QNotes, May 29, 2020

May 29 - June 11, 2020

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May 29 - June 11, 2020

inside this issue

May 29 - June 11, 2020 Vol 35 No 03

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Graphic Design by Chris Rudisill Photography: Tom of Finland 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.

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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.

charlotteobserver.com/1166/ a local news partner of The Charlotte Observer

Place to Call Home: Update

news

contributors this issue

Joey Amato, Mykah Buff, Rev. Dennis Foust, Tonya Jameson, Kendra R. Johnson, Lainey Millen, David Aaron Moore, Chris Rudisill, Stanley Popovich, Gregg Shapiro, Trinity

Tom of Finland Turns 100

After fighting back against the owners of a Days Inn in Charlotte, N.C. to be able to retain occupancy in the hotel, residents have now been evicted due to safety issues and have been thrust out into a pandemic world.

5 Oregon and Nebraska Continue with Primaries 6 LGBTQ Housing Stability 6 Eating Disorder Severity Higher for LGBTQ People 6 News Briefs 7 Legal Advocacy Center Expands Services for Community Members 8 To Vote is Power…If You Can Do It 11 Place to Call Home: Update

a&e 15 18

Tell Trinity ‘Feeling’ Good

life 9 Finding Work During a Pandemic 14 Mental Health Support

views 4 Three Ways to Reach LGBTQ Consumers in the New Normal 5 Pride: Will You Show Up? 16 Spiritual Reflections: The Unmentioned 17 Mental Health: Dealing with Finances

events Our calendar will return once events begin again.

PAGE 12

‘Feeling’ Good

Country music star and daughter of legend Mell Tillis, Pam Tillis shares her journey in the industry,her music, her thoughts on creating her work, the sojourn on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and her time spent gardening during shutdown days.

PAGE 18

Show Your Pride! Tell Your Story!

It’s about time for National Pride Month and this year’s celebration will be observed in unique and creative ways while everyone is sheltered-in-place. Many “in person” festivals have been canceled.

So, tell qnotes and our readers how you plan to celebrate Pride this year or what times in your past were the most meaningful and memorable for you. These small tales will help to enlarge our circle of inclusiveness in the community.

Please submit your vignettes of up to 250 words to us by sending them to editor@goqnotes.com. We’ll include them in our June 12 issue along with other Pride Month coverage. Remember to add your name, preferred pronoun, city, state, email address and phone number to your entry. Your personal contact information will not be publicized. Also, if you like, please send us a photograph to accompany your piece.

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Three Ways to Reach LGBTQ Consumers in the New Normal COVID-19 Biz

BY Joey Amato | Guest Contributor

T

Here are some ideas to make your organihe recent COVID-19 pandemic has zation top of mind for LGBTQ community: turned consumer behavior upside down, but in recent days we have Start Marketing Now! seen states begin to devise and, in some If everyone waits until the country is fully opcases, implement their strategies for erational, your business will be competing with slowly reopening. Although this will hundreds of others for the same customers. surely be a long and tedious process, it Why not be one of the first movers in the space is important that your company develop and gain a bit of an advantage over the compea marketing strategy to get ahead of the tition? Start your marketing and public relations curve, for lack of a better phrase. efforts now, especially since you cannot count During a normal year, corporaon a Pride event to reach LGBTQ consumers. tions compete for LGBTQ buyers using Advertising in local LGBTQ media [like this traditional and sometimes antiquated paper] is relatively inexpensive and a great way methods, such as gay Pride events and to support the community. Yes, people still read circuit parties. However, this year many print publications, especially in niche markets. of those larger events have been can(Photo Credit: Elenarts via Adobe Stock) celed or postponed. And even if a Pride Support LGBTQ Charities event is now scheduled for October/ Sponsoring a gay Pride event should not be your November, chances are that attendance will be lower than ultimate LGBTQ marketing initiative for the year. Yes, in previous years. these events are particularly important to the commuWith more than $1 trillion dollars of buying power and nity, however over the past decade or so, many LGBTQ a lot of disposable income, the LGBTQ community will individuals have noticed that corporations sponsor one most likely come out in force when the country reopens event, one time in an effort to entice them to open their for business. History and research have shown that this wallets. Savvy consumers have taken note and now would community is one of the first to resume travel and shoprather patronize a business that makes an authentic and ping after periods of uncertainty. Without large scale long-term effort to support the LGBTQ community, all year events as an advertising vehicle, your business needs to round. National charities are great to support, but there think outside the box to reach these customers.

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are also many smaller LGBTQ charities in your city that need help as well. You may get more bang for your buck donating to local organizations. Trust me, the community will notice, especially in times like these.

Designate an LGBTQ Liaison Some companies are lucky enough to have a person on staff who specifically works with the LGBTQ market. If your organization does not have this luxury, find someone on staff who identifies as LGBTQ or reach out to a few community leaders who can serve as a point of contact for the LGBTQ community. Better yet, create an advisory board which meets quarterly to discuss local community involvement. You would not have a Hispanic person talk on behalf of the AfricanAmerican community, nor should you expect a straight person to understand the wants and needs of LGBTQ people.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it is important for your company to stay active and relevant. The companies who show support to the LGBTQ community during times of crisis will be the ones who will benefit the most when things return to normal. : : Joey Amato is the owner of Agency33, a consulting firm specializing in LGBTQ marketing and public relations. He has spent over a decade in LGBTQ media and has implemented LGBTQ campaigns for numerous travel destinations, celebrities, corporations and small businesses. For more information, visit agency33pr.com.

Pride: Will You Show Up? Political Voices

BY Kendra R. Johnson, Equality North Carolina Executive Director | CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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t’s been over two months since we all became sequestered in our homes, both locally here in North Carolina and around the world. As we inch ever closer to the start of June, many LGBTQ people are beginning to wonder: what will Pride look like this year? And does it even matter?

The answer is, yes, of course, it matters — and potentially even more than ever before. So many members of our communities are isolated from everyone in their lives right now, including older LGBTQ individuals who already experience their own challenges to finding and building community in queer spaces. Equality North Carolina believes that it’s the role of LGBTQ organizations like our own to find ways to reach these people who need community in times of crisis, and figure out what their needs are within this new reality.

Of course, a big part of that is holding virtual calls and get-togethers by connecting through our webcams. At Equality North Carolina, we’ve seen how much this bit of effort means to those who need it most. We’ve seen this through our weekly LGBTQ Elders calls, a dedicated space for older queer folks to come together and just be around other people like them. We’ve also seen this in our monthly meetings for the six chapters that we’ve built out across the state, where people bring both their hope and pain and talk

that we show up for our community. through ways that we can support Showing up can look a lot of different each other on the local level. ways: you could tune in and share LGBTQ people want to come toa live stream of your favorite drag gether right now — and ultimately, queen’s performance, join in on a that is what Pride is all about. virtual Pride parade, or — if you’re As your local organizations befortunate enough to have the resourcgin rolling out virtual Pride events es — make a gift to your local LGBTQ in the coming months, I want to non-profit. It’s on all of us to detertake a moment to emphasize how mine our capacities and support our important it is that we all support community during this time, even if we their efforts and plug in where Get connected during Pride season. can’t physically hold space with them. we can. Beyond just the need for (Photo Credit: tumskaia via Adobe Stock) That being said, this pandemic community, many, many of these isn’t going away anytime soon.

LGBTQ organizations depend on Everyone is struggling, and no organization is immune the Pride season to sustain their work throughout the bulk from the economic pain of this moment. I’d like to encourof the rest of the year. Without that revenue stream, some age you to support in any way you can — even if it’s not LGBTQ organizations are facing the prospect of not even financially. Volunteer! Do some virtual canvassing as we surviving the pandemic, let alone being able to meet the get closer to the election season. Offer to donate an item needs of their communities in tangible ways. Our current or service to an organization’s silent auction. economic crisis is impacting the most vulnerable groups All of us are hurting, and it’s on all of us to show up in dire ways and, unfortunately, that also includes many of for one another in the best way that we can — because the groups doing important work across our state. that’s what being part of a community is all about. See That’s why, while Pride will no doubt look and feel you on Zoom! : : remarkably different this year than ever before, it’s crucial

Oregon and Nebraska Continue with Primaries Primary Watch: Pandemic Challenges Thwart Georgia and Kentucky Election Process

BY Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff WRITER Despite a number of obstacles being presented in the wake of a global pandemic, the 2020 presidential primary elections are prevailing. State political parties across the nation have been tasked with carrying out contests that are a vital component of the presidential election’s nomination process while also protecting voters from a virus that could potentially be life-threatening.

While primaries have become a challenging endeavor amidst the state of emergency the U.S. is currently under, Nebraska demonstrated fortitude in the face of a global pandemic in carrying out a successful and record-breaking primary election on Tuesday, May 12.

Secretary of State Robert Evnen shared that he was proud of how well

Former Vice President Joe Biden won the state primaries in Oregon and Nebraska.

(Photo Credit: Michael Stokes via Flickr.

CC BY-2.0 license)

Nebraskans responded in the midst of the global health crisis. “I’m especially proud that Nebraskans responded in this way in the midst of a health pandemic,” Evnen said.

John Cartier, Civic Nebraska’s director of voting rights, attributes the success of the primary to the nearly 400,000 ballots that were mailed in or dropped off by voters. “That was the single greatest contribution to why we had a very successful election,” he said.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced former Vice President Joe Biden as its endorsee on May 6 which coincided with the candidate’s eighth anniversary of endorsing marriage equality. Biden

won the state’s Democratic primary at 76.9 percent.

The Democratic presidential primary for three states was scheduled to take place on May 19 including Oregon, Georgia and Kentucky. However, Oregon was the only state to proceed with primary elections and conducted its contest with a mail-only voting system. The other two states’ primaries were delayed due to health concerns of COVID-19.

Adding to his delegate count as the presumptive Democratic candidate, Biden took Oregon’s primary with 69.1 percent of the vote, which for perspective equals more than 310,500 ballots. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders came in second place with an 18.1 percent share of the vote and Mass. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in third place with 9 percent. : : As part of our coverage in TurnOUT: How LGBTQ Organizations Have Mobilized the Community, this project has been supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems, solutionsjournalism.org.

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news LGBTQ individuals more likely than others to face housing instability LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A report by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law examines challenges facing LGBTQ individuals in accessing affordable and secure housing. Compared to non-LGBTQ individuals, the report finds that those from the LGBTQ community have higher rates of poverty, lower rates of homeownership and higher rates of homelessness. The report also finds that this population faces widespread discrimination in housing, mortgage lending and homeless shelters and services.

“Stigma and discrimination create or exacerbate housing instability for LGBTQ people across their lives — from family rejection of LGBT youth, to discrimination in the rental market and mortgage industry, to harassment at senior living facilities,” said lead author Adam P. Romero, federal policy director, and Arnold D. Kassoy scholar of law at the Williams Institute. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, having safe and stable housing could not be more important. Yet only a minority of states prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, lending, and homeless services.”

The current report synthesizes literature on housing and LGBTQ individuals, discusses current laws and policies that provide protection from discrimination, conducts original data analysis and identifies gaps in knowledge that researchers and governmental data systems should address. Key findings include: Housing Affordability — More than one in five (21.6 percent) LGBTQ adults in the United States are living in poverty, compared to 15.7 percent of cisgender straight adults, according to a 2019 report by the Williams Institute. That same report found that, among LGBTQ individuals, poverty is especially prevalent among racial minorities, bisexual people, women, transgender people, and younger people.

Homeownership — Although 70.1 percent of non-LGBTQ adults own their own homes, that number is just under half (49.8 percent) for LGBTQ adults, according to Williams Institute analyses. Other Williams Institute studies have found that homeownership is even lower among LGBTQ racial minorities and transgender people. Same-sex couples are less likely to own their homes than different-sex couples (63.8 percent and 75.1 percent, respectively). Married same-sex couples are less likely to own their homes than married different-sex couples (72 percent and 79.4 percent, respectively). A variety of studies find that LGBTQ individuals face discrimination when trying to rent apartments and secure mortgages, among other discrimination experiences related to housing.

Homelessness — Studies find that between 20 percent and 45 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ, approximately 2 to 4 times more than the estimated percentage of all youth who identify as LGBTQ. Among young adults aged 18-25, LGBTQ individuals have a 2.2 times greater risk of homelessness than non-LGBT people, according to a 2018 study from the University of Chicago. Studies find that LGBT youth and adults, especially transgender people, face barriers to accessing homeless shelters and services.

The report was funded by Wells Fargo. info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu. Photo Credit: lassedesignen via Adobe Stock — Compiled by Lainey Millen

Study find more severity in LGBTQ individuals eating disorders LOS ANGELES, Calif. — A new study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders finds that eating disorder patients who identify as LGBTQ have more severe eating disorder symptoms, higher rates of trauma history and longer delays between diagnosis and treatment than heterosexual, cisgender patients.

“While we know there is a higher prevalence of eating disorders among LGBTQ folks, particularly trans and non-binary folks (with rates estimated to be anywhere from 40 percent to 70 percent), our field is in its infancy with researching this health disparity, so I believe research like ours is especially important.” said clinical psychologist Jennifer Henretty Ph.D., C.E.D.S., one of the study’s co-authors who serves as the executive director of Clinical Outcomes for Discovery Behavioral Health, Center For Discovery.

Eating disorders are a serious mental health concern, the center stated. “At least 30 million people — of all ages, sexual orientations and gender identities — experience an eating disorder in the U.S. alone, and every 62 minutes at least one person dies as a direct result of an eating disorder. In fact, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness,” according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders.

The most common eating disorders are binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. The causes of eating disorders are not clear but both biological and environmental factors are thought to play a role.

Eating disorders typically begin in adolescence, but it appears that the rate of the disorder may be on the rise in middle-aged and even older adults, the center shared.

The peer-reviewed academic study analyzed data from 2,818 individuals treated in residential , partial hospitalization and/or intensive outpatient levels of care at a large eating disorder treatment organization; 471 (17 percent) of the participants identified as LGBTQ. The facilities were operated by Center for Discovery.

Research shows that individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or other non-heterosexual/non-cisgender identities have significantly higher rates of mental and physical health conditions compared to their heterosexual, cisgender peers.

“LGBT individuals are more likely to experience housing and employment discrimination, and to struggle with multiple mental health challenges related to minority stress; this perfect storm of barriers means eating behaviors are often overlooked,” said Vaughn Darst, R.D., who serves as operations advisor for Discovery Behavioral Health, Center For Discovery and who also discussed in a TedX talk the complex issue at the intersection of gender, body image, food and identity.

The study found a full 12-month delay in treatment for LGBTQ patients compared to non-LGBTQ patients. “Delays in accessing treatment are especially widespread for transgender and non-binary individuals with eating disorders. Some of the causes include delayed diagnosis by providers who fail to assess non-cisgender female patients for disordered eating, as well as limited access to trans-affirming treatment options, particularly at the residential level of care” said Darst.

The full research article is available online at bit.ly/3bXBCYJ. info: discoverybh.org. Photo Credit: Photographee.eu via Adobe Stock — Compiled by Lainey Millen

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GBO org nets grants

The Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center are the recipients of an $8,000 grant from Future Fund donors to support youth programming and a $12,250 grant from the Greensboro Virus Relief Taskforce to aid the organization’s response. Guilford is still in a shortfall this year due to COVID-19’s impact on fundraising efforts and is in need of contributions. Visit the website for more information or to donate.

info: guilfordgreenfoundation.org.

Research on youth mental health published

The Trevor Project’s research team has published a new peer-reviewed article titled “Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth” in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The study is included in the medical journal’s June 2020 “Pride” issue and can be read at bit.ly/3gkd7s9.

info: thetrevorproject.org.

Soulforce to host vacation Bible school

“The Wild, Magical World of God’s Queer & Trans Creation!” vacation Bible school will be held beginning July 6 for a fourweek online experience presented by Soulforce. Cost to participate is $69 and registration is available online at bit.ly/2TSXgHJ.

info: soulforce.org.

CenterLink names new CEO

The Board of Directors of CenterLink announced that they have appointed longtime staff member Denise Spivak as the organization’s new chief executive officer.

Spivak, a graduate of Gettysburg College, most recently served as CenterLink’s interim CEO. She has served in a number of roles at the organization over the last nine years including director of member relations and external affairs, senior director of programs and outreach and deputy director.

info: lgbtcenters.org.

Pandemic center of new adult film

Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to the documentary “Pornstar Pandemic: The Guys,” an intimate examination of LGBTQ adult actors and their lives during the COVID-19 quarantine. The film will arrive on July 28 on DVD and all major VOD platforms.

The documentary depicts what adult entertainers do when they are not in front of the camera and investigates the daily lives and routines of some of gay porn’s biggest and newest names, covering all angles of the gay porn scene from gay to bisexual to gay for pay.

info: bgpics.com.

TOY receives grant

Time Out Youth Center has been awarded a $30,000 Health and Mental Health grant from the COVID-19 Response Fund through the Foundation for the Carolinas in partnership with United Way of Central Carolinas. To contribute to the fund, visit helpcharmeck.org.

info: fftc.org.

Counting book released for Pride

“Pride 1 2 3” by Michael Joosten has been released just in time for National Pride Month in June. Illustrated by Wednesday Holmes, the literary piece teaches children about the Pride Parade (ex., “1

see next page u

parade in the month of June,” “2 DJs spin fabulous tunes,” etc.) and features a diverse cast of characters and families. It also highlights the LGBTQ community, love and standing up for one’s self while counting to 10. The book was published by Little Simon.

info: simonandschuster.com.

Doc wins title post COVID-19

A Spanish doctor, Francisco José Alvarado, has won the Mr. Gay World title, Instinct Magazine reported. Even more impressive news is that he did this after having survived COVID-19. He began to notice symptoms in mid-March and spent 19 days at home in quarantine. He later returned to work after testing negative to the virus. He got the word about the title on April 3. He was given the title as the second place contestant in last year’s competition. The organization said it was time for a new ambassador and named Alvarado. The 2020 competition has been pushed back to 2021.

info: bit.ly/2TTGd8r.

info: bit.ly/2TDycUQ.

Jones Street rally goes virtual

NC AIDS Action Network has announced that the Crape Myrtle Festival presented HIV Virtually Speaks on Jones Street will be held online on June 10. The annual HIV and hepatitis advocacy day enlists advocates from across North Carolina to come together and educate the state’s legislators about policies that improve the lives of those living within the state who have HIV and hepatitis.

Lee Storrow, network executive director, said, “With the current state of COVID-19, we want to follow public health guidelines in order to ensure the safety and health of everyone in our network. Though we will not be meeting in person, this is still a chance for NC HIV advocates from across the state to come together (virtually) and meet with state policymakers on issues impacting the HIV community.” Registration is open until June 5 at 8 p.m. and is available online at bit. ly/3goJQMT.

info: ncaan.org.

Polish company honors Pride

Nail care company Sally Hansen has announced that it is introducing nail enamel that comes in eight colors to honor the Pride flag, including black and brown stripes, LGBTQNation reported. Each bottle comes with a rainbow cap to denote the special XTREME WEAR collection. Sally Hansen has partnered with GLAAD on the product line and has made a contribution to the organization.

info: bit.ly/2LZZ4di.

Candy sheds colors for Pride

$1 to GLAAD for every colorless pack sold.

The multi-colored candy Skittles will lose its “rainbow colors” in celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, PennLive reported. The company’s Instagram page shared their reasoning by saying, “During PRIDE only #OneRainbow matters. That’s why we are giving up our rainbow to show support for the LGBTQ+community!” They are also dropping the rainbow colors on their packaging to show their support. They will also contribute

HRC shares tele-med guide

The Georgia Voice has reported that the Human Rights Campaign has released its guide for telemedicine for the LGBTQ community. The organization also has provided a video overview to explain the nuances of telemedicine for those who have questions on how it works. Both are available online at bit.ly/2ywbypZ.

info: bit.ly/3d2T9Qx.

Trans inmate gets surgery approval

A transgender inmate, Andree Edmo, in the Idaho prison system has gotten over a hurdle by receiving word that the U.S. Supreme Court will not put a hold on her gender confirmation surgery as the case moves forward. Pre-surgical treatments and potential surgery this year are proceeding while state officials wait to hear if the court will consider their appeal.

info: bit.ly/2WZgyNj.

Catholics to hold Pride event

Sponsor New Ways Ministry has reported that on June 14, 3-4 p.m., Catholics from across the globe will gather in prayer on Zoom to celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month. The virtual prayer service and global discussion will focus on the theme, “We, Though Many, Are One Body” (1 Corinthians 10:17).

Because the COVID-19 pandemic is preventing many local celebrations of LGBTQ Pride from happening this year, New Ways Ministry organized this program to provide a spiritual and pastoral event during June. “Catholics have been a part of Pride events since these celebrations began in the 1970s,” said Francis DeBernardo, the executive director of New Ways Ministry. “With each passing year, more and more Catholic individuals, groups, and parishes are marching in parades and being visible in other ways.” info/registration: newwaysministry.org/pride.

Tubi offers LGBTQ films for Pride

Streaming network Tubi is offering 22 films that are LGBTQ community focused in celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month. There are being offered without a paid subscription. From classic favorites like “But I’m a Cheerleader,” “Jeffrey and Latter Days” to coming-of-age titles like “G.B.F.” and “Saved,” viewers can access a variety of titles through June.

info: tubi.tv.

Falduto selected for pub honor

Brian Falduto, an ICF certified LGBTQ Life Coach, was recently named by PrideLife Magazine as “one of the 20 most influential, outspoken and optimistic individuals on the planet.” Nearly 16 years ago, Falduto became known for playing the “gay kid” in the film “School of Rock.”

info: brianfalduto.com.

‘Happening’ still reaching out despite COVID-19

The Happening’s sponsors Wells Fargo and Rosedale Medical have agreed to continue to support the event, regardless of the date, the Charlotte Lesbian and Gay Fund announced.

It is “working hard to mitigate the social and economic impact of COVID-19 on the organizations that have kept our Charlotte LGBTQ+ community healthy, connected, and supported.” In light of the current circumstances, the organization has asked that everyone to make contributions to it so that it can continue to provide needed grants to our community.

info: fftc.org/clgf.

Senate approves suicide line number

The Trevor Project has shared that the U.S. Senate has passed The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act that provides for a more simplified way for those in crisis to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988. The Trevor Project has been working closely with the Federal Communications Commission to shorten the Lifeline number to three digits and expand specialized services to best serve high-risk populations like LGBTQ youth.

info: thetrevorproject.org.

VICE airs ‘Gay Marriage Scam’ documentary

VICE Media Group premiered its “Gay Marriage Scam” documentary last month that “lifts the lid on a bogus business that is cashing in on people’s search for love by promising to find their perfect partner,” the network shared. It details the practices of India’s The Arranged Gay Marriage Bureau.

info: vice.com.

Facebook names oversight board members

Facebook has announced that it has selected its first 20 members of its independent oversight board, with 20 more to be named.

Among the initial picks is Pamela Karlan, a Stanford University law professor and U.S. Supreme Court advocate. She has represented clients in voting rights, LGBTQ rights and First Amendment cases. The are expected to start hearing cases this summer, LiveMint reported.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

Legal Advocacy Center Expands Services for Community Members Charlotte Lawyers Cut through Red Tape of Acquiring Public Assistance

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rom unemployment to evictions to a lack of health insurance, the fallout of COVID-19 has been felt by many. In an effort to soften the blow from the continued COVID-19 aftermath within the community, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has extended its services to include a number of new resources aimed at helping those who have been adversely affected.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the welfare of countless Americans, resulting in the dire need for individuals to have access to public assistance. However, many of the agencies in North Carolina who provide this type of assistance are closed or operating at a lower capacity, making it significantly more challenging for individuals to receive the services they are in need of that are only provided by specific entities.

The Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has taken measures to help create a better outlet for acquiring the resources which have abruptly become needed.

Serving the community for over 50 years, the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy has increased its staff in order to help provide individuals with the information they need, connect people with appropriate services and to advocate for eligible individuals who have been denied services they are, in fact, entitled to receive.

By Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff Writer

Kenneth Schorr, center executive director, said there are a number of reasons why an individual may experience issues during their application process for certain benefits, such as unemployment. He said people may experience delays in the process of applying for unem-

ployment because of the recent increase in new staff members who may not be as efficient as employees with more experience.

“The North Carolina Division of Employment Security Commission has reported receiving 100x the volume of calls in recent weeks compared to the last two years,” Schorr said. “They’ve tripled their staff which means over half of the employees there have only been there for a number of weeks,” he added.

Resulting in an increase in the need for public assistance and other relief programs expanding amid the public health crisis, Schorr said many aspects of social services and other public assistance programs are dramatically changing to include resources for individuals who have suffered hardships endured by COVID-19.

The center understands how frustrating it is to stay on hold for hours on end just to be told that callers do not qualify for benefits for which they are confident they are eligible. That is exactly why they have implemented a system to help individuals navigate the complex processes to pursue the services they need, in addition to unemployment benefits and public assistance program.

For more information and to view an expanded list of services provided by the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy, visit charlottelegaladvocacy.org. : :

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To Vote is Power…If You Can Do It How LGBTQ Organizations Have Mobilized the Community

By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor

H

uman rights activist and lecturer Loung Ung once said “Voting is not only our right, it is our power. When we vote, we take back our power to choose, to speak up, and to stand with those who support us and each other.”

As we get closer and closer to the 2020 U.S. elections, I’ve personally gone through a series of questions surrounding the purpose of my vote.

I assume others have done the same at some juncture or another in their adult lives. This qnotes’ series was meant to spark interest in politics and engage people to vote in upcoming elections as we examined the efforts of non-profit LGBTQ organizations to mobilize our community.

We have looked at the birth of LGBTQ politics in the wake of McCarthyism and how gay men and lesbians inserted themselves into the political conversation after the Stonewall Uprising. We examined the emergence of early organizing in the community and how the Human Rights Campaign has grown its formidable “Equality Voter” model.

Voting is a key part of our defined participation in society, and as Ung says provides a chance for us to “take back our power.” But, what exactly does it mean to different people in our community? How does participation vary and how is it suppressed based on race and gender identity? What is being done to ensure that when members of our community “speak up” they can actually vote, especially when there’s a global health pandemic at our doorstep?

Martha S. Jones, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and author of “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality,” has said that our history is more one of voter suppression than of voting rights. “Today our voting rights are compromised by ID requirements, curtailed access to polling places, and the purging of voters’ rolls,” said Jones in a recent interview in the university’s Arts & Sciences Magazine.

Voter Suppression

In September, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) signed on to support Stacey Abram’s voter protection initiative, Fair Fight 2020. Alphonso David, president of the HRC, told The Washington Post, “Voter suppression has primarily targeted voters of color, who also happen to include LGBTQ Americans, who far too often face disproportionate barriers in accessing their right to vote.”

Fair Fight was launched by Abrams following the 2018 Georgia elections where her battle in the gubernatorial race shined a “bright light on the issue with elections that were rife with mismanagement, irregularities, unbelievably long lines, and more, exposing both recent and also decades-long actions and inactions by the state

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portant that states also don’t force a reduction in polling places and Abrams is requesting a “no hassle” registration process for anyone who has been removed from the rolls previously.

Voter ID laws

to thwart the right to vote,” according to the organization’s website.

One of the major issues in Georgia was the implementation of voter purges which shrunk the voter roll by more than 300,000 in December, threatening to redefine the 2020 election, according to critics. Proponents say that it was aimed at those who have recently died, but a lawsuit filed to halt the purge reports that more than 120,000 of the names were people who hadn’t voted since 2012. Prior to Abrams defeat in 2018, her opponent led a historic single-day voter purge, cutting more than a half million people from the rolls, with an estimated 107,000 because they hadn’t voted in prior elections, according to an American Media investigation. These purges often target communities of color.

In 2016, three North Carolina counties were found guilty of purging between 3,500 and 4,000 voters in what’s referred to as “voter caging,” whereby groups target certain communities by sending out mass direct mailings to registered voters that cannot be forwarded to a new address. According to The Center for American Progress, “African-Americans made up 65 percent of those targeted in Beaufort County, even though they accounted for less than 26 percent of the county’s population.”

Fair Fight is ready with teams in 18 battleground states and a long list of initiatives to fight voter suppression as we near the 2020 election. In a recent national media call, Abrams pointed out that the organization and its supporters are prepared earlier than in previous cycles. That’s important and likely intensified by the presence of COVID-19. “What we face as a nation is not partisan,” said Abrams. “It is an attack on all of us that’s going to make it difficult to have safe and accessible elections without Congressional action.”

This includes a call from Fair Fight Action in a joint letter to Congress requesting $4 billion dollars to make our elections secure. The letter includes five key priorities: expanding vote-by-mail options, including no-excuse absentee voting; the extension of in-person early voting to reduce long lines and allow people multiple weeks to cast their ballots; ensuring safe and accessible polling places for those without easy access to mail-in voting; expanding online and same-day voter registration; and the education of voters about their options in November.

Abrams explains that when you extend options like vote-by-mail, you’re making it safer for those who don’t have that access to vote in-person at the polls. It is im-

Congress has already allocated $400 million in election assistance funding to states. Even in the unlikely chance that more funds, especially the $4 billion request, would be approved, there are efforts like voter ID laws that still disproportionately affect the LGBTQ community.

A recent press release from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states: “But across the U.S., too many politicians are passing measures making it harder to cast a ballot.

The goal is to manipulate political outcomes, and the result is a severely compromised democracy that doesn’t reflect the will of the people.”

Thirty-six states have identification requirements at the polls. South Carolina is one of seven states that require voters to present one of a limited set of government-issued photo IDs, and one of 14 states that imposed tougher restrictions since 2010. North Carolina does not currently require a photo ID to vote, but only after a 2016 ruling by the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a law that included voter ID restrictions, the elimination of same-day voter registration and a cutback on early voting.

Over 21 million U.S. citizens do not have governmentissued photo identification, according to the ACLU. “That’s because ID cards aren’t always accessible for everyone.”

Transgender citizens face additional obstacles. According to a report by the Williams Institute, approximately 40 percent of the nearly 1 million transgender adults estimated to be eligible to vote do not have IDs that reflect their correct name and/or gender.

Lucas Acosta, national press secretary for campaigns at HRC, pointed out that organizations have to also work to train poll workers. “The discrepancies in a lot of these voter ID states, between laws allowing people to use gender markers and change names in easier ways so that both their name on the voting rolls and their ID that they go to the polls with are substantively similar to their identity, is important so that poll workers don’t cause problems for them,” says Acosta.

The National Center for Transgender Equality Action Fund is also working to protect transgender voters. The political arm of the well-known non-profit has created the TRANSform The Vote project which encourages voter registration and provides resources to guide transgender people through the process of voting.

“Transgender voters are not doing anything wrong or trying to deceive you — they are just being themselves,” states its #VotingWhileTrans Guide in directions for poll workers and election officials.

In the next issue, qnotes will wrap up our series with the introduction to an online voting resource to help you navigate the system, and we’ll talk to local organizations about efforts underway in getting out the vote in our region. : : This project has been supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems, solutionsjournalism.org.

Photo Credit: Robert Wilson via Adobe Stock

life

Job Losses Hit LGBTQ Community Hard HRC Reports Disapportionate Unemployment Findings

T

BY Tonya Jameson | QNotes Contributor

determined that he was only eligible to rehe car-door-open bell chimed as ceive $44 per week after he was laid off from Trey Motley answered a call from a his job as a server at Dressler’s restaurant. qnotes reporter.

He is receiving the federal assistance of $600 “I’m sorry. I’m out Door Dashing so you’ll per week, and he is thankful, but he too is hear me confirming and everything,” he worried about what hapexplained apologetically. pens when that ends.

Delivering food is not how Motley, 30, “It’s very disturbing,” planned to spend this spring. He was suphe said. posed to be still in the honeymoon phase of Alderman said he starting a new job as a front office manager has been keeping a log for a Charlotte hotel. Motley had only been of his calls to the North in his new gig since November, but was laid Carolina Department of off in March when the hotel reduced staff Commerce, Division of after businesses dropped dramatically as a Employment Security. For result of COVID-19. more than two months, Motley is not alone. he has called every day, According to a research brief released Chris three times a day and by the Human Rights Campaign and PSB Alderman with no luck. If he gets Research, 30 percent of LGBTQ respondents through, the calls are usually disconnected had their work hours reduced, compared to before he talks to anyone.

22 percent of the general population.

“They’re a government agency. They Chad Turner, Charlotte LGBT Chamber should be figuring out by now how to handle president, said many people in the LGBTQ this,” he said. community work in the service and enterFiling for unemployment in recent months has been a challenge for those seeking benefits due Lockhart Taylor, assistant secretary tainment industries. Many of those busito overwhelming job losses during the pandemic. (Photo Credit: Mr Doomits via Adobe Stock) for the North Carolina Department of nesses will not re-open, Turner said. These Commerce Division of Employment individuals work in nail salons, barber shops For now, Motley is delivering for Door Dash to make Security, testified before a state senate committee about and other direct-contact businesses. The entertainment inextra cash and save as much as he can. He wants to be the challenges facing his department and how they are dustry includes theaters, playhouses and concert venues. prepared if he does not return to work in July and the addressing them. According to Taylor, the department Their employees are heavily impacted, Turner said. In fact, federal assistance ends. He says his company promised to took in more unemployment claims in 64 days this year the 73-year-old Manor Theater will not re-open after the rehire him, but he is worried. than the entire 2009 Great Recession. quarantine ends.

He’s not alone.

“Our surge has been 5,000 percent, and we are work“These individuals are still waiting for unemployment.

Chris Alderman, 34, is not fortunate enough to receive ing nights, weekends, and holidays to process and pay With that unemployment factor, and the fact that there’s the maximum state unemployment assistance. The state benefits,” his statement read. no cash coming in, these individuals are just basically left He said the department focused on three areas to to fend for themselves without any type of assistance,” handle the surge: upgrading systems, strengthening the Turner said.

Data collected from 4,000 participants department’s workforce and improving processes.

Motley is one of the lucky ones. He is drawing the by the Human Rights Campaign That should be welcome news, but as of press time maximum benefits from the state’s unemployment Alderman still had not gotten his unemployment claim benefits ($350 per week) as well as federal assistance in partnership with PSB Research dealt with. Gov. Roy Cooper shifted the state into Phase 2 ($600 per week), but the federal money of lessening social distancing, re-opening dine-in restauis scheduled to end in late July. He • 16 percent of LGBTQ people are unemployed, rant service, but Alderman said he still does not know says the state maximum of $350 isn’t compared to 10 percent of the general population when he will return to work. enough. in this sample. 13 percent of LGBTQ people of color When he is recalled, he does not know if he will make According to the HRC/PSB brief, are unemployed. enough money to make it worth it. He averaged $30-$40 20 percent of LGBTQ people say their • 17 percent of LGBTQ people became unemployed an hour with tips as a server. Right now, restaurants face personal finances are “much worse off” due to COVID-19, compared to 13 percent of the reduced capacity by 50 percent, and a nervous public. than they were a year ago, compared to general population.

“We know restaurants aren’t going to open like nothing only 11 percent of the general popula• 22 percent of LGBTQ people of color became unemever happened,” he said. tion, and they are twice as likely as ployed due to COVID-19, compared to 14 percent of If all goes well, restaurants will be able to seat at full cathe general population to think their white LGBTQ people. pacity in July, but like any other business, it does not mean finances will be much worse off a year Trey Motley customers will rush in to fill those seats. : : from now.

May 29 - June 11, 2020

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life

Tom of Finland Turns 100

Late Artist had Massive Impact on American Gay Male Community

BY David Aaron Moore | QNotes Contributor Consider this quote from the artist in reference to his work: “The illustrations are hot, and they depict hot sexual activity. But the subjects, look at their faces. They almost always end up in smiles and laughter enjoying their good times together. I work very hard to make sure the men I draw are proud men, having happy sex.”

Many cultural historians in the LGBTQ community point directly at Tom of Finland for single-handedly having the largest impact on gay male culture in the U.S. in the final decades of the 20th century, and now the 21st century.

Prior to the 1970s, gay male culture was often depicted as feminine. Gay people were sometimes even described as the “third sex.”

Finland’s illustrations kick that theory completely to the curb: His subjects are a myriad of blue-collar and middle class he-men, who include military officers, soldiers, cowboys, construction workers, bankers, bikers, policemen, farmhands, rodeo riders and more.

But what about the story behind the artist?

What kind of man would create the work he did, initially during an era of such great oppression, and what were his experiences?

Touko Valio Laaksonen, as indicated by the 100-year celebration of his birth this year, was born in 1920. It comes as no surprise that he served in the Finnish military during World War II. What does come as a surprise, and is often lost in the passing of time, is that his native Finland allied their country with Germany during parts of that war.

The country repeatedly asserted they came together with the Nazis against Russia only in an effort to reclaim land taken from them by the former USSR. While they later switched allegiances to work with Russia and other Allied Forces against Germany, much of Laaksonen’s earlier work is influenced by his own youthful sexual experiences with German soldiers, young men he befriended who were far away from home, and very horny.

T

his month marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Touko Valio Laaksonen, also known as Tom of Finland (TOF).

If you are gay and you have not been hiding under a rock for the past 20 years, it is hard to imagine you are unfamiliar with his work: pencil illustrations featuring hypermasculinized men in various stages of partial and complete undress, with exaggerated muscles, nipples and sex organs. Those are the trademarks of Finland’s work.

Some people view the artist’s drawings as nothing more than pornographic illustrations. It is true, his creations generally depict men having extra-lustful sex with other men — sometimes multiple men — engaging in oral, anal and kink sex and experiencing geyser-like orgasms.

But his work is more than just that. Not only are they highly stylized, but if you look closer you will see the expressions on his subjects’ faces: they are not just enjoying their bodies and the sex, they are having fun. They are having fun being who they are and enjoying the camaraderie of the experience shared with other men. Considering the period in which his work of this type was initially created, such images represented a hugely positive step for a largely closeted global population of gay men.

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While the Nazi connection certainly gives pause and reason to ponder, there is no evidence whatsoever that Laaksonen ever maintained any feelings of white supremacy or racism toward non-Causcasians.

He openly spoke of his admiration for the beauty to be found in all men, and included men of color in his erotic illustrations.

However, the very nature of his illustrations has remained a source of contention, largely because his work has been viewed by some as promotion of an ideal that, for most people, will never be attainable.

Laaksonen was aware of this perception, and was quick to point out that he, as the artist, bore no resemblance to the fantastical male figures he created. But he took his response a step further to emphasize that the drawings were intentionally exaggerated, not to promote an ideal, but as pure fantasy erotic entertainment.

From John Waters, a dedicated fan of Tom of Finland and the celebrated gay filmmaker of such legendary films as “Hairspray,” “Cry Baby,” “Serial Mom,” “Polyester,” “Pink Flamingos” and “Female Troubles,” come these words in regards to the work and career of the erotic artist: “When I was a young man in the late ’50s, Tom of Finland invented an impossible-to-live-up-to gay male look that defied stereotypical queerness before I ever realized there was such a thing. I wanted to meet the men depicted in his drawings but struggled at the time, because the only people I saw in Baltimore that looked that butch were lesbians. He’s still a god to me, a great artist, one of the founders of filth, a spiritual leader from the gutter. If you ever want sex today, just pray to him and it will happen.”

Tom of Finland’s career as an artist spanned across six decades (1940s-1990s). His work initially appeared in the U.S. in the spring of 1957 when it was chosen by the publisher of Physique Pictorial to appear on the cover of the beefcake magazine, which featured scantily clad and nearly nude muscled men posing in exercise positions.

While his work became wildly popular with gay men, it was not a successful moneymaker, which required the artist to continue his full-time job at an advertising agency until 1973. Exhibits of his work would follow as the decade progressed, in Germany, and later in the United States, in such cities as Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.

By the 1980s, Tom was spending half the year in Los Angeles and the other half in Helsinki. He continued the back and forth traveling, making many friends in the U.S. and creating much of his best work here, until he was diagnosed with emphysema in 1988. Much to his disappointment, he was forced to end his travels, although he continued to work practically up until the day of his death in Finland on Nov. 7, 1991. : :

More on Tom of Finland

If Tom of Finland’s story and artwork intrigue you, the most obvious place to go for more information is the artist’s website, tomoffinland.org. There is also a related site full of TOF merchandise at tomoffinlandstore.com.

If movies are your thing, the 2017 film “Tom of Finland” is currently available for streaming, free with membership, from HULU. The 1991 documentary “Daddy and the Muscle Camp,” which includes extensive interviews and appearances by Tom, is available to watch completely free from the library and university streaming service KANOPY, an option for users of ROKU. see next page u

Books on the works of Tom of Finland are numerous and available through the artist’s website, as well as multiple independent online booksellers and eBay. Tom of Finland was a prolific artist, and there are many fine original pieces for purchase listed through online auction houses around the globe. Prices for various originals range from $2,000 to $10,000 and above. Limited edition prints are far less expensive, though it is not uncommon to see them between $200 and $700.

Lastly, continuing through June 19 is the exhibit “Tom of Finland: The

Darkroom” at the Fotografiska gallery in Estonia. Since it is unlikely you will be able to make the trip in person, try a virtual visit to the gallery, which includes a tour of the artwork and various interviews at youtu. be/rSJfOwV0UHI. : : Image Credits: Photo of Tom of Finland, Patrick Sarfati Tom of Finland (Touko Laaksonen, Finnish, 1920 – 1991) (left) Portrait of Durk, 1980, Graphite on paper © 1980-2020 Tom of Finland Foundation (above) Untitled, 1985, Graphite on paper © 1985-2020 Tom of Finland Foundation

May 29 - June 11, 2020

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news

Place to Call Home: Update Seeking Shelter After Eviction

By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Earlier, qnotes reported on a group of black transgender women at the center of the closure and eviction of residents at the Days Inn on Woodlawn Rd. in South Charlotte.

During the week of May 18, a Superior Court judge said that official residents of the hotel could stay for now. Judge Casey Viser included the names of occupants in 13 rooms, but did not protect anyone else who may be staying on the property. According to Rene Couret from There’s Still Hope, Myka T. Johnson and the other transgender women at the hotel were part of that list.

OMS Ventures of Charlotte who owns the hotel had tried to shut down the Days Inn on April 20, saying the staff were concerned that some residents had COVID-19. The company sought a court order to remove those who refused to leave, claiming that they had done more than $20,000 in damage.

William DeVore, the lawyer for OMS Ventures, told WFAE that the owner planned to begin removing trespassers immediately. According to the report, the judge did not issue a final ruling on the request to evict all the occupants. He issued a continuence of the hearing until June 9.

Hours after Judge Viser’s order, problems were found with the hotel’s fire alarm system and the Charlotte Fire Department’s office declared it unsafe. On May 21, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) was called to the hotel to remove people who refused to leave.

According to a press release from CMPD, “Over the past three days, attempts were made to get the individuals occupying this hotel to voluntarily leave the property

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what we can do so people can get a place to stay tonight.” According to the video, residents were unable to retrieve their personal belongings in the hotel, including IDs and cell phones, making it difficult for them to find alternative shelter or access social services.

“I don’t know who you gotta call, but we can’t leave people outside in the midst of a pandemic — a global health crisis,” says Pucket-Williams in the Facebook livestream. A group of transgender women at the hotel had been organizing since late April to make sure residents had food and shelter, while creating chore lists to keep the property maintained.

“This wouldn’t be happening in Ballantyne.

This wouldn’t be happening in a white affluent neighborhood,” continues Pucket-Williams. “We’ve After repeated attempts to evict all residents of the Days Inn on Woodlawn Rd. got to do something different.” The Days Inn has in Charlotte, N.C., even with a judge’s orders to allow some to stay, safety issues been in the spotlight for several months. In March, found by the Charlotte Fire Department prompted Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police 34-year-old Monica Diamond was shot and died Department officers to exercise the removal of all remaining residents from the while being treated in an ambulance in the hotel’s premises. (Photo Credit: Chris Rudisill) parking lot, becoming the fourth violent reported death of a transgender person in 2020.

At 6:30 p.m. on May 21, the last individuals in compliance with the Order to Evacuate. Alternative left the property. According to the CMPD press release, no housing was offered to individuals staying on the property, injuries or arrests occurred, and no one was charged with several of whom accepted.” violating the order. Couret says that all of the transgender Community members and residents gathered at the women, including Johnson have found alternative tempogas station next door. Kristie Pucket-Williams, who works rary housing at another local hotel. with ACLU of North Carolina, posted hours of live video on On May 22, residents were allowed back into the Days her personal Facebook page.

Inn to retrieve their personal property. The hotel is still While talking with members of CMPD, Pucket-Williams closed to occupants. : : can be heard saying, “I’m imploring you to figure out

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life

Mental Health Support

How Telehealth is Helping with Added Stressors During COVID-19

By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor

C

go back to their desk. It’s much more conaused by higher numbers in unemployvenient from a patient perspective.” ment, reduced access to care and ongoing discrimination, the mental health and wellness of queer people is a growing casualty in the coronavirus pandemic. For many, COVID-19 is just another stressor on top of an “When people are in their own environalready difficult mental health situation. ment, sometimes that is itself a new positive,” “Mentions of the pandemic have insays Dr. Daniel Stilwell from Thriveworks in creased more than 60 times since lockdowns Charlotte. “When it comes to the queer combegan and now comprise more than a quarmunity (in particular) a generic therapy office ter of crisis services conversations,” said Rod in many ways can’t be too queer. Having Todaro from The Trevor Project. The volume clients have their own stuff around them of calls to the organization has increased, at increases some of the comfort level.” times spiking to more than double volumes Thriveworks was doing some telehealth earlier in 2020. work before the pandemic, but perception He points out the increasing themes of and discomfort of the technology had limited isolation and anxiety, along with concerns the request from patients. “It’s really opened about economic insecurity and fear of havup a lot of possibilities that are going to ing or getting COVID-19. A recent report help make sure we have a greater diversity from Harvard Medical School found that of care options,” says Stilwell. He points out minority stress contributes to higher risk for that for some clients, health-related issues Telehealth has changed the dynamics and ease of obtaining mental health support during the a number of health problems in LGBTQ comor access to transportation had limited their current pandemic. (Photo Credit: rh2010 via Adobe Stock) munities. The report adds loss of work and ability to get help. “This has opened up the income, school closures, reduced access to possibility for them to be more included and to stay. “In the future, what we’re going to see is that the care and reduced access to legal protections honestly anytime we’re better at inclusion, patients are going to ask for it more and more,” he says. to the long list of stress-inducing factors. we’re better at queering our spaces.”

“Patients are customers to the insurance company and Some coronavirus-led changes are showing positive Pride Support Services of Charlotte, a new non-profit in if they aren’t offering a product they can sell to patients, results, however, and might create innovation in the field the area, is offering online support groups to stay connectthey’re not going to buy it.” That is likely to drive further that results in greater accessibility and support systems in ed. Started by Ray Castillo and Xavier Laporte-Sanchez, innovation in technology and healthcare to make them the long term. the group launched just a few months before the sheltermore secure and fit the needs of the system.

Time Out Youth Center reported earlier to qnotes that in-place with a goal of creating a resource to connect That innovation can mean more accessibility for it had seen a drastic increase in its attendance since shiftwrap-around health and wellness services for the LGBTQ working-class people and more support when it’s needed ing to virtual programming. When a young person can go community. “We reinvented ourselves early on and moved most as well. According to ProHealthDesk, they have seen online or access a Zoom call with their cell phone in the into doing our live sessions,” says Laporte-Sanchez. “We a jump in nearly all of their behavioral health claims, which security of their bedroom, it can make a huge difference in bring all of these other people into the conversation who means business is booming for the industry, and it is not the ability to connect with others. are either experts in the topic or just have lived experijust due to the added stressors. There’s definitely a conveences, and we always like to close our ‘lives’ by asking our nience factor. panelists to give some words of encouragement to people It can eliminate the need to take time off from work, who are going through a tough situation.” for example, just to go to the doctor. “Even before From community groups on Facebook to new telehealth Prior to the coronavirus, Medicare and many insurCOVID-19, it was difficult counseling options, behavioral health is ance companies were not covering telemedicine or to schedule time to make advancing from the benefits of creativity but telehealth services. “Most insurance companies follow suit an appointment and go most importantly from a passion within those with what CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) sit in a doctor’s office and in the industry that value taking care of each does,” says Jacob Hamm, founder of ProHealthDesk, an schedule the time to drive other during difficult times. administrative support and billing company for behavioral there and drive back,” says “If someone does feel alone or isolated, health providers.

Hamm. “Now, a patient they’re not alone and there are people along The Trump administration announced on March 17 the can go sit in their car on for the ride and they can support each other,” expansion of Medicare telehealth coverage enabling benFaceTime. They literally says Stilwell. “Whether that’s a spiritual vereficiaries to receive a range of healthcare services from can walk away from their sion of that or just a Facebook group where their doctors and temporarily softened the requirements desk at 3:55 p.m., have a we talk about our favorite cats. It doesn’t matimposed by federal HIPPA law. The virus broke through Xavier Laporte4 o’clock session wherever ter — anything that can help remind us that the bureaucracy that had stifled innovation in the field for Dr. Daniel Stillwell Sanchez they choose to be and then we’re part of a larger collective is healthy.” : : years, and Hamm thinks that much of that change is here

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a&e

Going Out or Going Online During COVID-19 Tell Trinity

BY Trinity | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Hey Trinity, I’ve been going to gay bars for years. This is how I enjoy life, how I meet friends and meet dates. But now everything is closed because of COVID-19, and could be closed for months.

Even Meetups have stopped, and dating online is futile. I know it will pass, but… help!

Thanks, Trapped Alone, Wilton Manors, FL Hey Trapped Alone, Being a social person forced to stay home is awful. And, yes, it will end but for now it seems like hell for some. So, pumpkin, join the online party. Everyone’s doing it. It’s fun and simple. Zoom, Facebook and Google now offer free group video meetings. Now people are doing Meetups, drinking together and playing games together online. Also, pick up the phone and reconnect with friends and family. Most importantly, make a daily list and complete it. You must stay busy or the isolation will get to you.

Go get ‘em, Trinity My Dear Trinity, Life’s awful! My girlfriend unexpectedly died a few months ago. I lost my job. And now my rent’s going up. I often think about check-

ing out of life! Why is life so awful?

Discouraged, Reno, NV My Dear Discouraged, Life, the big banquet between birth and death, always has shortfalls and climaxes. I see life like a heartbeat monitor. When the beat is up, everything looks like a “Night at the Oscars.” When the beat is down, everything looks like a Holocaust Museum tour.

The trick is riding the downbeat knowing that

the upbeat will absolutely return. Sweetie, you must rest assured that the heartbeat monitor will rise to the celebration of your life again. For now, repeat five times a day, “I trust the process of life.” And, “This too shall pass.” (Don’t get caught mired in troubled waters like my cartoon shows.)

Dear Trinity, I’m not a gay man, but I often get looked at and approached by gay men. What can I do to stop it?

Sincerely, Straight, Cleveland, OH Dear Straight, We should all have such problems! I asked a few of my non-gay friends what they do, and this is what they said. “Why stop it? It’s a compliment. Anytime a gay guy flirts with me, I flirt back for a while, and then I tell him I’m straight.

It’s cool!” “I’m an attractive woman. It happens!

When women look at me, I love it.” So, darling, if you absolutely feel the need to stop these culturally enlightened beings from wanting to know you or appreciate you then…stop putting so much mousse in your hair, stop dressing so impeccably and stop being so polite, and if that doesn’t work, then wear a wedding ring, pooka beads or those tacky Walmart flip flops.

Kisses, Trinity Hello Trinity, My partner and I have now had a third person enter our relationship. We are all new to the “threesome” way of life. Any advice?

Threesome, LA, CA Hello Threesome, I suppose the name Trinity does imply

that I have some insight into things relating to threes. Unfortunately, MTV and PBS specials are the only places where I’ve seen threesome relationship stories. You are not alone, but still in the minority, thus you must create the rules as you go along. So, honey, look for books on the subject (there are a few) and for now read:

Trinity’s Practical Tips For A Threesome Relationship

1. A king size bed and a spare room is a must.

2. Make friends (just friends) with other threesome couples.

3. Honor each other’s secrets and/or privacy! Adults have secrets!

4. Always cook extra.

5. Accept that all of your family may not understand.

6. Every three months sit down, and renegotiate the rules.

7. Take vacations as well as personal time alone.

8. Play Trinity’s CD’s while making love. It works every time.

9. Stay in the moment. The future is not here yet.

10. T ake plenty of notes for our, I mean your book. : : 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, Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Learn more at telltrinity.com.

Send emails to: trinity@telltrinity.com.

May 29 - June 11, 2020

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views

Remembering All Those Unmentioned Spiritual Reflections

By Rev. Dennis W. Foust | Guest Contributor

H

ow many memorable moments have you experienced? What makes an ordinary moment extraordinary for you? How do you determine whether a momentary surprise can become a memorable moment?

In the summer of 2015, I was one of the adults accompanying our high school students on what I call “Discipleship Immersion Trips.” Our name for these experiences are purposeful. Mission trips are not wrong; nor are they a waste of time. However, mission trips are often planned with an “us-them” mindset (we are going to do this for them).

“Discipleship Immersion Trips” are planned to accomplish more than service projects. These ventures seek to develop young people in the understanding that following Jesus is a lifestyle thing; not a legalistic thing. The focus is to nurture the young person who is learning the nature of Christian discipleship is servanthood. Discipleship is learning how to live the way Jesus lived. The Way of Jesus applies gracious and compassionate love to every person. Key relationship qualities of redemption, honesty, reconciliation, collaboration, humility, honesty, vulnerability, patience, etc. are essential.

This particular trip was to New York City.

We stayed in campus housing at Wagner College on Staten Island. As senior minister, these journeys provide me the opportunity to interweave several callings, commitments

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connections

and visions. As people who seek to reveal God’s compassionate love in the world, we invest our lives in peace-building, healing and forgiving. As a liberal Baptist congregational pastor, my role is to equip other persons how to live the Way of Jesus. This is especially fulfilling when I can facilitate this learning in young people.

During this journey, our young people listened to a woman who had been active in her neighborhood church for more than 30 years.

However, when her daughter let it be publicly known that she was entering procedures of gender confirmation surgery and hormone therapy to become male, several members and the pastor asked her to not return. Our teenagers could not believe a church would treat her in this way. In fact, they were angry at her church and asked me and our minister with youth how anyone could consider themselves as Christians and act in this way. I was gladdened to know our young people are being formed to understand Christian faith in this way. This conversation allowed for several heart-talks as we explored why some people seem to be filled with hatefulness and rejection while still claiming to be committed to follow Jesus. We discussed how fundamentalism is fear-based and why love as God loves is so threatening to legalists.

Another conversation allowed our students to listen to a man in his early 80s,

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a retired medical doctor, talk about his marriage to his husband, a Broadway producer, who had died of cancer the previous year.

They had been together since 1967. Their relationship of almost 50 years had endured tremendous challenges. They were rejected by family members and friends. Yet, meeting these challenges made them closer; their relationship was solid and their trust of one another was unflappable. The retired physician told how their search for a church took more than 20 years. Their desire for a faith community was extremely strong.

Eventually, they found a faith community where the people accepted them, embraced each of them for their gifts of compassion and included them in a variety of congregational ministries. Again, our youth were shocked to learn how many churches, even in NYC, reject individuals or couples over sexual bias and blame God for their hatred and prejudice.

Through that week, our students delivered meals to persons living with AIDS, served meals in a soup kitchen focusing upon those who have been rejected by society, discussed peace-building and violence at the United Nations, worked in a rooftop vegetable garden at Metro Baptist Church, a local church which is known for its progressive social-gospel efforts tracing back to the Baptist leader, Walter

Rauschenbusch and guided worship in a public park for persons who were experiencing homelessness. All week long, we had wonderful conversations about the nature and character of God’s love.

At the end of that week, on Friday, June 26th, 2015, we were on the Staten Island Ferry on our way into the city for the day. My phone dinged. I looked to check the headline informing me the Supreme Court of the United States had just struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage and legalized it in all 50 states. I looked over at Ellis Island and greeted Lady Liberty stretching forth her torch to the heavens with her message, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” It was a memorable moment. My mind thought of people we had met during that week and 37 high school students we were sending out to a world where millions of people are needing the liberty of God’s love. As we continue to follow the Way of Jesus, let us remember all those unmentioned on the Statue of Liberty.

And, let us continue to lift the torch of God’s love in a suffering world. : : Rev. Dennis W. Foust is the senior minister at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.

Dealing with Finances

Mental Health: How to Manage the Anxieties of Dealing with Your Finances

BY Stanley Popovich | guest WRITER

Managing finances can be less anxiety-ridden when a proper plan is set in motion for the future.

(Photo Credit: Model Republic via Adobe Stock)

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any people get stressed out in managing their finances and investments.

Here are some tips on how to manage the stresses and anxieties in taking care of your finances.

Get sound advice from a financial professional.

There are many financial professionals that can give you good advice on how to manage your finances. Listen to what they have to say and decide for yourself the best route you can take in terms of your investments and finances.

Develop a budget to manage your expenses.

A budget will help you to pay your bills on time without running out of money. A budget will also help prevent you from spending your money on things that you do not need.

Stay out of debt.

Pay off your credit card bills, and try to get rid of your debts. This will help save you from paying all of that interest. There are also many credit counselors you can talk to that will help you develop a plan to get out of debt.

Plan for any emergencies.

Put aside a small amount of money from your weekly paycheck into an emergency fund. The purpose of the emergency fund is to provide instant cash for sudden and unexpected events. When something happens,

you will have something to fall back on.

Learn to manage your spending.

The more you spend on things that you do not need, the less money you will have for the future. There is nothing wrong with buying things that make you happy, but you do not want to spend money that you do not have. The key is to learn to manage your money wisely.

Have some kind of health insurance.

It is recommended that you have health insurance in case you get sick. A person could lose a lot of money if something happens to their health, and they don’t have any kind of insurance. Having car and homeowner’s insurance is also recommended in case something would happen unexpectantly.

Keep your job skills and experiences up to date.

You never know when you may lose your job. It is important to continuously update your skills and résumé in case you need to look for another job. Applying for unemployment will help, but it will not last.

Keep your job skills current so you can increase your chances of finding a good paying job if you become unemployed. : : Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods.”

For information, visit managingfear.com.

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‘Feeling’ Good An Interview with Pam Tillis

BY Gregg Shapiro | Guest Contributor

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think about the evolution taking place in Nashville?

PT: God, it’s slow [laughs]. Really slow.

Welcome to the party, everybody! I recently participated in a documentary, “Invisible: Gay Women in Southern Music,” about the untold story of that in Country music. Nashville wouldn’t be the same without that talent. You want to say, “Let’s just hurry up and get to a time when it’s not even a topic. The same thing with race. I’m glad Country music is getting more open. That really is wonderful, but it’s just taken a long time. Hate and racism and sexism and ageism — none of that is going to go away, but you can tip the scale and things can be nicer, and they are nicer than they have been.

am Tillis is Country music royalty.

The daughter of Country music legend Mel Tillis, Pam has had her own lengthy career as a singer/ songwriter with hits including “Maybe It Was Memphis,” “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial,” “Spilled Perfume” and, of course, “Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life).” “Looking for a Feeling” (Stellar Cat), Pam’s 11th studio album and first solo album in more than a dozen years, is the kind of comeback we’ve been waiting for. This compelling combination of modern and traditional country tunes, featuring outstanding originals including the title track, “Burning Star,” “Karma” and “Last Summer’s Wine,” as well as knockout covers including “Dolly 1969” and “Dark Turn of Mind.” Pam was kind enough to take a break from doing some therapeutic gardening in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic to answer a few questions.

Gregg Shapiro: You co-wrote six of the 12 songs on your new album “Looking For a Feeling” (Stellar Cat), including “Karma,” “Burning Star” and “Last Summer’s Wine.” What qualities do you look for in a songwriting collaborator?

Pam Tillis: I think freshness. It helps if somebody knows how to craft things, but they don’t have to. If somebody brings great ideas to the table, that’s everything.

Country music star Pam Tillis. (Photo Credit: Matt Spicher)

GS: When it comes to the cover tunes on the album, including Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’ “Dark Turn of Mind” and Matraca Berg’s “Demolition Angel,” what can you tell me about your song selection process?

PT: It’s somewhat random [laughs]. If something grabs me. It’s just like any kind of art, it’s all subjective. A song that might grab you the one day, might not the next. In the case of those two songs, they came to me at two different times. But they fit the themes of the album. I had “Demolition Angel” for a long time. If you cover a song, I’ve always said it has to feel like it could have come out of your diary.

GS: When you were putting together the theme, the concept for the album, what was the first inspiration for the theme?

PT: Every time somebody asks me about it, I’m also looking at it and trying to analyze it from a different perspective.

It’s always something new coming up for me, and I realize things about the album that I couldn’t see when I was in the middle of it. I don’t know where this comes from, but there’s some part of me that struggles with the idea of needing to do things perfectly. I’m not saying that I’m Type A, it’s just a part of me. But it rears its head at the most inconvenient times. I think perfection is so overrated. I feel like there is a theme on the record of imperfection.

That’s why I like “Demolition Angel.” That song’s about creative destruction. That’s why I like “Dark Turn of Mind.”

Especially in this era of social media, a lot of people are trying to present this façade. I’m going, “What if I don’t have it together [laughs]?” Are you going to love me then?

GS: You have to take people warts and all!

PT: Yes, especially somebody who’s been in the public eye a long time. I love the book “Trick Mirror” by Jia Tolentino.

It was so fantastic! She encapsulated some ideas that were free floating around in my head. She talked about how the public or culture likes to tear down strong women and then build them up and then tear them down and maybe redeem them. It’s like you’re a yo-yo; there’s a certain weariness with that. That’s why I put in “Looking for a Feeling”

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and “Better Friends,” with all of these spiritually adrift people. “Burning Star” talks about it’s a trick bag because there is an element of radical acceptance of the human condition and all of our imperfections.

GS: One of my favorite cover tunes on the album is your rendition of Bob Regan’s “Dolly 1969.” What was it about that song that appealed to you?

PT: I’m a sucker for imagery. I love songs that are minimovies. It [the lyric] comes from a real picture taken by Jim McGuire, which I found out after cutting the song.

I’ve always cited Dolly as one of my biggest she-roes. I’ve traveled a lot of that road. It’s funny, but I’m more of a character. I’m traveling back in time to the young me, that wanted to get on board with Dolly and learn from her. A little bit of time travel there.

GS: I also love when a singer speaks during a song, that narration.

PT: That’s a classic Country tradition, and I’ve always loved it. I’m one of those people who has never particularly loved my speaking voice; I’m glad I can sing. But you get to act. Any text, when there’s no melody, you can read it 100 ways. I spent a long time trying to capture the nuance of speaking that.

GS: It really comes across. Talking about Dolly reminded me about your being a judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2012. What was that experience like for you?

PT: It was really kind of surreal. Especially when the drag queens sang “Mi Vida Loca.” That song has taken me some really interesting places. RuPaul is a beautiful person, inside and out. He’s just so brilliant. And tall [laughs]. He said a funny thing to me, he said, “If you know how much I loved your music, you’d be afraid of me” [laughs].

GS: That’s kind of the ultimate compliment! Your first album was released almost 30 years ago, and in that time the Country music world has seen the rise and fall and rise of the Dixie Chicks, as well as out artists such as Brandy Clark, Ty Herndon, Lil Nas X and Brandi Carlie. Being a Country music veteran, what do you

GS: I recently interviewed Rosanne Cash and a few years ago I interviewed your frequent collaborator Lorrie Morgan. All three of you are Country music legacies, and it made me wonder if there is any kind of club where the offspring of Country music legends get together to share stories and give each other support when needed.

PT: Not officially. It’s a loose confederacy.

Not too long ago, I was at an event for the Lifetime movie about Patsy [Cline] and Loretta [Lynn], and both Patsy’s daughter and Loretta’s daughter, Patsy, and her granddaughter were there. It’s like you know each other already. You understand each other so well. There is a comfort level there. Speaking of LGBTQ people, I want to recognize someone with my new single, the album’s title track. Waylon Payne [who cowrote the song], his story is totally amazing. He wrote some songs for Miranda’s [Lambert] last album. He’s an amazing singer and songwriter. He’s got an album coming out. We wrote together and it was magic. He’s the son of Sammi Smith (“Help Me Make It Through The Night”).

GS: “Looking For a Feeling” is being released in late April 2020. The interview is taking place in early April, and the world is still in the grip of the deadly coronavirus and we’ve been told to shelter-in-place. What have you been doing to keep yourself sane and healthy during this time?

PT: Oh my gosh! I don’t suppose I can send you a picture on my phone, can I? You’re going to laugh your ass off [laughs].

GS: You said you were gardening, right?

PT: Yeah! This project is a mother! I had to build the bed up so high to keep the rabbits out. We got roving gangs of ravenous rabbits in town. All this dirt has to be shoveled in a little higher. You’re not working at ground level. You have to shovel it waist high. It’s like working on the chain gang, but I’m determined to get it done.

GS: When things return to normal, which we hope will be soon, will you be embarking on a concert tour?

PT: Yes. I don’t even know how to contemplate a world where that’s not feasible. When you’re onstage at a big festival and everybody’s singing along — not to go woowoo — you’re kind of a shaman. It’s all about the energy of it. When it’s all happening and the music is right and the people are unified, it’s like church. We need those kinds of gatherings. The virtual thing is great. I’m trying to embrace that and do a few things online. My sister told me people are doing hilarious things online that are all kinds of cobbled together, warts and all. The humanness of it is what makes it so appealing. That’s all good and we can stay connected during this period of social distancing, but we need to get back together as soon as we can. : :

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