Qnotes issue, April 28, 2023

The House is on Fire!

April 28-

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Writers: Kendra Johnson, Alaina Liloia, L’Monique King, JJ Jones, Palmer Magri, David Aaron Moore, Orion Rummler, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Eleanor Williamson, Daniel Villarreal

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inside this issue

feature

10 Goat Daddy’s Farm: what rural life can offer our community

12 Are Charlotte Faith Groups Actually Affirming LGBTQ People?

Our People: Adria Focht

In our latest installment of Our People, we interview Adria Focht, the former director of the Charlotte Museum of History, who now finds happiness and fulfillment with landscaping plants and vegetables on a farm in rural Gaston County.

PAGE 19

5 The House is on fire

6 Understanding what’s happening in Missouri: emergency rule’ will make gender-affirming care nearly impossible for all

7 National LGBTQ groups unify against Missouri attempt to delay treatment for all trans individuals

7 Republicans fast-tracking anti-LGBTQ bills through NC legislature

7 Guilford Green Foundation takes a stand against proposed antiLGBTQ ‘legislation in NC

8 Equality Florida advises LGBTQ travelers to avoid the ‘sunshine state’

news life

a&e views events

A matter of taste: An interview with Alison Riley

A Matter of Taste: Author and food expert Allison Riley talks about her new book, ‘Recipe for Disaster,’ which boasts 40 different recipes blended in with humorous and heartfelt tales to satisfy almost every appetite.

PAGE 18

These rates only cover a portion of our true cost, however, our goal is to serve our community Mailed 1st class from Charlotte, NC, in sealed envelope.

The LGBTQ+ community needs allies in office now more than ever

Political Voices

by Kendra Johnson Qnotes Staff Writer

The LGBTQ+ community is under direct fire in North Carolina and beyond, as lawmakers target Queer and trans kids with hateful legislation. With attacks against our community at an all-time high and extremist ideologies on the rise, we cannot afford for our politicians to act with complacency. We need allies in office now more than ever. But what does real allyship look like, and is being an ally really enough?

This April, North Carolina saw a slate of anti-trans bills introduced in the legislature. In one week, half a dozen bills were dropped that would inflict direct harm on trans youth, including three trans sports bans, two gender-affirming care bans, and one license to discriminate in healthcare. Additional bills were filed in April as well, including more of the same as well as a bill making drag performances illegal on public property or in the presence of anyone under 18. All of these bills joined another gender-affirming care ban and the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was filed in January, an anti-LGBTQ+ curriculum ban that would

subject trans students to forced outing.

This kind of legislation puts our youth in harm’s way, effectively banning them from being who they are in school and their everyday lives. When passed, the impacts of bills like these are catastrophic to the physical and mental health of trans kids. With the very lives of our most vulnerable youth under attack, virtue signaling politics are not enough to protect them. And allyship is only a starting point.

Allies are those who are willing to listen and learn about the experiences of marginalized communities and to offer a baseline of support. For politicians, that can look like voting against policies that harm our communities and voting for policies that help us.

While votes are vital to protect our freedoms, what happens when votes are not enough? What kind of support do we need when bad bills pass? These questions have become more urgent than ever in North Carolina, as we watch politicians who claim to be allies side with our opposition.

The level of vitriol and hate directed at the Queer and trans community requires a new level of support and action. There are already over 460 anti-LGBTQ+ bills nationwide, and we know that there will be even

more by the time this goes to press. That is why we need our allies in office to do more and move beyond allyship.

We need legislators who will join us as accomplices, offering more than a baseline of support and working directly towards dismantling systems of oppression. We need politicians like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez who are willing to take a stand against the status quo and fight for the rights of marginalized groups despite the backlash.

We also need co-conspirators, those willing to work directly alongside marginalized communities like ours to take collective action for change. We have seen the impact of action-based support like this in Tennessee, where the politicians known as the “Tennessee Three” chose to stand alongside protestors who were calling for stricter gun laws to curb gun violence. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson put action

The House is on fire

Town hall meeting addresses anti-LGBTQ legislation

by David Aaron Moore Qnotes Staff Writer

LGBTQ community members and their allies, along with elected officials and community political action groups came together Saturday morning April 22 at the Carolina E-Sports Hub.

Also among the speakers were LGBTQ community leaders Rhys Chambers, the Senior Regional Organizer for the Human Rights Campaign and Kelly Durden Posey, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Carolinas LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce. Other elected officials present include Mecklenburg County Commissioner-atlarge Leigh Altman, who discussed the importance of precinct organizing; District 4 County Commissioner Mark Jerrell; School board member-at-large Jennifer de la Jara; and District 3 City Council Member Jennifer Watlington.

Significant topics that came up during the talk were informative and useful for the LGBTQ community as we move forward into the next voting cycle.

The House Is On Fire!

behind their words, placing their careers on the line to fight for the safety and rights of their constituents.

This is the kind of action we want to see in North Carolina and across the country. The fight for LGBTQ+ equality and every other kind of equality is a fight for people’s lives. Complacency and performative support will not get us where we need to be, nor will it result in real progress or change. We need votes for equality, but we also need action.

We hope you will join us in the fight. ::

In attendance for The House is on Fire, an emergency town hall meeting to discuss concerns surrounding the growing dark cloud of anti-LGBTQ legislation aimed at our community from North Carolina’s Republican Party, were approximately 200 individuals representing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities, as well as performers from the drag community.

Currently bills are making their way through the North Carolina congress that impact the entire LGBTQ spectrum: from so-called Don’t Say Gay bills that forbid the mention of anything related to same-sex attraction or LGBTQ culture and history in public schools and federally funded institutions; and legislation that would make drag performances illegal, to bans on trans individuals participating in sports from elementary schools through college.

Concerns are also emerging that the Constitution of the state of North Carolina, which still retains an out-dated same-sex marriage ban and an ancient felony sodomy law, could prove to be legally problematic for LGBTQ residents of the state.

Event facilitator Cameron Pruett spoke to the crowd, acknowledging the seriousness of what challenges we are likely to face in the near future. He then introduced guest elected officials to share their thoughts on what actions we might take and what the process should be to reclaim North Carolina.

Guest speakers included representative John Autry of North Carolina District 100; Representative Mary Belk of North Carolina District 88; Representative Terry Brown, Jr. of North Carolina District 92; and Senator Rachel Hunt of North Carolina District 42, who is also running for lieutenant governor.

Speakers encouraged attendees to bear in mind that Republican representative John Bradford from Mecklenburg County represents a particularly formidable enemy when it comes to LGBTQ rights and must be voted out at the end of his next term. Recent former Democrat turned stealth Republican Trish Cotham came up in conversation as a reminder for all voters to research potential candidates as in-depth as possible.

Perhaps one of the most shocking revelations came about when it was revealed that multiple companies and organizations that routinely made donations to LGBTQ groups and events also made donations to Republican candidates, among them John Bradford. Those companies include political action committees for the North Carolina Realtors Association, Duke Energy, Atrium Health, American Airlines, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, the North Carolina Bankers Association and Bank of America.

Regarding actions the North Carolina population can take to restore the state’s political sanity and continuing advancements in LGBTQ equality, our hands are currently tied. As pointed out by the various speakers, change can come in 2024 during the next election. It’s of paramount importance for all progressives to organize at base levels in their rural districts, towns, cities and statewide. ::

2023

Legislative Session Emergency Community Meeting

LGBTQIA+ Rapid Response Guide

2023 Legislative Session

Emergency Community Meeting

LGBTQIA+ Rapid Response Guide

Banning Drag Performances

Proposed legislation is designed to have chilling effect on all drag performances, allowing for them to be defined as prurient adult entertainment, regardless of the intent of the performance

This would open Drag Story Hours and potentially public Pride performances to legal liability and criminal actions

There are further concerns on how this law might be applied to Trans, Non-binary, and Gender expansive folks who might be accused of "impersonating" when presenting as their gender

SB 641 Medical Ethics Defense Act

This bill gives any "medical practitioner, health care institution, or health care payer" right to discriminate based on "any published religious, moral, or ethical guidelines or directives, mission statements, articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, or regulations publiches or created by institutional entities or corporate bodies." This bill would open discrimination based on any number of otherwise protected factors, including race, gender identity, national origin, or sexual orientation.

Kelly Durden Posey with the CLGBTCC Photo Credit; Jim Yarbrough

Rhys Chambers, Senior Regional Organizer for HRC. Photo Credit; Jim Yarbrough

Republicans fast-tracking anti-LGBTQ bills through NC legislature

Missouri State Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s move to limit gender-affirming care for minors and adults is unprecedented, legal experts say, and the restrictions themselves — a list of requirements that stretch waiting periods and exclude categories of patients — leave transgender people with few or no options if the restrictions are upheld.

The emergency rule by Bailey goes into effect April 27 and expires next February. It requires transgender patients — without specifying age — to undergo at least 15 hour-long sessions of therapy over the course of at least 18 months before seeking gender-affirming care. It also requires physicians to track “all adverse effects” of gender-affirming care for at least 15 years and to determine whether the patient has autism.

Having any mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, would apparently disqualify trans people from accessing gender-affirming care in the state.

The day the restrictions were announced, 32-year-old Jaina Keller of Belton, Miss., asked her nurse practitioner’s office what she should do.

Given the news, Keller wanted to know if there was a way to increase her prescribed estradiol — estrogen replacement therapy — and get a refill that would hold her over long enough to find someplace to live in a safer state.

In response, she received what read as a boilerplate message from her provider, the Northland Planned Parenthood location in Kansas City, Miss. No immediate changes would be made to the care that the location provides, the response from her nurse practitioner said — but that may change: “Until April 27 there is no way to know for sure what will happen, but we are hopeful that some lawsuits and challenges to the ruling will keep it from taking effect.”

The attorney general’s order heaps extensive requirements on physicians providing gender-affirming care — enough to render the provision of such care virtually impossible, advocates say. It forces trans people to jump through expensive and, for many, unattainable hoops.

No other state attorney general has issued a rule like this on gender-affirming care, legal experts tell The 19th. There is no precedent to point to, even in Texas, where the attorney general penned a non-binding legal opinion that labeled gender-affirming care for minors as child abuse. Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Missouri have pledged to file suit against the rule and hope to block it from taking effect.

Across Missouri, transgender adults have found themselves in the same position as Keller: making a plan to get health care that has been unilaterally restricted by the state and scrambling to understand the implications of these new restrictions. Attorneys say that it is unclear whether the rule blocks access to gender-affirming care for trans patients already receiving it, although in at

Orion Rummler | The 19th

self-pay for that stuff.”

Jerrica Kirkley, co-founder and chief medical officer at Plume, said that she is not sure whether the organization will be able to continue offering hormone replacement treatment to trans people in Missouri if the attorney general’s rule goes into effect. The organization is working to get refills through before April 27th, she said, to set up existing patients with needed medication to bridge the gap until a possible legal injunction.

Tony Rothert, director of integrated advocacy for the ACLU of Missouri, said that the organization plans for there to be a lawsuit in place before the emergency order goes into effect.

The situation in Missouri will particularly hurt transgender people who don’t have the funds to move or to pay out of pocket for the new requirements laid out in the attorney general’s order, including extensive therapy appointments, local advocates say.

White trans people typically are the ones with resources to move out of state, said Merrique Jenson, executive director of local nonprofit Transformations, which offers microgrants to young trans people in survival mode and distributes other resources focused on trans people and women of color.

During the first week of April, the North Carolina Legislature filed a series of bills targeting the rights of trans youth in sports and healthcare.

SB 631 and its companion bill HB 574 ban trans students from participating on the team consistent with their gender, and SB 636 bans trans and intersex girls from sports. This legislation is a direct attack on the rights of LGBTQ+ youth and will prevent many trans and intersex kids from participating in athletics at the middle school and high school level.

Participation in athletics has been shown to benefit LGBTQ+ youth mental health and affords them the same opportunities as their peers to form friendships and learn important life lessons through sports. Conversely, anti-trans athletic bans only increase existing mental health risks for trans

youth and do nothing to benefit women’s and girls’ sports. Schools should be a safe place for LGBTQ+ youth to explore and express their identities, not a space for bigoted lawmakers to push their discriminatory and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda.

Legislators also filed two bills restricting or banning gender-affirming care for trans youth. SB 560 restricts gender-affirming care for minors, introducing unnecessary requirements for youth, families and healthcare providers. These include banning telehealth visits for gender-affirming counseling and treatment, mandating new consent and waiting period requirements, and banning providers of gender-affirming care from receiving public funds. SB 639 bans life-saving treatment for trans youth, making it unlawful for healthcare and mental healthcare professionals to provide

gender-affirming care. Both bills are designed to intimidate healthcare providers and will endanger the lives of many trans youth, especially impacting those who already lack access to gender-affirming healthcare. Yet another bill filed, SB 641, gives medical providers license to discriminate in providing healthcare.

Far-right lawmakers are targeting LGBTQ+ youth across the nation at an unprecedented level, with more anti-trans legislation filed in 2022 than at any other point in the history of the country. Queer and trans kids deserve to grow up in a world where their identities are not constantly under attack.

Far-right lawmakers are targeting LGBTQ+ youth in North Carolina at an unprecedented level. CREDIT: Stock Adobe

“We are outraged to see lawmakers target our most vulnerable youth,” said Equality NC Executive Director Kendra R. Johnson.

“Banning kids from playing sports because of who they are prevents them from having positive and formative experiences at

as planned. Event organizers and performers encourage the community to attend Green Queen Bingo and other drag events in the community to show your support for drag performers and the art of drag performance.

school. And preventing parents from making decisions on their child’s healthcare is harmful and life-threatening. “These bills do nothing to address the real issues facing our youth, like gun violence in schools or the mental health crisis. Instead of working to make schools safe environments, our lawmakers are bullying Queer and trans kids.’

— Alaina Liloia

CREDIT: Screen Capture/KSHB-TV

least one case, a health care provider plans to halt all care after April 27.

Shannon Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, said that a fair reading of the rule is that if someone is already receiving a specific kind of care, they can continue to receive it — although it still requires providers to start complying with “ridiculous” requirements.

“It is completely clear that the whole point of this order is to deter providers from Missouri from providing this care,” Minter said. “The point of this order is to make it so burdensome and so contrary to medical ethics and the standard of care that providers give up and no longer treat transgender patients.”

However, other attorneys say it does not appear that trans patients already receiving care are safe from losing health care.

The rule is “incredibly vague” as to how it works and who it affects, said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, an attorney and health care strategist at Lambda Legal. The rule does not say when physicians will have to adopt new requirements for existing patients, and it’s an open question as to whether current trans patients are protected from losing care.

“It could arguably affect some people. I think that’s partly why this is so unlawful,” he said.

Devyn Taylor is already vulnerable to the effects. Taylor, who started transitioning over a decade ago, does not produce her own hormones due to gender-affirming surgeries that she has undergone.

When she asked her health care

provider, CoxHealth, what would happen, the practice informed her that as of April 27, her doctor would no longer be able to fill prescriptions for gender-affirming hormone therapy.

“I do not currently have the processes in place to defend my license to practice gender-affirming care should the state investigate me under the new Attorney General emergency rule,” the note from Taylor’s doctor reads. Her doctor recommended requesting a 90-day supply of medication and advised patients to set up regular appointments to build documentation required by the emergency rule. “If this rule is overturned, will reinstate your plan of care immediately,” the note says.

The same day that the Missouri attorney general’s order came out, Gray D’eon — a 21-year-old trans woman in Springfield, Miss. — marked her one-week milestone of starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

A lot of what prompted her to take the jump into starting HRT were all the pending anti-trans bills around the country, she said.

The only provider that she was able to find in order to start HRT — especially without insurance — was Plume, a telehealth company that offers gender-affirming care. Without access to Plume, D’eon would have to stop taking hormones right after starting them, or pursue “DIY” methods of HRT, which she described as unsafe and unregulated.

“I will not have any other choice,” she said. “I’m working in a job where I do not have insurance. do not have the funds to

Many transgender people of color cannot afford gender-affirming care altogether due to systemic racism and financial oppression, and their concerns need to be prioritized as LGBTQ+ groups respond, Jenson said. In Missouri, the response from advocacy groups to anti-trans policies has not prioritized their perspective, she said.

“Trans girls, especially trans girls of color, often don’t transition until they’re almost legally an adult just because the resources and support are not there the way that they are for white trans nonbinary youth,” she said. White and privileged trans people may be losing access to gender-affirming care that many trans people of color were never able to access in the first place, Jenson said.

Emerson Gray, a transmasculine genderqueer person living in Madison County, Ill. — a short drive away from Missouri — is one of those who could afford to move. For him, the attorney general’s ruling is the latest sign that living in the state he used to call home isn’t safe anymore. He’s looking for a new primary care doctor, since he currently gets HRT from a doctor in St. Louis.

Gray, 24, moved from Missouri to Illinois last October due to increased legislation aiming to ban gender-affirming care. A debate on whether care should be banned for 25-year-olds pushed him to make the move. Now, he’s watching as Missouri implements restrictions that specifically target people like him — both as a trans person and as someone who was diagnosed with autism as a child.

“I don’t want to live in a state that’s trying to eradicate me anymore. It didn’t feel safe. It didn’t feel feasible to stay there,” he said. This article appears courtesy of our media partner The 19th.::

The Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center (GGF) of Greensboro announced in a press release dated April 20 their opposition to the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced during the 2023 NC General Assembly legislative session, including HB 673, which would make drag performances illegal on public property or in the presence of anyone under the age of 18. The proposed ban on drag performances is a clear attack on the LGBTQ community, and it sends a message that Queer identities and expressions are not valued or respected. This legislation will create a more hostile and unwelcoming environment for LGBTQ individuals and will have long-lasting negative effects on mental health and wellbeing. Drag performances are a form of self-expression and have been an integral part of our culture for decades. These shows provide a safe space for performers and au-

dience members to explore their identities and celebrate diversity in all its forms.

“When a young Queer person sees a drag queen, they might think, if that towering person in a mermaid-cut sequin gown can do that, then maybe I can make it one more day at school in the face of those bullies, as opposed to ending my life,” explained a performer known as Brenda the Drag Queen, who hosts the area’s popular Green Queen Bingo.

Green Queen Bingo is one of the longest running drag events of its kind in North Carolina. Since 2004 Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center has produced Green Queen Bingo and reportedly raised over $700,000 to support the LGBTQ community. Tens of thousands of people have attended Green Queen Bingo, making it a staple of the Greensboro community

For now, Green Queen Bingo will continue

National LGBTQ groups unify against Missouri attempt to delay treatment for all trans individuals

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey issued an Emergency Rule on April 14 restricting the medical treatment of transgender people of all ages. Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and Human Rights Campaign (HRC) have issued the following statement:

“As national legal groups who represent LGBTQ+ people and their families in every state across this country, we condemn the lawless action of Missouri’s Attorney General in purporting to bar essential medical care for both transgender adoles-

cents and adults.

“This action by Missouri’s Attorney General crosses a red line that should strike fear in the heart of every person who values individual liberty and believes that individuals, not government officials, should make health care decisions for their children and themselves.

“This is a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in the assault on evidence-based health care for transgender people. Cutting off treatment for those who need it will create predictable, unnecessary and serious harm. It is also a blatant attempt to strip transgender people of equal protection

“We demand that our lawmakers protect the rights and freedoms of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The LGBTQ community deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and we will not rest until we achieve full equality and inclusion in all aspects of society,” said Jennifer Ruppe, executive director of Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center.

Green Queen Bingo host Brenda the Drag Queen: ‘When a young queer person sees a drag queen, they might think, if that person can do that, then maybe can make it one more day at school in the face of those bullies.’ CREDIT: Facebook

Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center is a member of the NC is Ready coalition led by EqualityNC and Campaign for Southern Equality. Please follow NC is Ready for up-to-date information about antiLGBTQ bills and action alerts. To date, the following bills have been introduced restrict-

under the law and to subject them to intrusive government surveillance and control.

“We wish to make unequivocally clear that we will challenge this and any similar attempt to interfere with the fundamental freedom of transgender people to obtain medically necessary care and to be treated as equal, respected and participating members of our democracy.

“Lambda Legal and the ACLU of Missouri are prepared to fight back in court and have announced their intention to take legal action against this order.

“At this critical moment for our nation, we call on all freedom-loving people to join us in condemning this dangerous abuse of government power and to affirm that every person in this country is of equal value and worth and has an equal right to freedom from governmental coercion and tyranny. Transgender people are part of our communities, and we will

ing access to gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth: SB 639, SB 560 and SB641; bills excluding transgender students from school sports: SB 631/HB 574 and SB 636; bills censoring discussion of LGBTQ+ Identity and racial justice from school curriculum: SB 49 and HB 187; and a bill to ban drag performances, HB 673. – QNotes Staff

Nat’l LGBTQ organizations issue call to fight back against onslaught of anti-trans and anti-drag actions from GOP. CREDIT: Stock Adobe

not tolerate this or any other attempt to deny them the freedom to control their own lives and make decisions about their own medical care.”

— QNotes Staff

Understanding what’s happening in Missouri: ‘emergency rule’ will make gender-affirming care nearly impossible for all State attorney general leaves trans patients scrambling for care and providers

The emergency rule by Missouri State Attorney General Andrew Bailey (seen here discussing at a press conference) goes into effect April 27.

Guilford Green Foundation takes a stand against proposed anti-LGBTQ legislation in NC

Equality Florida advises LGBTQ travelers to avoid the ‘sunshine state’

Qnotes staff

As of April 12, Equality Florida, based in St. Petersburg, made the decision to issue a travel advisory for the state, warning of the risks posed to those considering short or long term travel, or relocation to the state.

The move comes in response to a wave of safety inquiries Equality Florida has received following the passage of laws that are hostile to the LGBTQ community, including restricted access to reproductive health care, repeal of gun safety laws, fomenting racial prejudice and attacking public education by banning books and censoring curriculum.

“As an organization that has spent decades working to improve Florida’s reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live work and visit, it is with great sadness that we must respond to those asking if it is safe to travel to Florida or remain in the state as the laws strip away basic rights and freedoms,” said Nadine Smith, Equality Florida Executive Director.

“While losing conferences, and top students who have written off Florida threats [as] lasting damage to our state, it is most heartbreaking to hear from parents who are selling their homes and moving because school censorship, book bans and health care restrictions have made their

home state less safe for their children. We understand everyone must weigh the risks and decide what is best for their safety, but whether you stay away, leave or remain we ask that you join us in countering these relentless attacks. Help reimagine and build a Florida that is truly safe for and open to all, and where freedom is a reality, not a hollow campaign slogan.”

Governor Ron DeSantis, who has made the extremist policies the centerpiece of his presidential campaign strategy, has weaponized state agencies to silence critics and impose sanctions on large and small companies that dissent with his culture war agenda or disagree with his attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Already, the adopted and proposed policies detailed in the travel advisory have led Florida parents to consider relocating, prospective students to cross Florida colleges and universities off their lists, events and conferences to cancel future gatherings, and the United States military to offer redeployment for service members whose families are now unsafe in the state.

Businesses have spoken out against the governor’s abuse of state power to punish dissent, with Disney CEO Bob Iger calling DeSantis “anti-business and anti-Florida.”

The worsening attacks, especially those targeting transgender youth, have also led to the proposal of policies around the country to provide refuge for those fleeing states like Florida.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition, a statewide immigrant rights coalition of 65 member organizations and over 100 allies, also issued a travel advisory, urging reconsideration of travel to Florida and providing critical information about where immigrant travelers can learn more about their constitutional rights.

During previous weeks, Florida chapters of the NAACP voted unanimously to request similar warnings to the Black community about the risk of traveling or relocating to the state.

While the political and cultural schism between Florida and a large portion of the United States can be traced back as far as the turn of the 21st century and the Supreme Court’s decision to stymie a recount of the state’s votes, which likely would have handed Al Gore the presidency, the influence of right wing conservatives flocking to the state in the past few years has led to the political environment that currently exists there today.

In a state with large LGBTQ populations

As the Medical Director and Founder of Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to our community concerning the recent legislation that is being pushed through the NC legislature. Since there are many bills and proposals on the table in our State and many others, that are clear attacks on our community, especially targeting Transgender individuals I felt I had to make clear our position. Most recent House Bill 673 filed on April 18, 2023 targeting drag performances and gatherings was the tipping point and we feel we can no longer stay quiet.

Straight and LGBTQ individuals and families are reportedly packing up and leaving because Florida is becoming known as a hate state.

CREDIT: Stock Adobe

based in cities like Orlando, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Miami, Florida was once hailed as a positive travel destination for vacationing Queers.

As early as the mid-1990s, the city of Miami funded LGBTQ press junkets for journalists to cover the area’s welcoming culture.

For now, those days appear to be long gone. Not only has the DeSantis administration taken aim at the trans community, it has also canceled funding for mental health programming to support survivors of the Pulse massacre, funding specifically designated to provide housing for homeless LGBTQ youth and funds earmarked for Orlando’s LGBTQ community center. ::

A new bill filed Tuesday in the North Carolina General Assembly would make drag shows illegal in public places.

House Bill 673 says “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest” would be labeled as “adult live entertainment.”

The bill groups “impersonators” alongside topless dancers, exotic dancers, and strippers under the “adult live entertainment definition.”’

In recent months Rosedale and Dudley’s Place have partnered and hosted two drag brunches. We have in two short brunch gatherings raised over $23,000 that has all gone 100% to help our clients with their nutritional needs and support. How can this be a bad thing? The Drag community has opened their arms to us, many seeking care with us, many volunteering their time, all to enable us to continue our mission of serving our community and reducing barriers to care.

Drag is not a crime. Being your authentic self is part of your inalienable human rights. At Rosedale and Dudley’s Place, we want YOU to know you are ALWAYS welcome. We are proud to not only serve people living with or at risk for HIV, but we welcome all members of the LGBTQA+ community to seek us out for your prevention and primary care needs. Our Transgender brothers and sisters are also a huge part of our clinical family, and we strive to offer them the best options not only for their care and transition needs, but also, having programs to help make it more affordable to seek care with us.

Everyday our waiting room looks like a beautiful mash up of people from all walks of life. We will continue to be that place where all are welcome.

Dr. Frederick Cruickshank President and Medical Director

Once welcoming to the queer community, it could now be a potential danger

Goat Daddy’s Farm: what rural life can offer our community

A fun place to visit turns out to be a great place to live and work for this married couple

by David Aaron Moore Qnotes S

Writer

Rural experience and small town living for those of us in the LGBTQ community is something different for each individual.

For many in the community who grow up on farms or in small towns, they’ve historically hit the ground feet first running at lightning pace and generally headed for the nearest big city.

But that’s not the case with everyone. Some people in our community enjoy life in small towns and living in a rural environment.

Josh Slade and Jason Southers fit that bill perfectly. After living in mediumsized Carolina cities like Columbia, South Carolina and Fayetteville, North Carolina, the two decided to make the move to a farm in a small town called Elgin, about a half hour outside of Columbia.

What prompted the move? Both partners in the married couple share a lifelong love of animals. They knew in order to share their lives together in the way they wanted to and make their dreams come true, they needed to live on a farm.

“We originally met at a gay bar in Columbia,” Slade recalls. “We’ve been together for 13 years and we were married on December 23, 2019.

Eventually the two men bought their first home together in a planned community called Lake Carolina on the outskirts of Columbia.

“It was a gated community with a homeowners association,” Slade says with a chuckle. “At first we just had dogs and birds. But then we got a potbelly pig we named Petunia. We got her when she was only a few weeks old, but a year later she was a full-size, grown pig, and we knew it wasn’t long before people would start to notice.”

Not unexpectedly, the time came for the pig to move on to live with another family on a property that was more conducive to a larger pig. Southers and Slade realized it would soon be their time to move on from Lake Carolina, so they began scouting for their farm.

It wasn’t long before they found what they were looking for: a farmhouse in the tiny little town of Elgin, South Carolina.

Previously known as Jeffers, Elgin has roots that date back to the 1890s when it had a population of around 130. Today, over a century later, the population has grown to 1,300 and is home to such events as the Catfish Stomp, an annual Christmas holiday season festival and parade.

Slade confirms the decision to move to the farmhouse and 66-acre piece of property, which they opened to the

public in 2015, has been a continuously positive experience. And that’s despite the fact South Carolina is well-known as an extremely conservative state.

“When we first started to meet people that lived in the surrounding area, they would ask who Jason was. They’d say things like, ‘Is he your brother?’ just replied, ‘no that’s my husband.’

“I got responses like ‘hmmmm’ and ‘oh.’ Sometimes they just wouldn’t say anything, but no one ever said anything that was rude or offensive.”

In the years that have followed, Slade and Southers have gotten to know all of their neighbors that surround them in every direction.

“I guess believe that all people can inherently be good people,” says Slade.

“You get to know them, they see who you are and what you do and you can develop a good relationship – even friendships –based on that.

“We’re open about who we are. We would never hide that. But it’s just a part of who we are. Another big part of us is this farm and the animals that we’re caring for, and I think that’s why we’ve developed such strong bonds with the community.

“Through getting to know us, for a lot of people here think, it’s seeing things through a different lens, and in a way they

chicks, put down deposits on goats and were able to retrieve their pig friend Petunia along with a male pig from the family who had initially taken Petunia. They insisted he come along as part of the package deal. “And we still have them today,” says Slade. “Pigs can be such friendly creatures and they are extremely intelligent.”

In addition to the pigs, goats (Nubian and Nigerian dwarf goats, to be more specific) and chicks, the two men have a veritable zoo of animals under their care that visitors to the farm can see and often interact with.

Among their brood are such fascinating creatures as a dromedary camel (named Abu), a llama, alpacas, tortoises (African Sulcattas called Keenan and Tyrian), a red

poll cow (goes by the name of Norris), lizards (one is a bearded dragon named Puff), kinkajous (nocturnal cousins to the raccoon and this pair are named Zaboo and Cleo), snakes (boa constrictors named Khan, Walker and Bojangles), horse, rabbits, prairie dogs, emus, donkeys and more.

If you’re thinking the sheer number of animals and requirements for their care is more than just two men can handle, you’d be right. In addition to themselves, they have two regular staffers on board, college interns and occasional volunteers.

Fortunately, Goat Daddy’s Farm has been recognized by the government as a non-profit entity and is also considered

an animal sanctuary (visit their website listed below if you’d like to see how you can help out).

Slade is happy to confirm Goat Daddy’s Farm often has visitors from LGBTQ communities throughout the Carolina region and beyond.

“It’s a welcoming place,” he explains.

“Everyone is welcome to come here and be themselves. Be who they are and enjoy what we have worked so hard to create.”

During the summer months the farm offers immersive programs for children to experience the goings on of the farm first hand and the opportunity to get to know a variety of wildlife and domesticated animals.

For adults, Saturdays provide a goat yoga and bottomless mimosa program. Information for registration on both programs is available at the website (the address is included at the end of the story).

“Lots of people enjoy that,” explains Slade. “Some visitors will participate in yoga, while others will lay around on the ground and enjoy goats romping around them.”

It’s clear there’s always something going on at Goat Daddy’s Farm, and that includes plans for the future. Among their upcoming hopes and desires are an on-site residence for their two staff employees, and a guest house.

“This has been a passion for us for the past 10 years,” Slade offers without hesita-

tion. “If you had asked me 15 years ago if this is what thought I would be doing, I wouldn’t have believed it, but now I can’t envision it any other way. It definitely takes a village, and we’ve been fortunate to work with some good people.”

If you’d like to have fun with some fascinating and unique animals, Goat Daddy’s Farm is worth the trip. It’s about a 90-minute drive from Charlotte, located at 144 Tomahawk trail in elgin. It’s open every Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For more details on program registration, links to YouTube videos, Facebook Instagram and their goat milk and cheese products, visit their website at goatdaddys.com. ::

might not have thought of before or would have otherwise experienced.

“We have neighbors that wouldn’t hesitate to call on to keep an eye on things or check on our property if we were away and we would do the same for them. For us, it’s about being a decent human being. Our experience here has been great.”

And what an experience it has turned out to be. Slade estimates they now care for more than 150 animals on the farm.

Before they settled into their new farm in 2014 they actually ordered 50 baby

taff

Jason Southers (left) and Josh Slade with a pair of young kids (baby goats).

CREDIT: Courtesy Goat Daddy’s Farm

Are Charlotte Faith Groups Actually Affirming LGBTQ People? Consider the

Orange

Exploring multiple religions and queer acceptance

By Palmer Magri, JJ Jones and Eleanor Williamson| Queens University News Service

The youth director at Temple Israel in Charlotte, Alan Johnathan, describes why many Jewish people are adding an orange to update their traditional Passover seder meal.

The seder plate includes at least five symbolic foods: bitter herbs (maror in Hebrew), for the bitterness of slavery; leafy greens (karpas), for spring and the hope of new growth; a mixture of apples, nuts and wine (haroset), for mortar; a roasted egg (beitzah), for the cycle of life; and a shankbone (zeroa), for the Passover offering at the temple in Jerusalem.

An orange (tapuz) symbolizes the marginalized and excluded, especially LGBTQ people.

“The reason for that is to remember that some people don’t feel as connected to community,” Johnathan explained, “and we should be welcoming them and trying to find ways to get them to feel comfortable, to just be who they are, and to be Jewish.”

Despite splits in mainstream churches over issues of inclusion, conversations with leaders of Christian, Jewish and Muslim faith groups shine an optimistic light on progress in Charlotte. It suggests movement beyond mere acceptance and toward actual affirmation of LGBTQ communities.

Growth in the Black Community

When she moved to Charlotte from Washington, D.C., in 1999, the Rev. Sonja Lee said there were no African-Americanled churches that affirmed LGBTQ people. She had grown up in a Christian Methodist Episcopal congregation and visited several churches that didn’t feel like a good fit.

So she worked with local faith leaders to found the Unity Fellowship Church.

“People just started coming in and we were like, wow, you know, it was happening,” she said. “And we have since served thousands of families in this area. We’ve actively been trailblazers and pioneers in that area, because now there are several affirming churches in the African-American community.” She listed the Movement Church on Village Lake Drive, St. Luke Missionary Baptist Church on Norris Avenue and Sacred Souls Community Church on Eastway Drive.

Lee is a preacher, veteran of the U.S. Army, activist and executive director of the Lionel Lee Jr. Center for Wellness, which supports the LGBTQ community and specifically Black transgender women.

“Religion and spirituality for me, there is an intersection,” Lee said. “But at some point, religion can be restrictive, and for certain people, they may have to work on their spirituality, which is their relationship with their higher power, their God as they understand God. It has shielded me from some religious dogma, knowing that God

loves me, created me, loves me, just the way am.

“There were some things that most of us, especially in Black communities, learned about their faith traditions in the community that are good,” Lee said. “The challenge is not to be caught up in dogma, especially if you identify outside of the mainstream, outside of the heterosexual norms. It is really critical to find affirming spaces.”

Evolution in Mainstream Christian Churches

Many Charlotte mainstream Christian churches are trying to answer a subtle but important question – How welcoming is welcoming? How do they move from welcoming to affirming?

Riley Murray, president of Charlotte Pride and a member of Caldwell Presbyterian Church, wasn’t conflicted about reconciling identity and faith. “So when I hear people have that struggle – I am not saying it is not real, because it is real,” Murray said. “But didn’t grow up being told you were going to go to hell because of how you identify sexually.”

Murray first attended Metropolitan Community Church, Charlotte’s first openly LGBTQ church, before joining Caldwell. Caldwell was not always open and affirming, said John Cleghorn, Caldwell’s head pastor. He said its journey toward affirmation began when the church was dying. The older congregation integrated with a group that was more diverse and inclusive.

“The distinction between being welcoming and affirming goes much deeper,” Cleghorn said. “It goes to empathy. It goes

at Queens University of Charlotte and author of a recent book on evolving gender roles in the Muslim tradition, describes a modern interpretation which draws a distinction between scripture and inclusion.

“The scripture is what it is,” Mubarak said. “But the Islamic faith is all about not judging people and about welcoming people to worship.”

A Queens student, Owen Panos, recently explored Islamic views on LGBTQ communities and concluded that the positions of North American Muslims range from acceptance to dissent. Panos, who is transgender, described an explanation from Sherman Jackson, an Islamic scholar at the University of Southern California.

“Jackson says gay Muslims are still Muslims, and cannot be disqualified from the religion,” Panos said. An individual who commits adultery or drinks alcohol, for example, does not become an unbeliever. For example, the prophet Muhammad once dispelled followers from cursing a man who drank alcohol, which is against Islamic belief.

to a posture of listening and understanding all journeys and all the ways that God creates people. It requires some humility, especially for folks that have not spent a lot of time with the LGBTQ community.”

The Presbytery of Charlotte’s LGBTQ Ministry Team is working with 93 churches in Charlotte on their move toward affirmation. Lisa Raymaker serves on the team and said ‘affirming’ includes being allowed to be married, allowing leadership within the church and sharing equal opportunity for voices to be heard.

“How do we not just welcome them like we should everyone? How do we include them in what we are trying to do here?”

Raymaker asked. People shouldn’t feel as though they need to work to be affirmed. They should be affirmed before they walk through the church doors,” she said.

The Presbyterian team is working to reach churches through educational meetings conducted both online and in small groups, and by meeting directly with churches, their pastoral staff and lay leaders. The team started about one year ago, Raymaker said, and now feels a greater sense of urgency because of increases in anti-LGBTQ legislation.

Suzanne Henderson, a Charlottebased consultant with Interfaith America, lists several mainstream churches that are already well along the path, including Covenant Presbyterian, St. John’s Baptist, Myers Park Baptist and Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church.

Exploring Islamic Belief

Hadia Mubarak, an Islamic scholar

“This inclusion is powerful in its support for LGBTQ Muslims,” Panos said. “It says God the prophet Muhammad still loves and supports those who follow Islam regardless of their actions.” But Islam also makes distinctions.

“If homosexuals want to say ‘I’m a homosexual and you must accept homosexual acts as being acceptable in Islam,’ don’t see a place for that, any more than see a place for ‘I am an adulterer and you must make a place for adultery in Islam,’” Jackson has said.

A Rainbow in Jewish Life

Johnathan, the youth minister at Temple Israel, explained that if you’re Jewish and LGBTQ, you can still get married in conservative and reform movements of Judaism. Charlotte’s Temple Beth El, in the reform movement, is more social actionfacing, and offers several groups and initiatives that directly address LGBTQ issues.

Jonathan explained that he and Temple Israel’s senior rabbi are part of the Keshet program, named after the Hebrew word for rainbow. Keshet works for the equality of all LGBTQ Jews and families in Jewish life.

“The way look at it is – sometimes it’s already difficult to be Jewish,” Johnathan said. “Especially in the South, where there’s not as many of us. So there’s no need to make anyone feel any more excluded from normal life than necessary. If you are straight, LGBTQ, any of those things, it doesn’t necessarily matter to us. Because we’re just happy you’re here and you’re Jewish, and you’re celebrating that with us.”

Palmer Magri, JJ Jones and Eleanor Williamson are students in the James L. Knight School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte, which provides the news service in support of community news. ::

Oranges and greens for a Passover seder plate. Photo by Justine Sherry

Mo’Nique comes out in new comedy special

Academy award winning actress and comic says she’s bisexual

Daniel Villarreal|LGBTQ Nation

Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique came out as Queer in her recently released Netflix stand-up comedy special, “My Name is Mo’Nique.” She also mentioned how her grandmother’s Christianity made it difficult for her grandmother to love her own transgender son.

In the special, Mo’Nique — who has an open marriage and two children with her husband Sidney Hicks — shared how she came out to Hicks. “I said, ‘Daddy, want to be with another woman sexually.’ And he looked at me, so beautifully and so patient and so loving, and he said, ‘B**ch, me too!’”

Addressing the audience, she says, “Now I know y’all are looking at me, saying, ‘Wait a minute, b**ch. Are you a motherf*ckin’ d*ke?’ No, I’m not… all the way.” Rather, she says that she feels somewhere in between straight and lesbian. She also says that she hid her same-sex attraction and tried to change her sexual orientation by sleeping with men, but says she is honest about her desires with her husband.

Elsewhere in the special, Mo’Nique explains why she never came out to her religious grandmother by discussing her grandmother’s strained relationship with her own transgender child, a person whom Mo’Nique affectionately refers to as “Uncle Tina.”

“My Uncle Tina, if she walked in here right now, you would think you were looking at a whole man,” Mo’Nique tells the audience, adding, “She has a full beard. She wears something to smash her breasts down. She puts something in her pants to make it look like she could possibly have a dick. And she wears men’s clothes and men’s shoes. Everything about my Uncle Tina is a man.”

“See, my grandmother could not come to grips that she had a gay daughter,” Mo’Nique continues. “She could only love her privately. She couldn’t love her publicly because the church had my grandmother f*cked up. That godd*mn Church, baby, in our communities will do some sh*t to us and rip apart motherf*ckin’ families, just like it’s going out of goddm*n style. And they’ll put ‘In the name of Jesus’ in front of it. And watched that s*ht happen to my sweet grandmother.”

Christianity taught Mo’Nique’s grandmother that she had failed as a parent because she had a “sinful” Queer child, Mo’Nique says. Witnessing the distance between the two made Mo’Nique feel like she couldn’t come out to her elder before she died.

“I felt cowardly when my grandmother left,” she says, “because I couldn’t tell my grandmother who her granddaughter really was. ‘Cause didn’t want to be loved privately.”

This admission is all the more heartbreaking because Mo’Nique says of her grandmother, “This woman treated me like the sun did not come up till I woke up. And it didn’t go down until I went to sleep… In her eyes, I was everything.”

After Mo’Nique became famous, her grandmother would show strangers at the grocery store pictures of Mo’Nique on magazine covers.

Mo’Nique also reveals that her uncle experienced alcoholism and homelessness, something that trans people are disproportionately more likely to face due to rejection from their families and transphobic societal discrimination.

However, the comedian honors her trans relative and all Queer people in a small aside that she addresses makes “you babies in the LGBTQ community.”

“I want y’all to hear me,” she says. “I respect every-motherf*ckin’-body in here free enough to be their godd*mn selves.”

While Mo’Nique appeared in the lead role of the turn-of-the-century sitcom The Parkers and hosted her own TV talk show, The Mo’Nique Show, her breakout role was playing an abusive mother in the gay director Lee Daniels’ 2009 dramatic film Precious, a role that won her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

In 2018, Mo’Nique sued Netflix, stating that Netflix had unfairly paid her $500,000 for a comedy special despite paying millions to transphobic comedian Dave Chappelle and other comedians like Chris Rock, Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer. She sued the streaming platform and encouraged viewers to boycott it, but she and Netflix settled the lawsuit out of court in June 2022.

This article appears courtesy of our media partner LGBTQ Nation. ::

Mo’Nique in her new Netflix comedy special, now available on the streaming network.

CREDIT: John Washington Jr./ Netflix

“Love, Honor, Betray” Out in Print

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Qnotes Staff Writer

“Love, Honor, Betray” by Mary Monroe

c.2023, Dafina

$26.00

320 pages

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Those are words you hear when someone is about to testify in a court of law. They put the “sworn” into sworn testimony, and you’ll also find the phrase in courtroom dramas, legal thrillers and Perry Mason. You don’t hear those words in a marriage ceremony, but in the new book “Love, Honor, Betray” by Mary Monroe, maybe you should.

He could’ve looked all over Lexington, Ala., for the rest of his life and Hubert Wiggins wouldn’t have found a more-fitting wife than his Maggie had been.

Before he met her, she’d been sexually assaulted and though she wanted to repeat her vows with someone special, she vowed that she’d never have relations again –which was fine with Hubert. He preferred to sleep with men anyhow, so their marriage was perfect.

Alas, Maggie died just over a year ago and Hubert needed a new wife.

Jessie, Maggie’s best friend, had her sights set on Hubert the day he put Maggie in the ground. In order to land him, she lied to him, said that he’d raped her when he was drunk and now she was pregnant, even though Hubert swore that he was traumatized by loss and couldn’t perform in bed because of it.

Jessie was sure she could cure Hubert’s problem. In the meantime, she wasn’t above having a fling when a fine man made it possible.

It was 1941, and sneaking around to

see his boyfriend, Leroy, was a challenge for Hubert, especially when the police were doubly-rough on a Black man in a nicer car at night. They didn’t care that Hubert was a respected businessman in Lexington’s Black community. They didn’t care that he was a funeral director, that his business had buried almost all the murder victims of a serial killer loose in the area.

The police might have had something to say, though, if they knew that Hubert and Jessie had murdered a woman named Blondeen...

Love a wild romp between the pages?

Then you’ll be overjoyed with the opening two-thirds of “Love, Honor, Betray,” where infidelity becomes an art form.

It’s rowdy and fun, in fact, until the book’s pinnacle, at a point where author Mary Monroe might seem to be wrapping things up. But look: There’s a chunk of book left, and that’s where everything falls apart.

It’s as if someone took a hammer to the plot here and busted it to pieces.

Characters act contrary to the personalities that were built up for them for 200 solid pages, and they do things that feel disrespectful to gay readers. This destroys the sense of fun that accompanied the everybody-sleeps-around chaos early in the book. Is it merciful or irritating, then, that the story doesn’t tie up loose

threads, but it just... ends?

Readers who are comfortable not finishing a book will enjoy this one, if they put it aside before it’s done. Go too far into “Love, Honor, Betray,” though, and you’ll be sorry you finished the whole thing. ::

by Gregg Shapiro Qnotes Staff Writer

Even the best cooks and bakers among us know that not every attempt at food preparation turns out to be the way it was intended. Part essay collection/part cookbook, writer and creativedirector Alison Riley’s “Recipe for Disaster: 40 Superstar Stories of Sustenance and Survival” (Chronicle Books, 2023) folds in humorous and heartfelt tales to satisfy almost every appetite. A culinary combination of first-hand experiences and interviews, “Recipe For Disaster” features contributions from Riley’s musician wife Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as Samantha Irby, Bowen Yang, Simon Doonan, Michael W. Twitty, Sarah Silverman, Alice Waters and Chelsea Peretti, to name a few. Riley recently made time to answer a few questions about the book.

Gregg Shapiro: Alison, what can you tell the readers about the genesis of “Recipe for Disaster: 40 Superstar Stories of Sustenance and Survival”?

Alison Riley: was mulling over the phrase “Recipe for Disaster” for a while before was approached about collaborating with Chronicle Books. I knew it was something; it’s a good fit within my general sensibility around making the most, and the best, of the worst, but wasn’t sure what until then. Once I started talking with the editor there, the shape of the book came together pretty quickly, though had no idea how diverse the responses would, or could, be. It really shaped itself once the contributors started contributing.

GS: What was involved in the process of soliciting contributors for “Recipe for Disaster”?

AR: Many, many, many emails and phone calls, a lot of rejection, some plain silence, significant ego-checking on my part and so much patience and gratitude.

GS: Was everyone you solicited able to contribute an essay or interview?

AR: Absolutely not! I probably asked over 100 people, if not many more, and these 40 are those who agreed.

A matter of taste

An interview with Alison Riley

GS: “Recipe for Disaster” features many LGBTQ+ contributors – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bowen Yang, Samantha Irby, Michael W. Twitty, Jacqueline Woodson, Simon Doonan, Becca Blackwell and Kyle Abraham. As a member of the community yourself, please say something about the importance of having those voices represented.

AR: Well, honestly, I didn’t have to think very hard about it. would personally not be interested in something with a multitude of voices that didn’t include a myriad of perspectives. And all those people that you’ve named, as well as Gabrielle Hamilton and Fran Tirado, are all totally different from one another. I hadn’t tallied the Queers myself but now considering that list, it is nice to see that even among “the community” there is such a diversity of people there and they share a wide range of stories, from the AIDS crisis to family rejection to the universal tale of not being nice enough to your mother.

GS: I recently interviewed Samantha Irby about her new book “Quietly Hostlile,” which also features essays about food. Her essay “Rejection Chicken” is a perfect way to open the book, with its combination of humor and food. What does it mean to you to have an essay by Samantha leading off your book?

AR: Thank you for asking that because it means so much to me, actually. I admire Sam’s humor and style very much and her willingness to be part of the book was a personal victory and a huge compliment. Seeing the beauty, the humor, or the value in something sad and terrible, especially while it’s happening, is something I treasure in a person whether I know them or not.

GS: Your wife Meshell’s essay is heartbreaking, but the conclusion in which she writes about clarifying her priorities – “friendship, musical integrity, people and partners that made me better, clean food and decent coffee” – ends on a hopeful note. Please say something about her contribution to the book.

AR: Meshell is my hero in that very sense – she has consistently made the choice to follow her own musical voice and not to capitulate to industry expectation or to the narrowness of genre, and she is one of the most authentic musical thinkers I know. I was grateful for her sharing a glimpse of how difficult it has been to stay true to herself and describe how little respect the music industry had (and certainly still has in plenty of ways) for an out, Queer, Black woman before there were very many in the public eye.

GS: There are a series of essays near the center of the book that take a serious turn, touching on 9/11, the bombing of Belgrade, and the pandemic. Please say something about the inclusion of those types of pieces.

Our People: Adria Focht

by L’Monique King Qnotes Staff Writer

Adria Focht is the former president and CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History. Previously, she served as Director and Curator at the Kings Mountain Historical Museum and worked as a Museum Technician at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia.

Currently, Focht, a self-identified Queer woman, now spends her days feeding her passion of gardening and farming using sustainable eco-friendly methods many might envy.

While sipping green tea and eyeing her healthy crop of tomatoes through a nearby bay window, Focht shared her thoughts on retiring from the business of museums, finding a new livelihood and the blessings of sharing her life with her loving partner of 15 years.

L’Monique King: Are you a native Carolinian? Where are you from?

AR: didn’t prescribe tone or topic for anyone I asked to contribute to the book (though I didn’t want it to become dominated by COVID) and those responses were honest and immediate responses to my prompt. Disasters, like everything, span a continuum and was glad to have stories along all points.

GS: Have you tried any or all the foods and recipes mentioned?

AR: am far more fluent in low points than I am in food so, in all truthfulness, I don’t cook much. That said, have tried many, some just to be sure the recipes made sense. Having a recipe for Alice Waters’ vinaigrette was worth doing the whole project.

GS: Could there be a “Recipe for Disaster 2” in the works?

AR: We’ll see! had a great time putting this book together, it was more fun and more work than I could have imagined and would love to do it again.

GS: Alison, I’d like to end with a quote from the Justin Vivian Bond essay: “If feel like I need to cheer myself up, or if I want to show somebody love them, I say, ‘How about if I just fry us up some potatoes?’” Would you agree that food preparation is one of the ultimate expressions of love?

AR: Of course, it is! I don’t show my own love that way, and no one wants me to because of my sorry culinary skills, but it certainly is a tried-and-true way to care for another person. One of my favorite parts of this book is how many of these recipes are about feeding oneself and the importance of caring for yourself when disaster strikes. We often forget to do that, and if this book does anything besides make people a little less afraid and a little more prepared to take care of themselves and each other, I’m satisfied. ::

Adria Focht: No, am from a small town outside of Redding, Pennsylvania and lived there until was 17 when came to Charlotte to attend school at UNCC [University of North CarolinaCharlotte]. Charlotte is where I’ve lived the longest. I have also lived in DC and Atlanta but Charlotte is where keep coming back to.

LMK: Why do you think you keep returning?

AF: A friend of mine had a bumper sticker when we were kids, “This is the least shitty town I’ve lived in.” So, it’s sort of like the Goldilocks zone for me. I don’t want to live at the beach and have to move my potted plants every time it floods. We have fewer natural disasters like floods, fires and ice storms here than many other places. But it’s more than that. have a lot of friends and family here, I’m happy here.

LMK: Would you tell our readers a little bit about the farmhouse you live in?

AF: Yes. It’s an old 1925 farmhouse that’s been renovated every 20 years, so it’s not immediately obvious that it’s been here since 1925. It’s a single level two-bedroom home and sort of the centerpiece of the block. In 1925 it was a poultry farm. In the 1960s the owner sold much of the surrounding land; we live on the three acres that remain.

LMK: I noticed you said we. Care to dish some of the tea you’re sipping on your personal relationship?

AF: We just celebrated 15 years together. My partner Jessica works at a bank and has just returned to playing billiards. She’s very good, is training again and staying active. She really is my complete support system. I wouldn’t be who am without her. just planted blueberry plants. They are

the prettiest of all the plants I put in, probably because I think they look just like her. They’re blue (she has blue eyes), they have delicate pale flowers with a blush to them (like her skin) and they are simply beautiful, just like her.

LMK: Is gardening what you now do for a living?

AF: [It is now.] Most people know me for working in the Museum field. did that for about 21 years and was able to follow a passion, to fill a pull to something and achieve heights in having a museum career. Now [having left working for museums] I am able to have an opinion and looking forward to being an advocate. But, last year I retired and did a 180. I took a Permaculture Design course through Oregon State University online. Then spent the past year installing my design here in Gastonia. It’s a complete leap of faith.

LMK: Permaculture? What exactly is that?

AF: It’s a merger of [the words] permanent and agriculture. There are a lot of definitions [for Permaculture], but the simplest is: it’s a design system for holistic living. It focuses on efficiency and looks at how you move around your house and planting structures. It’s trying to build your food systems and your ways of life around your local ecosystem. How you get your food, how you get your energy and cycle it is all based on modeling your local ecosystem. It’s a fairly new system. My degrees are in anthropology so there’s an overlap [for me]

As for minuses, we have many of the same problems in Gaston County as other small towns. Problems like affordable housing, equity and environmental issues. At the end of the day, it comes down to education – the root cause of all those issues. We don’t have the best high school graduation rate in Gaston County so that [lack of education and awareness] for me becomes the underlying cause of many issues.

LMK: What’s the best thing about having a farm for you?

AF: The ability to be able to just go outside and pick fruit is very attractive to me. It was during the pandemic that I felt like it was really important for me to have sustainable food that grow. I also wanted to be able to walk and be outside on land that I know is stable without having to worry about park closures.

LMK: Aside from tomatoes, what are some of the things you grow on your farm?

AF: Right now, this is my year one. This year have just installed my annual garden. put up a cattle panel fence to enclose my tomatoes that I was previously growing outside. Permaculture focuses on permanency so that’s perfect for me. love to plant perennials. This past year I’ve planted blueberries, raspberries, fig trees and paw paws (a fruit tree native to North America).

because permaculture looks at indigenous cultures and how they organize sustainably on landscapes and local environments.

LMK: Now that you’re living in a farmhouse, what is life like for living in a rural area with your partner?

AF: Life is good right now. Jessica is working permanently full time from home and that’s pretty much what I’m doing also. So, in terms of work-life balance, life has never been better.

LMK: What prompted you to make such a move?

AF: I just turned 40 and have always been a renter and career motivated. I’ve followed jobs around. But after this last job, was ready to put down roots and couldn’t afford to live in Charlotte. also knew wanted fruit trees, to grow my own food for sure and room to grow [personally]. You can grow food to feed a family on a quarter acre, but wanted enough space to grow food to share.

LMK: What are some of the benefits and challenges to rural living?

AF: Pluses, affordability. I was able to get my three acres well under my budget, can still drive to Charlotte for food and performances. Two, there’s just something about a small town where, because everyone knows everyone there’s accountability. I like that about a small town and think it’s just breathable in a way, because there’s not the traffic and constant chaos of the city.

LMK: Recognizing the importance of climate for agricultural growth, how would you say your area’s political and cultural atmosphere impacts your life in Gaston County?

AF: think it’s fair to say that it’s not always welcoming. There’s a lot going on right now and I’m trying to advocate for the museum right now and don’t want to be disparaging. It is my home. grew up in a small town that was not welcoming to LGBTQ people so I’m familiar with the concept and I’m trying to be that change from the inside. want our community to feel welcome. I’m trying to build a community with my neighbors; trust, familiarity and family. I want to be that type of neighbor where you might not agree with me or like my lifestyle but you love me and are my neighbor.

LMK: Sounds like an awesome start to fostering community, equity and compassion. What do you think you’ll be doing 20 years from now?

AF:I’ve always had a mission of preserving and sharing natural resources. think staying mission focused helps me sleep at night knowing we’re doing the good work that we’re doing – doing what we’re supposed to do. So, hopefully 60-year-old Adria is still right here, with a mature food forest, strolling around sharing food with neighbors and our local schools. At that time, my partner and will both be retired, enjoying our food forest and each other. ::

A city worker finds pleasure and purpose in relocating to the country

Salt of the earth: former Charlotte History Museum CEO Adria Focht now spends her days tilling the soil on a farm in Gaston County. CREDIT: Adria Focht