Qnotes October 14, 2022

Eat, drink, and be literary. featuring New York Times bestselling authors

One of our region’s most anticipated events, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s signature annual fundraiser Verse & Vino is a celebration of reading, writing and the joy of libraries shared with a community of readers and New York Times bestselling authors.

contributors this issue

inside this issue

feature

LGBTQ History Month:

an end to the

of Stonewall

stages light up with holiday cheer

is seeing a spike in Syphilis cases and other STDs

page

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.

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for The Carolinas announces

Open Small Business Grant Program

passing of an era: Charlotte’s legendary Airport Overlook closes

and CLGBTCC

LGBT+ Day at Charlotte Motor Speedway

affirming NC church unconcerned about SBC snub

Republicans than Democrats likely died of COVID

NC expected to pass Medicaid Expansion

NASCAR and CLGBTCC celebrate LGBT+ Day

On Saturday, October 8, coinciding with NASCAR’s Race for the Cure, the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and NASCAR came together to present LGBT+Day at NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway

LGBTQ History Month:

The first LGBTQ demonstration in NYC, one month after Stonewall, went from Washington Square to Stonewall on July 27, 1969. PHOTO CREDIT: by Fred W. McDarrah featured in “Gay Pride: Photographs from Stonewall Today”

11

7

on the street to between the sheets with ‘Bros’

Pop Icon Charo comes to NC

conversation with

Brafford

Journey: Madison, Wisconsin

People: Tracey Logan

Voices:

truth in

views events

need you

Reflections:The

of making

event listings, visit

Moore, Kendra Johnson, L’Monique

Evan Moore,Cameron

Marty Schladen, Mark

Midterm elections: We need you in this fight!

Political Voices

by Kendra Johnson Qnotes Contributing Writer

There’s no other way to put it: the last few years have been long, difficult, and painful for our communities.

As we approach the Midterm Elections, we know that so many of us are burnt out and tired. But despite our collective exhaustion, anti-equality forces have been hard at work across this country and we need you in this fight to help protect the most vulnerable North Carolinians as we approach one of the most important elec tions in this state’s recent history.

We’re in the midst of a moment of backlash, where the strides we’ve made to advance our rights are being met with bla tant attacks on our livelihood and survival. This year, we’ve seen an influx of legisla tion and policy targeting LGBTQ+ folks, Black and Brown folks, and other individu als marginalized by power and privilege at an entirely new level.

On the national stage, we’ve seen state-sponsored attacks on gender-af firming care in Florida, including banning this essential resource for recipients of Medicaid. In Texas, we’ve seen heinous CPS investigations of parents of trans

youth. Nationwide, we’ve seen bans on teaching “critical race theory,” weaponizing the discourse around an honest account ing of American history in schools. And, of course in June, we saw the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, with Sen. Lindsey Graham proposing a national abortion ban after 15 weeks, creating massive barri ers to the right to bodily autonomy.

In North Carolina, we’ve seen this harm intensified and concentrated all across our state. In Union County, elected officials have attacked Pride celebrations, a core aspect of the LGBTQ community’s tradition of gathering together. Rep. Dan Bishop, infamous for passing HB2, sent out messages denouncing a local drag queen story hour, prompting the Monroe Town Council to pass a resolution call ing for Union County Pride to ban people under 18 from attending Pride.

Meanwhile, in the NC General Assembly, we’re currently just a few seats away from a veto-proof supermajority of anti-equality forces gaining power – which means that losing just a few seats could weaken the strength of Gov. Cooper’s veto pen. In that scenario, bills targeting undoc umented immigrants, the right to protest, abortion, and honest teaching in schools face a much easier path to becoming law. And bills which have explicitly targeted our LGBTQ+ community, like this year’s “Don’t

Say Gay” bill and last year’s bills attacking trans youth, could return.

All of that is to say – we know the events of the past few years have left us all exhausted but the groups and individuals who are committed to legislating us out of existence are fighting harder than ever. And we need you in this election with us to push back through the power of the ballot.

You can get involved in several ways:

• Are you registered to vote? Voting is one of the most powerful ways to make your voice heard in the political arena. You can check out our list of endorsed candidates here https://bit.ly/3CEv0z4 and get registered here. https://bit. ly/3yq4GGw

• Equality NC hosts weekly training sessions for potential volunteers. If you’ve never phone-banked or knocked on doors, we’ll give you the tools and resources to feel com fortable with the process. You can register for these virtual trainings on Tuesdays and on Wednesdays.

• We’re also hosting weekly phone banks for our endorsed candi dates! Phone banking is an easy, tangible way to support our proequality leaders. Phone banks will

YOU’RE INVITED TO A Garden Party

be held in person in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas. Sign up here. https://bit.ly/3ec6dt1

• We’re knocking on doors with a weekly canvass! Every Saturday, we’re out in the community speak ing to voters about why we need to vote for candidates who will ad vocate for racial and social justice. We’ll be knocking on doors in the Charlotte and Raleigh areas. Sign up here. https://bit.ly/3SLSRma

• Don’t have time to canvas or phone bank? You can support our endorsed candidates through donations. You can donate here https://bit.ly/3T6YUBq, or join us for several upcoming fundraisers.

• Stay tuned to your email and our social media channels, as we connect with you about upcoming events and opportunities to sup port our candidates.

No matter what you choose to do to get involved, we hope you work in partnership with us to help elect these crucial pro-equal ity candidates who can be our champions at the North Carolina General Assembly.

The 2022 Midterms are shaping up to be the fight of our lifetimes –will you join us in the fight for a more just and equi table North Carolina? ::

CELEBRATION AND INFORMATIONAL SESSION AT ALDERSGATE Creativity, Compassion & Culture at Cuthbertson SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29 | 10AM

Join us for autumnal refreshments and brain-healthy treats. Explore our expansive campus offerings and participate in an accessible gardening craft activity. Tour Cuthbertson Village Memory Care and chat with the care team. RSVP is required.

To RSVP or schedule a tour, call (704) 318-2018 or visit AldersgateMemoryCare.org.

No truth in advertising?

Elections need to be free, fair, and honest

By Cameron Pruette | Qnotes Staff Writer

It’s

likely you’ve experienced an ava lanche of election ads, mailers and videos reminding you that it’s campaign season. Or, perhaps, you’ve finally had to unsubscribe from the endless text mes sages begging for just ten more dollars to save democracy. Whether it’s hyper bolic requests for donations or mislead ing claims about opponents, we should be critical of the political advertising we receive. After all, North Carolina Senate races alone have a history of being among the most expensive in the country.

Like all media, it is critical to consider the source of mailers and ads that are targeted to you. Did you know that there are limited, if any, protections against outright lies in political advertising? We live in a democracy on the brink, yet we hold McDonald’s ads to higher standards than political actors. Recently in North Carolina, mailers attacking candidates have been photoshopped. Representative Brian Farkas had an image of him waving at a parade doctored with the phrase “Brian Farkas Stood With Rioters, Not Us.”

Representative Ricky Hurtado, the first Latino Democrat ever elected to the North Carolina General Assembly, was the subject of altered mailers as well. State Senator and Congressional Candidate Jeff Jackson highlighted the images falsely showing Rep. Hurtado with a shirt saying “Defund the Police.” These doctored images are just an example of misleading advertisements that are legal.

Social Media Guidelines

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, is preparing for another season of misin formation surrounding the results of this election. As it did in 2020, Meta will be doing a blackout on new political ads in the week leading up to the Nov. 8 elections. The company extended this blanket ban for months in response to false claims of a stolen election that fueled the January 6th Insurrection. This is an example of how dangerous these lies can be. They inspire bad actors and empower those who seek to undermine our elections.

While some television and radio ads are subject to regulation and scrutiny, online advertisements have repeatedly avoided

oversight. The Honest Ads Bill, first pro posed in 2017, is one attempt to remedy the loopholes that allow blatantly false political advertisements to be promoted on social media and other websites. It extends the transparency requirements of ads on cable networks and limits the ability of foreign actors, such as Russia, from run ning political advertising concerning United States elections. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, these “vulnerabilities compromise the integrity of U.S. elections” and can make it impossible to know the

actual source of the advertisements. Impact of Misinformation

False advertising can further erode the faith voters have in our system. These tactics are smokescreens that blur where candidates stand on issues and dilute policy outcomes. If constituents are misled on where elected leaders stand on issues, then we can’t cast votes that accurately reflect our values and preferred policy outcomes. It makes accountability more dif ficult, and it becomes harder to trust in the overall fairness of the process.

The United States has lower voter turnout compared to other democracies around the world, which should cause concern. With the challenges facing the country, from historically high inflation to abortion rights, it is notable that many Americans seem unconvinced elections will not provide solutions to their concerns. We must keep in mind that some people are eligible and willing to vote but are denied access. Barriers exist for many marginal ized people, including transgender people who disproportionately face questions about their identity at the polls. A patch work of laws that vary by state or county can create a system that disenfranchises people based on their gender identity, race or socioeconomic status.

Threats to the Community

This is a critical moment in our history, and long-held norms are being challenged. Domestic terrorist attacks, largely from groups maintaining white supremacist ideologies, are on the rise across the coun try. Threats of far-right groups attacking drag performances in North Carolina echo similar threats earlier this year in Idaho. Violence and intimidation of marginal ized communities will not suddenly stop because elections are occurring. With de creased trust in elections and an increase in the willingness to resort to violence, there is increased risk to communities that are under attack, including LGBTQ people and people of color.

In North Carolina, early voting starts on Oct. 20. Be an informed voter and stand up for all of our community. The future of the LGBTQ community and our country is at stake. If we choose to sit on the sidelines at this critical juncture, then we risk the permanent loss of abortion access, voting rights and LGBTQ protections for which generations fought. We must use every tool we have to protect our rights and our community. Voting is a critical tool we have to push for progress. Stand up today, so we can still stand up tomorrow.

Editor’s Note: Cameron Pruette cur rently serves as the President of the LGBTQ Democrats of Mecklenburg County and is

An example of photoshopped images of Rep. Brian Farkas PHOTO CREDIT: via @JeffJacksonNC Twitter Account

Charlotte is seeing a spike in Syphilis cases and other STDs

While health departments around the nation were battling COVID-19 last year, sexually transmitted disease cases increased in the United States and in Charlotte. There were 2.5 million reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the U.S. in 2021, up from 2.4 million re ported in 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV cases also rose by 16%, according to data from the National Coalition of STD Directors. In Mecklenburg County, the num ber of syphilis and HIV cases also spiked, according to state data.

There were 717 syphilis cases re ported in Mecklenburg County in 2021, up from 567 in 2020, according to quar terly STD surveillance reports from the North Carolina Department of Health and

Human Services. That’s around a 20% increase. Here are some other key data for Mecklenburg County:

There were 9,695 chlamydia cases reported in 2021, a 2.7% increase from the number of cases reported in 2020. The number of gonorrhea cases reported in 2021 dropped, from 4,335 in 2020 to 4,185. There were 281 HIV cases reported in 2021, a 34% increase from the number of cases reported in 2021.

How to protect against infections

Here are some ways you can protect yourself from STDs, according to the CDC:

• Use condoms.

• Get vaccinated. The most common STD — human papillomavirus (HPV) — can

Foundation for The Carolinas announces Beyond Open Small Business Grant Program

The Foundation for the Carolinas announced Sept. 28 that diverse small business owners can apply through Oct. 28 for the organization’s first round of grants, ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 from their Beyond Open program.

Established with a $20 million grant from Wells Fargo, Beyond Open will make grants to diverse-owned small businesses and organizations offering expertise to small businesses across three rounds of funding opportunities from 2022 through 2024.

For this first round of funding, Beyond Open grants are available to help histori cally underserved small businesses obtain capital assets such as equipment, technol ogy, real estate and inventory. Eligible ap plicants are non-profit or for-profit business owners in Charlotte-Mecklenburg who identify as a minority, woman, veteran or LGBTQ. Beyond Open grants do not need

to be repaid. Beyond Open grants cannot be used for operating expenses including payroll, utilities, advertising/marketing, consulting and debt repayment.

“Foundation for the Carolinas is proud to work with Wells Fargo to open up this opportunity for diverse small businesses because they play a critical role in creating economic mobility within our community,” said Brian Collier, executive vice presi dent of Foundation for the Carolinas. “We encourage diverse small business owners from start-ups to established enterprises in Charlotte-Mecklenburg to apply.”

The grant program will prioritize businesses located in the six Corridors of Opportunity as identified by the City of Charlotte. Each of the corridors is rich in history and pride and has been identified as a focus area for economic development efforts.

“Enabling small business owners to

The passing of an era: Charlotte’s legendary Airport Overlook closes

Although it will likely go unnoticed by most in the LGBTQ community, this week end marks the passing of an era.

A popular city attraction known as the Airport Overlook, which serves the city at large with stunning views of an array of various aircrafts landing from and taking off for destinations all around the globe, it has closed (after more than 30 years in opera tion) as Douglas International Airport makes way for a new runway.

As of October 3 the Airport Overlook, in the location it has been in since 1989, has closed, although airport authorities say another location will be found to provide city residents and visitors the opportunity to experience planes, runway lights and more.

While no one really seems to be able to pinpoint when the Charlotte Airport Overlook became a destination spot for

some in the city’s gay male com munity, it appears to date back to at least a few years after its initial opening on what was then Old Dowd Road. According to historians in the LGBTQ commu nity, prior to the opening of the current airport there was a similar popular spot not far from the pre vious Douglas Municipal Airport that closed in the 1970s.

Over the years the secluded nature of the Overlook allowed it to develop into a sort of pop-up lover’s lane for just about anyone: straight and gay couples looking to share quality time in a unique setting, and a place where gay men looking for casual encounters or something more could connect.

The richness of history and evolution of

be prevented by a vaccine.

• Get tested. Many STDs don’t have symptoms but can still cause health problems.

• Practice abstinence.

acquire tangible assets like prop erty and technology helps set them up for success longterm,” said Jenny Flores, head of small business growth phi lanthropy at Wells Fargo. “We believe that Beyond Open grants for hundreds of small businesses in this community, coupled with sup port from commu nity partners, will help diverse small businesses in Charlotte-Mecklenburg grow and prosper, creating good jobs for their employees, wealth for their owners, and value in their communities.”

Beyond Open will offer technical assis tance to applicants through three business partner organizations, ASPIRE Community Capital, Prospera North Carolina, and Women’s Business Center of Charlotte.

Applicants are encouraged to apply before the round one application deadline

Where to get tested in Charlotte

The Mecklenburg County Health Department recommends that individuals get tested for HIV and STDs every three to six months if they:

• Have multiple or anonymous sex partners

• Share injection drug needles or equipment

• Are men who have sex with men or transgender individuals

Appointments for free HIV and STD testing are available at two Mecklenburg County Health Department locations, 2845 Beatties Ford Rd. and 249 Billingsley Rd. You can call 704-432-8378 to schedule an appointment. STD testing is also available at Planned Parenthood, CVS or through primary care providers.

This article appears courtesy of our media partner The Charlotte Observer. :: https://bit.ly/3ellozR

— Evan Moore

accepting culture between various commu nities that have enjoyed visiting the Airport Overlook has been particularly fascinating.

In its earlier days rough moments – mostly generated by opportunistic politicians –sometimes resulted in friction between the straight community and gay men who

on Oct. 28 at 5:00 p.m.

Beyond Open is led by the Foundation for the Carolinas and made possible by sup port from Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund to help diverse (minority, woman, vet eran, LGBTQ) small business owners grow businesses, build wealth and expand eco nomic mobility in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Information and application are available at beyondopenclt.com.:: https://bit.ly/3EJCQcr

— Azania Herron

frequented the location.

In more recent years, however it hasn’t been uncommon to see individuals from the gay and straight communities exchanging conversa tion, more often than not about the various planes taking off and landing.

At press time a new location or opening date had not been confirmed, but in a release from the airport authority this past June airport management confirmed the new location will remain on Airport prop erty and somewhere in close proximity to where it has been. It will reportedly include paved parking lots and an expanded food truck staging area.

— David Aaron Moore

The view from the Charlotte Airport overlook. Photo by Joseph A is licensed

According to research, the number of syphilis and HIV cases have spiked in Mecklenburg County. PHOTO CREDIT: National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Minority business owners in designated Charlotte-Mecklenburg areas are encouraged to apply for the Beyond Open Small Business Grant, PHOTO CREDIT: Christina @wocintechchat.com via Unsplash

NASCAR and CLGBTCC celebrate LGBT+ Day at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Event marks first of its kind for LGBTQ community and NASCAR

On Saturday, October 8, coin ciding with NASCAR’s Race for the Cure presentation (an event designed to heighten aware ness of breast cancer) the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce and NASCAR came together to present LGBT+ Day at NASCAR Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Members of the LGBTQ communi ty were urged to attend for the com bined elements of a pre-party busi ness and social networking event, the sport of racing and celebration of LGBTQ History Month.

As a city, Charlotte has been known for many things over the years. At one time the CLT had the largest number of churches per capita than any other city in the country. During that same period, Charlotte was also twice recognized as the national murder and crime capital of the country.

Since the late 1800s and well into the 1970s, Charlotte was one of the leading textile manufacturers in the nation, as

center in the country.

In the late 1940s, NASCAR held its first stock race car competition on a wooden track off Wilkinson Boulevard, not far from where The Woodshed, a nightclub popular with the city’s local gay male com munity, stands today.

Although many of those claims to fame have long since come and gone, the NASCAR label is one that has stuck around. Multiple movies have been shot here about race car driving (“Days of Thunder” with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman; and “Speedway” with Nancy Sinatra and Elvis Presley, among others) and Lowe’s Motor Speedway continues to attract fans of the sport from around the globe.

like this,” says Caryn Grant, NASCAR’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion. “It’s im portant to be inclusive of the community, and we want to provide a fun and enter taining experience for fans of this sport.”

Grant is clearly energized about NASCAR’s involvement with the LGBTQ

community. “This [was] our first of these type of events,” she explained.

“It’s exciting. And earlier this year, we were a sponsor of Pride and we had a car in the parade.”

Additionally, NASCAR has been ac tive with the Florida LGBTQ community, participating in the Rainbow Parade, which is designed to commemorate the lives of those lost in the Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando in June, 2016.

Although LGBTQ presence in NASCAR professionally is still somewhat limited, fans of the sport will be happy to know out driver Devon Rouse is a fre quent participant in NASCAR sanctioned events and Jay Houston and Ryan Hines, an openly gay couple, both work for the NASCAR garage.

The gates for NASCAR’s Drive for the Cure 250 opened at 1:00 p.m.

The Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce business and social net working mixer began at 2 p.m. and the race followed at 3 p.m. From all indica tions, the mixer was a success and a sizable LGBTQ contingent showed up for the racing event. ::

well as home to the country’s top pro ducing iron pipe foundry production. By the 1990s it became a leader in finance and remains the second largest financial

In years past, NASCAR has not always been a particularly warm and welcoming sport for LGBTQ fans or participants. In 2022, that’s no longer the case. In fact, it’s quite the opposite, and representatives from NASCAR are downright enthusiastic about it.

“Last year we partnered with the Carolinas LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce, and we’ve really wanted to do something

Partners in NASCAR and life Jay Hous ton (left) and Ryan Hines. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Screen Capture

CLGBTCC President Chad Turner (L) with Nascar’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion Caryn Grant (R). PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Yarborough

Out Driver Devon Rouse speaks at the NASCAR mixer. PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Yarborough

LGBTQ affirming NC church unconcerned about SBC snub Greensboro Church voted to leave the Southern Baptist Convention 23 years ago

By David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer

College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro North Carolina was the center of some controversy the last week of August when the Southern Baptist convention voted to remove it from its rolls because it is an LGBTQ af firming church.

In a statement from the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, the release read they were removed because of their “open affirma tion, approval and endorsement of homo sexual behavior.”

No one quite knows what’s going on with the Southern Baptist Convention, but it appears they have fallen a bit behind in their paperwork. College Park Baptist Church requested to be removed from the Southern Baptist convention 23 years ago.

Reverend Michael Usey, the lead pas tor at College Park Baptist confirmed SBC officials were accurate in their assess ment of the church’s policy towards the LGBTQ community.

In an interview carried by Fox News, Usey told the network the church’s execu tive committee wasn’t surprised by the

action of the SBC. He confirmed they had received registered letters from SBC officials indicating the church was still listed on its roles and requesting details about their stance on various positions.

Said Usey: “It’s good when people reject you because they un derstand clearly who you are. They irony is, they’re excluding us for not excluding people.”

According to Usey, North Carolina’s Baptist State Convention initially inquired with specific questions, demand ing to know the church’s attitude towards the LGBTQ community.

“I just don’t really want to engage in that. There [are] hungry people in Greensboro. This is what call God calls us to do – something for the children

who are half a mile from our building who are hungry.”

Based on community chal lenges church leaders deemed as far more important and in need of immedi ate attention, College Park Baptist opted not to respond to the inquiries and allow the SBC to follow whatever course they decided upon, espe cially since the congregants had already made their decision decades earlier.

The SBC claims they have no record of a request from College Park Baptist Church to disaffiliate from the Southern Baptist convention and the church’s interactions with the LGBTQ community were brought to their attention by an outside source.

In 1996 the Southern Baptist conven tion declared in their “Resolution on a Christian Response to Homosexuality” that even an unacted upon “desire to engage in homosexual relationships is always sinful, impure, degrading, shameful, unnatural, indecent and perverted.”

As if that mouthful wasn’t enough they came back in 2000, with their ‘Baptist Faith and Message Statement,” which declared, “in the spirit of christ, Christians should oppose all forms of sexual immo rality, including adultery, homosexuality and pornography.”

Despite sbc’s claim, College Park Baptist Church confirms they did, in fact, vote in 1999 to leave the SBC, after the convention’s annual meeting approved a statement insisting that wives should “submit themselves graciously to their husbands authority.”

On College Park Baptist’s website, the congregation makes their acceptance of diversity quite clear by pointing out the chuy is an LGBTQIA affirming Baptist Church, which fully welcomes and affirms all persons without distinction regard ing race, ethnicity, national origin, class, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other human category.” ::

More Republicans than Democrats likely died of COVID

Recent nat’l study found NC Gov. Cooper’s response saved thousands of North Carolinians

By Marty Schladen/NC Policy Watch |Contributing Writer

It’s

already known that hundreds of thousands of Americans would still be alive if every eligible person had gotten vaccinated against COVID-19. Now new research strongly suggests that many more of those “excess deaths” in Ohio and Florida were among people with Republican voter registrations.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Republicans were more reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19 virus, which has so far killed more than 1 million in the United States and more than 6.5 million worldwide. A Cornell University study found that former President Donald Trump was the “single largest driver” of misinformation about the disease. Research by European economists in dicated that watching a lot of Fox News correlated with vaccine hesitancy.

National Bureau of Economic Research study graphic showing excess deaths by political party throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

A paper published September 3 by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) puts some numbers to the rela tionship between voting Republican and dying of COVID – most likely because lower rates of Republicans got vaccines once they became widely available.

In the NBER study, three Yale University researchers selected Ohio and Florida and took a look at “excess deaths” – the number of deaths in a given time

period that is in excess of the number that was expected. While no single death in that measure can be attributed to a given cause, it’s safe to assume that in a deadly global pandemic, a spike in the number of excess deaths is largely attrib utable to the disease.

That’s what the Yale researchers found in this case.

“In 2018 and the early parts of 2020, excess death rates for Republicans and Democrats are similar, and centered around zero,” wrote the researchers, Jacob Wallace, Jason L. Schwartz and Paul Goldsmith-Pinkham. “Both groups experienced a similar large spike in excess deaths in the winter of 20202021. However, in the summer of 2021, after vaccines were widely available, the Republican excess death rate rose to near ly double that of Democrats, and this gap widened further in the winter of 2021.”

The excess death rate for people of both parties was about 37 percent greater in late 2020 than it was a year earlier, according to a chart accompanying the report. But after vaccines became widely available in the spring of 2020, big dispari ties began to emerge.

Excess deaths among Democrats at the end of last year were just above 10 percent compared to 2019. Among Republicans, they were about 35 percent, the chart said.

The researchers didn’t have data regarding vaccination rates among the

excess deaths. But other research shows that the unvaccinated and the unboosted are much more likely to be made seriously ill by the COVID-19 virus.

A paper published last month in JAMA Internal Medicine said that the unvaccinated are 10.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID. The unboosted are 2.5 times more likely, it said.

The Yale researchers said the partisan divergence in excess deaths after vaccines became available is likely attributable to vaccination rates.

“This sharp contrast in the excess death rate gap before and after vaccines were available suggests that vaccine takeup likely played an important role,” they wrote. “Data on vaccine take-up by party is limited and unavailable in our dataset, but there is evidence of differences in vaccina tion attitudes and reported uptake based on political party affiliation.”

The research comes after researchers at the Brown University School of Public Health in May estimated that 318,000 – or about a third – of the COVID deaths in the United States were preventable.

Florida had the second-most vaccinepreventable deaths, 29,200, and the 13thhighest rate, 1,694 per million residents, that analysis said. Ohio had the fourthmost, 15,875, and the ninth-highest rate, 1,742 per million people, it said.

The paper published (also on September 3) by the Yale researchers (via NBER) didn’t contrast excess mortality in Ohio to that in Florida, but such a contrast would have been interesting. Both states have Republican governors but particular ly early in the pandemic, they took starkly different approaches.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he would listen to public health experts and he was quick to close schools and impose other health orders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by contrast, signed laws prohibiting school mask mandates and blocking private em ployers from requiring employees to get vaccinated.

This story appears by agreement though our media partner NC Policy Watch.

Greensboro Minister Michael Usey: ‘It’s good when people reject you because they understand clearly who you are. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

NC Gov Roy Cooper’s actions during pandemic saves lives. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

NC expected to pass Medicaid Expansion

Governor and NC Healthcare Association call for quick action

The North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) delivered a proposal to Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger, House Speaker Tim Moore and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper during the first week of October in response to the Senate’s passage of House Bill 149, Expanding Access to Healthcare, and a subsequent stall in ne gotiations between the Senate and House on Medicaid expansion.

In the proposal, health systems and hospitals would fund a majority of the

By Stephanie Strickland | Contributing Writer

to propose certificate of need law reforms. CON law changes could threaten the survival of community hospitals if they are not implemented carefully. We are putting a lot of trust in legislative leaders to do this correctly. If this policy damages access to local healthcare services, we hope that government leaders will find the resources to preserve crucial healthcare services and facilities, including safety-net services that North Carolinians rely on.”

North Carolina is one of only a dozen states that has not expanded Medicaid.

extraordinary challenges with inflation and skyrocketing labor expenses. NCHA data gathered from its members has indicated that for the first six months of 2022, the average operating margin for hospitals was negative three percent, with some faring better or worse. Few organizations can sur vive for an extended period when their total expenses exceed total revenue.

Steve Lawler, NCHA’s president and chief executive officer, said he hopes that North Carolina is finally ready to expand Medicaid. “It’s time for elected leaders

state’s share of the expense of expanding Medicaid for 600,000 North Carolinians at an estimated cost of over $550 million per year, on top of absorbing a minimum projected loss in revenue of more than $700 million as a result of certificate of need (CON) law modifications involving ambulatory surgery centers. The proposal also suggests that the state repeal CON law for psychiatric inpatient beds and chemical dependency beds. The association is mak ing this proposal in an environment where its members continue to be pressured by elevated costs, with most hospitals report ing year-to-date negative financial margins.

“NCHA and our members have urged elected leaders to expand Medicaid to improve the health of our neighbors and communities for over a decade. In fact, our members are offering to invest over $550 million per year to make expansion a reality,” said NCHA Board Chair Roxie Wells, MD, president of Cape Fear Valley Health Hoke Hospital.

“In an effort to get stalled negotia tions moving, and in response to Senator Berger’s and Governor Cooper’s require ment that Medicaid expansion be coupled with certificate of need reform, our board of trustees has made the difficult decision

The ability of health systems and hospitals to pay for most of the state’s share of the cost of expansion hinges on the General Assembly passing legislation that includes the Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program (HASP). HASP is a program available through the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that would help ensure hospitals have the finan cial fortitude to care for Medicaid patients.

On average, hospitals receive only 72 cents for every dollar spent on providing care to Medicaid and uninsured patients, amounting to a $2.3 billion dollar reim bursement gap every year. In the associa tion’s proposal, reforms to the CON law would begin after the effective date of the state implementing expansion and receiv ing HASP funds. If the HASP program ends, it could risk the financial viability of many of the state’s hospitals.

Dr. Wells explained that the associa tion’s offer is generous but financially risky, since hospitals typically operate on thin mar gins and many services that they provide historically lose money, including emergency departments, behavioral health and labor and delivery services. For months, health systems and hospitals have been facing

to get a compromise bill done to expand Medicaid and pass HASP. Each day the General Assembly waits is a day that harms 600,000 North Carolinians. We hope that any legislation crafted will be done in a thoughtful way that protects healthcare fa cilities that take care of people and improve community health. We are fortunate to have world-renowned healthcare in North Carolina and hope that elected leaders agree that we want that to continue.”

The story behind NCHA Founded in 1918, North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) is the united voice of the North Carolina healthcare community. It represents more than 130 hospitals, health systems, physician groups and other healthcare organizations, NCHA works with members to improve the health of North Carolina communi ties. By advocating for a goal of sound public policies and collaborative partner ships and by providing insights, services, support and education to expand access to high quality, efficient, affordable and integrated health care can be available for all North Carolinians. ::

feature

LGBTQ History Month: Putting an end to the myths of Stonewall

If you weren’t there – chances are you’re missing parts of history

For years, people have debated what actually happened that night in June 1969 when Stonewall was raided and a new, more militant struggle for equal ity was born. Due to the debates, and insistence of some to claim they know all aspects of what had actually happened, an incredible void opened up where people could invent, imagine or distort Stonewall and our history to their own objectives. The myths of Stonewall are endless, but they’re easily dispelled when you look at the material proof and plain logic.

1. Judy Garland’s death and funeral did not cause Stonewall.

The myth of Judy Garland’s death be ing the impetus for Stonewall is the most belittling to those of us who participated. It’s stereotypical and self loathing, and with this article we add new information which finally ends this silly tale.

One clue is where the idea originated: from a conservative, straight columnist at the Village Voice named Howard Smith, who actually was a friend of the police captain who led the raid.

Simple logic says it’s just not so. People of my age, late teens and early twenties at the time, were not dancing to Judy Garland at Stonewall. We were dancing to Diana Ross, the Beatles and Barbara Streisand. My best memory is dancing to the Fifth Dimension song “Let The Sunshine In,” which is from the musi cal “HAIR.” Judy Garland was of an older generation. We wanted to dance our asses off when we were in Stonewall, and that you didn’t do to Garland’s music.

history making its participants fight for a silly cause. The truth is that we were fighting the hate and oppression of the police that night. We were not empow ered by a dead singer. Let’s put that coffin into the ground already.

By Mark Segal | Contributing Writer

following night and the night after that? Who carried out that change through that first turbu lent year? We have pictures and written accounts. This is no myth. There are facts in plain sight.

3. Stonewall lasted several days, and then an entire year.

Craig Rodwell and Ellen Broidy. They were having dinner in Craig’s apartment with their partners at the time, and they began putting down a resolution that would be read at the Eastern Regional Conference of Homophile Organizations meeting in Philadelphia. That resolution created the Christopher Street Gay Liberation com mittee, which went on to organize that first Pride one year after Stonewall.

But the final nail in the Judy Garland myth are articles about the funeral at Campbell’s Funeral Home. If you look at the photos and reports in the New York Times, as well as other newspaper reports, you’ll note that the subjects in the photos, as well as the majority of quotes, are from housewives. When you look more closely for the very few men in the photos, they’re in suits and ties. We all know that is not the kind of person who fought at Stonewall. Men who wore suits and ties ran from the police for fear of losing their good paying jobs, or their families finding out about them.

It’s time to bury the Judy Garland myth for good. The myth makes Stonewall sound like the only riot in United States

2. Nobody knows exactly how many people were at Stonewall.

I was recently filming a BBC televi sion show in front of the Stonewall when a tour group came by. The guide stated “There were 105 people in the bar that night.” But nobody can possibly know how many people were there. Some peo ple paid for entry and some were regulars that were let in without the door charge, but that number does give an idea of the average size of the crowd inside.

Then, as we all know, once people were let outside those with any stand ing in society ran for the hills as soon as they could. Those of us who remained, street kids, drag queens (later to be called trans), people of color and the verging radical gay youth of the day, gathered around the door in a semicircle.

There were hundreds of passersby and even more who craned their necks from a distance. That night went on for hours, so anyone who was within a few blocks could say they were at Stonewall that night. But actually participating is another matter. Anyone who says they know how many people were there must not have actually been there, since it occurred in various areas of Christopher Street and around Christopher Street. You don’t take a roll call in the middle of a riot.

Those people who tossed stones or cans of soda, or those who wrote on the streets and walls “Tomorrow Night Stonewall” as I did all, went on to be a part of Gay Liberation Front (GLF) which arose from the ashes of Stonewall. Some GLF members were there during the first night. Other GLF members stood and spoke from the doors of the closed stonewall the second night. More GLF members began leafleting the following nights.

So who can we say was there? Well, anyone who had family in the area or a decent job ran for the subway or a cab as soon as they were let out of the bar. Who was left? Drag queens, stereotypical men and women, street kids like me who were homeless or living at the YMCA, and young activists like Marty Robinson. Since the riot created the the urgency for change, Gay Liberation Front picked up that mantle and ran with it, Stonewall and GLF are syn onymous. When asked who was there at Stonewall, my answer is: Who was there the

There have been numerous sugges tions about how long Stonewall lasted. At one museum I was speaking at – during the opening of their Stonewall Rising exhibit – they had a sign which stated one number. Then, someone else wrote about the exhibit and put another number.

When I’m asked that question, I say con fidently that Stonewall went on for 365 days, from the first night until the first Pride one year later. That spirit in June 1969 carried on with the changes that Gay Liberation brought from it. We were self-identifying for the first time in history. We were out, loud and proud rather than in the closet. We took back our streets from the police. We organized legal and medical alerts. We had social and politi cal meetings. All of that threatened the police, since much of it was illegal for “homosexuals,” and we did it in plain sight and even advertised it. We dared the police to stop us. One last thing: We were diversified and inclusive. It took 365 days to create that change.

4. There was no brick.

It is often stated that my fellow GLF member, Sylvia Rivera, threw the first brick. Although it’s flashy and bombastic, that myth actually does not give her her rightful place in history. Both Sylvia and her GLF sister Marsha P. Johnson have spoken about where they were during Stonewall, and people today have either ignored their words or distorted them. But what cannot be disputed is that Sylvia and Marsha did something much more important than throwing an imaginary brick: They created the world’s first trans organization, Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries. STAR gave visibility and pride to the trans community for the first time in history. STAR was not one night, but an entire movement. Sylvia is more of a historical figure for co-creating that first trans organization than for being just one of a crowd at Stonewall. That cannot be disputed! And if you’re still hung up on the brick idea, the New York Times did a video dispelling it in 2019.

5. Who created that first Gay Pride?

Here is an answer that is well docu mented and known by each of us who lived this history. The two people who ac tually came up with the idea of Pride were

It is often reported that the “mother” of Gay Pride is Brenda Howard. That is abso lutely false. There are numerous members of Gay Liberation Front or Christopher Street Gay Liberation committee who are alive today. We know who created Pride because we were there when it took shape. If anyone is going to be deemed “mother of Pride,” it’s Ellen Broidy. Brenda Howard was a member of GLF, but she was not in any way associated with the formation of that first Pride other than to march in it. She may have someone editing Wikipedia on her behalf, but that doesn’t make the falsehood any less false.

6. The most accurate history of Stonewall is a collective one

There are many views of Stonewall, but the majority of its participants went on to form GLF. They, we, are the spirit of Stonewall. Each GLF member who was there relies on their personal memories, and those memories collectively weave a fuller picture. Numerous books on the subject have been written. There are two books that stand out. The first book writ ten on the subject was Donn Teal’s “The Gay Militants” in 1971. The other is David Carter’s “Stonewall” published in 2010. While Carter’s version has some flaws, it comes closer to any version before or after. He wrote at a time when our community was beginning to realize the importance of Stonewall historically, and at a time when many different viewpoints took hold. He literally had to duck to keep out of the way of warring parties on the subject, which can be seen in other books.

David Carter continued to research the issue and had a passion to find the missing points and bring facts forward until his death in 2020. Others (who were not at Stonewall, mind you) unfortunately write with their bias at the forefront. Many of us who were there continue to pass on lost information or leads. We feel that our personal battle that night has been used to reinforce people’s own mis conceptions and political objectives.

It wasn’t that single night that changed and built our community. It was from the ashes of that night that Gay Liberation Front created self-identity, community and Pride. Change doesn’t happen over night. In this case the seeds of equality took 365 days to take root. It was that first magical year of gay liberation.

Mark Segal is an award-winning journal ist, author, and Stonewall pioneer. More information on his 50 plus years of continu ous activism can be found at marksegal stonewall.com/.

Gay Liberation Front members Jerry Hoose (left), Mark Segal (right), and Sylvia Rivera (background, holding a bag) at a GLF demonstration against NYU. CREDIT: Diana

The Stonewall Inn as it appeared in its earlier years.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jason Villemez

feature

Stages light up with holiday cheer

Seasonal entertainment with something for everyone

By L’Monique King Qnotes Staff Writer

no secret the Carolinas are ripe with performance arts, options and events. This year, after a two-year COVID-19 pan demic hiatus, holiday shows and events are back with full force. That said, for those who enjoy seasonal entertainment, you’ll be happy to learn there are numer ous choices with something to smile about for almost everyone. Get ready to jingle your bells, beat your drums and spin your dreidels. We’ve put together a brief list of some wonderful holiday options we hope you will enjoy during this delightful time of year.

It’s

Trick or Drink: Charlotte Halloween Bar Crawl

Uptown Charlotte

Oct 28-29

It’s Halloween party time, and what better way to celebrate than a liquored up bar crawl? Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. at Ri Ra Irish Pub in uptown. Other bars include Roxbury, The Local and Prohibition. If you’re interested in taking part in the spirited fun to celebrate the Halloween weekend, check in at Rí Ra Irish Pub (208 N Tryon St) to get your wristband and map with participating bars, their location, and their drink specials. Your wristband gets you into any of the participating bars with no cover, plus gets you drink specials dur ing whatever night you choose.

Southern Christmas Show

The Park Expo & Conference Center

Nov. 10 - 13

Tickets range from $7 for children and $14 - $16 adults

If you’re looking for something reason ably priced that offers more than song or dance, you might want to check out this diverse Winter Wonderland-themed holiday event. The 55th Annual Southern Christmas Show features an enchanted entrance with frosty-inspired decora tions ushering visitors into an opportunity to shop with 400 holiday merchants. Additionally, this event, which is more like a Christmas festival, will host visually stunning designer rooms, a Christmas Tree Lane exhibit, photo ops with Santa and crafts from artisans from around the country. Enjoy holiday music from

choirs and entertainers performing on the Holiday Entertainment Stage.

“Above”

St. John’s Baptist Church, November 11-12

Tickets The holiday season has folks look ing forward to the new year and upwards in anticipation of the good things to come.

Seemingly, as humans, we’re forever fas cinated with things above our heads; and not just crypto currency or the birds and the bees but thoughts of spirituality and the questions of surrounding deities, the heavens and beyond. Above is a stunning spiritual holiday musical performance by the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte every one will enjoy.

Speedway Christmas Charlotte Motor Speedway Nov. 18 - Jan. 15

Tickets are $30 per car Spectacular is the word that pops up in conversations and internet searches when it comes to this light show, though that still seems like an understatement.

As the event’s name indicates, this light show takes place at Charlotte’s famed race car speedway and features a dazzling and energetic display of over four million LED lights decorating the 3.75 mile racetrack.

The lights are synchronized to holiday music that you can play from within your

vehicle by tuning into radio station 101.3 FM. In the center of it all is Christmas Village (open Thursdays through Sundays), an indoor event space with rides and games for children and holiday shopping and specialty foods for adults. Speedway Christmas also offers Drive-in Holiday Movies (also Thursdays through Sundays) on a huge 16,000 square foot screen with sound you can control by tuning into your car radio via 105.1 FM. This two month long annual light display truly has something for everyone. It’s a must do for anyone wanting to impress visiting out of town guests, in laws and those looking for something the kids will enjoy without driv ing you crazy keeping up with them.

The Illusionist

Belk Theater, Nov. 20

Tickets range from $62 - $594 Beginning in November, for those who are seeking something magical and entertaining, The Illusionist might just be the ticket. Kicking off at the most magical time of year, sleight-of-hand enthusiasts can look forward to an evening of hocus pocus and abracadabra laden displays of mentalism, card tricks and old-school meets new-school magic.

Novant Health Thanksgiving Parade November 23, Free to the public.

For the second year it will take place on Thanksgiving Eve, rather than Thanksgiving morning, with a kickoff at the corner of 7th and Tryon at 6 pm. The parade includes marching bands, tractor pull floats gaily decorated for the holiday season, musical performances and convertibles for politi cians and various local celebrities.

“Believe” St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, December 2 - 3

Tickets range from $25 - $35

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte sup ports a diverse cross section of the com munity through its community outreach programs, which include benefit perfor mances, complimentary concert tickets and choral education programs. With their latest seasonal presentation, they’ll have you feeling the magic of the time of the year with music that’s certain to warm your heart with breathtaking arrange ments by Dan Forrest and Hawley Ades and lots more. They’re offering two shows: Friday at 7:30 pm & Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Handel’s Messiah Knight Theater

Dec. 2 - 4

Tickets range from $10 - $146

Described as divine, passionate and wondrous, this performance features clas sical music lead by Conductor Laureate Christopher Warren-Green delivering his world-renowned interpretation of Handel’s Messiah. If the show’s name doesn’t give you a hint, this performance might just be the go-to for those who enjoy the religious component of Christmas. Themed in a manner that provides commentary of Jesus Christ’s nativity, passion, resurrection and ascension, it begins with God’s promises as spoken by the prophets and ends with the glorification of Jesus in heaven.

Holiday Extravaganza

North West School of the Arts

December 9 - 10

This event will bring together two of the Charlotte LGBTQ community’s favorites to present musical selections for the holi

Performers at the Hip-Hop Nutcracker. PHOTO CREDIT: Blumenthal Performing Arts

Members of Charlotte’s LGBTQIA One Voice Chorus. (Photo Credit: Facebook)

days: the Charlotte Pride Band and One Voice Chorus. The presentation is open to the public. For ticket prices and further information contact donald1.nagel@cms. k12.nc.us

The Nutcracker-Charlotte Ballet Belk Theater

Dec. 9 - 12

Tickets range from $94 - $739

Looking to kick off the holiday sea son with a classic? Don’t miss the famed Nutcracker performance by the Charlotte Ballet. A talented cast of 100 dancers promise to recreate the magic of The Nutcracker in this much-celebrated an nual community production set during a snowy Christmas Eve. Borrowing from the Illusionist, this show begins with a town’s local magician who gives gifts to local chil dren. One of the children, Clara, receives a wooden nutcracker that comes to life. A war between mice and tin soldiers ensues while a festival awaits the children in the enchanted Land of Sweets. With colorful and elaborate costumes, choreography by Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and rousing live music performed by the Charlotte Symphony, this show is sure to delight bal let and classical music fans of all ages.

The Singing Christmas Tree

CPCC Dale F. Halton Theater

Dec. 11

Tickets range from $13 - $45

This creative musical production has been going on for 67 years with this year being the 68th. The production literally showcases the largest singing Christmas tree you’ve probably ever seen. Well, it’s not actually a singing tree – but on the other hand it is. What looks like a huge tree is actually an enormous stage prop with vocally talented performers placed in horizontal rows like ornaments – complete with human topper. As you might imagine, Christmas tune favorites are sung, and in years past there’s been video commentary by adorable and funny puppets. It’s a pro duction that will definitely make you smile.

Sugar Plum Brunch

Hyatt Centric Charlotte South Park

Dec. 17

Tickets range from $66.60 - $513.75

Interested in an engaging and interactive event? How about a holiday brunch com

plete with holiday photos, a fashion show, live entertainment, dancing, give-a-ways and oh yeah… brunch will be served. So, prepare to arrive decked out in your best holiday attire for those photo ops, and don’t worry too much about that $513.75 ticket price. The higher rate is well worth it, considering if you plan to attend with at least seven others. You will need a reservation, however, whether it’s just you, you and your boo, or you and seven of your favorite folks.

Hanukkah “Nailed It” Baking Challenge

Sam Lerner Center for Cultural Arts Dec. 18

Not everyone celebrates Christmas. For some folks, this time of year isn’t about the hubbub of shopping in stores bathed in red and green and snow kissed decorations. For many, particularly our Jewish community members and friends, the season is more likely celebrated with subtle blue and white decorations, a game of dreidel and good food. No matter how you spell it, Hanukkah or Chanukah, like

most holiday celebrations, tradition, joy and food bring smiles to faces and people together. Borrowing from the recipe for the Netflix show “Nailed It,” this special Hanukkah event brings families together to compete in three rounds of a culinary tournament where competitors will recre ate delicious and complicated cakes and confections in hopes of winning a prize and trophy. There will also be songs and a menorah lighting for all to enjoy. We couldn’t find a ticket or entry price for this one, but we do have an email contact at: michelle.rusgo@charlottejcc.org

Hip-Hop Nutcracker Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts

Dec. 26 - 27

Tickets range from $19 - $59.99

If you’re not a big ballet or classical mu sic fan, this contemporary version of the classic holiday show is for you. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, Hip-Hop Nutcracker celebrates its 10th an niversary this year with an opening by HipHop legend Kurtis Blow. Show goers can expect dance performed to Tchaikovksy’s timeless music, a DJ and a violinist. Like most traditional versions, Maria-Clara and the Nutcracker Prince go on a dream adventure battling a gang of mice, visit ing the Land of Sweets and learning the lessons of the holiday season. Progressive

and imaginative, this story brings the past to the present, from Germany to New York City, in a memorable, unexpected and vibrant manner.

Kwanzaa Fest Durham Armory

Jan. 1 Free to the public

Typically, Charlotte and surrounding nearby neighborhoods feature a few Kwanzaa festivals and events. This year’s events were more challenging to find, but for those willing to take a little drive, Durham has answered the call. On the last day of Kwanzaa (Day 7: Imani-Faith) a good time will be had with a drum class for children and an open market. The mar ket will include vendors, dancing, poetry, singing and more. In lieu of an admission fee, the event also underscores two of the seven celebrated principles (Day 3: UjimaCollective Work and Responsibility & Day 5: Nia-Purpose) by inviting event attendees to bring canned foods and toiletry items that will be collected and donated to a local non-profit organization. Kwanzaa is a seven-day African American cultural holi day designed to celebrate cultural heritage and traditional values with empowering principals and rituals. People of all races and ethnicities are welcome to learn more about the holiday and partake in celebra tions like this event. ::

Members of the Charlotte Pride band pose before a parade performance. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte in concert. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

Live entertainment from last year’s Kwanzaa Fest in Durham

PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

life

A conversation with Gregg Brafford

Native Charlottean and owner/manager of multiple nightclubs reflects on life

By David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer

The date August 15, 2014 marked a huge turning point in Gregg Brafford’s life. After nearly 40 years in the LGBTQ bar business, Brafford thought his life was coming to an end.

An unknown assailant attacked him, pumping him with four bullets after an attempted robbery. The attacker left Brafford for dead and fled the scene, while his intended victim was left severely injured, lying on the ground and contem plating the lifetime he had experienced.

Brafford began his career as a bartender, and then later on became a manager and co-owner of the long gone and rough and tumble Oleen’s.

These days it’s one of those blended Dunkin’ Donuts/Baskin Robbins dual purpose restaurants located on South Boulevard between Dilworth and Southend. It was once a dimly lit retreat for the city’s queer community, seemingly still in its infancy, but already tough as nails.

If you visit the spot now, the building remains the same, but windows have been unbricked and everything is awash in light. Still, if you glance towards the windows that front South Boulevard, it’s not hard to picture where a small stage and dance floor used to be, drag queens would lip sync for tips, same sex couples would dance and camp drag contest raised much needed funds to bury friends lost to AIDs. Now where donuts and ice cream is served marks the same spot where bartenders once sold drinks. It may look drastically different, but the ghosts of the past are still there.

Years ago it was a popular spot for

make it into a gay bar, albeit unsuccessfully.

With the years of expertise he had gleaned from working with the hearty crowd at Oleens, he created a similar rough and tumble masculine environment, minus the undertone of potential violence.

The New Brass Rail became popular with the city’s levi/leather crowd, which brought together gay men from multiple aspects of culture and society. Individuals of different races and economic levels mingled without judgment.

While there were many in the LGBTQ community that weren’t comfortable fre quenting the bar because of its location – then the city’s high crime rate Westside – and those who weren’t comfortable with the predominant mixture of leather men and older men, the bar was a suc cess with Brafford at the helm for nearly a quarter of a century.

In the years to come, he managed and co-owned the East Charlotte bar Central Station and another west side bar, The Woodshed, which is still in op eration today with a new owner.

David Aaron Moore: I understand you’re a rarity in the Queen City?

Greg Brafford: Huh? (laughs) Oh! Yeah. I’m a native. I was born here. At Mercy Hospital in 1956.

DAM: What was it like for you grow ing up here in Charlotte?

GB: We lived in North Charlotte. I remember living in the Morningside apartments for a while and then grow ing up mostly in Mint Hill. I went to Independence High School.

DAM: What prompted you to put together the collection of non-fiction short stories “It Happened in Charlotte: the Gay History of Charlotte?”

the years I had heard a lot of people tell me they were going to write about the history of Charlotte’s gay community, but nobody ever did. I’m not getting any younger and I wanted to have what I knew out there before it was too late.

DAM: I read about it in your book and remember when you were shot on August 15, 2014. I lived not too far from The Woodshed at that time so I went pretty regularly and a lot of the clients were talking about what they thought had happened. Did you know the person who shot you?

GB: No. I didn’t. But he had some fam ily who knew me, and that was what lead to it happening. It was a robbery attempt. His name was Robert Miller, Jr. He was later killed by the police for something else completely unrelated before he could ever go to trial for shooting me. I was shot four times and I thought that was going to be it for me.

DAM: Tell me about your experiences in the gay bar business. What was your first experience in the industry?

unusual to go to two funerals in a day. We lost over 20 employees and I lost hundreds of friends.

DAM: How do you think you survived?

GB: I’ve talked about that a lot of times with so many people. Luck? I don’t really know because I had a lot of sex, especially before we knew there was a thing like AIDS. We [the community] had a golden era, almost 20 years, where we could live and enjoy our lives how we wanted to, then it felt like AIDS took all of that away. My guess would be that I’m one of those rare ones that has some kind of immunity, because I’ve never tested positive or gotten sick.

DAM: Did you ever expect that you would live to see the achievements the LGBTQ community has accomplished today?

(Laughs) No, absolutely not. The thought of same-sex marriage never crossed my mind. Not in my wildest imag ination did I contemplate it, even when I was young. It’s pretty damn incredible.

DAM: I know you sold the Woodshed. What’s going on in your life today? How’s your health after surviving being shot four times?

GB: well, under the circumstances I’m doing good. I’m living my life enjoying it to the best of my ability and keeping busy. When I was shot some of the bullets were left in me. That led to some blood clots and eventually I had a stroke so I’m in a wheelchair, but I have a good life.

DAM: How do you feel about the changes you’ve seen in life for the LGBTQ community?

mostly blue collar gay men, tough butch lesbians and gun-totin’ drag queens.

There was always plenty of fun to be had, but it was just a tough crowd you needed to be prepared for.

In the years that followed Brafford would become owner and manager of The New Brass Rail on Wilkinson Boulevard. Previously a working class and western themed hole-in-the-wall bar serving a straight clientele, Brafford took over from the earlier owners who had attempted to

GB : The experiences I had. There were so many and I’ve had such a full life. So many things that happened in my life and so many stories that were passed down to me I felt needed to be told. After I survived the shooting I started to think about the life I had lived. I had been a part of Charlotte’s gay community for 40 years and I had known almost everybody who was an important part of the history of the city’s com munity, at least since the 1970s. Over

GB: I started out as a bartender at Oleens in 1984. I never bartended in my life! There was a clientele that I would say was split about 60/40 between men and women. I had been going there as a cus tomer since 1976 so I knew most of them already. That helped and made it a lot easier at first. Later I became the manag er and eventually a co-owner. Oleens was a wild place back in those days. When it was originally built in the 1920s it was an A&P grocery store. But by the time it be came Oleens there was everything going on. Lots of the drag queens also worked as prostitutes and sometimes guys would come by, straight guys, and they figured even if the person they were dealing with was really a man if they were dressed as a woman it didn’t matter and that meant they weren’t gay (laughs).

DAM: What was it like when the AIDS epidemic hit Charlotte?

GB: Not good. People didn’t know they were sick. The first to go died of pneu monia. It was usually the second bout of pneumonia that killed them. Back then it was a death sentence. People were literally dropping like flies and it wasn’t

GB: it’s mostly good. I think people now want us to be their friends and not just their queer friends. That’s important but I think the fact that so many gay bars have closed means a big loss to our culture. On the other hand gay people can go and do whatever they want every where now. People are more accepting. It just seems as though we have lost an im portant part of our culture with so many of the clubs that catered specifically to the gay and lesbian crowd closing down. About 50 percent of the clubs in this country have closed. Now there are only about 1,500 bars and clubs left across the country. And it’s not just that we lost the gay bars, it’s that we lost our safe spaces and the places we could go to be our selves and be with our own community. It feels like our culture is disappearing.

DAM: Young gay people today are very politically educated. And they seem to be a lot more involved with the world around them. Are there any particular thoughts or words of advice you have to share with them?

GB: It’s important to know how you got where you are and how that was ac complished. There were a lot of people that came before that laid the ground work for what is happening today. Not just my generation, but the people that came before during Stonewall. We all have a lot to be thankful for. I think the most important thing I can say to them is learn to be happy. Everything is going to be all right and always be as true to

Behind the bar at The Woodshed: where former club owner Gregg Brafford often felt very much at home. PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Gregg Brafford

Happy times: Gregg Brafford (center) with friends at The Woodshed. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook

From on the street to between the sheets with ‘Bros’ Screen Savor

By Greg Shapiro Qnotes Staff Writer

Eleven years after his breakthrough via the manic Webby Award-winning comedy game show “Billy on the Street,” gay actor and comic Billy Eichner has come into his own as an actor in “Bros” (Universal).

A queer rom-com that is actually both romantic and comedic, Eichner stars in and co-wrote “Bros” with the movie’s straight director Nicholas Stoller.

Eichner brings the “Billy on the Street” energy to Bobby, a single, 40-year-old gay podcaster (with 1,000,000 subscribers), children’s book author, failed screenwrit er, and New York nebbish.

Despite his successes, he’s extremely insecure. Because of this character flaw, as well as his quick wit, Bobby is reminis cent of Woody Allen’s Alvy Singer, and the Manhattan setting also feels like a subtle nod to Allen and “Annie Hall.”

Even though he has recently won a big award and accepted a high-ranking position at the future National LGBTQ+ Museum, he feels unfulfilled without a re lationship. There are some funny scenes involving hook-up sights that are broad enough for all audiences to understand.

It’s in a gay club, at the launch of one such sight, called Zellweger, that Bobby meets sizzling hot Aaron (Luke MacFarlane). They unexpectedly hit it off, exchanging witty repartee and light flirta tion. But Aaron, a lawyer specializing in estate planning, is a fuck-and-run kind of guy, and Bobby wants something more.

Nevertheless, they begin hanging out together (without calling it dating) and their chemistry is palatable. They make each other laugh and they know how to get the other riled up on subjects includ ing movies and music.

When Bobby tells his supportive sister Tina (out actress Monica Raymund) and brother-in-law Edgar (out actor Guillermo Diaz) about Aaron, he describes him as a “gay Tom Brady.”

Complications eventually arise. Bobby has no issue with Aaron being the third in a three-way with other guys. But as they begin to get more serious with each other and eventually have sex (in a scene that is both hot and hilarious), Bobby’s attitude changes. When a high school jock buddy of Aaron’s comes out and becomes a presence in their lives, it becomes too much for Bobby, threaten ing their budding relationship.

Those who first fell in love with MacFarlane during his ABC series “Brothers and Sisters,” and saw him pop up again prominently in the 2021 Christmas movie “Single All The Way” (as Michael Urie’s love interest), will be delighted to know that not only does he spend a lot of “Bros” half-dressed, but that he also has the chops to play a con vincing gay romantic lead.

Like a bulging pair of briefs, “Bros” is tightly packed with content that is enter taining and enlightening. The screenplay incorporates more than just traditional rom-com elements, such as LGBTQ+ his tory and cultural references, as well as

lesbian, bisexual, and trans issues.

There are also several high-profile stars, including veteran actor Harvey Fierstein (“Torch Song Trilogy”), Debra Messing (“Will and Grace”), Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live”), Kristen Chenoweth (“Wicked”), Ben Stiller (“Night at the Museum,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Zoolander”), Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer,” “Trainwreck”), out actor Jai Rodriguez (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) as Aaron’s straight brother Jason and lesbian actor Amanda Bearse (“Fright Night,” “Married…With Children”) as Aaron’s mother Anne. Rating: B ::

A scene from Billy Eichner’s ‘Bros.’ PHOTO CREDIT: Universal/Apatow

Madison, Wisconsin Pride Journey

By Joey Amato Qnotes Staff Writer

years ago, I remember read ing that Madison, Wis., was voted one of the top LGBTQ-friendly destinations in the country. Since I have a propensity to travel to under-theradar destinations, I decided I wanted to see for myself what made Madison so special and inclusive.

Afew

Madison is the capital of Wisconsin, a swing state in the political world, so it was no surprise that I was greeted with open arms upon arrival. The first thing I noticed was how clean and walkable the city was. It is fairly simple to walk to most attractions if you are staying in the heart of downtown. If the attraction is a bit far, you can rent a bike from the citywide BCycle bike share program.

Start your tour of Madison at the Chazen Museum of Art located on the University of Wisconsin campus. The free museum houses a collection of over 24,000 works, ranging from a painting by Andy Warhol to artifacts from ancient Greece, Western Europe and Mughal India.

Continue your cultural tour of Madison at Art + Lit Laboratory, a com munity-driven contemporary arts center in the Capitol East District which houses an art gallery and performance space in addition to a library, artist studios and a dedicated education studio. The facil ity welcomes over 200 events annually ranging from lectures to contemporary dance classes.

Before heading out for dinner, check in to the AC Hotel Madison Downtown, a beautiful property located a block away from the Capitol Building which offers beautiful 360-degree views of the city from its rooftop patio. The modern AC Lounge is located just off the recep tion area and features a towering LED sculpture that serves as the centerpiece of the space. Located on the top floor is Eno Vino, the hotel’s signature restaurant which features an extensive wine menu consisting of over 200 bottles.

The rooms at AC Hotel Madison are quite spacious and blend in with the property’s minimalist vibe. I had a won derful view of the capitol building from my room which was even more breath taking during sunset.

For dinner, take a short Uber ride to Mint Mark, a produce-forward res taurant operated by the James Beard Award nominated Executive Chef Sean Pharr. The relaxed space is welcoming but sophisticated and offers a variety of tapas ranging from a delicious cauli flower dish consisting of herbs, raisins and crispy sarvecchio to sorpresine made with ricotta, butternut squash, fermented plum and pecans. If you like pasta, I’d recommend the carbonara. It was my favorite item on the menu.

I happened to be in town during GLEAM, an evening light exhibition which takes place at the Olbrich Botanical

Gardens and features large scale light installations created by local, regional and international designers. This is a fun activity to go to with a group of friends or to just stroll through on your own. Get there early to beat the crowds.

If you still have energy, head to Woof’s, one of the city’s LGBTQ bars, located just a short walk from the hotel. The space is owned by the same people who own D’Vino, a neighboring Italian restaurant. Woof’s offers one of the best happy hours in the city with half-price drinks from 4-7 p.m.

Every Wednesday and Saturday, the city welcomes the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square. Over 150 vendors participate each week, and the market is the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the country. All of the items for sale at the market are produced by the vendors themselves. Even though I didn’t pur chase anything, it was a great way to start the day. If you have time, book a tour of the capitol building, an architectural wonder worth visiting, which contains the only granite dome in the United States. The building houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature, along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor.

After your tour, grab a bowl of ramen at Morris Ramen, owned by State Representative Francesca Hong.

Next up was a tour of the Henry Vilas Zoo, one of only a few admis sion-free, community-supported zoos in the country. The zoo just welcomed a baby orangutan, and I had the chance to see it along with its mother in the primate habitat.

If you have time, take one of the behind-the-scenes tours offered at the zoo. I decided to jump on the African Adventure Behind the Scenes Tour where I got to meet and feed the zoo’s beautiful, reticulated

giraffe Eddie. You really don’t appreci ate how tall these animals are until you are standing a few feet away. Also part of the tour was a visit with their white rhino named Harmon. Unfortunately, Harmon was basking in the sun during my visit and didn’t want any of the treats we brought for him. After a few minutes of trying to seduce Harmon with food, we decided to let him relax and soak up the rays.

Next, head to Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, a Frank Lloyd Wright designed building located on the shore of Lake Monona. Wright designed the building decades before it was built. He fought with the city multiple times to try to get them to agree to build the facility, and sadly he didn’t get to see his wonder come to fruition. The Monona Terrace finally won city-wide ap proval after Wright’s death and now serves as a tribute to his contribution to Madison.

Touring around Madison will surely

make you hungry, so try out Heritage Tavern. The farm-to-table restaurant is operated by chef/owner Dan Fox, a James Beard Award winner. It was one of my top 10 dining experiences ever. I began my meal with a new addition to the menu, a sweet corn chowder served with popcorn, of course. I was in awe of how delicious this soup was and felt bad not finishing the bowl, as I had to save room for some other selections, including the chef’s upscale take on deviled eggs. I can’t even explain what was on them, all I can say is – you must try these. You won’t be disappointed.

For my entrée I ordered the bouilla baisse served with an assortment of fish, fingerling potatoes and roasted fennel bathing in a saffron tomato broth with garlic sabayon.

I really wanted to walk off my food coma, but I had tickets to the Madison Ballet’s production of “Next Steps,” a program built entirely of world pre mieres, featuring the work of Artistic Director Ja’ Malik and Richard Walters. The ballet is committed to celebrating female-identifying choreographers and showcases San Francisco-based Marika Brussel.

After the ballet, head to one of the city’s other LGBTQ-establishments, including Shamrock Bar & Grille or Sotto Nightclub, for a nightcap.

Before heading home, grab breakfast at Short Stack Eatery, an LGBTQ-owned restaurant located close to campus which offers a selection of favorites, including, of course, pancakes. I decided to try the sweet potato pancakes served with fresh strawberries. The oversized portion could have fed two people, and it was so delicious. And even though I didn’t have one, I heard they also make a killer Bloody Mary.

One other thing that stood out during my trip to Madison was how friendly the people are. Everyone greets you with a smile. There is nothing like Midwest hospitality.

Enjoy the Journey!

Monoma Terrace Community Convention Center. PHOTO CREDIT travelwisconsin.com

Downtown Madison, Wisconsin. PHOTO CREDIT visitmadison.com

The spirituality of making history Spiritual Reflections

By Joan M. Saniuk |Contributing Writer

When I started to think about what to write during LGBTQ History Month, I first imagined doin gresearch on pioneering activists, particu larly religious leaders, of the Carolinas. And then I stopped, and re-thought the question: Who makes history? My answer might surprise you.

We often describe historical move ments in terms of their leaders. We think of the front men/women/persons who took a stand, or organized, or theorized, or inspired. We remember Leonard Matlovich, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, Audre Lorde, and Harvey Milk. But a move ment is about more than just the leaders; without followers, a leader is useless. A movement is made, and makes change, because of all the people who catch its vision and act on it.

In the 1990’s, feminist theologian Mary Rose D’Angelo pointed out an obvious, but usually overlooked, fact about early Christianity: We only know about Jesus of Nazareth, who was called the Christ, because of the people who remembered him. For at least a generation after Jesus’ death, there was no “Gospel” that we are aware of; there were only stories about Jesus, most likely passed on through oral tradition in this largely pre-literate ancient culture. People who were eyewitnesses to

Jesus told other people about how Jesus and his teachings had changed their lives. These other people, in turn, kept telling Jesus’ story. The stories were eventually written down, by people whose names or pen names are still known to us: Matthew and Mark and Luke and John and so forth. Christians know these stories today because a whole community -- not just a single leader or a few leaders -- caught

Jesus’ vision and kept it alive.

And that, dear reader, brings me to you. You are making LGBTQ history, right at this moment.

All of us make history! We hold Pride celebrations in the rural South; we orga nize and form campaigns to prevent or change anti-queer laws; we create orga nizations that strengthen each other and our community; we get married and form

families. All of this happens because of individuals who affirm their sacred worth, and make a stand in one way or another. In my denomination, for example, the Metropolitan Community Churches, we re spect and honor founder Troy Perry, who acted on his conviction that his experience of divine grace in his life was more impor tant than others’ anti-queer interpreta tions of the Bible. But MCC would have gone nowhere if not for the countless others, throughout these past 54 years, who caught that same vision. The same goes for spiritual movements of all kinds: we, ourselves, make their history. Each of us has this same spiritual superpower: to acknowledge the truth of our lives, and to tell our story without apology.

History is nothing but the telling, and re-telling, of our stories. However it is that you tell your own story -- whether it’s out loud to the world, or whether it’s to a select and safe number of people -- I hope you tell it, without shame and with great pride. The world needs to hear it, andyour truth deserves to be known.

What story do you have to tell? And what history will you make when you tell it?

The Rev. Dr. Joan Saniuk is Pastor of MCC Sacred Journey. ::

Thoughts on the Netflix series ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’

By L’Monique King Qnotes Staff Writer

Fallis upon us, and many of us are look ing forward to snacking on comfort foods while digesting binge-worthy television. In case you haven’t already heard, one of the most talked about fall viewing series is “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.”

News outlets and social media are abuzz about this thriller, which tells the story of one of America’s most infamous killers. On the surface, the series obviously recaps the development of a monster and the murders committed by him, playing to our appetite for the gory gruesomeness often depicted by reality-based crime dramas.

What keeps coming up in conversa tions about this story is so much greater than the psychopathic tendencies of Dahmer, which led to him luring, drugging, dismembering, killing and in some cases eating almost 20 known victims: He was repeatedly given breaks and free passes by police officers and judges.

According to Anne E. Schwartz, the journalist who broke the story of Dahmer’s killing spree in 1991, the film “sacrificed accuracy for the sake of drama.” In a recent interview with a United Kingdom news outlet where she attempts to sepa rate fact from fiction she states, “Victims of crime in the gay community in Milwaukee in the 1980s and early ‘90s rarely reported offences to police for fear of being outed to family or employers.”

As if this explanation wasn’t bad enough in what it leaves out (law enforce ment’s routine abuse and co-signing of homophobia), she goes on to say, “the depiction of city police officers as racist and homophobic was incorrect.”

It remains uncertain as to what vested interest Schwartz has in railing against a primarily white police department’s disregard for its citizen of color and more specifically its LGBT community of color.

As Black contributors to Twitter, some Instagram influencers and a host of other woke folks have been lamenting, Netflix’s “Monster” is a glaring representation of white male privilege operating within America’s landscape of disregard and disdain for the “othered.” With over whelming aplomb, the series accurately captures a plethora of things wrong with America. More aptly, the film does a good job (whether intentional or not) of put ting white male privilege on blast while reminding Black and brown Americans, Black women and LGBT folks of color how much their lives do not matter.

Not even halfway through the series, a principal investor of the case, Detective Murphy portrayed by actor Michael Beach, angrily says to Dahmer, portrayed by actor Evan Peters, during an interrogation what many Black viewers, including this one,

were already thinking. With disbelief and disgust, Murphy questions, “You targeted your victims. You purposely moved into an apartment in the Black community, to an area that was under controlled and under served. And you know that, isn’t that right?

Easier to get away with things there, easier to hunt?” It would seem that the detective, a Black man, hit the nail on the head.

Later in the film, and after Dahmer’s ar rest, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., played by Nigel Gibbs, shows up in Milwaukee to hold a peace rally. The intent was to bring atten tion to the city’s indifferent and neglectful

edging civil rights as human rights is a uni fying factor that has the ability to prompt equity and justice.

The series’s official synopsis released by Netflix does state that it, “exposes these unconscionable crimes, centered around the underserved victims and their com munities impacted by the systemic racism and institutional failures of the police that allowed one of America’s most notorious serial killers to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade.”

That’s something Schwartz must have missed, along with correcting things like

likely would have still been dismissed as some hysterical nosey woman (patriarchal sexism at work) – though the dismissal might have occurred more respectfully. We’ve all bared witness to how the fragility of white women has been traditionally upheld – to the point that all it takes is the accusation of a whistle from a 14-year-old Black boy to cost him his life while grant ing his assailants a free pass.

Dahmer’s victims were overwhelm ingly young men of color. From the onset of being brought to America’s shores as enslaved commodities who were viewed as less human, Black bodies have sys tematically been seized, fetishized and abused. In this sense, Jeffrey Dahmer was merely following suit on a foundation laid by colonizers and perpetuated by the United States government. The roots of structural, systemic and institutional rac ism run deep. And so does homophobia. When the two or three (sexism, racism and homophobia) intersect, any number of horrors are possible.

Essayist, teacher, poet and activist June Jordan has written on many subjects closely related to the issues brought into focus by this series. In her essay, “A New Politics of Sexuality,” she states: “I believe the politics of sexuality is the most ancient and probably the most profound arena for human conflict. Increasingly, it seems clear to me that deeper and more pervasive than any other oppression, than any other bitterly contested human domain, is the oppression of sexuality, the exploitation of the human domain of sexuality for power.”

For Jeffery Dahmer, a cunning and manipulative individual, his white privi lege allowed him to exploit these biases (using sexuality for power) to the point an escaped drug induced victim, Konerak Sinthasomphone, a 14-year-old Laotian immigrant, was actually returned to Dahmer and was later murdered by him.

All it required from Dahmer for the Milwaukee police was to lie about the Sinthasomphone’s age, say he was his drunk boyfriend and police left him at the mercy of the cannibalistic serial killer.

police department.

One of the civil rights leader’s most profound and accurate lines from the film reads as follows: “The more I learned about the case, the more I realized it was not just a gruesome horror show, it’s a metaphor for all the social ills that plague our nation; bad policing, underserved communities, the low value we assign our young Black and brown men especially if they happen to be gay.”

It’s important to note the proclama tions, outrage and support of these two straight Black cis men, because acknowl

Niecy Nash’s portrayal of Glenda Cleveland actually living in a neighboring building and not the apartment next door as the mini-series shows. Undisputed and more important though, is the fact a concerned neighbor attempted to alert police of something strange and concerning going on in Dahmer’s apartment numerous times. So why didn’t the police act more quickly? Here’s a theory.

The concern came from a Black woman, a demographic that America is historically known for disregarding and abusing. If she weren’t Black, she most

Lastly, the film also reifies how obtuse authorities can be when dealing with white males with mental health issues. Time and time again there were red flags and court appearances for gateway crimes that simply went ignored while a madman had the freedom to continue a rampage that lasted years.

Meanwhile, Netflix (resulting from pressure from the LGBT community) has removed the LGBT hashtag from the film. Apparently, there were many that found the categorization “gross” and distasteful.

As for this viewer, the most distasteful part thus far has been Netflix’s lack of will ingness to compensate any of the retrau matized families of Dahmer’s victims. Now that’s something we really need to see, compassion, empathy and a monetized acknowledgement of the unnecessary and stoppable loss of lives.

Co-producer Ryan Murphy’s story of bigotry and horror paints a sad portrait of America’s devaluation of life

Nigel Gibbs appears in the role of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr, in ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. PHOTO CREDIT : Netflix

Evan Peters plays Jeffrey Dahmer in ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. PHOTO CREDIT: Netflix

Legendary Pop Icon Charo comes to NC

Comic actress/musician and LGBTQ ally to perform in Pinehurst and Wilmington

By David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer

There’s a good possibility – if you’re under 30 – you might not know the name Charo. She’s been around as a musical artist, comedian, actress and per sonality since the 1960s when she came to the United States from Murcia, Spain.

Charo is a survivor. And if you’re one of those who doesn’t know who she is, you should. It’s nearly impossible to remember a time when there wasn’t a Charo. In all honesty, it seems as though she’s always been there and for much of that time she has been a strong ally to the LGBTQ community.

For the over 40 crowd, her story is fairly familiar. She was born Maria Del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza, although her grandmother report edly dubbed her with the nickname Charo.

As the story goes, Charo married a former Big Band Director Named Xavier Cugat in 1966. It quickly became clear she was talented and more than just a pretty face: as a child she had learned to sing, dance and play classical flamenco guitar. Cugat was well-connected, and that did help Charo got early spots booked on television variety programs like The Ed Sullivan Show with relative ease. In the years that followed she became a regular guest on the Johnny Carson Show, cap tured the title of record holder for the most “special guest star appearances” on “The Love Boat,” playing a character known as April Lopez, snagged a network television special and even appeared in films like “Airport ’79.”

In the late 70s Charo and Cugat divorced. She later married the man she called the love of her life, Kjell Rasten. They were married for 30 years and had one son together, Shel Rasten, who is now 40 and works as a professional musician.

More success was still to come. In 1994 Charo recorded the CD “Guitar Passion.” It went platinum and she re ceived a Latin Grammy award for best fe male album of the year. During that same time Guitar Player Magazine’s reader’s poll listed Charo as the best flamenco guitarist for two years in a row.

But tragedy struck in February 2019 when Kjell Rasten, at the age of 79, took his own life. Charo has talked about it in the media since and during an appearance on the television show “The Talk” in July 2019. “He was Swedish, she said. “Such a beautiful man and the love of my life.”

That was three years ago. Forever upbeat and exhuberant, Charo returned to performing seven months later. Now, she’s taking her performance just about anywhere she can and living life in the 21st century and keeps busy with regular clips on social media like TicToc, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. She also has her own homepage which keeps fans up to date about her upcoming performances.

Here’s the part where we make a note that she’s coming to North Carolina to perform. On October 21 she will perform in concerts at the Bradley music Hall in

Pinehurst, North Carolina and she will teach a master class in flamenco guitar at the local community college. The fol lowing day she makes an appearance at Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts in Wilmington.

But let’s back up a little bit. It’s im portant to note that it was during the popularity of dance music in the late 1970s that Charo and what was then known as just the plain ol’ Lesbian and Gay Community formed a bond through songs like “Dance A Little Bit Closer,” “Stay with Me” and “Ole, Ole.” She’s been our ally ever since. Although she hasn’t fully divulged her performance plans, it’s expected she’ll be sticking to flamenco guitar, though a message to her via social media might convince her otherwise.

David Aaron Moore: I know you had a long-running show in Hawaii and in Las Vegas as well. But I haven’t heard very much about you performing on the East Coast. Have you been to this region before?

Charo: I’m very excited to be coming to North Carolina, and I think I may have been there once before years ago. Back when my cuchi-cuchi was a ketchi-ketchi (laughs). In my mind and in my heart this visit will be like my first time because I have grown up. It’s very difficult because of my personality, but yes, now I am a grown up person. You know for a long time, for me it was always like everything is beautiful! But over the past few years I’ve learned that not so much is always what is going on and I’ve have had some rough times.

DAM: What did you do during the pandemic?

CHARO: That was a difficult time, but

I am very excited because there are so many wonderful and beautiful people now that I’m back out in the world. It is a very exciting time in my life and I have been like a cuccarachi during the COVID. I have been away from the people and I am happy when I am around other people and meeting new people and I am busy and doing things. I am at my happiest when I’m performing. People and music are like oxygen to me. And this terrible Corona thing, it had me locked in the house and it had me thinking what the hell am I going to do? So I decided that I was going to make music and I could dream of a day again when I would be able to perform it for the audience. So I’m very excited and thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk about it.

DAM: You know, I’ve gotta’ tell you – I used to DJ a bit in Atlanta – and I still have my hot pink vinyl copy of “Ole, Ole” with you on the cover wearing nothing but a guitar!

CHARO: (Laughs) Yes. I was naked! But I want you to know that was a mes sage. It was a message that music is pure. Music has no complications, music has no enemy, music has no controversy. Music is the most beautiful thing that we get for our times. Now I know you’re going to laugh. My family loves music and my grandpa died singing in bed!

DAM: You and your family left Spain when you were a teenager, right?

CHARO: Yes. I grew up in a family that had been aggravated by political problems. But I come from beautiful parents and beautiful grandparents that teach my sister and me no discrimina tion everybody is equal and respect all human beings. My sister and me we became survivors.

DAM: Have you been doing a lot of performances in the past year?

CHARO: This has been a good year. Especially to get out of this house. I’ve worried for my friends and I’ve worried for people that have suffered so much. I’ve been trying to take care of all my friends who are dancers that lost their jobs. It was a very sad time for me. And my resuscitation, my comeback to life time was last March 5. I opened a new show at the Mohegan Sun in Hartford, Connecticut. For me it was like I am born again. I’m free, I’m free! I am here with people. I am not afraid of diseases. I was free, and I was lucky because when they announced my name my heart beat was stroking like a drum beat cuz I had to face a lot of people and they were very happy and waiting for entertainment and I have a lot of new material and I put my foot on the stage and I looked up and I could see it was full up to the balcony and they applauded so much I felt like I was born again. I can’t tell you how powerful that was and I knew I needed to do the best job in my life. And I can’t wait to put my feet on the stage at the Pinehurst Theater and do the best job that I can.

DAM: How did that show in Hartford make you feel?

CHARO: There is no other word in any language to explain it how you feel, the feeling to be welcome with a beautiful audience. They wanted entertainment because we had lived through such dark times. And I remember dark times from when I was a little girl living in Spain and a little town called Murcia. I have been down so many times that I have found, my sister and me we have found, the way to find our way up. The audience has so much power with me. And I have no more to tell them [but] thank you, thank you, thank you, I say to them. They lift me up!

DAM: What made you decide to come to North Carolina?

CHARO: That’s a good question. Because friends and fans, when I was in the jailhouse, that’s what I called my house during the COVID, that for me was a jail, but I had the Instagram and I got lots of messages from many nice people. A lot of them were from North Carolina and they had watched my videos. They were so nice I felt like I knew them. I’ve got some special material for this show in North Carolina and I’m going to introduce it there. I feel certain, I hope that the people will really like it because I worked hard to make it class. Class all the way. There are lots of pieces that when they hear it from my heart with the guitar, you can hear a pin and nobody make a sound. It’s like silent. Everybody is so deep into the music.

DAM: Considering everything that’s been going on politically towards the LGBTQ community are there any particu lar words you’d like to share?

CHARO: Everyone deserves to be equal. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is what culture you come from if you are lesbian gay bisexual or transgender. Everyone deserves happiness and love. ::

Charo will also teach a Master Class at Pinehurst Community College. PHOTO CREDIT: Reyes Entertainment

By L’Monique King Qnotes Staff Writer

When Mozart said, “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence be tween,” he must have had Tracey Logan in mind. In music, silence is com monly represented by a symbol known as “the rest.” For Logan, a self-identified intro vert, the decision to share some of her life experiences with QNotes have provided us with insight into the woman she’s proud to have become.

Like many Carolinians, Logan is a northern transplant. Hailing originally from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, she’s lived many places but has called Mint Hill, North Carolina (a suburb about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte) home for 10 years now. During those 10 years she’s discovered quite a bit about what it means to be Tracey Logan, including her identity as a pansexual.

“I’m Pan, like my favorite pizza,” she said nonchalantly. Logan continued to ex plain, “It’s something I’m getting used to,” referring to the identifier. “I didn’t know it was a thing until I joined an LGBT group as an ally. I was talking to a friend, he’s gay and he mentioned how [being] gay is not a choice. I said it was and he said [again] it’s not. But for me, [my sexuality] has always been more of a connecting

Our People: Tracey Logan

A chorus member learns how to hit all the right notes

then Honolulu and then back to Florida, Virginia, Pittsburg back to Florida and now North Carolina. It’s madness, it’s complete mad ness (laughs).

Are you cur rently part nered?

Yes, married.

I have a nice guy, Marc. I had to import him from Scotland because the guys here suck (chuckles). He’s the straight guy in the GMCC [Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte] group that sits next to me. We’ve been together for 18 years and married for 15. He’s my other best friend and he’s great. He can make you laugh until you cry, liter ally. He has an amazing voice. He’s also a musician and he’s the one who actually brought music back into my life. He gave me permission to sing when I couldn’t give myself permission. He’s the driving force when the self-doubt creeps up. He says, ‘you’re amazing – go do this.’ My ex had <tearful pause> … would beat the living snot out of me if I’d sing, so I didn’t, for years. Are you ok?

I’m mostly okay. This shit doesn’t usually get to me. I can’t change my past; I can just learn from it. So, if I can help just one person figure their shit out just a little quicker by telling it, it’s worth it.

What inspired you to sing for a chorus?

thing. Sometimes the connecting is with a guy and sometimes it isn’t. For me, it’s just about a person.

What brought you to Mint Hill?

My husband and I had been pretty much retired since our late 30s. I had just lost both my parents and almost my youngest child in Florida. I’d also been here before. Satan – the guy I married the second time – is from there. But this time around, I’d healed from so much of my past that it felt like home. Before that, I had lived all over the country. I think this is my eighth state and my 24th address. I’ve spent most of my adult life in Florida, though I did have four lovely years in Hawaii. It was with my ex, proving even paradise can be hell if you’re living with the wrong person.

Why so many moves?

I got married really young the first time and moved to Florida. When that didn’t work out, I moved to Georgia to be with the second idiot on the food chain. Then Virginia, then Washington State,

Before I came here, I didn’t sing. I homeschooled my kids and met another homeschooling mom (Tara Gricol) who sang. She convinced me to show up to an open rehearsal, for One

Voice Chorus. I cried on the way there; I cried dur ing rehearsal and cried all the way home after. I am really introverted and very uncom fortable with being seen and heard.

I left One Voice last year and joined the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte in March and then the Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte in September.

When I first joined, I’d say, “Every team needs a mascot and I’m funny.” I just couldn’t say the words, “I sing,” abuse had been that destructive to my esteem. At that time, I offered to help with some administrative duties with regards to getting our June concert ready. The first thing I noticed was the program. At the top it said, Tracey Logan, Chorus Manager. I thought, that’s a creative spelling of the word volunteer but ok. After the show I asked John [John C. Quillin, Founding Artistic Director] if he’d be getting some people for the fall. He said, “I have you. You offered to help me. That’s like giving someone a kidney, you don’t get to take that back. You’re in this for good now.” If you know John, you know, you can’t even make eye contact with the guy without falling head over heels in love with him. He’s absolutely amazing. So, when he asks you to do something, you just do it. Officially my job title is Chaos Coordinator for both groups, the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte & the Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte. Tell us how a woman ends up a member of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte?

I have quite a range. I sing soprano 1 in the women’s group. I love it. The group is really good. It’s John Quillin so the music is amazing. It’s the best part of

my Tuesdays. In the GMCC I sing Tenor 1, I’m the only girl in the room. So, for someone who doesn’t like to be seen or heard, it’s a whole thing. It’s the best part of my Mondays. And it’s not just singing. I send out all the emails, I hold hands. I love working with the men. I love working with both groups, but the funny thing is… fitting in versus belonging. It’s just ironic that the place that I thought that I’d have to fit in the most [with the men] is the place I feel most accepted. Women can be more competitive whereas the guys just accept. I feel less judged. The apples don’t compare themselves to me, an orange. What does it mean for you to be part of the chorus’?

It means everything. This group and its director have helped me to completely find my voice and become myself again and that is priceless.

Are there any upcoming shows readers can catch you performing in?

On November 11 and 12 at St. John’s Baptist Church. It’s basically about angels in the sky and everything up there. If you can look up and see it, were sing ing about it. Then there’s the Christmas holiday show performance by the GMCC on December 2 and 3 at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. When you’re not singing, what brings you joy?

Why would I not be signing? Am I sleeping? Is it like a mealtime, because even when I’m in the shower I still sing. I’m obnoxious about it though I still have anxiety about people hearing me. But my kids, my kids bring me joy. My kids are my whole world. They are 24, 22 and 10 that’s how I live on the edge. What’s do you imagine yourself doing 10 years from now?

This. Exactly what I’m doing now. Singing with every group of John’s that I can. John’s said to me, “You though you joined a chorus? Honey you’ve joined a family.” And we are. Absolutely. Looking back on it all, any final thoughts?

It’s never too late to start over and truly be the person that you are – on the inside. If I’d known that this stage of life would be this good, I would have raced to get here faster. ::

Women’s Chorus of Charlotte Director Tracey Logan. PHOTO CREDIT: Marc Logan

Tracey Logan singing (center) with the Women’s Chorus of Charlotte. PHOTO CREDIT: Marc Logan