Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and what the group describes as “Charlotte’s rebellious and visionary spirit.” When the guided version of the Liberty Walk wraps up for the year, it hasn’t taken a break from educating locals and tourists alike. A brochure and interactive map available online let the public guide themselves, with a proposed route through center city and descriptions of sites no longer in info@may20thsociety.comexistence. charlottelibertywalk.com
CHARLOTTE SEGWAY TOURS
8 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022 Charlotte LGBTQ Resources Advocacy ACLU of North Campaignacluofnorthcarolina.orgCarolinaforSouthern Equality Charlottesouthernequality.orgLGBTChamber of Commerce Elderclgbtcc.orgLawClinic at Wake Forest safeschoolsnc.orgSafencaan.orgNorthfacebook.com/meckpacmecpac.orgActionMecklenburgLGBTQMeckDemsfacebook.com/MecklenburgLGBTQhrc.org/in-your-area/north-carolinaNorthHumanfcsj.orgFreedomequalitync.orgEqualitynews.law.wfu.edu/tag/elder-law-clinic/UniversityNorthCarolinaCenterforSocialJusticeRightsCampaignCarolinaDemocratsofCountyLGBTQPoliticalCommittee(MeckPAC)CarolinaAIDSActionNetworkSchoolsNC Arts Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte Charlottecharlotte.orgPride charlotteobserver.comCharlottecharlottemagazine.comCharlottereelout.orgReelonevoicechorus.comOnegmccharlotte.orgGaycharlotteprideband.orgBandMen’sChorusofCharlotteVoiceChorusOutCharlotteMagazineObserver Faith Caldwell Presbyterian Church 1609 E. Fifth St. Charlotte, NC 28204 Charlottecaldwellpresby.org704-334-0825Atheistsand Agnostics 704-333-9081Charlotte,501Firstfcc-charlotte.org704-334-3771Charlotte,1200Firstcharlottebuddhistvihara.orgCharlotte,3423Charlottecharlotteatheists.comBuddhistViharaStonehavenDr.NC28215ChristianChurchEastBlvd.NC28203UnitedMethodistChurchN.TryonSt.NC28202 charlottefirst.org Havurat Tikvah 2821 Park Rd. Charlotte, NC 28209 Holyhavurattikvah.org980-225-5330CovenantUnited Church of Christ 3501 W. WT Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28269 Holyholycovenantucc.org704-599-9810TrinityLutheran Church 1900 The mpbconline.orgCharlotte,1900Myersmgclt.com704-412-4028Charlotte,420Missiongatheringmeckmin.org704-565-5455Charlotte,3900MeckMinhtlccharlotte.org704-377-5439Charlotte,PlazaNC28205ParkRd.NC28209CharlotteE.15thSt.NC28206ParkBaptistChurchQueensRd.NC28207 New Life St.stjohnsbaptistchurch.org704-333-5428Charlotte,300St.rebirthcathedral.org980-819-2636Charlotte,2229ReBirthpuuc.org704-510-0008Charlotte,9704UniversalistPiedmontparkroadbaptist.org704-523-5717Charlotte,3900Parknewlifemccnc.org704-334-0350Gastonia,1201CommunityMetropolitanChurchS.NewHopeRd.NC28054RoadBaptistChurchParkRd.NC28209UnitarianChurchMallardCreekRd.NC28262CathedralVillageLakeDr.NC28212John’sBaptistChurchHawthorneLn.NC28204LukeMissionaryBaptist Church 1600 Norris Ave Charlotte, NC 28206 St.stlukembc.org704-375-9650Martin’sEpiscopal Church 1510 E. 7th St. Charlotte, NC 28204 southparkchristian.net704-554-1066Charlotte,6650Southst-peters.org704-332-7746Charlotte,115St.nity-outreach/gaylesbian-ministrystpeterscatholic.org/commu704-332-2901Charlotte,507St.stmartins-charlotte.org704-376-8441Peter’sCatholicChurchS.TryonSt.NC28202Peter’sEpiscopalChurchW.7thSt.NC28202ParkChristianChurchParkSouthDr.NC28210 Temple Beth El 5101 Providence Rd. Charlotte, NC 28226 Thetemplebethel.org704-366-1948AvenuePresbyterian Church 100 Beatties Ford Rd. Charlotte, NC 28216 Unitariantheavenueclt.org980-201-8955Universalist Church of 234CharlotteN.Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28211 watershedcharlotte.com704-644-0919Charlotte,2101Watershedufccharlotte.org704-567-5007Charlotte,(Fellowship4800Unityuulakenorman.org704-765-6088Mooresville,484FellowshipUnitarianuuccharlotte.org704-366-8623UniversalistofLakeNormanPresbyterianRd.NC28115FellowshipChurchWedgewoodDr.Hall)NC28210CharlotteShenandoahAve.NC28205 Health & HIV Affinity Health Center Locations in Rock Hill, Clover,and York 877-647-6363 affinityhealthcenter.org Amity Medical Group 6010Fouramitymed.orglocations:E.W.T.Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28215 10508704-208-4134ParkRd - Suite 130 Charlotte, NC 835704-208-4134928210MonroeRd-Suite B Charlotte, NC 28270 824704-208-1434LowerDallas Hwy Dallas, NC 704-874-020028034
103Dudley’scthcg.orgHealthcareCharlottecarolinascare.org704-531-2467TransgenderGroupPlaceCommerceCentre
Clinic 14230 Hunters Rd. Huntersville, NC 28078
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 9 Anuvia Prevention & Recovery Center 100 Billingsley Rd. Charlotte, NC 28211 Carolinasanuvia.org704-376-7447Care Partnership 5855 Executive Center Dr. Suite Charlotte,102 NC 28212
Infectiousthehouseofmercy.org704-825-4711Belmont,100Themyrosedalehealth.com/dudley704-977-2972HouseofMercyMcAuleyCir.NC28012Disease(ID)Consultants
Mecklenburglnchc.org704-316-6611County
Dr., Suite Huntersville,107 NC 28078
Health
HealthDepartment/ClinicServicesmecknc.gov/704-336-6500Charlotte,249DepartmentMecklenburgClinicServicesHealthDepartment/mecknc.gov/704-336-6500Charlotte,2845NorthwestDepartmentCampusBeattiesFordRd.NC28216CountyHealthSoutheastCampusBillingsleyRd.NC28211
Laketious-disease-kenilworthdetail/atrium-health-infecatriumhealth.org/locations/704-331-9669NormanCommunityHealth
& Infusion Care Specialists 1225 Harding Place Suite 2100 Charlotte, NC 28204
Planned myrosedalehealth.com704-948-8582Huntersville,Suite103Rosedaleraoassist.org704-237-8793Charlotte,321RAOcarolinarain.org704-372-7246Charlotte,601RAINfacebook.com/ThePowerhouseProjectqchealth.net704-394-8968Charlotte,3627/PowerHouseHealthQualitybit.ly/3myPOik704-536-7233Charlotte,700CharlotteParenthoodHealthCenterS.TorrenceSt.NC28204ComprehensiveCenterMedicalClinicProjectBeattiesFordRd.NC28216E.5thSt.,Suite470NC28202CommunityHealthW.11thSt.NC28202HealthandWellnessCommerceCentreDr.,103NC28078 Philanthropy The Plus Collective℅ The Foundation For The Carolinas 220 N Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202 heartsbeatone.orgHeartsthepluscollective.org704-973-4500BeatasOneFoundation Social & Support Alpha Psi Kappa clgbtcc.orgCommerceCarolina’scarolinatransgendersociety.comCarolinacarolinabearlodge.clubCarolinaalphapsikappa.orgFraternityBearLodgeTransgenderSocietyLGBT+Chamberof Charlotte Black PFLAGlgbtqbarnc.comPauliheartsbeatone.orgHeartsfacebook.com/feedthemovementcltFeedgenderlines.orgGenderlinescrisisassistance.orgCrisischarlotteuprising.comCharlottecharlottetradesmen.orgCharlottecharlottepride.orgCharlottecharlottelgbtqelders.orgCharlottecharlottegaymersnetwork.comCharlottecharlotteblackpride.orgPrideGaymersNetworkLGBTQEldersPrideTradesmenUprisingAssistanceMinistryTheMovementBeatasOneFoundationMurrayLGBTQ+BarAssociationCharlotte pflagcharlotte.org The Plus twirltotheworld.orgTwirltranscendcharlotte.orgTranscendtshcharlotte3.orgThere’ssoutherncountrycharlotte.comSouthernfacebook.com/RainbowFosterNetworkRainbowqueencityconnects.comQueenbit.ly/3AvclBFPrimefacebook.com/PoorNoMoreCharlottePoorthepluscollective.orgCollectiveNoMoreFreeStoreTimersofCharlotteCityConnectsFosterNetworkCountryCharlotteStillHope!CharlottetotheWorldFoundation Roof roofabove.orgAbove Sports Charlotte stonewallcharlotte.orgStonewallbit.ly/2YupBcmQueencharlotteroyalsrugby.comCharlottecharlotterollergirls.comCharlottecharlotterainbowlers.comRainbowlersRollerGirlsRoyalsRugbyCityTennisClubSports Youth Campus Pride Centralcampuspride.orgPiedmont Pride Alliance timeoutyouth.org704-344-8335Charlotte,3800Timedavidsonqanda.weebly.comDavidsonQueersCPCCPrideAlliance/facebook.com/groups/CommunityPrideglobal.aspxwinthrop.edu/studentorgs/WinthropGLoBALgendereducationnetwork.orgGenderbit.ly/2Yz08z2DavidsonCenterCPCCPrideAlliancefacebook.com/groups/forDiversity&InclusionCollegeEducationNetworkUniversityAllianceClubCentralPiedmontCollege&AlliesCollegeOutYouthCenterMonroeRd.NC28205 UNC Charlotte Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement Popp Martin Student Union 210 & King identity.uncc.edu704-687-7121210
Editor’s
Each year when Spring rolls around, partners including the UNC-Charlotte Urban Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight foundation celebrate the arrival of more reliably lovely weather with an un paralleled display of community engage ment. Charlotte City Walks’ most remark able feature is the open invitation for anyone to propose to organize and guide a walk of their own design. Some offer ings have included a bike tour of Brooklyn, Third Ward, and the West End, with riders meeting with former residents and dis cussing the link between architectural bar riers and extant racial divides; a walking tour of Hebrew Cemetery and the nearby mixed-income community Brightwalk; and an exploration of natural spaces in urban planning at Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary. Stay tuned for updates on the season. eventvibe.comchi.charlotte.edu plancharlotte.org
Coinciding with the Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward event and Charlotte City Walks is the Plaza Midwood Home & Garden Tour. For the same ticket price attendees are treated to B-Cycle access over the course of the route, which runs, just over 5 miles. The 10 private homes on display were selected to represent the di versity of architectural styles and periods to be found in what’s often cited as one of Charlotte’s premier gayborhoods. Truffle chocolates in a bungalow on a hill on Tippah Ave., a renovated two-story cottage with a manicured lawn and impressive shade trees on Midwood Pl., a white picket fence around a former fixer-upper on Mecklenburg Ave. – those visitors seeking inspiration for a remodel of their own will find plenty to offer in this ever-evolving part of plazamidwood.orgtown. note: Information on the above like change any time. tact the tour organizer
CHARLOTTE CITY WALKS
OPERATION CITY QUEST
This creative scavenger hunt should be seriously considered by anyone who’d pre fer a tour with as much to do as there is to see. Finding a middle ground between trailing a droning docent and wander ing alone through the city just hoping to stumble, by some miracle, on your hotel, you’ll be able to set your own pace and make any detour you’d like if your inter est should be piqued by some attraction not on the official agenda, while you take comfort in the knowledge that a remote guide is only a text away. There are more than 130 objects to track down, no chance of a sold-out event or a bus leaving with out you, and, best of all, bonus points for 843-212-6609whimsy. operationcityquest.com
10 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
PLAZA MIDWOOD HOME & GARDEN TOUR
for details. Continued from page 7 CHARLOTTE AREA NIGHT LIFE The Bar at 316 • Entertainment. Drag. DJ/Dance. 316 Rensselaer Ave. • 704.910.1478 • facebook.com/thebarat316 Chasers • Entertainment. Drag. Pool. DJ/Dance. Dancers. 3217 The Plaza • 704.339.0500 • chaserscharlotte.club Snug Harbor • Entertainment. Drag. DJ/Dance. 1228 Gordon St. • 704.561.1781 • snugrock.com/ Petra’s Bar • Entertainment. Drag. DJ/Dance. 1919 Commonwealth Ave. • 704.332.6608 • petraspianobar.com The Scorpio • Entertainment. Drag. DJ/Dance. 2301 Freedom Dr. • 704.373.9124 • thescorpio.com Sidelines • Pool. Sports. 4544-C South Blvd. • 704.525.2608 • thesidelinesbar.com The Woodshed • Entertainment. Drag. Pool. DJ/Dance. 3935 Queen City Dr. • 704.394.1712 • woodshedlounge.com Bar Argon • Entertainment. VJ & DJ/Dance. Video Lounge. 4544-H South Blvd. • 704.525.7787 • barargon.com Hattie’s Tap & Tavern • Entertainment. DJ/Dance. Pool. Games. 2918 The Plaza • 980.938.6228 • hattiescharlotte.com Hide-A-Way • Entertainment. Drag. Pool. DJ/Dance. 405 E. Baskins Rd., Rock Hill, SC • 803.328.6630 • thehideawaysc. com
Please con
tours,
ticket prices, schedules or tour routs, could
FOURTH WARD TOURS
In the vein of the May 20th Society and its Charlotte Liberty Tour, the Friends of Fourth Ward neighborhood association has created opportunities to explore the dynamic center city locale without a guide and at visitors’ convenience. For its prima ry free walking tour FoFW provides a map and written material pertaining to nearly 50 area homes and other sites of historic or architectural significance. In May the group host a Secret Gardens of Fourth Ward program showcasing extraordinary private gardens and outdoor spaces. Also self-guided, with the exception of special tours of Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery and Fourth Ward Park, the garden event required a $20 admission fee which included access to the B-Cycle bike share service as well as free tastings at local restaurants and stops along the route. The preceding winter FoFW organized the Holiday Home Tour similarly paying homage to the neighborhood’s unique fourthwardclt.orgcharacter. fofw.org
at
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 11
For LGBTQ workers in particular, traditional workplaces can also involve un comfortable situations for someone who isn’t open about their sexuality or gender identity. According to the Human Rights Campaign’s “A Workplace Divided” report, 25 percent of LGBTQ workers feel dis tracted from work because of unwelcom ing environments and 28 percent lie about their personal lives. “The workplace, where we spend most of our daily lives, is full of seemingly innocuous chit chat,” states the report. These types of conversations may go unnoticed by non-LGBTQ counterparts but consider the amount of workplace chatter that revolves around children, social life and relationships. Another millennial, Nikki Redman is a loan officer assistant, musician and staunch LGBTQ ally with a seven-year-old son she proudly supports when he choos es to use “they” pronouns or go to school with glitter in his hair. While pondering the state of millennials and how her genera tion is received in the workplace and in general, Redman offered some keen and candid“We’reinsight.fedup and tired of being treated like children. I’m pushing 40 and still have people speaking to me in an infantilized way. We’ve had a huge broken promise being told, if you do ABC, you get XYZ. We did our part. We went to college, did the extracurriculars and got thrown under a bus. We were told college would make a difference, and it didn’t. Instead, we were/are sacked with huge student loan“So,debt.when it comes to anything we have any type of agency over, we’re gonna do everything we can to do that. And occa sionally you’re gonna get a little attitude. “Millennials are not one size fits all,” Redman continues. “There’s a wide range of experience between elder millennials who grew up without technology (adapting to technology later) and young adults who grew up with it.”
She concludes with a point of personal satisfaction: Remote work affords her a flexibility in work-life balance that leav ing her home for an office or food service management position just can’t compete with. “I can take a break when I need to or feed my dog. There’s still stress, but I’m able to have that balance of being at home in my comfort zone.”
How Millennials Are Reshaping the Workplace
Jessica Inlaw is a remote employee who provides road-side assistance to mo torists in need. Uncharacteristic of many in her generation she has found satisfac tion in a job that she’s kept for more than three years. She has previously held jobs as a customer service representative and multiple manager positions for food out lets like Jamba Juice and Which Wich and seems to have found her happy place in remoteInlawwork.shared how her choice to go fully remote was about “the convenience of it and not having to deal with many people” was a big draw. She added, “I’m also a bit of a germaphobe and it just so happens that I landed a remote job right before COVID, so I was definitely happy that I’d made the transition beforehand.”
12 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
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A Generation of LGBTQ Workers Are Changing What It Means to Have Gainful Employment BY L’MONIQUE KING QNOTES STAFF WRITER If you are alive right now you have no doubt heard some discussion or read something about a particular generation in the workforce: those folks born be tween the years of 1981 and 1996. Known as millennials, these often-misunderstood people (in 2022) range in age from 26 to 41 years Accordingold. to the U.S. Census Bureau poll taken in 2020, the United States’ population [50 states and the District of Columbia] is more than 331 million. Of those residents who were employed, thirty-five percent are millennials with over ten percent of all millennials (em ployed or not) self-identifying as LGBTQ. It is a fact that the millennial generation is growing influential and shaking things up in the world and workforce. Millennials, also known as Generation Y, are often defined by some specific characteristics that dominate social media, stereotyping generational conversations. A quick and shallow internet search of the word will generally yield results with bullet points about how they are staying home (living with parents) longer than other generations, slower to marry, tech savvy and even the persona of being entitled-behaving brats. Or so it would seem. If you search a bit more specifically around “Millennials in the Workplace,” you are most likely to read about a workforce generation that is defined as disloyal, cavalier, and once again, entitled. The propensity to up and quit jobs by this generation is estimated to cost employers over $30 billion each year. A common per ception is that these employees expect to have as much say as their CEO or supervi sor, without the years of experience. To be fair, many of those articles and essays have been written with bias and lack of insight by Gen Xers and Baby Boomers who haven’t had the greatest time understanding and navigating the complexities of working with a generation they have literally given birth to. Though it is true that millennials have grown up in an era where instant gratifi cation has often thwarted their ability to hone certain social or interpersonal skills like being able to engage in a ten-minute conversation without checking or scrolling through their phones, they aren’t neces sarily hopeless. Considering how large and influential their generation is, it would certainly behoove the generations that came before them to at least listen to their points of view in an attempt to find some common ground while nurturing our gate keepers to the future. In the workplace, could their new ideas around employment and labor actually be better at finding a work-life balance? Can work-from-home and “gig work” remove the often-harmful power dynamics and discrimination that have plagued our workplaces for generations?
life
Could millennial ideas about employment result in a better work-life balance? (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock)
In Redman’s current work environ ment, her manager is also a millennial. He is a year younger than her, and she describes him as “a very unique soul who gives back a lot.” For Redman, it is a situa tion that has worked out wonderfully. She admits that she is thrilled to have a manager like the one she does and en thusiastically shares a few experiences she hopes more employers will take note of, while emphasizing that the company CEO is a Baby Boomer. “My manager wouldn’t still be here if we didn’t have the atmosphere we did. Our company is run by Boomers, and our CEO walks around every day ask ing employees, ‘Are you ok, do you need anything, anything I can help with?’ It’s a very supportive working environment that is atypical.” In case you’re wondering what is so atypical, know that it is more than the congeniality of the CEO. Redman works for a company that actually encourages employees to take time off. There is a company policy that pretty much states, employees don’t have to request time off. “Unless you are M.I.A. for more than half a day, we don’t care – as long as the work is getting done. I request from everyone on a regular basis to tell me what their time off is going to be so I can put it on our shared calendar.” Wrapping up her thoughts on the topic, Redman asks a question and offers some advice to managers who are Gen Xers and Baby Boomers. “Why is it like that? If you can’t come up with a really good reason for why something is done a particular way and it can’t be done any other way, then you need to be ready to have a dis cussion about it and be open to change.” So, there you have it: Millennials, like all generations, are not a monolith. They are changing the workforce in numerous ways with independent short-term gigs, working remotely and working at jobs that allow them more freedom and autonomy. Either way, these jobs and workstyles are likely here to stay.
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 13 I N C LU S I V E ESTATE PLANNING 101 Get Your Legal Ducks in a Row THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 | 2PM This seminar is open to anyone beginning the process of estate planning, but with a special emphasis on LGBTQ, immigrant and underserved populations. Enjoy refreshments and light appetizers while Connie Vetter, Attorney at Law, explains the legal ins and outs of estate planning for everyone and what marginalized groups need to know. To RSVP, learn about more events or schedule a tour, call (704) 318-2018 or AldersgateOpera.orgvisit. 3800 Shamrock Drive, Charlotte, NC 28215
The monkeypox virus as seen under a microscope. (Photo Credit: Courtesy usage allowed by Air Force Medical Service
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• A painful rash develops and goes through several stages including fluid and pus-filled blisters that eventually get crusty, scab over and fall off. The rash can appear on or around the genitals or on other areas of your body like your hands, feet, chest, face or inside the mouth.
• Pregnant people can spread the virus to their fetus through the Howplacenta.canIprotect myself?
• Avoid close, skin-to-skin con tact with someone who has a rash or other monkeypoxrelated symptoms.
14 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
Trump Reportedly
• Respiratory secretions during prolonged, face-to-face contact or during intimate physical contact, such as kissing, cuddling or sex.
Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus. As of Aug. 3, there have been no deaths report ed from the disease, though recovering individuals have confirmed the recovery process can be painful and unpleasant. Monkeypox is part of the same family of viruses that causes smallpox. It was discovered in 1958 when two outbreaks of a pox-like disease occurred in colonies of monkeys kept for research. Despite being named “monkeypox,” the source of the disease remains unknown. What are the symptoms of monkeypox? Symptoms of monkeypox can include:
SNL Comedy Group Chooses Charlotteto Film New Movie Considers Third Run Taylor Details: What Is Monkeypox and How Dangerous Is It?
• Ask your sexual partners whether they have a rash or other symptoms consistent with monkeypox.
with Marjorie
• Flu-like symptoms such as fever, head ache, muscle back ache, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion.
• If you were in close contact with some one who has monkeypox, monitor yourself for symptoms and check your temperature twice daily for 21 days after last exposure. If symptoms develop, immediately self-isolate and call your healthcare provider for advice, testing and medical care. Latest Monkeypox case count in the United States: • As of Aug. 2, 2022, there were 6,326 con firmed cases in the United States. This information was made available cour tesy of Pawnee Indian Health Services. Info: bit.ly/3PtWXwG— Pawnee Indian Health
Do you remember when Please Don’t Destroy creators Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy were spotted filming in NoDa and we lost our collective minds? We have news, Charlotte: the movie producers are looking for local extras. During the last week of July, the Observer’s CharlotteFive reported seeing Marshall, Higgens and a stunt double roller skating down North Davidson and 36th streets to the beat of “Boys” by Lizzo for a scene in their upcoming Universal Studios film. The buddy comedy will fea ture the trio as three best friends who live and work together in a small town, accord ing to an article by Vulture. They decide they don’t like the trajectory of their lives and then visit a nearby mountain to find a gold treasure rumored to be buried there, a representative recently confirmed. Why Charlotte? Good news, fam: The entire movie will be filmed in Charlotte. “The movie is set in a place where we need to have access to mountains and towns,” executive pro ducer for Apatow Productions Josh Church said. Filming in Charlotte allowed the crew to have a small town feel with access to South Mountain, Crowders Mountain and the city itself, Church said. He enjoys working in the city because everyone has been so welcoming to the film crews. “They were opening their businesses,” he said. “You just feel it when people are genuinely excited for you to be there.” During his time here, Church told us he has enjoyed eating at Haberdish in NoDa and at Optimist Hall. “When I want to just get a bite by myself, that is my go to — Optimist Hall,” he said. What it’s Like to Work with Please Don’t De stroy? Church has been to the Queen City before. He was also producer of “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” a film also shot in Charlotte. And he’s got nothing but nice things to say about working with Please Don’t Destroy. “It’s been refreshing to be work ing with them. They are so fun to work with,” Church added. “Their excitement and passion for this project is infectious.” Looking for Extras Kimmie Stewart Casting recently put out a call for movie extras. If you are interested in being in movies, here’s your chance. Here is the information you’ll need to provide: a copy of your COVID-19 vaccination card, your name, age, phone number, height and weight, the city and state you live in, availability between now and August 30, a list of visible tattoos and piercings and the color, year, make and model of your vehicle. Send the informa tion to pddextras@gmail.com and have a good time filming with Please Don’t Destroy if you’re chosen. This article appears courtesy of our me dia partner The Charlotte Observer Info: bit.ly/3JSUXgt — Lorenza Medley Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) has never shied away from her political ambitions. Now her ego is being boosted by supporters who would like former President Donald Trump to consider her as a running mate if he decides to run again in 2024. And Trump is reportedly seriously considering it. The self-described “Christian nation alist” congresswoman from Georgia has worshiped Trump throughout her political career, and she has served as the former president’s head cheerleader while he was in office. With a history of offensive and nonsensical comments, wild and obviously false claims, self-pro motion and downright meanness, she is truly Trump’s political equal. So when she was greeted with shouts of “MTG for VP” when she arrived at Trump’s Bedminster golf course for a tour nament, she graciously aw-shucked her way through con servative questions.reporters’ “I was amazed,” she told Examiner.WashingtontheShe did not say that she was surprised; the DC rumor mill claims that the supporters were planted by her campaign.Sheadded that she’s “confident” that Trump will run after spending the weekend schmoozing with the former president and his sons. And she’d be happy to get the nod despite grumblings within the party that it’s time to move beyond Trump and his petty obsessions.“I’mnotshy or hesitant about saying I believe he won the election in 2020. I to tally believed it was rigged. I believe it was stolen. I objected on Jan. 6, and I would have objected again today and tomorrow if I could. And I think I can confidently say he’ll win a third presidential election in 2024,” she said. “He is the leader of the Republican Party, no matter what anyone says, he flat-out is.”
• Avoid contact with objects and materials that a person with monkeypox has used; do not share eating utensils or cups and do not handle/touch the bedding, towels or clothing of a person with Whatmonkeypox.doIdoifIthink I have monkeypox or may have been exposed?
Today Greene hyped the specula tion, tweeting a pho to of herself with FOX host Tucker Carlson and Trump with lyrics to a Drake song intended to stoke further speculation. She made sure to retweet two other accounts cheering on her vague tweet. Greene spawned her weekly outrage last week when she claimed that monkey pox is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that gay men are spreading to children. She also said that since it only affects “some people,” Americans should mock the Monkeypoxvictims. is not an STI. Monkeypox spreads through close contact with someone infected with the MPXV virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the infec tion spreads through direct contact with MPXV rash, scabs or body fluids from a person with MPXV; indirect contact, i.e., by touching objects or surfaces that have been used previously by another indi vidual with MPXV and through respiratory droplets and secretions. Although MPXV is not as infectious as COVID-19, more than 16,000 cases have been recorded world wide, and the numbers continue to grow. This article appears courtesy of our me dia partner LGBTQ Nation. Info: bit.ly/3SOsEUq — Bil Browning
Filming in Charlotte allows the crew access to Crowders Mountain, South Mountain and the city. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
• Isolate yourself away from others and contact your healthcare provider.
If Trump decides to run for office again, could Marjorie Taylor Greene be his VP candidate? (Photo Credit: Facebook)
Greene for VP More
• Person-to-person through direct contact with the infectious sores or rash, scabs or body fluids.
• Monkeypox can spread to others from the time symptoms start until the rash has fully healed and a fresh layer of skin has •formed.Theillness usually lasts two to four weeks. The images below show how the lesions may look as they develop, crust over and form scabs. How does someone “catch” monkey pox? Monkeypox spreads through different ways by close, physical contact.
• Touching items (such as clothing, bed ding, towels) that have been used by someone with monkeypox.
On the list of honorees: Michael R. Jackson, an American playwright, compos er and lyricist best known for his musical “A Strange Loop,” which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 2022 Tony award for Best Musical. Originally from Detroit, he was hon ored with the Visibility Award for his work with “A Strange Loop,” a stage production that follows a young black queer writer known as Usher, who is writing a musical about a black queer writer writing a musi cal about a black queer writer. North Carolina’s state honoree, Shelly Schoenfeld, is a Charlotte based LGBTQ+ activist and credit review executive at Bank of America.Agraduate of Miami University, she holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and has remained actively involved with Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ Community for the past 20 years. Currently she serves as the lead chair of the Plus Collective board of directors and previously served in a lead ership role with the former artistic festival known as Out Charlotte. At BOA, she is an executive sponsor of the Carolinas chapter of the LGBTQ+ pride employee network and a member of the company’s LGBTQ+ executive leadership council.Therecipient of the Dan Mauney Equality Award is the organization Hearts United for Good, previ ously known as the Hearts Beat As One Foundation. Despite some finan cial and
The Charlotte City Council is expected to decide this month whether to imple ment social districts, which would allow people in certain areas to drink alcohol so cially in outdoor spaces. Council members have named Plaza Midwood, NoDa, South End and Ballantyne as areas that have shown interest in social districts. The city will hold a public forum during its council meeting Aug. 15 to hear from residents before voting on the districts the following week. Those interested in speak ing during next week’s public hearing can sign up at charlottenc.gov on the city clerk’sSocialpage.districts are possible due to House Bill 890, a measure allowing cities and counties to define outdoor spaces where people can legally drink alcoholic beverages bought from a state-permit tedSocialbusiness.district supporters expect them to drive economic prosperity for the service, retail and tourism industries. It’s unclear whether most council members support creating social districts, as some are waiting to hear from the public before taking a public stance Some council members said they want to add more rules for Charlotte’s social districts, including noise restrictions and proximity to residential areas. If the council approves social districts later this month, it would not immediately create certain areas in the city where drinking outdoors is allowed. Local groups or business owners would have to come to council to request permission to cre ate a social Regulationsdistrict.forthe districts at the state level include: Social districts must be set up with clear signs along streets and parks in defined areas. Bars and restaurants must provide social district-labeled cups. Alcoholic drinks must be purchased from ABC-permitted businesses within the social Drinksdistrict.mustbe a maximum of 16 fluid ounces This article appears courtesy of our media partner The Charlotte Observer. It has been edited per agreement for space Info:constraints.bit.ly/3dxMmnk—GennaContino and Catherine Muccigrosso Neighborhoods popular with the LGBTQ com munity like NODA may allow outdoor drinking regions. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
— Alex Bollinger
Lindsey Graham Says He Won’t Support Respect for Marriage Act
The theme for the event was “Join Us!” and presenting sponsor for the dinner was Bank of NorthAmerica.Carolina spon Staff Drinking in Public: Charlotte CityCouncil Could Vote on Social Districts
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union recently, host Dana Bash asked South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham about Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), who is one of the cosponsors of the Respect for Marriage Act. “I think states should decide the issue of marriage and states should decide the issue of abortion,” Graham said. “I have respect for South Carolina. South Carolina voters here I trust to define marriage and to deal with the issue of abortion and not nine people on the Court. That’s my view.” The Respect for Marriage Act would require states to recognize marriages performed in other states and the federal government to recognize same-sex and interracial marriages performed by states. The bill would not require states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples or interracial couples. Proponents of the bill say that it’s necessary now that the Supreme Court has started rolling back rights based on substantive due process, like the federal right to an abortion. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote in his concurring opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization that the Court should “reconsider” its ruling in favor of marriage equality in 2015. Bash asked Graham if he thought the Supreme Court should overturn Loving v. Virginia, the decision that legalized interracial marriage, and he said, “No, here’s the point. We’re talk ing about things that are not happening because you don’t want to talk about infla tion, you don’t want to talk about crime.” He still made it clear that he’s against federal legislation protecting marriage rights: “If you’re gonna ask me about the federal government taking over defining marriage, I’m gonna say no.”
“I believe in the traditional definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman,” said Graham at the time. “Traditional marriage is an institution worth protecting and this amendment will accomplish that goal.” This article appears courtesy of our me dia partner LGBTQ Nation. https://bit.ly/3pkV6Qh
SC Senator Lindsey Graham who previously voted for DOMA, says no to Respect for Marriage Act (Photo Credit: CNN Screen Capture) NC Activist Shelly Schoenfeld was among those honored and Grammy winner Thelma Houston performed. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
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On hand for the 2022 HRC North Carolina Dinner and Silent Auction, held July 30, was long-term HRC member Joni Madison, who is currently serving as the HRC interim president. Guest performers for the evening’s pre sentation included the legendary Thelma Houston, a Grammy winning recording artist responsible for such hits as “Don’t Leave Me This Way” and “”Saturday Night, Sunday Morning;” and Shea Diamond, a singer-songwriter and transgender rights activist who has received accolades for her Asylum Records EP “Seen It All,” and the single “I Am Her.”
HRC North Carolina Gala
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 15
McDowellcenterLetationsupplies.assistance,providingincommunityMetrovidedplishmentsandmanywasHeartstionchallengesmanagementtheorganizahasfacedrecently,UnitedforGoodchosenfortheactsofservicepositiveaccomithasprototheCharlotteregion’sLGBTQ+andothersneed,whichincludesresources,itemsandThisyear’spresenwasheldattheMéridienHotelincityCharlotteonStreet.
Despite his protests, Graham was actually in favor of the federal government telling states how to define marriage for the majority of his career. In 1996, he voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which banned the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages performed by states. In 2006, he supported a constitu tional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, which opponents said would unfairly trample on states’ rights by pre venting liberal states from recognizing same-sex marriages.
sors are as BondPepperMonkey,AnimalHealth,VanLaughFifthEstate,DawnsponsorsSynchrony.Geico,CargoWineDiageo,Lowe’sCompass,Platinumfollows:sponsors:Honeywell,andTrane.Goldsponsors;Ally,FoodLion,HouseandTruist.Silversponsors:Belk,Transporters,Cisco,K&LGatesandAttheBronzelevelwereCapTech,PughTeamRealDudley’sPlace,ThirdBank,LiveLove,Moore&Allen,NoDa,NovantPNC,QueenCityHospital,SilverTroutmanandWombleDickinson.— QNotes
Mecklenburg county officials should be able to vaccinate around 1,000 people with the new shipment.(Photo Credit: Adobe Stock)
Jynneos — the two-dose vaccine for monkeypox and smallpox — is currently being given statewide at several local health departments. Vaccination is free and based on the availability of the vaccine. The CDC reports that individuals who received a smallpox vaccination decades ago enjoy a measure of protection against monkeypox, though the protection “may not necessarily be lifelong.” It notes that some people previously vaccinated against smallpox have contracted monkeypox in the current outbreak and during another outbreak in 2003. The U.S. stopped provid ing vaccinations against smallpox in 1972 when the disease was declared to have beenAseradicated.ofAug.3,the CDC’s latest data shows there are 26,208 cases worldwide, with 6,616 of them in the United States. Most of them are in countries that have not historically reported monkeypox. This week, California joined Illinois and New York as the latest state to declare a state of emergency due to the outbreak. The World Health Organization also de clared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency on July 23. : :
Mecklenburg Getting More Monkeypox Vaccines Mecklenburg will receive an additional 2,000 doses of monkeypox vaccine the first week of August. Washington said there are 1,800 patients on the vaccination wait list. Since the monkeypox vaccination is a two-shot treatment, county officials should be able to vaccinate around 1,000 people with the new shipment. Most confirmed infections have been with gay or bisexual men, Washington said, but reiterated that anyone in close contact with an infected person can be infected themselves. “The most common myth we’ve been hearing is that monkeypox is exclusive to gay or bisexual men, and that’s frankly not true,” he said. “While lo cal infections have been mostly impacting those networks, that’s not the only group that’s possible to be impacted.”
The virtual town hall also featured Dr. Victoria Mobley, an NCDHHS medical consultant and adjunct professor of epidemi ology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.Though the virus can spread by personal, skin-to-skin contact, Mobley provided insight into how it can also spread through touching objects or other body parts. “If you are known to have monkey pox or an unexplained rash, don’t share items between individuals,” Mobley said. “Frequent hand washing is important. We touch our skin a lot when we have rashes that itch or hurt. We touch lesions and we can transmit them to our fingers or other parts of the body.” Mobley also gave details about vaccina tion priorities. “The first group would be individuals who have had close to intimate skin-toskin contact with someone with monkey pox in the preceding 14 days,” she said. “If you get vaccinated within the four days after your exposure, the vaccine may pre vent illness altogether from developing.”
NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley: ‘This is not a gay disease.’ (Photo Credit: Facebook)
COVID Infection Rates on the Rise as Well BY BLAKE DOUGLAS|CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Where It Stands and What You Should Know BY JAMES BURRELL |CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Those with jobs that deal with skin-toskin contacts, such as massage therapists, are also at a heightened risk. At least one case was from this form of exposure.
16 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
North Carolina has reported more than 70 cases of the virus so far, according to data compiled by the state Department of Health and Human Services and nearly half of the cases have been in Mecklenburg County. Monkeypox is a rare disease typically found in West and Central Africa. Before this year, most cases in the US have been associated with international travel. The disease often starts with flu-like symptoms and develops into a rash and skin lesions. Monkeypox is rarely fatal, although chil dren and some people with compromised immune systems or underlying health con ditions can develop more severe illness, ac cording to the World Health Organization. Men who have sex with other men have been the primary source of spread ing and contracting the virus thus far, though monkeypox is not a sexually trans mitted disease. Black men, in particular, have been disproportionately affected. NCDHHS Secretary Kody Kinsley recently emphasized that anyone can get infected and addressed the stigma surrounding gay men. “This is not a gay disease,” he said at a virtual town hall meeting last Thursday cosponsored by the department and the nonprofit advocacy group Equality NC. “Viruses don’t have a preference in different communities. And I see a health disparity… Right now, we have a dispro portionate outcome where only certain groups are contracting it. We want to solve that and achieve a fair outcome of no one with monkeypox.” Kinsley also said that the department wants to support those who are stigmatized and make them not feel afraid of who they are. “We want to pro vide culturally compe tent care that doesn’t further stigmatize or create shame around normal parts of life,” he said. “I believe us tackling this head-on and being very transparent that there is no shame in being sick and there is no shame in sex is an important thing for us to do and folks to hear from us as well.” Last week, NCDHHS further expanded eligibility for monkeypox vaccination. It has also been increasing awareness of the dis ease and the importance of getting tested. “Our focus at the department and working with healthcare providers across the state is to make sure we can wrap the right prevention supports in the way of vaccines,” Kinsley said. “And other services, supports and access to testing around those individuals to serve them.”
Monkeypox Now Spreading in Mecklenburg County, Health Leaders Confirm
The Monkeypox Outbreak in North Carolina
To help proactively prevent infec tions, Washington said the department met with organizers of the upcoming Charlotte Pride festival several weeks ago to promote safety precautions. The county has also started campaigns on dating apps to raise awareness. Lessons learned during the COVID pandemic have helped the agency more quickly create a vaccina tion hotline and fine-tune contact tracing, Washington said. On July 20, county health officials reported 12 cases of monkeypox in the county, which accounted for over half of the state’s 21 total cases. As of July 29, the CDC reported 53 total cases in North Carolina, with Mecklenburg accounting for 33 of those. Mecklenburg County announced its first case on June 27, four days after the state Health Department reported North Carolina’s first monkey pox infection in Haywood County. Rowan County identified its first case on July 15. The CDC has reported 5,189 active mon keypox cases in the U.S. as of July 29. No COVID Mask Enforcement Expected Although omicron subvariant BA.5 has surged to become the most com mon COVID variant in North Carolina, Washington said he doesn’t expect any mask “enforcement measures” to be implemented by the county. He encour aged people to continually reassess their risk factor and mask, wash their hands and stay distanced when appropriate. Mecklenburg joined Rowan, Cabarrus and Gaston counties last week after being upgraded to high community spread by the CDC. Iredell and Lincoln counties also are on the list for high community spread, while Union County remains at medium, as are York, Chester and Lancaster coun ties in South Carolina. Last week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported the seven-day average of patients hospitalized with COVID was 1,111. Five deaths were reported. Variant BA.5 makes up 58 percent of all cases re ported in the state, according to the state health department. This article appears courtesy of our me dia partner The Charlotte Observer.::
Mecklenburg County health lead ers said Aug. 1 that transmission of monkeypox is accelerating locally for the first time. Total infections for the virus is trending upward, said Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington. As of Aug. 1, the county confirmed 33 cases of monkeypox in Mecklenburg — up from 12 cases on July 20. That’s an increase of 175 percent. “The trend we’re seeing right now is for new cases to double every three to four days roughly,” Washington said. The county Health Department has identified several incidents of community spread within Mecklenburg, according to Washington. Previously, contact tracing revealed all known infections originated from outside the county. Said Washington: “We expect case counts to continue to increase, at least in the short term.” Increased monkeypox transmission coincided with the county announcing Friday that it was upgraded to high COVID community spread level by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the heightened risk factor, Washington said he doesn’t expect the county to implement any mask mandates or other safety requirements.
news
Experts Worry Stigma Could Prolong the Outbreak BY JOHN RUSSELL |CONTRIBUTING WRITER
wearing off.”
menstakingarebotomiststhatbreak.thespreadutingandtreatmentseekingposedbeenmaythosediscouragingmonkeypox,tiondiscriminaandaroundwhohaveexfromcontribtotheofout“Thefactphleafraidofspecimakes
“This reminds me of the days when people didn’t want to care for HIV pa tients,” said New York University bioethi cist Arthur Caplan. As of August 4, cases of monkeypox in the United States jumped 81 percent from the previous week, with the CDC report ing 6,326 cases as of August 2. Around the country the disease has spread mostly among men who have sex with men. Experts worry that the labs’ refusals to take blood from patients will contribute to stigma
Lab Techs Refusing To Draw Blood From Monkeypox Patients
theinfectedlessbecomewill,whilebeSomemonkeypox.sibilitiesimmuneyourfactorandtemimmunehealthasissues,syscapabilityagecanintopotentialpostocanimmune,othersatleast,sickifwithdisease.Accordingto
Monkeypox and smallpox are caused by orthopax viruses. The diseases are so much alike the same vaccine is used to treat both viruses. Known as Jynneos, it is currently available for patients who are considered to be at high risk of contracting the monkeypox “Mecklenburgvirus.County is the epicenter of monkeypox in North Carolina,” says Wes Thompson, the director of HIV Medical Services at Amity Medical Group, which frequently offers health treatment services for men who have sex with men. As of August 5, the number of infected reported in Mecklenburg County was around“Most60.of the people who have been in fected with monkeypox are men who have sex with men,” Thompson explains. “Some of them identify as gay but not all.” Thompson says he believes the virus is transmitted through extended exposure to the bodily fluids of another individual who is “Thisinfected.outbreak, which has spread across Europe and to the United States, has been traced back to a ... party in Ibiza,” he continues.Asforindividuals who were vaccinated during the smallpox eradication program, he concedes immunity is possible, but some limited immunity is more likely.
Technicians at two of the largest com mercial labs in the U.S. have been re fusing to draw blood from suspected monkeypox patients.
that state that patients with confirmed or suspected monkeypox infection should be isolated. Once an individual is out of isola tion, we will provide service for them.”
CNN recently confirmed Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics have refused to perform tests that are standard practice. (Photo Credit: Screen Capture) B eginning in 1958 and continuing until 1977, the United States, in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), initiated and ended a program to eradicate smallpox from theWhenplanet.the program was completed and declared a success, the vaccinations came to anForend.everyone who received that vac cination, there’s a tell-tale sign: an oval shaped or round scar on the exterior bicep, typically on the right arm. For some people it can serve as an automatic identifier for youthful apearing Baby Boomers or Gen Xers. For those who received the vaccine, there’s an added bonus that was unexpected: potential im munity to the monkeypox virus. You heard that right. If you’re over 50, chances are you were vaccinated with the smallpox virus and carry some immunity to the current disease du jour. In some cases potentially as high as 85 percent. But not for everyone. The usual challenges such
CNN confirms that phlebotomists at Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics are refus ing to perform the tests that are both standard practice and necessary to iden tify the disease as well as differentiating between monkeypox and other STIs. It remains unclear whether the techs are refusing on their own or due to com pany“Thepolicy.fact that this is happening is an echo of the earliest days of HIV,” says David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors. “This is a grave dereliction of duty.”
In a subsequent email to CNN, Gorode said that Quest is revaluating its guidance “in light of updates posted on the CDC site.” Another spokesperson from the CDC said the only update was that the sentence about the isolation guidelines not applying to health-care settings was moved higher on the Labcorppage.president of diagnostics Dr. Brian Caveney said that the company is reviewing its policies on drawing blood from suspected monkeypox patients and that they are likely to change. Lack of testing capacity has been one of the factors contributing to the mon keypox outbreak in the U.S. On Tuesday, the White House announced that testing capacity has expanded from 6,000 tests per week to over 80,000 tests per week. Meanwhile, far-right conservatives like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have already begun to stigmatize the disease with outlandish claims due to the out break among gay and bisexual men. This article appears courtesy of our me dia partner LGBTQ Nation. ::
it even more unappealing for someone to ask for a monkeypox test,” says Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF Health. “We can’t afford a delay in diagnostic testing because commercial labs aren’t doing the right thing,” says Harvey. Diane Crawford, CEO of the National Phlebotomy Association says that techni
“If someone became infected who had received that vaccine, they would probably be less ill, and fare better than individuals who had received no kind of treatment. Thompson confirms the vaccination is available at Amity Medical Group for patients who believe they are in a high risk category. For more details on vaccina tion, contact Amity Medical by phone at 704.208.4134 or visit their website. : :
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 17
Smallpox Vaccine Can ProvideImmunity to Monkeypox Those Vaccinated in Eradication Program Last Century May Have Immunity
news
Peter Hotez, co-director of the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital and Dean of the National school of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, the global eradication of smallpox may have allowed a stronger hold and faster spread for monkeypox.“Monkeypox is believed to have be come more prevalent after we stopped vaccinating populations against smallpox,” Hotex said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “We munitybecausepopulationsamongtomonkeypoxenablingwasandcinesmallpoxormuchprettystoppedhaltedthevacprograms,thatactuallyforemergehumanimwas
However, CDC spokesperson Kristen Nordlund says that “CDC’s monkeypox isolation guidance specifically states that people should remain isolated, except to get medical care. Obtaining a sample for testing is medical care that could lead to diagnosis or treatment if warranted.”
Individuals vaccinated for smallpox before 1977 usually have this scar. There’s a good chance they have immunity to monkeypox, too. (CREDIT: Adobe)
by David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer
cians have no reason to fear guidelinesingisthatGorodesonspokesperQueststatement,precautions.standardtheyaspatientsmonkeypoxbloodtakingfromlongastakeInaKimsaidthelabfollow“CDC
18 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
Pride’s Power Spiritual Reflections BY LESLIE OLIVER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
views
inatmarveledindividualdousThereofwhoLordeHarveyMarshaMurray,Johnson,Milk,Audreandothers,gaveoursongprideitslyrics.istremenpowerinourmelodies.I’vealwaysatnature,howgrassgrowsabundance,how flowers bloom with out incident and how the future.keepsThebeingthatine,aboutnevernavigatehowmoreuniverse.commandelementstheI’mevenamazedatGod’screaturestheearth,concernedfateorfamseeminglysuretheyareworthcaredfor.powerofPridehopeforthe
When I was young, a cartoon ran on Saturday mornings called the “Superfriends.” The twin superhe roes would shout: “Wonder twin powers: Activate!” Their powers would then take different forms as they set out to claim victory. Imagine calling forth power and allowing it to travel in different forms on your path to victory. While superheroes may seem an element of fantasy, the abil ity to activate power lies in all of us. As we celebrate Pride this month, we have an opportunity to tap into the power of love and freedom within us, and find ways to affirm and awaken the same in others. Pride gives us the power to believe for those who don’t, and to live free for those whoGodcan’t.has planted an arsenal of abili ties within each of us that enables us to see and live the life we dream about. As children, we see glimpses of this power and make people smile as it manifests. As we approach adulthood, our power grows when we face challenges or when we observe the power and greatness of others. As children of the kingdom of God , we must see our potential for power and walk therein. As LGBTTQIA citizens, we must stand strong and authentic because our lives depend on it. Pride is not just a banner or parade; it’s a mindset. We hail from transforma tive power voices like Bayard Rustin, Pauli
There are times when I look in my daughter’s eyes and see the spirit of the sparrow, where she knows that her lov ing mom will ensure that her needs are met. She has seen me in action long and well enough to trust that instinct. We must become like children and sparrows, where we believe that God will provide and work things out for our good.Take a moment during your day to watch a child run happily about, or to observe a bird flutter through the tree branches. That is the posture that we must embrace as “abundant life chas ers,” where we trust the God that knows all about us to take care of us. The wonderful thing about the free spirit of a child or the instinct of a sparrow is that the intimacy built into the relationship by the caregiver sustains them as life passes from day to day. God is bonded to you and cares about your wellbeing and success. In the center of these statements is another powerful message: You are. You are powerful and magnificent. Everything you need to be successful is within you, planted there when God made the execu tive decision to bring you into the earth realm. You have so much power in you that you may have to seek God for ways to manage it. The most beautiful thing about your power is that it’s tailor made just for you, and power doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. Make a list of all of the things you love to do, and another list of all of the things that you wish to do. Take a deep breath, stand tall and declare that you have the power to achieve it all. You are a super power, not because of our humanity, but because of the divine power that God has placed within you. It is our divine light that activates the power we Reconsiderposess. your purpose this month. How can you use your Pride power to free someone else? Have you decided what your Pride power is? : :
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by David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer José Romero captured in a happy moment during the production of ‘Blind Angels.’ (CREDIT: Screen Capture)
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 19 CAROLINA MORTUARY SERVICE & CREMATION Gay Owned and Operated Charlotte’s Oldest Independent Funeral Service Over 25 Years in Business Sirviendo a la comunidad de habla Hispana Serving the Spanish speaking community Envío – Nacional e internacional Shipping – Domestic and international 6300 E. Independence Blvd, Suite C Charlotte, NC 28212 24 hr. Death Calls Bus. Office 704-563-4676 Fax 704-566-6430 24/7 704-563-7676 Mention this ad for a family discount CAROLINAMORTUARY.COM ‘Blind Angels’ Docuseries Features North Carolinians Durham Resident José Romero Talks About Life and HIV Produced by Courageous Studios and Gilead Sciences and initially shown on CNN, the six-part series “Blind Angels: A Series on HIV in the American South” takes a look at how the virus continues to impact the lives of LGBTQ individuals and others throughout the south in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. The film recently screened as part of the OutSouth Queer Film Festival in the Raleigh-Durham area and is of particular importance be cause of atthefreeriespartAug.AwarenessHIV/AIDSDayon20.Theseven-minidocuseisavailableforstreamingonCNNwebsite blindangels/#trailer.interactive/Gilead/content.cnn.com/https://sponsor
When you find out you are HIV positive you may think your sex life is over, but I think it means your sex life can get better! You’re able to engage in sex in a transpar ent manner.” As seen through the lens of the cam era that shot the documentary, Romero is a busy individual. In addition to tirelessly working as an HIV advocate, Romero serves as a Spanish interpreter, a board member of the LGBTQ Center in Durham, an active member of Southerners On New Ground (SONG) and as the southern representa tive for the national organization LGBTQ PrideRomeroFoundation.wasapproached by the pro ducers of “Blind Angels” while attending a conference for the Latino Commission on AIDS in 2019. “They had heard what we were doing and wanted to know if we would be interested in participating. When they came to Durham to investigate more, that’s when it all kind of came together.” In each episode, a different activist is placed in the spotlight to demonstrate how they work towards bringing HIV edu cation, prevention and awareness to their own specific communities. If you’re interested in watching the seven-part mini docuseries, it’s available as previously mentioned on the CNN web site, and on the gileadhiv.com active/Gilead/blindangels/#trailer.https://sponsorcontent.cnn.com/interwebsite.::
There’s no question the face of HIV has dramaticallychangedsince the virus was first discovered in the early 1980s. What was once a disease that found an op portune moment to sink its hooks into the largely white gay male communities in urban cities in New York and California has since changed course, chiefly infect ing and impacting people of color, women and men who have sex with men (that may identify as gay or not) in the Black and Hispanic communities in the South. José Romero, who identifies with the pronouns they/them, is just 30 years old and lives in Durham. They are an HIV advocate and a focal point of the North Carolina part of the documentary. “I’ve been in Durham for eight years now,” says Romero. “It’s a special place for me. I stayed out of love for the city. It feels like Romerohome.”confirms that their HIV diagnosis coincided with the move to Durham and confesses initially coming to the Research Triangle city of Durham to seek out a PhD in cultural anthropology. Instead, they made the decision to work in the nonprofit sector with the LGBTQ community and for people living with HIV. “There are so many people in the Latinx LGBTQ community that don’t have adequate access to healthcare,” Romero explains. “And there are many factors that can cause that. Barriers to transportation, which leads to barriers to getting medication. Then there can be language barriers, especially if you don’t speak English. Supporting others through language work is especially important for me, because English wasn’t my first language. I know the challenges people can face.” It’s clear that Romero’s personal jour ney with HIV has had a strong impact on their career field and how they work with others who are also living with HIV. “I was diagnosed in 2015,” they recall. “I am on medication, so that created a com pletely new set of responsibilities in my life. [Being positive] has also helped me find joy in new ways, and to find new ways to celebrate the power of the queer commu nity. When I was first diagnosed I felt like I was running away, but now I feel like I’m running towards where I should be.” Coinciding with HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Romero can’t stress the impor tance of being tested for the virus any more emphati cally.“There’s power in the knowledge,” Romero carewayselves,takeknowandpartner’siswhatfortant.“Consentexplains.isimporIt’simportantyoutoknowyourstatusandwhatyourstatusis,forthem[toyours.]“Whenwedon’tcareofourwelimitthewecantakeofeachother.
a&e
A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a finan cial asset consisting of digital data and intellectual property stored on the block chain such as video, photos, film and art. Recorded ownership of this asset is stored on the blockchain for the world to see. “The enactment of the Florida ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill’ appeared to be designed to marginalize, vilify and set back humans rights for the LGBTQ community,” states Diamond-Vizcaino. “I utilized the evolution of technology as a method for change, activism and social awareness. Society has already built foundations to fight this bill, but now through the power of blockchain, we can remove censorship through an im mutable distrib uted ledger and support those that haven’t had the identitysearchandeducationfreedomtofortheirwithout prejudice.”
Pride Journey Taylor Diamond-Vizcaino is the Founder and CEO of True Dream Vision, a company that is introduc ing the world to Pride Pixies, a series of NFTs created to change the lives of others for the better through activism, support, inclusivity, acceptance and representation. The company wants to see people in the LGBTQ community succeed financially, emotionally, physically and culturally.
Diamond-Vizcaino grew to embrace her creative side by selling custom prints, designs and apparel on online marketplac es. Not only was she filling her need to be creative, but she figured out a way to help the community.
20 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022 JOIN THE EqualityCrew!NC equalitync.org/membership#ENCCrew
Pride Pixies Aims to Change the World Through Inclusivity
NFTs allow their buyer to say they own the original copy of a digital file in the same way you might own the original copy of a piece of physical art. An NFT creates a chain of title and a certificate of authentic ity that you couldn’t attain in today’s sys tem. Among some benefits of owning an NFT, owners can obtain special rewards, or an authentic certificate of admission to an event, preventing counterfeit items.
“The industry’s biggest challenges are lack of inclusivity, the lack of education, and friction in the NFT and crypto markets. We are addressing these challenges by building an inclusive community, donat ing 5% of our profits to Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Ofrezco. org to support marginalized people and women in tech. We are developing the first animated non-binary series of NFT’s, the first non-binary play-to-earn video game, and building an NFT/DeFi platform with ease-of-access to enter the market as well as supplying tutorials and webinars to educate all.”
NFTs first hit her radar in early 2020 and her instant thought was to merge her creative passions with technology. “Since technology is rapidly evolving, I called upon my father (a long-term Cryptocurrency investor) to provide me insight into cryptocurrency, blockchain technology and the monetization of intel lectual property. The ability for creators to monetize their own intellectual property from videos, photos art, music, film, mem berships really had me thinking about how I can serve more of a humanitarian purpose in this world for good.” She realized that creators, visionaries and people of all backgrounds now have the opportunity to utilize this technology as a humanitarian effort for social change. It was at that moment, Diamond-Vizcaino created Pride Pixies.
There has never been a time in a cre ator’s life when they could monetize their intellectual property for life in perpetuity. Creators now have the ability to program a smart contract built into the NFT that can pay royalties to the creator of the NFT for life as long as the NFT trades on the open market. “These royalties can be used to fund educational events, be used to donate to human rights activ ism, support women in tech, develop and build out more an animated series, film or video game.”
Pride Pixies NFT was originally set to Mint on June 1, 2022, but due to the recent volatile market conditions and inflation Diamond-Vizcaino decided internally to postpone our mint date to June 1, 2023, allowing for more time to promote Pride Pixies, increase their engagement for a larger community and to continue developing the items on their roadmap. Diamond-Vizcaino will only offer 10,557 Pride Pixies NFTs, so the limited-edition supply will surely be in-demand. “Change is evolutionary and the impact we make is one that sets the path for the new visionaries of the world.” For more information, visit www.pridepix ies.com.
: : life BY JOEY AMATO QNOTES STAFF WRITER
Born in South Florida, toLatin“GrowingdentvillagewhatentschildVizcainoDiamond-wastheofteenparandraisedbyshecallsaofindepenyoungsters.upinahouseholdyoungparentsinstilled in me a sense of responsibility and independence. My up bringing allowed me to have room to grow and be creative, but still feel responsibility and a sense of duty.” Nearly every member of her family was a teacher, artist, or entrepreneur. Throughout high school, she was taught leadership and perseverance through the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps and was presented an award for her outstand ing leadership within the district. After high school, Diamond-Vizcaino relocated to Orlando, where she studied medical and cultural anthropology and sociology at the University of Central Florida. “During these years, I built a new sup port team with my co-workers while work ing as a lifeguard. Orlando granted me the opportunity to meet individuals from all over the world searching for their com munity while I searched for mine. With an anthropology degree and my knowledge of medicine, I began to turn my focus back onto society. At this time in my life, I was sure about my sexuality – as a bisexual woman. I started to educate myself more on the labels and conservative thoughts about marginalized people.”
Clay From an Ancient Source “Our pottery is dug from the very clay hole site our ancestors dug from, so con servation and stewardship is being taught to protect this site,” Haire wrote. While George-Warren focuses on the Catawba community in South Carolina near the reservation, he said the rest of the Catawba population – around 3,500 citizens – is scattered around the world. “One of the biggest places to find Catawbas other than South Carolina is Utah,” he said. “Most of the tribe are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Preserving the River Other programs of the cultural center include preserving plant life and original aspects of the Catawba River. The Yehasuri Trail on the reservation dates back to 1810 and leads to one of the river’s only two existing free-flowing sections. Along the trail, plant communities are untouched, including oak, hickory and pine trees. “We are looking at our past, we are looking at our present,” he said. “We are trying to weave them together into a culture that can hold us and sustain us for another 6,000 years.”
Sam Carnes is a student in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of local community news. Her summer work is supported by the James E. Rogers Research Program. ::
The Role of a Bee George-Warren considers himself lucky to have grown up in the tribal community, where his grandfather was assistant chief for almost 30 years. “What I think my role is, is more of a pollinator, like a bee,” he said, “showing up and helping to solve problems.” His aunt wrote that their ancestors lived off the land, but knew they couldn’t live without the land. They continue to practice land stewardship, crop rotation, revitalizing culturally relevant plants and teaching gardening classes. Dance and pottery classes focus youth on environ mental issues.
He now volunteers and consults at the Catawba Cultural Center, which protects, preserves, promotes and maintains the cultural heritage of the Catawba Nation. His aunt, Wenonah Haire, the center’s director, wrote recently in an email that George-Warren has been a part of tribal work “since he was a little tot.”
andwasGeorge-WarrenborninAtlantaspentalotoftime
DeLesslin George-Warren Considers Himself a Pollinator Bee on the Catawba River
BY SAM CARNES|QUEENS UNIVERSITY NEWS SERVICE
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 21
Where Do You Change the World?
The Catawba River provides drinking water for more than 2 million people and generates electricity for nearly 3 million residents (Photo Credit: William Jugle)
DeLesslin George-Warren. (Photo Credit: George-Warren) life
growing up on the reservation when his mother – who helped restore the federal status of the Catawba Nation – was serving as tribal administra tor. He studied music and art at Vanderbilt University, graduated in 2014, and spent a couple of years in Washington before returning to the reservation. “I really remembered why I left Rock Hill in the first place after I moved to D.C.,” he said. “I wanted to change the world, but realized that doesn’t happen in D.C.”
Queer Artist, Researcher and Organizer From Catawba Nation Weaves Past and Present to Sustain Community
In an environment marked by disappear ing lakes and rising wildfires, DeLesslin George-Warren believes the people of the Catawba Nation raise an existential question: How do you create a society that lasts 6,000 years? “What we’re doing is reclaiming, revital izing and reweaving our culture,” said DeLesslin George-Warren, a citizen of the Catawba Nation near Rock Hill. He is an organizer, educator and researcher of the tribe who call themselves the people of the river. The Catawba River flows through 26 counties in the Carolinas, provides drinking water for more than two million people and generates electricity for nearly three million residents, according to the Catawba Riverkeeper organization. “Our ancestors survived here for at least 6,000 years, therefore, something had to work. You can’t survive 6,000 years on an unworkable system,” GeorgeWarren said in a recent interview. He’ll turn 31 in late August and has served as a diplomatic polymath for at least a decade, translating across diverse fields that include gender identity, art, music, food, language, technology and culture. In the last four years he’s led programs to strengthen the food sov ereignty of the Catawba Nation and the development of an app to teach the Catawba particularlymiddlepoundsWashingtonantory,NativeGallerythedentialusedGeorge-Warrenlanguage.hastoursofpresiportraitsinNationalPortraittoteachAmericanhisandoncecreatedartinstallationinwith15ofredglitter.“We’reintheofacrisis,around climate,” GeorgeWarren said. His travel and study has shown him that social issues and climate is sues are intertwined.
:
GS: “Better Davis and Other Stories” (Squares & Rebels, 2021), your new book, is dedicated to the late, gay writer and educator Richard McCann. Please say something about him and his influence on your work. PDW: Richard was a huge mentor for me in grad school and became a very good friend. I still can’t believe he’s even gone, such is Richard’s behemoth. I can not say enough about the fearlessness, the zest for friendship and life, the pure honesty of writing — all of that Richard inspired in me. Richard was one of the finest writers of our time and his loss is a profound one. He was so charismatic and generous. One of the characters in “Better Davis” is loosely based on Richard, some thing I was able to share with him before his unexpected death. GS: “Better Davis and Other Stories,” which is your third short story collec tion, is linked to “At Danceteria.” Did you know at the time that you were writing “At Danceteria,” that there would be a second collection in the same vein? PDW: The short answer to that is no, although I did actually start the story “The Line” which closes “Better Davis,” three months before “At Danceteria” came out.
22 Qnotes Aug. 19 - Sept. 01, 2022
If you enjoyed DC-based gay writer Philip Dean Walker’s 2016 debut short story collection “At Danceteria and Other Stories,” then you’ll find even more to love in his new book “Better Davis” and other stories (Squares & Rebels, 2021). Closely related to its predecessor, “Better Davis,” Walker’s third book, contains six short stories consisting of fictionalized situations involving characters whose names will be familiar to many readers. In “Very Special Episode,” for example, actor Jim J. Bullock deals with a health crisis. “Elizabeth/ Regina” takes readers back to 1981 when Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton performed in a pre-Broadway production of Lillian Hellman’s” The Little Foxes” at The Kennedy Center. Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Michael Bennett is the main character of the story titled “The Line.” Philip was kind enough to make time in his schedule to answer a few questions about his writing.
My publisher, Raymond Luczak, suggested that we do another collection, and I did have some ideas clunking around in my head for additional stories. GS: Both “Better Davis” and “At Danceteria” consist of short stories about familiar celebrities. Please say something about how you select sub jects for your stories. PDW: The subject matter of my stories comes to me very organically and can be led back to something as simple as a small paragraph in a biography or watching an old movie. GS: How much research is involved in your writing process? PDW: For these stories, the research is pretty heavy. I don’t feel like I can write these characters until I’ve located the es sential beingness of them, which is some thing that has no definable timeframe.
Gregg Shapiro: Your first book, At Danceteria and Other Stories,” was published in 2016. What was the experi ence of having your debut short story collection in print like for you?
GS: Because of the mainly 1980s settings of the stories in “Better Davis,” AIDS features prominently. Other gay writers, including James Magruder, Bryan Washington and David Leavitt, have also included the subject of AIDS in their recent novels. Please say some thing about the importance of continu ing to include AIDS in your work.
PDW: The big difference between the writing of the two books is that, for “Better Davis,” I actually knew that it would be a book. More than half of “At Danceteria” was comprised of stand-alone stories that I had been publishing one after the other in a gay men’s fiction journal called Jonathan. And because BD was conceived as a linked collection, there are some characters who get to jump around the book, as you noted. There are also certain Easter eggs planted for anyone who’s look ing. You might be the first person who’s mentioned the Garp one.
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GS: Finally, is there a third book in the series in the works? PDW: There isn’t currently. I’m actual ly working on my first novel. But I never say never. I feel like I’ve told the stories of this era that I needed to tell for now, but there’s always the possibility that I could revisit. I was very happy with how “Better Davis” turned out, so it’s certainly a possibility. :
The research felt like all that practice you go through before a big race. As soon as the proverbial gun goes off, you almost aren’t even thinking anymore, just doing the writing.
GS: Some of the stories in “Better Davis” feature living people, includ ing Jim J. Bullock, Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken. Are you at all concerned about repercussions? PDW: My book is a work of fiction. Even though famous people or celebrities (dead and alive) may appear as charac ters in the book, their actions or dialogue should not be construed as factual or historical truths.
Better Than Ever An Interview with Philip Dean Walker by Gregg ContributingShapiroWriter
Philip Dean Walker: I made the final edits to “At Danceteria” at the beginning of the 2016 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference in Vermont. The first proof copy then arrived from my publisher delivered to me on the mountain just in time for me to read from it at the final Blue Parlor Reading, which is a big Bread Loaf tradi tion. So, it was kind of a perfect way to debut myself as a writer. I was so excited to actually be holding my first book - it was a thrilling moment and felt even more fit ting to be having it at a Middlebury College campus as that is my alma mater.
PDW: I always wanted to tell a larger story in this collection about the titanic cultural watershed that AIDS was for this community. But, also, I wanted to show the small ways that it had a huge effect on the way we lived. The ways in which the disease democratized everyone –cre ated, in a way, a level playing field where everyone was at some risk, obviously the gay world with which I deal directly in the book.
GS: Chalk it up to being OCD, I guess. If there was a movie made of one of the stories in “Better Davis,” which one would you want it to be and why? And who would you want to play the lead?
PDW: I think a limited series format would work best for an adaptation of this book. I’ve actually envisioned, in my head, how some of this could be brought to the screen. I’d love to see what Natalie Portman could do with the role of Natalie Wood in the story “Brainstorm” which takes place on the last night of Natalie’s life.
GS: Do you know if Jim J. Bullock, for example, knows about the story “Very Special Episode”? PDW: I don’t know if he has or not. I am a big fan of his, so I would love for him to. Although, as I said previously, the charac ter in that story is very much a “character” and is not supposed to be him in any real, biographical way.
GS: Even though the stories in “Better Davis” are all stand-alone pieces, I noticed that there were threads that connected them in this way – The World According to Garp is mentioned in two stories “Very Special Episode” and “Gay Nineties,” Natalie Wood appears in both “Brainstorm” and “Better Davis,” while Maureen Stapleton can be found in “Elizabeth/Regina” and “The Line.” Please say something about that device.
Our People: Riley Murray Charlotte Pride VP Shares Thoughts On Love, Life and LGBT History
Aug 19.- Sept. 01, 2022 Qnotes 23
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KING QNOTES STAFF WRITER life
Riley Murray is Vice President of Charlotte Pride. (CREDIT: Dee Murray)
Riley Murray is a self-identified butch lesbian Gen Xer who has been living in the Charlotte area since 2005. Originally from Santa Barbara, Calif., she ended up in Charlotte as a result of a mix ture of things, she offers. “But the biggest thing was [when] I came out here for work. Flying in during the fall, it was so beautiful. Plus, I’ve always been a bit of a nomad and this felt like home.” With that, the Charlotte area (living in Kannapolis for two years and later mov ing to Charlotte) became home for her and her children. “I have two daughters,” she beamed. “They were teenagers at the time. They’re grown now, 30 and 33 years old. They both have four children [ranging in age from two to 13 years old].” These days, Murray is a grandpar ent, raising one grandchild who lives with her, while continuing to be a vital member of our community. In 2007 Murray married her wife Dee for the first time. “And then we did it [again] legally in 2015, the year it became legal in all states. We were married that very week,” she recalls happily. “I met her at church. I joined the church choir to meet girls. I figured if I sat in the choir, I’d get to see everyone walk ing in. The funny thing is, another girl took me there.” Murray paused for a moment before bursting into laughter “Actually, all I know was that God led me to that church to meet my wife. When we finally got together, we dated for three months before I got the nerve to kiss her. She was fragile [having recently lost her partner] and special. I knew she was special and I knew I wanted more out of this relation ship than just a roll in the hay – so I gave her time to heal, time for us to get to know each other better.” Easygoing, charming and devoted to her wife, Murray is at ease talking about love, her involvement with Charlotte Pride and her quest to find comfort and accep tance with her ethnic identity. Early on during our interview, however, Murray made it clear she wasn’t in the mood to talk about infectious plagues or politics. “Ask me anything, ask away, but I don’t wanna’ talk about COVID, monkey pox or politics, that’s not me. I know a lot about it – I just don’t want to talk about it. Doesn’t mean I’m an asshole, just means I don’t wanna talk about it.” So, we didn’t. Instead, we continued to delve into some very interesting aspects of Murray’s life we couldn’t help but share with you. Murray is currently Vice President of Charlotte Pride, but she wasn’t always. “I’ve been with Charlotte Pride since 2005 [when the organization’s name was Pride Charlotte] doing logistics. So, in other words, I ordered stages, tables and chairs, assisted with the layout and made sure that the food vendor [we only had one back then] was placed appropriately. Everything you see at the festival; I do all that. For a long time, it was just me, we didn’t have staff back then. Now we have staff, so now I have help and I do more of signing off on invoices and providing over sight. Today, I’m the VP of Charlotte Pride. I’m in charge of the parade but I’m behind the scenes.” In two years, it will be two decades that Murray has worked with Charlotte Pride – as the organization’s mission statement says – assisting in the mission of “creating programs and activities to enrich, empow er, strengthen and make visible the unique lives and experiences of LGBTQ people in Charlotte and the Carolinas.” In the meantime, Murray is actively preparing to pass the torch by training people to take her place. “Hopefully they do it bigger and better than I did.” When Murray isn’t working on a Pride event, she makes her livelihood as a supply chain supervisor. “I’m in logistics,” she said with glee. “It’s my happy place.” But what about those buzz words [acceptance with her ethnic identity] you’re probably still waiting to learn more about? No worries, we didn’t forget. For anyone with a staunch need to categorize or identify individuals by race or ethnicity, Murray’s visual appearance may present a challenge. Even she acknowledges she felt the need to embark on her own personal journey of self-discovery. “I was adopted, my parents are white – so for most of my life I identified as white though I was always told I was Black. My dad was superintendent of schools and I was in a program called UpwardDuringBound.thesummers, I lived with Black teachers and coun selors because my parents wanted me to know my culture – things they couldn’t teach or just didn’t know. It wasn’t until I moved to the South that I was “told” by Black people that I wasAtBlack.that time, I wasn’t ready for that chapter, the next step in my life [was] finding out who I am…ethnically. [I’ve since learned that] technically, I am bi-racial. Fifty percent Black, and fifty percent white. So now I embrace who I am. Do I still struggle? Yes, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, I’m human and we all bleed the same way.” So, what does matter to Murray? Her wife. If you ask Murray what makes her smile, she points to her wife with out skipping a beat. She also shared her experience with another journey – the road to finding sobriety. “I’m five years sober this year,” she says. “I started on that road Aug. 17, five years ago, when I went to Vegas to get sober. I was probably an active alcoholic for two years –but drank for five years.” Wait, Vegas to dry out?! “Yes. Vegas has the biggest sobriety block, as large as a New York City square block of NA, Tweekers Anonymous, AA, just about everything,” she explains.Murray continues with a message she hopes will resonate with the many who are struggling to find their way back from substance abuse issues. “Everybody hits a bump. It is okay to hit bumps, and you can still be successful after – there is light at the end of the tun nel. When you’re in that tunnel, you can’t see it, but I’m proof, I’m now on the other side of it. There are a lot of people who drink alcoholically in our community and I want them to know, it’s okay to reach out for help.” When wrapping up our latest install ment of Our People, if we’re talking to a senior member of the community it’s not uncommon that we ask our interviewee to share a few words of wisdom for the youngerMurrayset.decided to touch on a topic many older LGBT community members carefully avoid and others just don’t want to argue about. “Stop using the Queer word,” Murray says. “Generations [before you] have fought hard for the word not to be used. When I look at my generation and generations before me, I can’t forget – that’s what was said, screamed, as they were getting the shit kicked out of them. There’s been too much hate, too much hurt connected to the word Queer and you can’t erase it. [For me] there’s just no way you can take that back.” L’MONIQUE
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