QNotes, March 23, 2018

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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March 23-April 5 . 2018

inside

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news & features

Gays For Trump rally fails to draw much ofentertainment. a crowd after a year of arts. news. views. anti-LGBT policies Mar. 5 - goqnotes.com/58556

arts. entertainment. news. views.

4 Jamie Hildreth Commission Run 5 News Notes: Regional Briefs 7 News Notes: U.S./World Briefs 8 Champions All Around Us 10 Yesterday’s National Heroes 11 LGBTQ Senior Care

Tips for LGBTQ elders help in the navigation of the aging process. page 11

Armed man hurling anti-gay slurs arrested outside gay bar in Raleigh Mar. 8 - goqnotes.com/58590 The fascinating story of the first lesbian magazine in North America, plus where to read it Mar. 8 - goqnotes.com/54559

more news & features …

Adam Rippon honored with Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign Mar. 11 - goqnotes.com/58769

a&e / life&style 17 Tell Trinity

Politician and Gays For Trump leader Boykin says he’s not transphobic, despite anti-trans position Mar. 18 - goqnotes.com/58865

18 Q Events Calendar 19 Health & Wellness

opinions & views 12 Legal Eagles

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online

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LGBGTQ Senior Care!

Health & Wellness

Legal Eagles

Using randomization in a training session can provide benefits and rewards. page 19

LGBTQ workers are now protected under the Civil Rights Act. page 12

Trixie Mattel and Bob the Drag Queen interview Fortune Feimster and it’s hilarious Mar. 18 - goqnotes.com/58889

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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qnotes connect March 23-April 5, 2018 Vol 32 No 24

arts. entertainment. news. views. goqnotes.com twitter.com/qnotescarolinas facebook.com/qnotescarolinas

contributors this issue

Russ Brinson, Torie Dominguez, Jack Kirven, Lainey Millen, Elizabeth Pruett, Jeff Taylor, Trinity

front page

Graphic Design by Lainey Millen Photography: See page 8 for details.

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, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues.

Pride Publishing & Typesetting, Inc., dba QNotes P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222 ph 704.531.9988 fx 704.531.1361 Publisher: Jim Yarbrough Sales: x201 adsales@goqnotes.com Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, ph 212.242.6863 Managing Editor: Jim Yarbrough, x201, editor@goqnotes.com Assoc. Editor: Lainey Millen, specialassignments@goqnotes.com Social Media Editor: Jeff Taylor, jeff@goqnotes.com Copy Editor: Torie Dominguez, torie@goqnotes.com Production: Lainey Millen, x205, production@goqnotes.com Printed on recycled paper.

Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2018 and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent of the editor or publisher. Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.

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upcoming issues: 04.06.18: LGBTQ Youth Advertising Space Deadline: March 28 04.20.18: Summer Travel Advertising Space Deadline: April 11

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qnotes

Politics

Jamie Hildreth sets out on a run for Mecklenburg County Commission Could become first gay at-large elected official

by Jeff Taylor :: qnotes staff

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amie Hildreth says he has been considering a run for office for a long time. After all, he studied political science in college, and has been active in the community for years.

His decision to run for the Meckleburg County Commission, as an atlarge candidate, is the culmination of that service, and is inspired by what he learned from watching behind the scenes. If he wins, he will be the first openly gay person to land an at-large seat of any kind in Mecklenburg County, or the city of Charlotte.

He recently stepped down from his position as the chair of the LGBTQ political advocacy group MeckPAC, which he held since 2016, in order to run for office.

Hildreth, who works as a financial crimes specialist for Wells Fargo, wasn’t sure what form his entry into candidate territory would take until recently.

His decision to focus on county commission resulted, he told qnotes, from the fact that he felt the county commission was being ignored in comparison with “all of the attention in 2017 (that) was put on the Charlotte City Council election.”

“It had just been 2016, and county commission candidates, the majority of them, didn’t have any primary opponents. And if they did have a primary opponent, it was folks who weren’t as out there, as involved; you didn’t see them in the community,” Hildreth reflected.

That didn’t sit right with him.

“You have county commission candidates who haven’t been to community events in the districts they represent in years,” he said. “So, there’s this incumbency that keeps going on in county commission, it seems.”

“I began to see firsthand how that was leading to our county commission to really not have the ear of the people they represent anymore. They’re not listening anymore,” he continued. “And you see that in a whole host of ways.”

Meanwhile, some of the biggest issues facing the city of Charlotte, N.C. and its surrounding areas, run right through the Mecklenburg County Commission.

“Whenever I look at the issues that I am most passionate about, which is school funding, which is ending 287g, which is our environment and our parks, all of those areas, public health with the health department, all of that is under the County Commission,” Hildreth noted. “And people just keep overlooking it, year after year, election after election.”

287g is a voluntary federal program the county participates in, to flag and hold inmates who might be in the country illegally, then turn them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Protesters of the controversial program first showed up to a Charlotte City Council meeting before becoming aware that their efforts should be directed instead at the county commission, further illustrating Hildreth’s point concerning it getting overlooked as an important governing body.

A history of service in Mecklenburg County Hildreth was born in Wadesboro but spent a lot of time in Charlotte as a child, as it is where his mother was raised. The 28-year-old has been living in the city since moving in 2008, to attend the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

His first experience with post-collegiate, direct community involvement came in 2013, when he joined the Charlotte Pride board, serving as development co-chair, working to bring in sponsorships. It was that same year that he joined the board of MeckPAC, as well as began serving as the executive assistant at the Latin America Coalition, a position he held into 2014.

Hildreth also worked as a deputy field organizer for Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, and as a field organizer two years later for Kay Hagan’s Senate re-election campaign.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

Hildreth went on to serve as secretary of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, stepping down in 2016 to take the chair position with MeckPAC. He hopes a successful entry into politics as a candidate will help him make an even larger impact in Mecklenburg County.

Representation matters “Visibility and interacting with someone is key,” he said. “If you have — whether it’s in the state legislature, city council, county government, Congress, wherever it is — if you know someone that is LGBT, you are less likely to want to pass policies, or pass restrictions, that are going to have negative impacts on the LGBT community.

Because you’re going to have somebody that’s at the table.”

He noted Mecklenburg County’s alarmingly high rate of those living with HIV/AIDS, one of the highest in the nation, in fact, and how little has been done to stop the epidemic.

The county only recently announced it would be launching a limited pilot program to get PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, a once-daily pill that helps prevent someone who is HIV-negative from contracting the virus, following pressure from MeckPAC and the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.

“Truthfully, the only reason that a lot of work was able to be done for our county to pass the small PrEP initiative that it is doing now, is because we had a health director who made some disparaging comments about people who have HIV and AIDS,” Hildreth noted. “If that hadn’t happened, they could have potentially kept dragging their feet on all these other issues that are important to people.”

“It took them over, like, 18 months to put money aside for PrEP, or some kind of HIV/ AIDS transition funding program to try to bring down the rates. It took them 18 months to act on it,” he added.

Coming full circle The notable timing of his run for office has not escaped Hildreth.

MeckPAC, the group he until recently chaired, was formed 20 years ago, in 1998, in response to a vote from county commission to defund the Arts & Science Council over its support of a Charlotte Repertory Theatre presentation of the play “Angels in America,” an exploration of gay life and HIV/AIDS in the country in the 1980s.

“So, it’s kind of coming full circle,” Hildreth said, reflecting on his decision to run, as an openly gay man, all these years later. “While it’s not the main reason I’m running, it shouldn’t be lost.”

He is also encouraging other LGBTQ people across the country to run for office, saying, “it will help combat anti-discriminatory legislation or policies at all levels.” “(We need to make sure) we have a voice, we have a seat at the table, so that we can provide that presence of saying, ‘Hey, do you realize that what you’re proposing (if it is discriminatory), you’re going to be doing that to me. Not some person that you don’t know, have never heard of, have never interacted with, it’s going to affect me,’” he said. “And having someone who can say that is powerful.”

Hildreth will face off against six fellow Democrats in the May 8 primary, including incumbents Pat Cotham, Trevor Fuller, Ella Scarborough, as well as Gerenda Davis, Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel and Ray McKinnon.

Jeremy Brasch is running as the lone Republican for an at-large seat.

The general election will take place on Nov. 6, with a total of three at-large seats up for grabs.

For more information on Hildreth and his candidacy, visit jamiehildreth. com. For Mecklenburg County voter information, visit mecknc.gov/BOE. : :

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news notes: carolinas compiled by Lainey Millen :: qnotes staff

LGBTQIA center opens GREENSBORO, N.C. — The LGBTQIA Center of Greensboro has officially opened at the Guilford Green Foundation headquarters at 1205 W. Bessemer Ave., Suite 226.

The center is a programming arm of the foundation and will serve as a meeting space for programs and ongoing events, as well as a place for community members to find resources, the foundation shared.

“The community center is a safe and affirming space to connect with the LGBTQIA community. We are bringing in existing programs and serving as a convener for the community,” said foundation Executive Director Jennifer Ruppe.

Melissa Ivy “Melvy” Shaw has been hired at the center manager. Shaw grew up in Greensboro, N.C., but moved to Los Angeles, Calif. after college where she worked as a post-production supervisor on documentaries and reality television shows.

After she transitioned, she did not realistically see moving back to North Carolina as an option. However, that notion changed. “…seeing what Guilford Green was doing really opened up my eyes to returning to the East Coast,” Shaw said. “Greensboro has become a much more inclusive city.”

She has has been working with community groups, private businesses and individuals to bring programs, services and events to the space.

“We want to bring suicide prevention resources and Melissa Ivy “Melvy” Shaw testing services into the center, while offering a space for everything from speech therapy and self defense clinics for trans folk, to movie nights and social hours for all age groups,” Shaw added. “We really want this center to be defined by the community it serves.”

The Guilford Green Foundation staff plans to begin offering open center hours this summer.

This will provide an opportunity for community members to drop by the center and utilize its resources and library.

To host a workshop or program, call Shaw at 336-790-8419 or email center@ggfnc.org. The foundation website will feature center programs. info: ggfnc.org.

Charlotte Chorus concert announced

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One Voice Chorus of Charlotte will present its “Man Behind the Dream” concert on April 8, 3 p.m., at the Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. The newly-commissioned work by composer Steve Milroy tells the story of Bayard Rustin who served as personal assistant to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He also served as organizer of the 1963 March on Washington.

“Some religious leaders did not want Rustin in the foreground because he was a gay man, and they believed his sexuality would hinder the progress of the Civil Rights movement,” the chorus shared. “Rustin’s story is more relevant.”

Tickets are available for $20. Due to the small venue, the show is expected to sell out, so purchase tickets quickly to secure a seat. info: onevoicechorus.com.

Mercy AIDS walk hits silver

BELMONT, N.C. — The Walk for AIDS to benefit the House of Mercy will mark a milestone, its 25th year, at this year’s event which will be held on April 14, 10 a.m., on the Sisters of Mercy campus, 100 McAuley Cir. The three-mile trek helps raise funds for the facility that provides compassionate care for low-income men and women living with AIDS. This year’s goal is $45,000.

Registration starts at 9:30 a.m., with the walk following.

A picnic reception caps off the day’s event with music, prizes and awards presentations.

In order for organizers to be properly prepared for those who will attend the picnic, they are asking participants to notify them by calling 704-825-4711, ext. 3 or via email at development@thehouseofmercy.org.

Walk organizers are seeking individuals or teams who wish to participate, in addition to sponsors. A T-shirt will be given to the first 300 participants who raise $50 or more. Visit the website to learn more.

Contributions are also being accepted and can be sent to House of Mercy, P.O. Box 808, Belmont, NC 28012. Checks should be made out to House of Mercy. Additionally, contributions can be made online by clicking the “Donate Now” button. info: thehouseofmercy.org/WalkforAIDS.asp.

Center partners with seniors

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Freedom Center for Social Justice (FCSJ) has announced that it has entered into a partnership with Aldersgate Senior Living Community, located at 3800 Shamrock Dr. “This relationship reflects our deepening commitment to intergenerational and intersectional work,” the center said.

FCSJ will be a part of the Elder’s Council that is working to bring the very first Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE) chapter to Mecklenburg County.

“Far too often our LGBTQ elders are left out of vital conversations and efforts that focus on protections, inclusion and support for the community. That all changes now!,” remarked Bishop Tonyia Rawls, FCSJ’s executive director.

The center will also be working with Aldersgate as a local resource on ways they

can work with their seniors to provide varied viewpoints on LGBTQ life. The collaboration will provide a shared learning environment, in addition to an opportunity to build a more inclusive East Charlotte. “We are thrilled to be a part of the process of making this incredibly diverse community even more welcoming and inclusive,” the center added.

In other news, on April 13 the center will present a workshop, “NC Churches in Ally-ship with Trans Women,” at the North Carolina Council of Churches Critical Issues Seminar.

Participants will be guided on how to transform their places of worship into embracing communities for all women.

Additionally, the center got an office makeover when interior designer Brett Steward transformed the space into one that matched the staff’s “dream” of having their work environment reflect their values and work. The letters “EAC” embellish the wall to remind the center’s staff and volunteers that the purpose of all its programs is to “Educate, Advocate, and Celebrate!” The community can host meetings, small gatherings or simply co-work in the newly renovated office space. Email info@fcsj. org to learn more. info: fcsj.org.

Chamber slates speed networking

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce will hold it’S annual speed networking event, “The Need for Speed,” on March 27, 6:30 p.m., at Resident Culture Brewing, 2101 Central Ave. Participants will enjoy complimentary hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and food trucks. Members will receive complimentary brews. Free parking is available. info: clgbtcc.org.

Novant launches leaders program

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Honoring the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr. and his service to others, Novant Health is launching a leadership program called the H: Drive Experience; the “H” represents “hidden.”

The pilot program aims to identify untapped, high-potential leaders who are invested and engaged in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community but who might not otherwise have access to leadership development opportunities.

“At Novant Health, diversity and inclusion are more than just words. They’re core values,” said Tanya Blackmon, Novant Health executive vice president and chief diversity and inclusion officer. “We are proud to provide a leadership development opportunity through the H: Drive Experience that will further benefit our diverse communities.”

Through a combination of core sessions, coaching, interaction with community leaders and shared group experiences, prominent change agents in the community will facilitate personal and leadership development designed to help participants create a clearer sense of purpose, strengthen their leadership voice and deepen their commitment to serve.

The nine-month program will begin in May 2018 and end in January 2019. Participants, who will be notified by April 9 of their selection, are asked to make a firm commitment to attend the scheduled sessions and invest in their personal development.

H: Drive participants will be recognized during Opera Carolina’s opening night performance of “I Dream,” presented by Novant Health, on May 18. “I Dream” is a modern, rhythm and blues opera based on the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Questions about the

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program can be directed to Arlene Ferebee at aferebee@NovantHealth.org. info: mynovant.com/hdrive.

Triad Wine tasting fundraiser upcoming

SALISBURY, N.C. — Long-time Salisbury Pride supporters Stephanie and Bob Potter will hold a wine tasting fundraiser on March 23, 6 p.m., at Salisbury Wine Shop, 106 S. Main St. Featured for the evening’s tasting are Skyline and Gen5 from two California wineries.

The shop is adorned with world flags and also includes the rainbow flag which is prominently displayed “because it represents everybody,” Stephanie Potter shared.

Tickets are $20 and available online at bit. ly/2poymj0. info: salisburypride.com.

Church plans Easter observance

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Metropolitan Community Church of Winston-Salem will hold its Easter service, “Resurrection,” on April 1, 11 a.m., at 4105 Patsy Dr. Rev. Wanda Floyd will be the guest speaker and Rev. Jon M. Hamby will officiate. Earlier that day, they will have their annual Sunrise Service with breakfast following. Volunteers are being sought to be at the church at 6 a.m. in order to prepare the meal. Food and monetary contributions are also needed. Currently, organizers need whipped cream, fruit cocktail, strawberries, coffee, tea, cooked sausage links, cranberry juice, apple juice, assorted bagels and croissants. Email mccnaida1825@aol.com to help out.

On Palm Sunday on March 25, Rev. Renee DuBose will serve as guest speaker. A potluck lunch will follow worship services. info: mccwschurch.com.

Center focuses on youth

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — North Star LGBTQ Community Center has developed a number of programs and initiatives geared toward LGBTQ youth, from focusing on leadership to hosting an Alt Prom.

The center has taken on this work so that LGBTQ youth have a viable resource and support system.

Currently, North Star is accepting contributions of formalwear for prom. Until April 22, dresses, suits, tuxes, ties, shoes and other prom attire can be dropped off at the center from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 1-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. Items collected will be made available to youth who are unable to afford formal attire. Interested shoppers should email director@northstarlgbtcc.com to express interest.

The Alt Prom “Glow” will be held on May 12, 7 p.m., at Old Salem Visitor’s Center, 900 Old Salem Rd., and is being hosted by the center and its Youth Leadership Council along with support from community partners Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays Winston-Salem and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem. More businesses and organizations are being accepted for the event.

Music will be provided by DJ Clash and there will be performances by local drag queens and kings.

The event is open to any high school student in grades 9-12. Admission is free, however a $5 suggested contribution will be graciously accepted. Tickets are not required, but registration is requested to help organizers estimate num-

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Carolinas News Notes continued from page 5 bers. Visit bit.ly/2FV3lu6 to sign up. For security reasons, once each young person has entered the event, they cannot re-enter a second time.

The center is seeking adult volunteers (email director@northstarlgbtcc.com) and contributions (visit gofundme.com/2018AltProm) to help defray costs. Youth volunteers who would like to be involved in the prom planning should email director@northstarlgbtcc.com and ask about being part of the Youth Leadership Council. Monthly meetings, typically the first Saturday at the month from 3 to 5 p.m., are open to middle and high school students from Forsyth and the surrounding counties. Visit the website to learn more about other youth programs. info: northstarlgbtcc.com.

Western PFLAG welcomes trans trainers

HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — The Flat Rock/ Hendersonville Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays will hold their upcoming meeting on April 9, 6 p.m., at the Hendersonville Library, Kaplan Room, 140 Saundersville Rd., where it will host trainers from the Campaign for Southern Equality.

The trainers will provide a 90-minute transgender sensitivity training to help create safer communities for transgender and gender variant individuals across the South. Included will be an overview of what transgender means, reviewing vocabulary about gender, a discussion about why transgender sensitivity

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matters, an interactive Gender Jeopardy game and a question and answer period.

Facilitating the meeting will be Ivy GibsonHill, LGBT Toolkit Rights coordinator with Campaign for Southern Equality, and Fletcher Page, Campaign for Southern Equality’s LGBTQ resource navigator.

The training is open to parents, friends and allies of the LGBTQ community. info: southernequality.org. pflag.org/chapter/pflag-flat-rockhendersonville.

Regional ACLU annual meeting upcoming

RALEIGH, N.C. — ACLU of North Carolina will hold its annual meeting on May 20, 2 p.m., at The McKimmon Conference & Training Center, 1101 Gorman St. The organization has invited the community to the event where they can enjoy light refreshments while mingling with fellow supporters from 2-2:30 p.m. and vote for new members of the board of directors.

Featured at this year’s annual meeting will be a panel discussion from 2:30-4 p.m. on the state’s “shameful system of cash bail and how it has created a two-tiered system of justice” across the state, the organization shared.

Attendees will learn how to get involved with the ACLU’s new Campaign for Smart Justice.

Karen Anderson, executive director of ACLU of North Carolina will serve as speaker during the meeting.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

The event is free and open to everyone. One does not have to be an ACLU member to attend.

RSVP are requested by visiting bit.ly/2DEeJIJ. info: acluofnorthcarolina.org.

Advocacy training slated

RALEIGH, N.C. — The NC AIDS Action Network has announced that it will conduct regional advocacy trainings across North Carolina during the spring.

The sessions will help community members learn about the current state of HIV and viral hepatitis policy, as well as best practices on how to have an effective meeting with a decision maker around policies that impact the public. This warm up will be preparation for the statewide HIV advocacy day, HIV Speaks on Jones Street, on July 12 where advocates will visit state legislators and educate them about policies that improve the lives of individuals living with HIV and AIDS across the state.

Trainings will be held in the evening with participants being served dinner.

On the calendar are: Asheville, April 16, Kenilworth Center, 4 Chiles Ave.; Charlotte, April 17, Packard Place, 222 S. Church St.; Greensboro, April 19, Higher Ground, 210 E. Bessemer Ave.; Fayetteville, April 24, Community Health Interventions and Sickle Cell Agency, 2409 Murchison Rd.; and Durham, April 25, Durham Technical Community College, 1637 E. Lawson St. Times had not been confirmed as of press time. qnotes will update this news story when it becomes available.

Sessions in Wilmington and Greenville will be announced at a later date.

HIV Speaks on Jones Street begins early in the morning on July 12 and runs until both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly (House and Senate) go into session at 3 p.m. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and is required and free. (Even though there is no charge to register, organizers will appreciate contributions of $10 or $25 to help defray costs.)

Advocacy and issue training follows from 8:45-10 a.m. at the North Carolina Museum of History, 5 E. Edenton St. Breakfast is provided.

After the initiative, NC AIDS Action Network will host its annual Advocacy After Hours at 5 p.m. at The District, 317 W. Morgan St. #117.

A block of rooms is being offered at a negotiated rate of $109 per night at the Holiday Inn Express, 320 Hillsborough St. Rooms must be booked by May 11 to guarantee the rate.

Call the hotel at 919-832-0501 for reservations or visit bit.ly/2u4hd3K to register online.

see Carolinas News Notes on 14

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news notes: u.s./world compiled by Lainey Millen :: qnotes staff

Community gears up for health awareness week WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National LGBT Health Awareness Week, “Out Front for LGBT Health,” will be held from March 26-30.

As part of the observance, the National Coalition for LGBT Health will lead a social media campaign using a social media toolkit, which provides promotional and educational materials, for partner organizations and LGBTQ health advocates, available at bit.ly/2HKcB4J. Organizations that wish to participate in the week’s activities can email beyer@healthlgbt.org to be included on the list.

Slated so far are: March 26, 10 a.m., Thunderclap kickoff; March 26, 3 p.m., Twitter chat on Millennials’ health insurance utiliza-

tion; and March 27, 2 p.m., “How Discrimination Affects LGBT Health” webinar with speakers Lambda Legal representative and Ames Simmons, Equality North Carolina (register at bit.ly/2FM1ICY).

To become a partner and join the over 150 others who have signed on, visit bit.ly/2DBmjnC. Some of the Carolinas Coalition partners are: AID Upstate, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, East Carolina University, East Carolina University Division of Infectious Diseases and International Travel Health, Equality North Carolina, Unity Empowerment Resource Center/ Palmetto AIDS Life Support Services and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Health Disparities Research Collective. : : info: healthlgbt.org.

QUICK HITS —————————————————————————————— Diversity Richmond was recognized with the Richmond History Makers Award for their efforts to empower individuals from the black LGBTQ community, GayRVA reported. info: bit.ly/2tVf62b.

Transgender women have joined the #MeToo movement, sharing their stories in

a video for online queer community platform them. Featured are transgender model Munroe Bergdorf along with several other transgender women of color who talk about assault, dating violence, how feminists and cisgender people can better include transgender women and how transgender women and the larger LGBTQ community can help uplift each other’s voices.

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The video is available online at youtu.be/ zGnULTNJvks. info: them.us/story/trans-women-me-too.

Douglas High School Gay/Straight Alliance at their annual Miami gala on March 10. info: equalityflorida.org.

Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays celebrated its 45th anniversary on March 11. info: pflag.org.

Lambda Literary has announced the finalists of their 30th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The awards ceremony will be held in New York on June 4. info: lambdaliterary.org.

Sen. Nancy Pelosi became the first sitting member of Congress to appear on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” where she visited the “All Stars” workroom during the season. info: bit.ly/2IxIPkO. Mayor Rick Kriseman issued a proclamation declaring March 31 as Transgender Day of Visibility in St. Petersburg, Fla. info: equalityflorida.org.

Keshet will hold its first Southeast LGBTQ and Ally Teen Shabbaton from April 27-29 in Clayton, Ga. Registration is now open. info: keshetonline.org/teenshabbaton.

An Athens, Ga. bookstore was forced to remove an LGBTQ book, “The Best Man,” from a private school event, the Georgia Voice reported. info: bit.ly/2FZMp8W. The William Way LGBT Community Center received a $5,000 gift from AARP for addressing aging issues that impact the LGBTQ community in the Greater Philadelphia region. info: aarp.org.

Equality Florida honored the student leaders and advisors of the Marjory Stoneman

The Black AIDS Institute has launched its Black Women & PrEP toolkit available at bit. ly/2G8bJJQ. info: blackaids.org.

The Human Rights Campaign honored Grammy-nominated artist Ty Herndon with its Visibility Award at the 2018 HRC Nashville Equality Dinner on March 17. info: harc.org.

A documentary produced by them which follows Olympic Gold Medalist Gus Kenworthy’s guest for gold after coming out has been released. The short accompanies the publication’s feature story. The video is available at youtube.com/watch?v=t02MEtFmbMA. info: them.us/story/gus-kenworthy-freestyle.

The Truth Awards honored former NBA referee Violet Palmer with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the first female to officiate an NBA game, and became the first openly gay referee in NBA history. info: facebook.com/thetruthawards.

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March 23-April 5 . 2018

qnotes

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Leading Ladies

Champions are all around us Charlotte-area women give ‘Queen City’ new meaning

by Torie Dominguez :: qnotes staff

B

eing a champion for any cause takes dedication and true grit. From the willingness to tackle tough issues to standing up publicly for social justice and more, the women depicted here are ones whom qnotes calls its annual “leading ladies” who are taking up the charge in helping make the world a more equitable and fair place in which to live.

Jan Anderson These days, the call for more American girls and young women to pursue education in the hard sciences is inescapable.

A foray into online shopping for kids’ toys can quickly see shoppers lost in Amazon’s labyrinthine STEM section, the omnipresent acronym denoting Science, Technology, Engineering and

Jan Anderson.

Photo Credit: The Charlotte Observer. Personal Collection.

Mathematics, the trendy Holy Tetralogy of early scholarship. A working pink rhinestone microscope is the new Easy Bake Oven.

Not so in Jan Anderson’s day. The retired engineer looks upon the 1970s, era of Ms. Magazine and second-wave feminism, as “the dark days,” not only for women in science like herself, but for women everywhere. She believes things today are better than they were — and that’s exactly why, when she learned that citizens would be descending upon the nation’s capital for the historic Women’s March on Jan. 21, 2017, she knew she had to be there. And she had to make sure others were too.

So Anderson, never one to shy away from a challenge, teamed up with a friend, ultimately organizing a charter bus to ferry dozens of Charlotteans the 400 miles to the demonstration.

By February she was overseeing a meeting of hundreds, laying the groundwork for the Charlotte Women’s March. Her team keeps their membership aware of local events and rallies their support for causes beginning with gender equality and women’s health, but expanding to include LGBTQ rights, immigration, education, the environment and more.

When she recalls those dark days in which she says “I had degrees from Duke, Carolina, and N.C. State, yet I couldn’t get a credit card or a mortgage on my own,” Anderson knows the reason for her commitment to activism is simple: “We will not go back.”

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Shakira Clarke Time Out Youth Center (TOY), the community support and advocacy organization whose programs and facilities expand as fast as they can secure funding, reports that in the past two years alone it has received more than 200 individual requests for emergency housing. Leading the charge to secure shelter for LGBTQ youth facing housing insecurity, including many who have been ejected from their family homes or fled abuse because of their queer identities, is housing specialist Shakira Clarke.

A Johnson C. Smith University graduate and onetime inductee to the prestigious Phi Alpha national honor society for students of social work, Clarke has lived out her passion for service in Charlotte since she was as young as some recipients of TOY’s aid are today. Even as she pursued a dream degree, her drive for excellence — and, vitally, an intense Shakira Clarke. commitment to teamPhoto Credit: Facebook work — helped carry her celebrated college squad to 2010 CIAA women’s basketball champion status.

Most recently, Clarke’s mission to eliminate housing insecurity among LGBTQ youth saw her address a Feb. 6 meeting of the Mecklenburg County Commission. She spoke about the devastating impact and shocking scale of the homelessness that continues to plague this uniquely vulnerable population.

While the scourge can be eliminated only by defeating the ignorance and bigotry that all too often cost kids their homes and families in the first place, as a more immediate remedy Clarke and TOY are working tirelessly to establish a more extensive shelter community capable of providing longer-term services to meet the complex needs of those with nowhere else to go.

Clarke has frequently advocated for enhanced institutional awareness of the circumstances facing LGBTQ people who come into contact with any of a variety of social service organizations, be they government entities or private charities.

She has worked to educate Safe Alliance staff at the Clyde and Ethel Dixon Domestic Violence Shelter, training them to respond with greater insight to LGBTQ survivors and families. In remarks to Creative Loafing in January 2017, Clarke identified ingrained heteronormativity as a critical obstacle to productive collaboration between public service bodies, particularly law enforcement, and the queer community. Simultaneously she draws parallels between queer and immigrant populations in the need to overcome longstanding and too often justified reticence to engage with officialdom. In recognizing same-sex partnerships as well as in the increasing visibility of non-cisgender identities, Clarke says, there is massive room for improvement: “If a non-binary or gender nonconforming person comes in and they’re misgendered, they don’t feel safe to share their story or feel that the information that they’re going to share is going to be trusted.”

As director of housing programs at TOY, Clarke is singularly placed both to comprehend and to shape the lives of the queer community’s next generation. In a pivotal era in the battle for civil rights, her unwavering commitment to the betterment of these young lives is vital not simply to one tragically underserved population, but to the future of a global society.

Joan Gale For Joan Gale, founder and president of PFLAG Concord/ Kannapolis chapter, issues of acceptance and equality hit close to home. Like Jeanne Manford, who in 1972 sparked the phenomenon that would come to be known as Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, she took up the mantle of activism after being inspired by her own unconditional love for her child.

Having retired from her job as a school counselor and galvanized by the struggle to support her son, who came out as gay while in middle school, she brought one of the world’s foremost LGBTQ ally networks to Cabarrus County in 2014 — the same year the national organization officially adopted the name PFLAG in order to reflect the full diversity of its membership.

Despite her and her husband Don’s willingness to embrace every aspect of their son’s identity, Gale was forced to confront the difficult reality that other family members and friends would not always share her values. Her public advocacy soon taught her that some ties might have to be severed in favor of her principles and, above all, her dedication to her child. While nearly three decades in education, the first of which Gale spent as a teacher before making the switch to counseling, meant a wealth of invaluable experience working with LGBTQ students and their parents, no professional history could have entirely prepared her for the personal sacrifices she would eventually be called upon to make. If anything, though, her passion for activism has only grown stronger as a result of those trials.

Along with providing resources for LGBTQ individuals and allies, including rallying her chapter in support of a nearby Time Out Youth satellite program, Gale donates her time to the Cabarrus Health Alliance as a member of its Community Advisory Council. In keeping with her lifelong dedication to the needs of local kids, teens and young adults, she uses her platform to campaign for comprehensive LGBTQaffirming sex education in North Carolina schools, and she has been instrumental in demanding an active Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) in every high school in her district.

Gale’s invaluable efforts to battle discrimination in the greater Concord/ Kannapolis area began with love of family and comJoan Gale. munity, but in a relatively Photo Credit: Facebook short time her success has garnered accolades from significantly farther afield: she has not only taken part in her organization’s mammoth National Convention, but has been singled out there as the recipient of its PFLAG Advocacy Award.

Cindy Hostetler and Elizabeth Pruett Anyone who has attempted to navigate the bureaucracy of modern healthcare, whether for themselves or on behalf of someone else, knows how quickly the task can overwhelm.

The process becomes even more complex when the intended recipient of that care is an older adult whose needs and capabilities may evolve over time, and sometimes change overnight.

Meanwhile, as qnotes has explored in its “Gay & Gray” issue and featured content, aging as an LGBTQ person can mean special Cindy Hostetler.

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challenges too often overlooked by the eldercare establishment, however well-meaning an individual practitioner may be.

With all this in mind, partners and registered nurses Cindy Hostetler and Elizabeth Pruett founded Care Weavers — “connecting threads of care,” per the company motto — to advocate, educate and advise older adults and their loved ones in pursuit of outstanding quality of life.

Hostetler has been guided since adolescence by the memElizabeth Pruett. ory of a cherished grandfather, and progressed from Licensed Practical Nurse certification through Master of Science in Nursing with the goal of helping others avoid some of the distress and disorientation her family experienced when her grandfather’s declining health took them by surprise.

When off the clock she volunteers with Hospice and Palliative Care of the Charlotte Region and nurtures community connections as a member of the Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Like her partner, Pruett brings to Care Weavers the benefits of long experience and personal dedication — in her case, the responsibility for her mother’s treatment in residential memory care. While she credits many healthcare professionals with good intentions, she joins Hostetler in observing that medical staff typically have neither the time nor the training to wade through a deluge of service and support options for each one of any number of patients. Her passion for community service is evident in her work with the Shepherd’s Center of Charlotte, instructing elders in the use of technology and free time spent at Novant Healthcare Hospice. Currently holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing alongside her RN, Pruett aspires to enhance her expertise with a University of North Carolina at Charlotte Graduate Certificate in Gerontology.

Ann Hooper As a member of the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Ann Hooper knows a great deal about activism.

Since the early 2000s she has played a role in committees directing the group’s silent auction and flagship HRC Gala, and was named Gala co-chair in 2013. But the full story of her service to the Charlotte and LGBTQ communities is much broader in scope, and begins well before the millennium.

Hooper was raised in the area as part of a family deeply committed to equality. Speaking to qnotes in 2015, she cited her mother’s American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) membership as evidence of the values to which she herself would be exposed from an early age. She returned to Charlotte after college graduation, active philanthropy and advocacy not necessarily foremost in her young adult mind, but by the 1990s found her place fostering LGBTQ pride as a volunteer with One Voice Chorus and eventually on the board of Out Charlotte.

She sings the praises of all those who took part in the chorus in those first years, in an era when many were still closeted in every other area of their lives.

With her partner Kathryn she continued to organize music events, including an anti-bullying program in support of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. A survivor of Ann Hooper. breast cancer, Hooper has Photo Credit: Facebook also worked to benefit Komen Charlotte and cancer research. Most recently she has volunteered with the Southern Queer Oral History Project — a fitting endeavor for a person who says she finds herself “slowly becoming — or maybe quickly becoming — one of the elders of our community.”

life

Rev. Sonja Lee As pastor of Unity Fellowship Church Charlotte, Rev. Sonja Lee seeks to imbue each service with the message that “God is love, and love is for everyone.”

That philosophy is central to the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, founded in 1982 as a safe space for lesbian and gay African-American worshippers, of which her Wedgewood Dr. congregation is a part. It is central to Rev. Lee’s life as well. Far from restricting herself to religious guidance from the pulpit, she exemplifies the belief that spiritual and what might at first glance appear to be secular sociopolitical leadership are inextricable. She holds an at-large seat on the governing board of the North Carolina Council of Churches, where she and like-minded stewards harness ecumenical ideals in pursuit of civil rights and economic equity. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Rev. Lee took up residence in Charlotte in 1999 and has Rev Sonja Lee. simultaneously answered the Photo Credit: Facebook call to service in her adopted home as a member of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

Rev. Lee adds healthcare philanthropy to her already extensive résumé, having founded and remaining as CEO of the Lionel Lee Jr. Center for Wellness. The 501(c)(3) organization devotes itself to uninsured and underinsured individuals and families, as well as those battling chronic physical and mental illnesses. In this as in all things, the Reverend proves herself committed to community-focused solutions, including through her participation in the Congregational Health Promoter initiative sponsored by Presbyterian Hospital. : :

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Leading Ladies

LGBTQ trailblazing women from the history books you should know These women helped create a better world than the one they found

by Jeff Taylor :: qnotes staff

L

GBTQ history, like history more generally, has a tendency to overrepresent the male heroes of the movement. Female members of the LGBTQ community are often overlooked, and during this Women’s History Month, qnotes wanted not only to highlight some local leading ladies currently doing important work in the community, but also spotlight heroines from the history books.

Here are 10, of too numerous to count, badass women who helped shape the world into a more accepting and progressive place.

the Daughters of Bilitis from 1958 to 1963, edited the group’s magazine, The Ladder, from 1963 to 1966, and was a driving force in the 1960s during the first pickets to bring attention to the ban on employment of gay people by the U.S. government.

Gittings also protested to get the American Psychiatric Association to stop classifying being gay as a mental illness.

Additionally, she joined the gay group in the American Library Association, the first gay caucus in a professional association, becoming its coordinator in 1971. Gittings passed away in 2007, at the age of 74.

Edythe Eyde (aka Lisa Ben) Edythe Eyde, who went by the pen and performance name Lisa Ben (an acronym of “lesbian”), created the first gay magazine in the United States. While working as a secretary and being told to look busy at all times by her boss, Eyde decided to use her time to create something she had longed to see: a magazine for the community.

Eyde hand published the small run of her publication, called Vice Versa, and passed them out, in spite of restrictive laws at the time that deemed Edythe Eyde (aka Lisa Ben) such content obscene.

While there were only nine Courtesy of ONE Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries issues in total, published during 1947 and 1948, the magazine set a precedent for queer media to follow.

Eyde passed away in 2015, at the age of 94. To read all nine issues, and learn more about Eyde, go to goqnotes.com/54559.

Mable Hampton Mable Hampton was a lesbian activist, a philanthropist and a dancer during the Harlem Renaissance. Hampton was born in Winston-Salem, N.C. and was raised in New York City and New Jersey. She danced in productions for Harlem Renaissance notables like Jackie “Moms” Mabley.

She marched in the first National Gay and Lesbian March on Washington in 1979 and can be seen in the films “Silent Pioneers” and “Before Stonewall.”

Audre Lorde Audre Lorde was a prominent feminist, activist and librarian, who pushed the ideas of intersectionality, well before the birth of the term, illustrating that marginalized groups are facing a shared oppressor.

“From my membership in all of these groups I have learned that oppression and the intolerance of difference come in all shapes and sizes and colors and sexualities; and that among those of us who share the goals of liberation and a workable future for our children, there can be no hierarchies of oppression,” she wrote in the essay “There Is No Hierarchy of Oppressions.”

Lorde passed away in Audre Lorde 1992, at the age of 58. She Photo Credit: K. Kendall, CC 2.0 License penned dozens of poems and essays, and her quotable words still show up in many places today, such as the famous observation that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.”

Sylvia Rivera Sylvia Rivera was another key LGBTQ rights activist in New York City during the early days of demonstrations and protests, including at the Stonewall Uprising.

Rivera, who as stated above co-founded STAR, was a vocal

Barbara Gittings Barbara Gittings was an early LGBTQ activist. She organized the New York chapter of the lesbian social and civil rights group

Mabel Hampton Photo Credit: Lesbian Herstory Archives

“I, Mabel Hampton, have been a lesbian all my life, for 82 years, and I am proud of myself and my people,” she told the crowd at the New York City Lesbian and Gay Pride Parade in 1984. “I would like all my people to be free in this country and all over the world, my gay people and my black people.”

Hampton passed away at 86, in 1989.

Barbara Gittings Photo Credit: Kay Tobin Lahusen. CC 2.0 License

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Marsha P. Johnson Marsha P. Johnson was a transgender activist and performer who was a key figure in the early demonstrations for LGBTQ rights in New York City.

Johnson also helped her fellow transgender activist and close friend Sylvia Rivera found the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), to help transgender individuals escape homelessness.

Johnson also modeled for Andy Warhol and was an active member of ACT UP, protesting against the inaction of the government during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Johnson died under mysterious circumstances in 1992, at the age of 46.

Sylvia Rivera Public Domain

supporter of marginalized and disenfranchised people, born in part from her own experiences with homelessness. While she drifted from advocacy work for a time, she resumed those activities toward the end of her life.

Rivera died in 2002, at the age of 50. : : Marsha P. Johnson Photo Credit: Netflix

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life

LGBTQ Seniors

Creating our aging care network Tips to help navigate systems for seniors

by Elizabeth Pruett, BSN, RN :: guest contributor

W

e have long accepted the premise that it takes a village to raise a child. There is a need to adopt the same type of thinking when caring for ourselves and loved ones as we age. With aging typically comes an increase in the frequency of interactions with the healthcare system. That system is extremely fragmented, and understanding the options and decisions that will be required as we age is daunting for everyone. This is compounded for LGBTQ folks. The homophobia and biases experienced throughout our lives have created circumstances that are particularly challenging as we age.

For some, there may have been few interactions with the healthcare system due to fear of being outed or the reaction of providers. A transgender person is at particular risk of being ostracized due to their transition status, living as their expressed gender and the lack of training of healthcare professionals. That lack of interaction can result in higher incidences of advanced stage cancers and complications from living with untreated chronic diseases.

Risk-taking behaviors and addiction, so common in our community, have been hard on body systems. The consequence is an older population with a high rate of obesity, heart disease, depression and other chronic conditions.

Social isolation and loneliness in the aging population is a common issue and is particularly problematic in the queer community where so many are estranged from biological family or may be fearful of being out with work colleagues and neighbors.

Lack of protections and general education to address the specific issues of homophobia and LGBTQ bias in the long-term care and housing industry is of great concern for the safety, as well as physical and mental well-being, of our population.

So what now?

LGBTQ seniors should be proactive in their care and surround themselves with a network of responsive, As grim as this may sound, we live in a time where there is more awareness than ever about caring medical personnel, as well as trusted friends and others in order to receive proper care as one ages. who LGBTQ people are. We can marry. For some areas of the country, the legal path to adoption Photo Credit: Monkey Business via adobe Stock for same-sex couples has become easier. The AIDS epidemic of the 1980s and 1990s stretched the • Remember, the worst time to make any decision is during a crisis as you will have limited time roles we hold in our lives as friends, care givers and advocates. Much of what we learned from to understand options and make crucial decisions. Planning and education are essential. that tragedy can serve us as we age. More of us than ever are out in our families, jobs, government, 2. As you plan and build your support system: neighborhoods, houses of worship, friendships, schools, healthcare systems…the list goes on and • This is a process. It will take time to develop trusting relationships with your care and service on. providers and determine what is right for you.

Two critical steps in creating our future support network, are our investment in our personal • Be open with your providers. If they have a bias about you it is important to know that early and education and advocacy skills and planning. Here are a few things you can do to get started. move on.

1. Understand some basics about the healthcare system: • Ask your friends and others you trust for referrals and to share their experiences with various • Healthcare is a business. Just like every other industry, there are people within it with a wide providers and services. range of skill sets, specialties, and competencies.

• Look for healthcare and service providers who want to collaborate with you. Collaboration is • The doctor may not always be right. Don’t blindly take recommendations. Ask questions key to good outcomes and your overall satisfaction. about the benefit of and consequences of not doing something. Inquire about the frequency • Create a network of trusted loved ones and advocates. Start discussions about what is imporand volume of the particular treatment or procedure your physician is recommending and tant to you and what defines quality of life to you. Keep your network informed of changes in what their respective outcomes may be. A competent physician will not be put off by this your health and ask them to accompany you to appointments for serious conditions. line of questioning.

3. Become familiar and active with organizations that support the LGBTQ community: • Do not assume that all members of the healthcare team work in a collaborative fashion and • There are organizations that advocate for the LGBTQ community such as SAGE (Advocacy have a grasp on your treatment. With a highly specialized industry, it is not uncommon to rouand Services for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Elders), Lambda Legal, GLMA (Health tinely have multiple physicians involved in your care. Motivations and constraints for any given Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality), TAN (Transgender Aging Network) and the HRC person at any particular time are varied.

(Human Rights Campaign) to name a few.

• It is essential that you become an engaged participant in your health in order to drive decisions • LGBTQ organizations are partnering with organizations that support our growing aging populathat are best for you. Always get questions answered to your satisfaction. Always get second tion like the AARP, the American Medical Association and Justice in Aging. opinions from independent providers on complex or high cost medications and procedures.

There are many resources available to assist in the education and planning process for the next • Remember that your healthcare provider works for you. There are many good, compassionate phase of life. We can tap into those resources to support ourselves, friends and families. The better providers of healthcare and aging services. If you are not comfortable or satisfied with who planning we do, the more prepared we will be to face the next phase of our lives. : : you have, find someone else.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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life

Legal Eagles

LGBTQ workers protected under the Civil Rights Act A common sense ruling

by Russ Brinson, Attorney :: guest contributor

Photo Credit: michaklootwijk via Adobe Stock

I

n what most believe is a long-overdue decision, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled (in Zarda vs. Altitude Express, Inc.1) that the Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does protect LGBTQ workers in the same manner that has historically protected from discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

It was a long-held view throughout the federal courts that “sexual orientation discrimination claims, including claims that being gay or lesbian constitutes nonconformity with a gender stereotype, are not cognizable under Title VII.”2 That view began to change in 2015, when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) determined that “sexual orientation is inherently a ‘sex-based consideration;’ accordingly an allegation of discrimination based on sexual orientation is necessarily an allegation of sex discrimination under Title VII.”3 Following that decision, the Seventh Circuit recognized that LGBTQ employees are protected by the federal sex discrimination laws4.

The Second and Seventh Circuits are the only two circuits that have joined the EEOC in the opinion that sexual orientation discrimination is covered under the protection from sex discrimination in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Second Circuit handles federal cases for the states of Connecticut, New York and Vermont. The Seventh Circuit handles cases for the states of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana.

What does this mean for the LGBTQ community? This is a common-sense ruling for today’s legal landscape. It means that judical intrepretation of equal protection is trending in the right direction. While several states have provided their own protections against LGBTQ discrimination, ultimately, on a national level, the protections will be decided by Congress or by the United States Supreme Court reviewing the Zarda case or others regarding the same issues. The other possibility is that North Carolina’s legislature will provide its own protections for sexual orientation and the LGBTQ community.

Given the recent track record of the North Carolina legislature, it is likely that there we will not see any substantial movement to protect the LGBTQ community. As we learned from the “bathroom bill,” the legislature may instead

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exclude the possibility of discrimination claims for the LGBTQ community. Without sweeping changes in the coming elections, this is not a real possibility.

It is also unlikely that the current Congress will take the initiative or have the votes to provide clear legal authority to prevent discrimination regarding sexual orientation. It is also unlikely that this Congress will take steps to make it clear that federal law does not provide any such protections from discrimination. Further evidence of this is provided in the fact that the current Justice Department intervened in the Zarda case to specifically disagree with the EEOC’s position and filed a brief to argue that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not cover sexual orientation discrimination in the workplace.

The more likely scenario is that the Supreme Court will be the definitive voice and decision maker regarding this monstrous issue.

With conflicting interpretations regarding the interpretation and applicability of sex discrimination under the Civil Rights Act, the Zarda ruling may be enough to get the attention of the Supreme Court and have the court accept review of these issues. The Supreme Court needs to step in and clarify this issue so that all federal district and circuit courts interpret the same law in the same way.

In all, the Zarda decision is a step to provide LBGTQ protection from discrimination in the workplace. Contacting local representatives and United States Congress members may push the goal of national recognition over the finish line. : : 1 Zarda v. Altitude Express, Inc. , No. 15-3775 (2d Cir. 2017) 2 Id. at p. 7 (citing Simonton v. Runyon, 232 F.3d 33, 35 (2d Cir. 2000) and Dawson v. Bumble & Bumble, 398 F.3d 211, 217-223 (2d Cir. 2005) 3 Baldwin v. Foxx, EEOC Decision No. 0120133080, 2015 WL 4397641, at p. 5 (July 15, 2015) 4 Hively v. Ivy Tech, No. 15-1720 (7th Cir. 2017) — Russ A. Brinson is an attorney with Sodoma Law, based in Charlotte, NC. His practice areas include Employment Law, Business Litigation and Personal Injury. Brinson is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to conduct Superior Court mediations.

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Prostate Cancer

By Heather Nguyen

Other than skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men.

About 1 in 9 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime and 1 in 41 men will die of prostate cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates prostate cancer numbers in the United States for 2018 will be about 164,690 new cases and about 29,430 deaths. About half of men will experience small changes in the size and shape of the cells in the prostate by the age of 50. This is a normal part of aging process. The prostate is a gland found only in males that makes some of the fluid that is part of semen.

It is below the bladder and in front of the rectum. In younger men, the size is about the Photo Credit: size of a walnut, but it can bilderzwerg via Adobe Stock be much larger in older men.

Prostate cancer begins when cells in the prostate gland start to grow uncontrollably. Knowing whether those changes are normal or signs of disease is the first step in protecting your health. Discovered early, the disease can be treatable.

Men are advised to have screening done by the age of 50, especially those with certain risk factors like being African-American or having a father or brother who had prostate cancer before age

65. Few studies suggested that certain diets play a role in increasing the chance of prostate cancer. Men that eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy, and consume fewer fruits and vegetables appear to have a slightly higher chance of getting prostate cancer. Even though there is not a whole lot you can do to prevent prostate cancer as it is linked to family genetics, age, and race, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy weight can help reduce the risk.

Routine screenings involve a blood test for PSA level with or

without a rectal exam. Frequency of testing depends on your PSA level. PSA is prostate-specific antigen, a substance made by cells in the prostate gland consisting of both normal cells and cancer cells.

Most men without prostate cancer have PSA levels under 4 mgs/mL of blood. The chance of having prostate cancer goes up as the PSA level goes up. If your PSA level is significantly above the normal limit, your doctor may advise either waiting a while and repeating the test, or getting a prostate biopsy to find out if you have cancer. Digital rectal exam (DRE) is less effective than the PSA blood test in finding prostate cancer, but it can sometimes find cancers in men with normal PSA levels. For this reason, it may be included as a part of prostate cancer screening. If both screenings suggest prostate cancer, then a doctor can further test to confirm using trans-rectal ultrasound and prostate biopsy.

Once prostate cancer is diagnosed with a grade and a stage, treatment options vary from case to case. Options might include watchful waiting or active surveillance, surgery, radiation therapy, cryotherapy (cryosurgery), hormone therapy, chemotherapy, vaccine treatment, or bone directed treatment. These treatments are generally used one at a time, although in some cases there may be a combination of them.

For most men with prostate cancer, treatment can remove or destroy the cancer. For others, the cancer may come back in other parts of the body or may never go away completely. These men often get hormone treatments or other therapies to help keep the cancer in check for as long as possible. Staying physically active and taking better of yourself could improve outcomes.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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news

Carolinas News Notes continued from page 6 HIV Speaks on Jones Street is presented by the Crape Myrtle Festival. info: ncaan.org.

More information is available online. info: pridesavannah.com/mermaidfest.

Pride mermaid fest delights

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The North Carolina AIDS Action Network (NCAAN) has been awarded a grant for $3,000 from The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in partnership with Macy’s.

The grant will be used toward public education and implementation efforts following North Carolina’s recent updates to its HIV control measures. This will be a vehicle used to reject stigma and the misconceptions surrounding HIV transmission while significantly improving the overall public health of the state.

“The work that the North Carolina AIDS Action Network does to help people affected

by HIV & AIDS is impressive, and very much

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Savannah Pride will hold its inaugural Mermaid Fest from March 23-24 on Tybee Island, Ga. The two-day celebration includes music, parties, club crawls, beach games, mermaids and mermen. Highlighting the event will be an appearance by Blixunami, the gay Geechie Merman, a national, popular mermen.

“Savannah Pride attracts people from all over the world for our annual Pride Festival during the Halloween weekend,” said Rich Walczak, one of the organizers. “Mermaid Fest is a chance to show that Savannah is a year-round LGBTQ destination, where five miles of beaches are only 20 minutes away from a historic downtown.”

NCAAN nets Taylor grant

aligned with Elizabeth Taylor’s passionate commitment to the cause,” said Joel Goldman, managing director of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. “ETAF and our partners at Macy’s are thrilled to present the North Carolina AIDS Action Network with these funds to help further our shared mission.”

“Elizabeth Taylor was one of the earliest leaders or celebrities to speak out about the importance of HIV treatment and prevention,” said Lee Storrow, NCAAN’s executive director.

“We’re incredibly honored for the recognition of our work in North Carolina and the support from her foundation.” info: ncaan. elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org.

Have news or other information? Send your press releases and updates for inclusion in our News Notes: editor@goqnotes.com.

Quick Hits continued from page 7 Brad and Nick Schlaikowski, a married couple and foster parents in Milwaukee, Wisc. are close to opening an eight-bed group home, named Courage House, to serve LGBTQ youth in the city’s foster care system, The Chronicle of Social Change reported. This is a first for the state. info: bit.ly/2FVqkVT.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released the first estimates of the number of Americans who could potentially benefit from PrEP by race/ethnicity and transmission risk group. The new data suggest significant gaps in uptake, particularly among African-Americans and Latinos. info: cdc.gov.

LGBTQ Nation reported that Caitlyn Jenner thinks that Donald Trump is “the worst” and that the Trump administration has set the community back 20 years with regard to transgender issues. Jenner had been a supporter of Trump in 2016. info: bit.ly/2prJpsH.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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tell trinity

by Trinity :: qnotes contributor :: trinity@telltrinity.com

Drag queens, cross dressers and female impersonators…oh my!

Dear Trinity, I just started doing drag, but there are so many words describing men who dress as women — like drag queens, female impersonators and cross dressers — that my head hurts. Can you lay it out clear and simple?

Drag Head Aches, Key West, FL Dear Drag Head Aches, When gay men dress as women for fun, they’re called “drag queens;” when straight men do it they’re called “cross dressers;” and any woman dressing as a man for fun is a “drag king.”

However, if a gay, straight man or woman lives as the opposite sex 24/7, is on hormones or has gender reassignment surgery, he or she is then transgender — “trans” meaning to change. Now, honey, drag queens either portray a) glamorous Hollywood stars, b) cartoon-like female caricatures or c) very upscale ladies in outfits to die for. When a drag queen works and makes money lip-synching, singing live, and/or looking like famous personalities, he is called a “female impersonator” or “gender illusionist.” Some drag queens even create their own personas, like RuPaul, Dame Edna and Trinity (hey, that’s me).

Hey Trinity, My boyfriend is such a child. He always has

something to say. Why do so many grown men act like boys?

Men 2 Boyz, Newfoundland Hey Men 2 Boyz, From childhood boys are taught to be competitive and self-sustaining and to do whatever they like. Girls are taught to be kind and family orientated and to act like ladies. But men can change if they hang around women or cultured men who teach them to act like adults. Listen, pumpkin, if you can train a parrot to talk, you may be able to train a man to grow up. (See my cartoon to see how I see being a woman or a boy! Hey boys!

It’s time to stop playing catch and step up to the plate and act like men. Just sayin’.)

Dearest Trinity, I’m going to ask someone on a date, and I want it to go right. What’s the best night of the week to meet someone for a first date?

First Day, Portland, OR Dearest First Day, There truly are better and worse days to go on a date. Wednesdays and Thursdays are prime first date nights because you’ll both have work the next day and have a set time to be together, i.e. seven o’clock drinks, then dinner, then

a&e

home. Fridays and Saturdays are better saved for the second, third or fourth date. Mondays and Tuesdays are the worst date nights and Sunday, the lazy stay in bed day, is always best for consummating the relationship. Good luck.

Hello Trinity, Sometimes my partner looks at and talks to other men. I also know he fantasizes about famous men. I tell him he’s cheating, but he says, “It’s not cheating, it’s normal!” Isn’t he cheating?

Cheated On Or Not, Greenwich, CT Hello Cheated On Or Not, Knowing if you’re being cheated on, or to what degree you’re being cheated on, isn’t always easy. And the more controlling you are, the more your partner can mess up. Some types of cheating are normal, typical, even acceptable and are barely “cheating,” while other acts are down right cheating. But, sweetie, to help you even further in finding out that most men are animals, here are: Trinity’s Cheating Chart From Barely Cheating To Majorly Cheating: Barely Cheating 1. Looking at someone you may find attractive.

2. Talking to someone you may find attractive.

3. Making alluring comments about an attractive famous person.

4. M eeting someone publicly for a business lunch.

5. K issing someone hello or goodbye on the cheek for half a second.

Majorly Cheating: 6. Kissing someone hello or goodbye on the lips for more than three seconds!

7. M eeting someone privately for an intimate dinner!

8. Sleeping over at someone’s house for the night when you’re not too drunk to drive.

9. Visiting someone for the weekend that you may find attractive!

10. Having outright, down and dirty primate sex with anyone other than your prime mate! : : info: With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org. Learn more at telltrinity.com.

March 23-April 5 . 2018

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EVENTS March-April 2018 Stonewall Kickball Kickoff Party The Bar at 316 316 Rensselaer Ave, Charlotte 7-10 p.m.

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Celebrate the start of Stonewall Sports’ Kickball season with a party at the Bar at 316. Registered players can pick up their shirts at the event. It is also a great chance for those interested to learn more about Stonewall Sports and the many activities they offer. More information is available online. stonewallcharlotte.leagueapps.com.

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ SEP MAR MO Viewing Party with Eureka O’Hara Boulevard 1820 1820 South Blvd #106, Charlotte 8-10 p.m.

Join the crew at Boulevard 1820 for a “RuPaul’s Drag Race” viewing party, with special guest Eureka O’Hara, from Season 10. This is a free event with the purchase of food and a drink. Find information and register online. boulevard1820.net.

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Transgender Day of Visibility: SEP MAR MO ‘Becoming More Visible’ Screening Free Range Brewing 2320 N. Davidson St., ‘Major!’ Film Screening SEP MAR MO Charlotte and Conversation 1-4 p.m.

Aldersgate Senior Living Transcend Charlotte, Charlotte Pride Community and PFLAG Charlotte are teaming up for 3800 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte a community event for Transgender Day 5:30-9 p.m. of Visibility, featuring a screening of the The Freedom Center for Social Justice is partnering with Charlotte LGBT Elders documentary “Becoming More Visible.”

The film follows four young people as at Aldersgate they transition into their authentic idenRetirement tity. A panel discussion will follow. More Community information is available online. for a screencharlottepride.org/calendar. ing of the facebook.com/events/302015393658702. documentary “Major!” about the transgender activist Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. The screening will be followed by a talkback hosted

by Rev. Debra J Hopkins. This is a free event. Register online at bit.ly/2u6q1WX. More information is available online. facebook.com/events/2083696411894620.

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Submit your event to our calendar!

You can submit your event to our comprehensive community calendar presented by qnotes, the Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce and Visit Gay Charlotte. Submit your event at goqnotes.com/eventsubmit/ and get a threefor-one entry. All Charlotte-area events will appear on each of the three calendars at qnotes (goqnotes.com), Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce (clgbtcc.org) and Visit Gay Charlotte (visitgaycharlotte.com).

C3 Lab Arts Open House SEP APR MO C3 Lab 2525 Distribution St., Charlotte 7-11 p.m.

Here’s your chance to meet local artists in their creative spaces, check out their artwork, as well as various handmade goods, while sipping on craft beer and wine. Alcohol sales will benefit the Charlotte Community Toolbank. The John Brown Jazz Combo will provide music. This is a free event. More information is available. facebook.com/events/445048222579950. c3-lab.com.

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WhiteOut Latinx Party Bar Argon 4544 South Blvd. Ste. H, Charlotte 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Orgullo (Charlotte Latin Pride) and Bar Argon bring the WhiteOut Party to Charlotte, featuring exotic performers, drink specials and the best Latin rhythms, provided by DVJ Flakko. Special performances will also be provided by Adecia Lush, AmanDuh Pleaze and others. This event is for those 21 and up. Tickets cost $10, $5 for members. More information is available online. facebook.com/events/169563897174964. barargon.com.

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March 23-April 5 . 2018

Prime Timers 25th Anniversary Gala SMS Catering 1764 Norland Rd., Charlotte 7 p.m.

The Charlotte Prime Timers, a social and civil rights group for mature gay and bisexual men, will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a gala event. Enjoy a buffet dinner, entertainment provided by local artists, door prizes and giveaways. Tickets are $25 and are available online at squ.re/2pm9VCG. primetimersww.com/charlotte.

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FURnace SEP APR MO Bar Argon 4544 South Blvd. Ste. H, Charlotte 9 p.m.-2 a.m.

Join the crew at Bar Argon for another FURnace party, full of bears, beats and brews. Charlotte’s own DJ Marvyy Marvv will provide the soundtrack and visuals. Entry is $10, $5 for members of Bar Argon or Sidelines. More information is available online. barargon.com. facebook.com/events/1813219768702398.

Salisbury Pride Spring SEP APR MO Auction Salisbury Square Antiques 111 S. Main St., Salisbury 11 a.m.

Salisbury Pride will hold a spring auction to help it raise funds. Event organizers are currently accepting donations for the auction, such as furniture, antiques, collectibles, artwork and more. “Fundraising events like this one are critical for us,” shared Salisbury Pride President Beth Meadows. “They help us grow our Pride Festival and offer other programs throughout the year.” Those interested in making donations can email tim@salisburypride.com or call 704-216-1251. salisburypride.com.

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Time Out Youth SEP APR MO MasQueerade Prom Time Out Youth Center 3800 Monroe Rd., Charlotte 7-10 p.m.

Time Out Youth Center will hold its annual LGBTQ and ally prom, for those ages 13-20, and it anticipates that this will be its biggest and best one to date.

The event will be held in its new home, at 3800 Monroe Rd., and organizers have shared that it will feature “entertainment, food, music, photography and fun in a safe, chaperoned environment.”

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at http://bit.ly/2pldIRr. More information is available online. timeoutyouth.org/youth/prom. facebook.com/events/204052130341715.

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Submit your event at goqnotes.com/eventsubmit/

goqnotes.com/to/life

life

health and wellness

by Jack Kirven :: personal trainer, qnotes contributor

Use randomization to maximize variety: how to easily create change in your routine Randomization There are many styles of training. By styles I mean ways of organizing exercises. One that I have found very challenging I am going to call randomization. Perhaps the term is already used, or maybe it goes by another name elsewhere, but for my purposes I will explain it.

What is randomization?

It is very common for people to design or organize a workout session by way of a list.

Once that list is written, it’s very easy to follow it literally. And there’s nothing wrong with that, especially if a great deal of care has gone into pairings or groupings. Perhaps you carefully planned to do chest presses and rows as a superset to make sure you worked upper body symmetrically? Beautiful! That is exactly what you should do on an upper body day. However, you can play with order to create different perceptions of effort. If you always do chest first, you will always be pre-exhausted before you do back. So, sometimes you want to do back first, and that gives your chest a chance to work under more stress.

are doing, thus requiring you to change your workout. This is the constant challenge behind progressive overload.

With that in mind, if you always do your exercises in the same order, your body will adapt to performing that sequence more and more efficiently. You want that to a certain point; however, once you realize you’re not as tired as you were when you first began a few weeks ago, you know it’s time to switch. “Muscle confusion” is a myth.What it seeks to describe is the need to force your body to constantly adapt to new stimuli. You can create this “muscle confusion” with any alteration of your routine.

How to implement randomization Randomization creates an exercise experience that keeps you engaged mentally and physically. You will optimize your progress without any type of complicated reprogramming. Make your list. Keep all the exact same exercises at the exact same resistance, sets, reps and tempos. Now totally ignore the order.

Do three circuits of supersets here: Pair one exercise with another without considering why they are together. You will no longer have the gratification of symmetry.

Your sense of pacing will be completely confounded. Some exercises you will do back to back (e.g. pushups into pushups). Others won’t get visited for a while; however, doing them in combination with something potentially “unrelated” will affect your perception of Shake up workout routines by using randomization to enhance training. their intensity.

Photo Credit: Syda Productions via Adobe Stock To be done in an hour, I choose three “pairs” of exercises. I But that, strictly speaking, isn’t randomization. then do three circuits of these six exercises, Make your list. Ensure that you include everything and 8-12 reps in each set (assuming my goal is you want to do. Perhaps for your first pass you hypertrophy). It takes about an hour to do these do everything in the order on your list. Maybe the 18 sets. second time you do the list backwards (which For example, if I am doing a lower body means the last exercise becomes the first, and workout, I might create these “pairs:” barbell this turns that exercise into a superset of itself and front squat/barbell deadlifts, dumbbell walking immediately increases the perception of effort lunges/dumbbell bench step-ups, and box for that exercise). That still isn’t randomization. If, jumps/drop heel calf presses. So long as I get however, on the third pass you jump around the each exercise three times, I don’t worry with list in such a way that you ignore the “logic” of sequence or grouping. I make a grid with the your groupings, then you have strayed into what six exercises along the vertical column and I mean. sets one to three across the horizontal. There are 18 boxes. I just need to get a check mark How does inside each one. If you decide to perform randomization help? all three sets of an exercise as a giant set, When you train, you are not only working consider using a pyramid (each set uses more muscles, connective tissue and cardiovascular weight but fewer reps) or a drop (each set uses efficiency. You are also putting stress on the less weight but more reps). : : nervous system. If you learn what to expect next, it allows you to disengage to a certain info: Jack Kirven completed the MFA in degree that can lower your intensity. Also, your Dance at UCLA, and earned certification as a body learns patterns and adapts accordingly. personal trainer through NASM. His wellness This is why we experience plateaus. Your body philosophy is founded upon integrated lifestyles does not want to expend any more energy than as opposed to isolated workouts. Visit him at absolutely necessary. For this reason you bejackkirven.com and INTEGRE8Twellness.com. come more and more efficient at whatever you

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March 23-April 5 . 2018