QNotes, June 11, 2021

June 11-24, 2021

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inside this issue

June 11-24, 2021 Vol 36 No 04

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contributors this issue

Joey Amato, Kendra R. Johnson, L’Monique King, Jack Kirven, Julianna Peres, Ford Porter, Mikey Rox, Candelario Saldana, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Trinity

front page

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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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feature

Pride and Juneteenth

news

Head OUT on the Highway

Traveling around in a van has been particularly trendy as of late. Here are some tips and tricks to ensure a successful solo road trip.

6 A Month of Queer Events 6 N.C. Governor Officially Declares June Pride Month 6 Gay Candidate Running for Mayor of Carrboro 6 Briefs 7 New In-Person Charlotte Black Pride Event 7 UNC Chapel Hill Elects First Gay Black Male Student Representative

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16 ‘Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir’ 17 Tell Trinity

life

8 Head OUT on the Highway 9 A Perfect Mix of Peace and Partying 12 LGBTQ Organizations in N.C. Serving Rural Areas 16 What is SPF in Sunscreen?

19 Our People: Jacob Hamm

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4 Our Lives — And the Attacks on them — Are All Connected 15 A Celebration of Our Victories and a Reminder of the Battles Ahead

events

For event listings, visit goqnotes.com/events-calendar.

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A Celebration of Our Victories and a Reminder of the Battles Ahead

A look at marches, protests, court cases and more and how they have shaped LGBTQ history. Also a look ahead to the near future of LGBTQ rights.

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June 11-24, 2021

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Our Lives — And the Attacks on Them — Are All Connected Political Voices

by Kendra R. Johnson, Equality NC Executive Director Contributing Writer

F

rom all of us at Equality North Carolina, Happy Pride Month! After what seems like an eternity, many members of our community are finally able to gather once again and share space, celebrate our resilience and reflect on the challenges we’ve all been through together.

Earlier this year, our communities faced a direct threat from elected officials in the form of several anti-trans bills introduced at the General Assembly. While we were victorious in tabling these bills in North Carolina, our community members across the rest of the nation have not been so lucky. And here in North Carolina, we are still dealing with a number of bad bills that directly target and impact the most vulnerable among us.

Currently, there are several cruel bills standing before the General Assembly.

These include: • HB324, which would ban the teaching of critical race theory and prevent teachers from accurately portraying the U.S. history of racism and sexism.

• SB 100 and SB 101, which would take away funds from cities that redirect police funding to social programs and which would force North Carolina sheriffs to cooperate with ICE.

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• HB 805, which imposes harsh penalties on peaceful protesters who participate in what is deemed a “riot”— even when they haven’t violated any laws.

• And SB 405 and HB 453, which impose increasing restrictions on abortions.

As marginalized folks, it’s crucial that we stop thinking about these bills as individual, piecemeal attacks on our communities.

Rather, they are tools of a broader campaign against vulnerable Americans by those in positions of power. These attacks are ultimately about maintaining power and control and are rooted in the foundation of white supremacy.

Here in North Carolina that culture is, unfortunately, deeply embodied in the legislature’s current majority.

House Bill 324 is a good example of the ways in which these bills seek to erase our communities while also pitting them against each other through attempts to enshrine a revisionist history of racist oppression in the United States. The language of the law is broad and vague, designed to intimidate teachers and discourage them from accurately covering the depth and breadth of U.S. history. HB324 intends to prevent students from understanding and wrestling with the full history of anti-Black racism in this country and, in doing so, creates an educational environment that acts as a tool to maintain power and control.

We can also look to HB453, or the socalled “Human Life Non-Discrimination Act,” which bans abortions undertaken because of “race, sex or genetic abnormality.” In the name of preventing eugenics, HB453 restricts the right to choose, attempting to pit the racial justice movement, feminist advocates and the disability rights movement against the fight for reproductive justice.

It’s revealing that the General Assembly, rather than taking steps to advance racial justice or disability rights, instead chooses to regulate access to abortion. Their motivation isn’t nondiscrimination, it’s making reproductive choices less accessible. Disability Rights NC, one of the state’s foremost nonprofits working in the disability rights space, spoke out against this by saying: “Instead of limiting people’s rights, we would ask that you all consider ways to support people with disabilities.”

The fight to limit the rights of all of these groups is ultimately at the heart of the ongoing project to maintain white supremacist power and control in this country. The General Assembly is trying to protect that power through erasing and dividing those people and groups who could challenge their long-held grip over the people of our state.

Attempts to pit communities against each other fail to recognize that people live at the intersections of multiple identities.

There are plenty of people with disabilities who want access to abortions. The right to protest is crucial for everyone. And all of these issues are LGBTQ rights issues because queer and trans people are members of every single community.

That’s why social justice organizations, serving many different communities, have all come together against these bills. And that’s why so many people from all across North Carolina have spoken out against these attempts to erase us.

This Pride month, let’s use our voices and platforms to acknowledge the ways that these issues and attacks are interconnected. Pride came out of honoring the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, an uprising against police oppression of LGBTQ people led by Black and brown trans women.

There is no pride without the powerful leadership of people who live at the intersection of multiple identities, people who say “we will not be erased.”

Let’s follow their lead. Tell your legislators to vote against these bills infringing on civil rights. And tell your local elected officials to support effective nondiscrimination ordinances, protecting LGBTQ people and so many more from unfair treatment in the workplace, public accommodations and so much more.

This Pride month, let’s come together to fight for a better world. : :

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news A Month of Queer Events

Campus Pride is celebrating their 20-year anniversary with a multitude of online events. A nonprofit dedicated to educating college and university students about the LGBTQ community, Campus Pride is starting Pride Month off with conversations about safe sex, bullying and mental health.

On June 1, Campus Pride announced they were partnering with Victoria’s Secret Pink Pride campaign in order to host several of this month’s events. The first of these is Lavender Graduation, a commencement ceremony that will be live-streamed on June 11, at 10 a.m. for LGBTQ students graduating in 2021. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) is working with Campus Pride to garner attention and participation for this ceremony as it encompasses 18 different schools across the U.S. Safe Space Online Training will follow the graduation on June 11 at 10 a.m. This will provide resources for allies and LGBTQ individuals who want to learn about LGBTQ terms, history and local organizations. Another seminar, dubbed Stop the Hate training, will take place on June 16 at 10 a.m. online. These events are similar in nature, but Stop the Hate is more geared toward the specifics of harassment, hazing and outright violence.

Juneteenth is the only event slotted for the weekend. Led by queer and transgender Black activists, this live-streamed demonstration is about celebrating the history of black LGBTQ liberation in colleges. This commemoration of ending slavery will take place on June 19, at 3 p.m.

The 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots is being observed by queer young adults on June 28, at 5 p.m. On the very day of the original Stonewall uprising/rebellion, students will gather to speak about the police raid that took place in NYC’s gay community in Greenwich Village.

A completely virtual pride celebration will take place on June 30 at 4 p.m. as Pride Month comes to a close. These festivities will be co-hosted by the apparel company Pride Palace. During all of June, those interested in donating to Give OUT Day can make a donation towards Campus Pride. All donors who give $10 or more will be eligible to win prizes during the virtual pride celebration.

Mini-Grants have also been made available by Campus Pride as a way of giving back to the community. Up to $600, these grants will be awarded to those who want to improve their college campuses in a way that relates to LGBTQ activism. To apply for a grant, go to campuspride.org/ActNow. info: campuspride.org — Julianna Peres

N.C. Governor Officially Declares June Pride Month

Gov. Roy Cooper has officially proclaimed June as Pride Month in North Carolina to honor the state’s LGBTQ community, their fight for equality and the goal of creating a welcoming community for all North Carolinians.

“The world now knows the progress North Carolina has made in becoming a safer and more inclusive place for our LGTBQ+ community,” Gov. Cooper said, “but there’s more work to be done, and this month is an opportunity to renew our commitment to fight for equality.”

Pride Month commemorates the riots held 52 years ago at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, an event often recognized as the birth of the modern LGBTQ+ movement.

In June 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States extended discrimination protections for LGBTQ employees under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Several other landmark Supreme Court cases have been issued in June, including striking down the Defense of Marriage Act in 2013 and affirming same-sex couples’ right to marry in 2015 under Obergefell v. Hodges.

Approximately four percent of North Carolinians identify as LGBTQ. Gov. Cooper has taken several steps to make North Carolina a safe, welcoming place for people in the LGBTQ community to live and work.

In August 2019, the governor issued Executive Order No. 97, which made North Carolina the first state in the South to ban state funding for conversion therapy. Gov. Cooper also issued Executive Order No. 24 in October 2017, which prohibits employment discrimination in the Cooper Administration, including on the basis of sex, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression, and requires those doing business with the state to do the same. Executive Order No. 24 also created the Commission on Inclusion, which identifies policies and measures to promote inclusion and address discrimination, harassment and retaliation. info: bit.ly/2RoMNFE — Ford Porter

Gay Candidate Running for Mayor of Carrboro

Gay man Damon Seils has served as the chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission, a board member of the Carolina Abortion Fund and a volunteer for the North Carolina AIDS Action Network. His is a name known to many in North Carolina.

Although he’s not a native to Carrboro, Seils has called the town home for many years. Coinciding with the beginning of Pride month, he released a statement June 2, confirming he is running for the Office of Mayor there. Currently serving as a Carrboro Council Member, Seils also works at Duke University’s medical school as a communications specialist.

The footsteps that Seils is looking to follow in are those of current Carrboro mayor Lydia Lavelle. Ground-breaking in her own right, Lavelle was the first openly-lesbian mayor in North Carolina’s history. Elected in 2013, Lavelle has said she is ready to step down as mayor and pursue opportunities outside of local government.

Mike Nelson served as North Carolina’s first openly gay mayor in Carrboro, from 1995 until 2005.

Focusing on community issues such as economic equity and racial justice, one of Seil’s biggest priorities is continued development and publicizing on the government-lead website Carrboro Connects. This site was created as a way for Carrboro residents to interact with town council members, as well as the mayor, about any topics that affect their daily lives. Also featuring the town’s comprehensive plan, Carrboro Connects will help town officials determine changes to transit, land usage and affordable housing.

If elected, Seils believes his openness about his sexual orientation will have a similar impact on the town as Nelson’s did during his term. Nelson confirmed that his identity as a gay man had bearing on his professional decision making and placed him in the unique position of role model for the LGBTQ Community. Seils shares those perspectives.

“We will hire a new town manager,” says Seils, “[We will] implement the Carrboro Connects comprehensive plan and take lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure we are providing services to meet community needs and allocating our resources equitably.”

Additionally, Seils sees social media as a way to stay up to date on all happenings in Orange County and motivate positive change. On Twitter, he posts regularly about Campaigns to Stop Asian Hate and statewide anti-transgender bills like SB 514. info: bit.ly/2RoMNFE — Julianna Peres

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Briefs CHARLOTTE Pokemon GO at the Park with Charlotte’s LGBTQ Gaming Group The Charlotte Gaymers Network will be hosting a day of outdoor gameplay at Freedom Park on June 13 at 12 p.m.

This event is scheduled to go on for a few hours, but participants are welcome to roam around the park in groups for as long as they like. This will be one of the group’s first large in-person gatherings since COVID-19 and should prove to be entertaining for gamers and nongamers alike.

info: bit.ly/3chHDTg

North Carolina ABC11 Commemorates LGBTQ History in N.C. Chad Biggs and Chris Creech, the first same-sex couple to ever get married in North Carolina, reminisce about their 2014 wedding with ABC11. In honor of Pride month, ABC11 will be interviewing LGBTQ individuals and honoring LGBTQ histories throughout June. When asked about the importance of Pride month, Creech emphasizes, “It educates people hopefully if they have fears. [So that] they can learn more about what it means to be gay.”

info: abc11.tv/3wNv5Lc

National Queer Studies Minor Launched at Utah University Utah’s Weber State University has just approved a Queer Studies minor for all undergraduate students. The courses available within the program will study the intersection of race, class, nationality, age, religion and ethnicity within the context of LGBTQ history. This minor was strongly advocated for by university professors like Dr. Theresa Kay, who says, “Because the LGBTQ+ population is still a marginalized and underrepresented group, the curriculum surrounding the minor will equip students to go out into the workforce and be prepared to work with that segment of the population.”

info: bit.ly/3uPnwlG

Illinois to Make Sex Between HIVPositive Person and Their Partner Illegal Continuing to gather momentum as more co-sponsors add their names to the bill, House Bill 1063 (HB 1063) could prove detrimental to the safety of HIV/AIDS-positive members of Illinois’ society. HB 1062 would repeal the law that allows persons with HIV to have consensual sex. Should this law no longer be in place, anyone who is HIV-positive would no longer be able to have legally consensual sex. Instead, Illinois could incarcerate anyone with HIV who had sex with a consensual partner simply for the act of spreading HIV.

info: bit.ly/3yZ1EaN

InterNational Ghana Imprisons 21 LGBTQ Individuals for Holding a Conference At an LGBTQ conference, 21 persons were arrested for their involvement in “advocating for LGBTQI issues.”

Same-sex relationships are still illegal in Ghana, with the maximum sentence for engaging in LGBTQ-related acts being 25 years in prison. The world has begun tweeting #ReleaseThe21 in an effort to free these Ghanaian citizens.

info: cnn.it/3cfPFft — Compiled by Julianna Peres

New In-Person Charlotte Black Pride Event

Vendors, local artists and HIV testing will be at this year’s Charlotte Black Pride (CBP) annual Expo. Designed to showcase Black LBGTQ-affirming businesses, this event begins at 12 p.m. on July 17 at Midwood International Center at 1817 Central Ave., #215. Admission to the event is free.

Says Quin Williams, CBP Community Outreach Director: “This is a family friendly community event for all whom are a part of the Black LGBTQIA+ community [and] also our allies.”

CBP took place virtually in 2020. This year’s Expo will be one of the first in-person CBP since 2019. The presentation also includes performances by musicians and a “Kidz Corner,” which allows parents and guardians to relax and enjoy the festivities.

CBP’s Trans Community Liason, Rell Lowery, is spearheading security efforts to ensure that attendees are social distancing and abiding by mask guidelines. The Board of Directors will also be present guaranteeing that the Expo’s vendors, performers, HIV testers and Kidz Corner caretakers are acting in accordance with the community conduct guidelines.

“When we have Pride week, we are unveiling to the public who we are,” Gladece Knights, director of operations, explains, “Yes, we are LGBTQ, but we are also families and business owners, community activists and politicians. We have a voice, and we matter.”

The theme of the afternoon is “We The People.” This Expo will feature discussions regarding Black Lives Matter and recent anti-LGBTQ legislation. All people are welcome to participate in any capacity, as long as they remain respectful and are LGBTQ-friendly.

Sponsorship slots remain open to purchase advertisement or vending spaces. For those wishing to do so, go to bit.ly/3vseRGT. “This is truly a time to come together and celebrate one another and be reminded that ‘We The People’ can push and pull through any obstacle together,” Williams adds.

“I believe we collectively share these sentiments.” info: charlotteblackpride.org — Julianna Peres

UNC Chapel Hill Elects First Gay Black Male Student Representative

Lamar Richards, a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), is making history as the first Black gay man to be elected UNC’s Student Body President. He was officially sworn in May 20.

When he learned of the campaign results, Richards posted a message on Twitter: “They told me I was too young, too Black, too gay and even too outspoken to be Carolina’s next Student Body President ... I guess God had other plans.”

UNC’s history includes some unpleasant reminders of a time when racial discrimination was considered acceptable: Black students were denied entry to the school until 1960.

Even in the 21st century, one of UNC’s campus buildings was named Saunders Hall, in honor of the former North Carolina Secretary of State William Saunders, a graduate of the school who was also a Confederate soldier and a leader of the North Carolina Ku Klux Klan. Efforts by students and other concerned individuals saw the building renamed Carolina Hall in 2015.

Despite those aspects of the school’s past, Richards believes the path for a positive future is to keep moving forward. He hopes to access a broad spectrum of perspectives by including the opinions of those with diverse experiences into his presidential decisions.

In an interview with UNC Chapel Hill, Richards explained: “It was always a challenge to be outspoken. But in this space, in particular, I was really compelled, and I felt like if I didn’t speak up, nobody else would.”

“My call to really speak out and be active on campus was from when I entered that space and thought, ‘This is unacceptable. Nobody should feel like they don’t have a space in Student Government.’”

In May 2020, Richards became the chairperson of the Commission on Campus Equality and Student Equity. Working with UNC faculty and staff, Richards was able to create a stipend for students whom did not have access to the internet during COVID-19.

Response to Richards’ election has been overwhelmingly positive.

Former Senior Class President Preston Willis recently sent a message of encouragement to Richards, “In 2006, I was the first Black male Senior Class President at UNC. I’m overjoyed to see the road is still being paved. Huge congrats!”

“I’ve really done something with my life so far,” Richards says, “and it gives me hope that I can continue to influence change no matter where I am.” info: bit.ly/3ggMIfT — Julianna Peres

Staff

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Phone: 704-208-4134 Fax: 704-248-8068

Mandy Irvin, PharmD, CPP, AAHIVP Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner Jason L. Hardin, MSN, AGNP-C, AAHIVS Jerry A. Saunders, MD PhD Heather Manos, MD Shane Bentley, PharmD, CPP Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner Bill Kreft, PA-C Hana Kim, PA-C

PrEP • LGBTrans Care • HIV Care Primary Care • Diabetes Care Accepting new patients daily! amitymed.org Amity Medical Group, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that proudly serves the Charlotte community in providing medical care and linkage to community services to serve your daily needs.

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June 11-24, 2021

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life

Head OUT on the Highway Expert Tips for the Perfect Solo Road Trip

a little eye candy with your manual labor tutorials, let one of the hot bois of TikTok educate you.

Flares also are important to have on hand for two reasons: so other vehicles can see your vehicle in the dark and avoid crashing into it by accident and to alert emergency services that you may need assistance. A police officer will stop to help if they see flares marking your vehicle’s location. You’ll welcome that help if you’re stranded at night with no way to contact anyone else.

by Mikey Rox Guest Contributor

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6 months ago, I sold almost everything I owned, hopped in a van outfitted for living and hit the road. I had done a few short solo road trips in the past, but this was different. This was permanent. I didn’t have a place to call home anymore. Out there was where I lived now.

Nearly a year and a half later, I’ve learned a lot about nomad life and solo road tripping specifically, especially under the limiting parameters of a pandemic. Since sharing is caring, here are my expert tips on how to plan the best road trip in the year 2021 AC (After COVID).

Prepare Your Vehicle

Before embarking on any road trip that will take you more than a few hours from home, make sure your vehicle is prepared. Change your oil, top off your fluids, check your wipers and rotate or upgrade your tires; the last thing you want on this mobile vacation is frustrating and expensive car trouble. If you’re not a cardcarrying AAA member, consider becoming one (road trips notwithstanding, it’s great coverage to have in an emergency). Because I’m on the road full time now, often in remote areas, I have the premier membership plan that provides me with full benefits, including up to 200 miles of towing, an important perk if the nearest service center is a long distance away. There are lower, less costly levels of coverage that you can purchase to fit your individual needs.

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Rest Up and Start Early

Proper preparation is key for any road trip.

(Photo Credit: Natalie Rhea via Unsplash) Make sure you know where all your vehicle’s tools — including spare tire and its change kit —are located too.

I was once driving on New York’s back roads late at night with no cell service when I blew a tire that required me to change it. I spent an hour frightened in the middle of nowhere frantically searching my Volkswagen for the tirechanging tools before locating it in a hidden compartment that I failed to familiarize myself with before I desperately needed it. It’s also critical that you learn how to change a flat yourself if you don’t already know how. Don’t be embarrassed to ask a friend or family member to show you.

If you want to DIY it, YouTube has plenty of videos, some specific to your vehicle’s make and model. Or, if you prefer

I hate being rushed and I hate driving long distances, but I often can’t help the latter if I have to be from A to B in a short period of time. To allow myself ample breaks on the road, I leave as early as I can with sufficient rest from the night before. I don’t drive more than two hours straight without taking a reprieve, and I try to find interesting stop-offs along my route that will allow me to stretch my legs and take my mind off driving for a bit.

Your start time plays an important role in how efficiently you’ll get to where you’re going. If I’m departing from a metro area, I always leave after morning rush hour to avoid beginning-of-day traffic that will automatically stress me out. Your road trip should be fun; don’t put yourself in a position to get flustered as soon as you leave your driveway.

Have a Destination in Mind

Some road trippers love the element of surprise on their adventures by ending up where they end up. see next page u

life

A Perfect Mix of Peace and Partying Pride Journey : Palm Springs

by Joey Amato Guest Contributor

the Palm Springs area. We enjoyed dinner at Trio, one of my favorite restaurants in the city. I began my meal with the Roasted Beet Salad and then ordered the fish special, while Brad went for the Pesto Crusted alm Springs is my happy place. The city King Salmon served over squash and angel and the surrounding area provide me with hair pasta. Consistency is key, and you can the perfect mix of relaxation and enternever go wrong with a meal at Trio. tainment. Having been to Palm Springs numerNo visit to Palm Springs would be ous times prior to this visit, I wanted to partake complete without partying on Arenas in things that I have never tried before, most Road, the LGBTQ cultural and nightlife notably a full body massage at El Morocco Inn hub of the city. Coincidentally, the owner & Spa, but we will get to that later. of Hunter’s was in town (there is also a After checking in to Triangle Inn, a lovely Hunter’s in Wilton Manors, Fla.). Mark mid-century modern gay guesthouse located Hunter and I had met briefly in Florida just one mile from the Arenas Road district, many years ago and spent the evening I decided to unwind from my flight and take reconnecting. We had such a good time it easy by the pool. I struck up a wonderful chatting that before I knew it, midnight conversation with another guest from Los had rolled around, and it was time for bed.

Angeles who was in town for the weekend.

I know what you’re thinking, midnight is Apparently, Palm Springs is his happy place early, but I was still suffering from jet lag as well. Everyone I encountered at the and had a full schedule of activities to get clothing-optional resort was very friendly to the following day. and eager to give advice on the hottest spots I woke up early to visit multiple public to visit during my stay. art exhibitions around the downtown I decided to head to Cathedral City for area. The days were really starting to heat happy hour. Before Palm Springs became up, and it topped 100 degrees the day the gay mecca of today, Cathedral City was prior, so I wanted to get to the art before the epicenter of LGBTQ culture in the desert. the heat became unbearable. There are The area is home to an array of nightlife The Triangle Inn, a clothing-optional gay resort in Palm Springs. (Photo Credit: Joey Amato) many art displays and murals around establishments including The Barracks, AMP the Palm Springs Art Museum that are Sports Lounge and One Eleven Bar, a beautiworth checking out. tioner. I sampled a few products while there, and you can fully decorated space which on the evening If you happen to be in town on a Sunday evening, actually smell the freshness of the foods they use to create of my visit was celebrating female voices of the 80s. I there is no better place to be than Oscar’s for their the products. The store offers a variety of travel-size skinsipped a delicious Espresso Rum-tini while grooving to world-famous T-Dance. The iconic party takes place care kits that are perfect for those out-of-towners looking music from Whitney, Madonna and Tina. every Sunday from 4-8 p.m. and recently began again to bring home some product.

The time change was hitting me hard, so I decided after almost a year-long hiatus. I was told people from My next destination was El Morocco Inn & Spa, located in to retire early to my room at Triangle Inn, and when I around the world visit Palm Springs specifically to atthe town of Desert Hot Springs, known for the mineral propsay room, I mean something closer to a one bedroom tend T-Dance at Oscar’s. erties in its water.

I decided to indulge myself with a two-hour apartment. The suite contained a full living room, dining Of course, dancing will make you hungry, so for your Moroccan Mystical Ritual, which begins with dry brushing to room and kitchen, in addition to a king size bed and large final meal in the desert, head to Roly China Fusion, a multistimulate the lymphatic and circulatory system and provide walk-in shower. level space which also hosts a weekly Drag Brunch on exfoliation. My body was then covered in organic Rhassoul Triangle Inn usually offers a continental breakfast to Sunday. While there, you must try the Lobster Dumplings, clay from the Atlas Mountains. As I lay on the massage table, guests, but current COVID restrictions didn’t allow them which are served in a delicious truffle butter broth with the clay began to harden, and I felt like I was wrapped in a coto provide that during my stay, so I grabbed breakfast shitake mushrooms and napa cabbage. It was one of the coon. At times it was a bit uncomfortable, but I knew the end the next morning at a cute LGBTQ-owned restaurant best dishes I’ve had in Palm Springs. result would be wonderful. I was then asked to jump in the called Sunshine Café. I don’t normally eat a heavy breakPalm Springs Pride Festival is scheduled to take place shower to rinse the clay off my body before the Moroccan fast, but when I saw the Banana Nut Pancakes on the this year on Nov. 6-7. After a year off, I’m sure it will be a Rain massage began. This is a process of using a raindrop menu, I knew I had to at least give them a try. The extra very festive occasion. Start making plans early as reservatechnique to apply seven different essential oils along the calories were definitely worth it. tions at Palm Springs’ numerous guest houses tend to spine, which all aid in detoxification.

Today was my zen day in the desert, and I heard about sell out during this time. If you have never been to Palm Feeling refreshed, I was ready to enjoy a night on the this wonderful shop creating organic skin care products Springs, I’m sure you’ll find it to be your happy place too. To town. I met up with my friend Brad Fuhr who publishes called The Body Deli. The business uses raw and organic learn more, go to visitgreaterpalmsprings.com and to book the Gay Desert Guide, a one-stop-spot for everything superfoods to create their products which range from your Palm Springs gaycation, visit Orbitz.com/pride. : : you need to know about LGBTQ culture and nightlife in facial moisturizers and scrubs to hair shampoo and condi-

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continued from previous page Not me. I like to have a plan with a destination in mind.

Specifically, it’s wise to know where you’ll end up so you know where you’re staying the night. You don’t want to travel all day just to pull into a city or town that has no vacancy at its lodging choices. You’ll be forced to get back on the road and drive further, and probably out of your way in the dark, to find a safe place to sleep. That’s not ideal on any trip, and certainly not while traveling queer and solo.

Add Fun Stops Along the Way

To break up the monotony of driving (it’ll get tiresome if you’re traveling mundane highways with equally unremarkable scenery), I choose a few attractions to stop at along my route.

I love taking an hour or two to explore a small town’s shops and cafes, peruse an antique mall (great for picking up meaningful mementos of your travels) or visit historic sites, national monuments and parks. I have an annual National

Parks pass, available for $80 at USParkPass.com, which grants access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites that fall under the jurisdictions of the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, US Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation.

Some of these sites require entry fees of $30 or more, which allows the annual pass to pay for itself in a few visits.

When setting your GPS, type in national monuments to see what’s available along the way. I recently traveled to Birmingham and Montgomery, Ala. and discovered the Freedom Riders National Monument, one of the National Park Service’s newest installations. I would have driven right past it if I hadn’t done the advance research. Plus, I got a little civil rights history lesson during my stop — ­ something we can all use in this day and age.

Make It a Little Gay

With gay bars dwindling in number across the country it can be difficult to find one in less populated areas, and it’s not the best decision to get tipsy in an unfamiliar area

when you have to hit the road the next day. In lieu of those options, I look for bathhouses, clothing-optional hot springs (I love a good naked time) and LGBTQ campgrounds for an opportunity to unwind with likeminded folx. You’ll be surprised at how many of these exist when you start searching for them. I can almost guarantee you’ll find at least one of these destinations within four hours of your home.

These places are often much less expensive than mainstream destinations as well. For instance, I stayed in my van at the Oz Campground in Unadilla, Ga. for three nights this spring for around $170 total, and I popped into the El Dorado Hot Springs outside of Phoenix, Ariz. during my travels late last year for $30 a night. Day passes are even more affordable if you don’t plan to overnight. Pop in for a little R&R and be on your merry gay way. : :

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels

June 11-24, 2021

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Pride and Juneteenth The Search for Freedom

national talent and offered to coordinate programs for free. “With the same uncertainty that my ancestors likely had when considering where they will live, how they would feed themselves, how they would survive without the meager rations of the plantation, Charlotte Black Pride was established in 2005 to present and celebrate Black LGBTQ+ culture in Charlotte – and powered by the tenacity of our ancestors,” says Lee.

by L’Monique King qnotes Staff Writer

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sk anyone what freedom means and you are almost certain to get numerous answers. Among them, “not being enslaved or incarcerated, the ability to make choices without fear of punishment or reprisal and the ability to move about at will.”

While definitions range from the personal to the political, the more the concept of freedom is discussed and debated, its importance remains clear. In the United States, it has been written into founding documents and celebrated. Many have yearned for it. Marginalized communities have repeatedly been denied its full realization. Some have fought and died for it.

Each year in June, the idea of freedom shines, however, as we celebrate two monumental moments in American history with Pride and Juneteenth events. While the two honor different fights for freedom, they both share a common purpose of cultural visibility and equality.

The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 gave rise to the country’s LGBTQ rights movement, and early Pride festivals, like that in San Francisco, used the moniker “Gay Freedom Day” throughout the 1970s. InterPride, the international association of Pride festivals and organizations, currently has more than 400 members in over 70 countries – each honoring that history and the continued fight for freedom in the LGBTQ community.

Another American freedom celebration honors a moment in our history that ended centuries of oppression. In this case, it is the freedom of Black folks that we recognize. Prior to President Lincoln signing the Emancipation proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, it was still legal for many states to own or enslave Black people.

However, not all enslaved Black Americans immediately learned of the Proclamation.

They remained in bondage and subjected to the cruelty of slave owners that regarded them as property and saw them as less than human. It took almost two and a half years for word to reach the last of the enslaved in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, when Gen. Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived to share the news of the Emancipation Proclamation. On that day, freedom and the promised opportunities that came with it were brought into focus for those formerly enslaved people for the first time.

Today, Juneteenth [“June” plus “nineteenth”], also known as Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, is a holiday celebrated and recognized in 49 states. South Dakota is the only exception, and there is growing momentum to change that.

Celebrations range from small family gatherings with food, music and rituals of thankfulness to larger weekend, and in some cases, week-long celebrations that often culminate in festivals and parades. Large and small, many Juneteenth events keep concepts of freedom, cultural pride, education and economic mobility at their core.

In Charlotte, the Juneteenth Festival

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A Shared Vision of Freedom

Christopher Dennis is working to revitalize and renovate the Beatties Ford Rd. area.

(Photo Credit: Tyrus Ortega Gaines) of the Carolinas is just one such organization celebrating the historic day. A nonprofit functioning under the umbrella of The House of Africa, an African gift shop located in the heart of Plaza Midwood, the Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas hosts an annual weekend celebration June 17 through June 20. This year marks its 24th year and founder and chairman Pape S. Ndiaye says he is “very, very proud that the Juneteenth Festival of the Carolinas gave birth to so many Juneteenth (celebrations) around Charlotte and surrounding areas.”

In a candid discussion with qnotes, Ndiaye discussed what this year’s festival would look like and how it fits into a grander vision of freedom for the local Black community. After growing in size and popularity, the festival was held at Independence Park for 10 years. It has since returned to its home at The House of Africa, where it was scaled down last year to a procession of decorated vehicles due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Increased vaccinations and scaled-back restrictions means that many are looking forward to this year’s celebration even more. The event promises to be as grand as it was in years past and will continue to expand beyond Ndiaye’s shop to the surrounding grounds and streets. It will host entertainers, dancing, singing, speeches and vendors with a variety of local art, jewelry, wears and information from local and regional businesses.

The annual anticipation of festival attendees also fuels the wheels of Black economic mobility in Charlotte. While celebrating freedom, the festival highlights Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs and fosters an idea of cooperative economics. Still, no one is priced out of participating. Many of the activities are free to the public. The four-day event kicks off Thursday with an all-day Arts & Crafts Youth Day Camp followed by the famed Open “Community” Drum Circle on Friday evening, which welcomes all walks of life and levels of ability. The festival then

takes place Saturday and Sunday and is free to attend. New this year is the addition of a Freedom March for Unity and Togetherness. The peaceful march will begin at the Grady Cole Center and conclude at the festival location at the intersection of Central and Thomas Avenue. Everyone is welcome to join the march.

In reflecting upon the history, journey and relevance of Juneteenth, Ndiaye, a native of Senegal, West Africa, beams with pride and encourages people to reach out to him to volunteer and assist with the festival. “We’re using it as a tool to educate, about the rich culture of Africa and the powerful heritage,” says Ndiaye, “My grandmother used to say, ‘when you travel you need to get a direction.’ Culture and heritage are the only direction that help you move forward. Knowing that your ancestors built this world, healed the sick and taught the uneducated - You should be proud of who you are in the sea of life.”

For the Black LGBTQ community, that history has often included discrimination from multiple angles. Being ostracized sometimes by the Black community itself in the name of religion, added to the discrimination that still exists within parts of the LGBTQ community, make the experiences of Black LGBTQ people a complicated story. Cornerstones that uniquely shaped the region have also had unique implications for LGBTQ people. Just look at the history of Charlotte Black Pride, which celebrates its 16th year with multiple events starting on July 11. “There is an intrinsic link between Juneteenth and the establishment of Charlotte Black Pride,” says founder Jermaine Nakia Lee. While the organization has found a new and productive partnership with Charlotte Pride, it grew out of an earlier frustration. “For two years, my co-founders and I lobbied and petitioned the then leadership of Charlotte Pride to be more inclusive of African American and Latinx queer folk in their programming.”

Members suggested local, regional and

As members of the Black LGBTQ community finds ways to celebrate their queerness and Black culture, Juneteenth holds an opportunity to connect the two — one that an organization in Dallas, Texas took a step toward in 2019. The Dallas nonprofit, Abounding Prosperity, Inc., which started as a Juneteenth pool party and provides health and social services to Black residents, organized the Juneteenth Unity Festival. According to the Dallas Southern Pride’s website, the weekend celebrates “the brilliance of who and what we are as Same-Gender-Loving People of Color.”

Shamar Garcon Dupree told KERA News that it makes sense for the Black LGBTQ community to celebrate both Juneteenth and Pride. “There’s Cedar Springs, primarily like the ‘gayborhood’ of Dallas, and a lot of the African American LGBTQ members here in Dallas just really don’t feel comfortable down there,” he said, “There’s been stories of possible discrimination and mistreatment in the area.”

Dallas’ LGBTQ community is also changing from gentrification, something that Dupree says is pushing the Black LGBTQ community out. Like Charlotte, areas closest to the city’s downtown have experienced massive development and transformation that have left a lack of affordability and caused increased disparities. The Williams Institute found that across the U.S., Black LGBTQ adults are more likely to experience economic insecurity than Black non-LGBTQ adults.

In Charlotte, people are working to address the economic mobility of Black communities in the city. But, how are these projects impacting the city’s Black LGBTQ residents, and where can the intersections of these two important freedom festivals connect?

While not a member of the LGBTQ community, Christopher Dennis is excited to be an active part of positive change for Charlotte’s Historic West End corridor. His first commercial development project, under the company, E-Fix Development Corp., is renovating and bringing hope to an area where just last year Juneteenth was marred by a shooting incident that claimed the lives of people aiming to celebrate the holiday.

“People were quick to tell me what I couldn’t do,” said Dennis, “That’s the economic mobility piece that we miss, that we’re always being defined by a box, based on a narrative that we didn’t create.” Honoring freedom as part of Juneteenth celebrations is tied to his plans for economic mobility in the area.

While affirming that the “community

is strong because of the people who live, work and invest there,” Dennis says, “as agents of change, we are excited to work with partners in re-imagining the West End Corridor as we create the vision and blueprint for the future.”

Assisting him in the project is real estate broker and PR rep Michelle Mattison and commercial broker and project adviser Rodney Faulkner. They’re both important parts of a team Dennis is very proud of. “Economic mobility is not something that you can do on your own, it’s important to have the right team,” he says. “We need to build the right teams within our communities — strategic collaboration, that’s the challenge.”

Apparently, it’s a challenge he’s been able to overcome, because plans for the corridor are underJermaine Nakia Lee founded Charlotte Black Pride in July 2005. way with a future that can already be seen taking shape. propelled them into the future because Dennis continued to speak Beatties Ford Rd. deserves to have things about how development and entrepreneurthat other communities have.” With that ship can have a positive impact on underin mind, the sites will also include a bank, served communities. “When I saw someone eateries and a number of small businesswho looked like me, willing to invest and es. The renovated sites are being designed make change, that made an impact on to incorporate arts, culture and a diverse me,” he says referring to the owner of the work staff of contractors and artists, all McDonald’s Cafeteria that opened in the things Dennis believes are in the spirit of early 1970s on Beatties Ford Rd. and served Juneteenth as they highlight excellence community members for over 30 years. in a manner that he hopes will further “That’s why we decided to put elecempower the community. tronic charging stations on the site, I want “It has always been my hope that the some young boy or girl to look at them intersection of Beatties Ford and LaSalle and say ‘mommy what is that?’” because represent the West End in the same way when they ask that question, we’ve

Kenilworth and East Blvd. represent Dilworth,” says Faulkner, “After completing the projects, there will be places that will be beautiful, fun and safe. The neighborhood will have a physical symbol of what hope, imagination, hard work, care and teamwork looks like.”

When Mattison was asked why the project is such a big deal she simply said, “Because representation matters.” That’s something that the LGBTQ community understands as well.

In the coming months, qnotes will investigate how a variety of projects are seeking solutions for economic mobility of Black LGBTQ communities. That involves finding ways where people and events like Pride and Juneteenth might find a common purpose in diversity, equity and inclusion for all.

Those questions are not yet evident, but as part of this series we hope to create more space for conversation and uncover solutions that might increase opportunities for our Black LGBTQ community in Charlotte as well. : : This story is part of qnotes’ special project “Stories of Black LGBTQ Resilience and Economic Mobility” which seeks to connect responses to economic security and upward mobility to the lives and futures of Black LGBTQ people. It is supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. To learn more about solutions journalism, visit solutionsjournalism.org.

Schedule of Juneteenth Events in Charlotte Youth Day Camp Thursday, June 17, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Elizabeth Park $10 registration fee Opening Ceremony and Open Drum Circle Friday, June 18, 5 p.m.–9 p.m.

The House of Africa Juneteenth Freedom March Saturday, June 19, line up at 9 a.m Grady Cole Center (marches to festival site) Festival Saturday, June 19, 12 p.m.-9 p.m.

The House of Africa Includes History of Juneteenth presentation Prayer and Religious Service Sunday, June 20, 10 a.m.

The House of Africa Festival Sunday, June 20, 12 p.m.–8 p.m.

The House of Africa Includes History of Juneteenth presentation

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LGBTQ Organizations in N.C. Serving Rural Areas Vital LGBTQ-Inclusionary Health Care Available for Rural Areas and Small Towns

by Julianna Peres qnotes Staff Writer

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he Campaign for Southern Equality (southernequality.org) is one of many North Carolina-based organizations that strive to make a difference throughout the state. However, the more rural the location, the more difficult it may be for LGBTQ people to receive the support or care that they need. Updating their “Trans in the South” guide, the Campaign for Southern Equality aims to improve the process of finding trans-affirming healthcare that extends to almost all southeastern states.

“Rural areas in society are often outsourced through charities,” Allison Scott, Director of Impact and Innovation at the Campaign for Southern Equality explains, “This gives these charities the ability to serve, or not serve, people because of who they are. Many transgender and nonbinary individuals in rural areas are turned away if they seek help from social services that are run by charities.”

For this reason, Scott and her colleagues strive to engage with charities and organizations in a positive way, emphasizing that every group and person is capable of growth and acceptance. The Campaign for Southern Equality is constantly working with religious associations, educational campaigns and grassroots organizations to provide as many resources as possible to the community.

Something that all people need is health care. Not all LGBTQ-friendly medics or physicians need to specialize in hormone therapy or gender confirming surgery. Scott emphasizes the need for safe-spaces within the medical field saying, “sometimes I just have a cold that needs to be treated, but I don’t want to go to a doctor who doesn’t respect my gender-identity.”

Outside of the realm of medical treatment, there are other rural organizations seeking to provide events and get-togethers facilitated by and for LGBTQ individuals.

Celebrating their 20th anniversary, Tranzmission (tranzmission.org) is an Asheville-based organization that is dedi-

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People living in rural areas often do not have access to LGBTQ-friendly health care and other support.

(Photo Credit: Iliya Mitskavets via Adobe Stock) cated to advocating, educating and supporting members of the LGBTQ community. They hold online support meetings for those who are feminine and masculine transgender, nonbinary and parents/ guardians of gender expansive persons.

One of their newest endeavors is an effort to end transgender homelessness in rural areas. Tranzmission’s LGBTQ-inclusionary training programs are designed for religious communities, elementary schools, healthcare workers and businesses.

Sandhills Pride (sandhillspride.org) LGBTQ Support Network is in Pinehurst, N.C. and offers scholarships, safe zones and discussion groups for all interested parties. To celebrate Pride month, they will be hosting a drag show in Southern Pines on June 13 at 4 p.m. Featuring LatinX drag queen Naomi Dix, the proceeds of this performance will go towards future Sandhills Pride needs.

In a drive to promote healthy habits and nature exploration, Sandhills Pride also hosts a monthly program titled “Time OUTside.” Hikers are encouraged to interact with like-minded pride members and have even formed a Pokémon GO group together.

In Rowan County, Salisbury Pride, Inc. (salisburypride.org) is a grassroots organization that offers entertainment and safe spaces to those of all ages. Their bowling league plays together for 14 weeks out of the year, encouraging bowlers of all levels of experience to join in on the fun. Their drag shows and art exhibits are open to the public, but only those ages 21 and up may attend the drag shows.

The Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ Center at East Carolina University (ECU) (lgbtq.ecu. edu) is one of the few places that provides resources for gender-affirming care in Greenville. The Health Sciences Sexual and Gender Diversity Committee (SGDC) at ECU includes an internal medicine specialist, a gynecologist and a family physician who are all well-versed in LGBTQ health care. With a program titled “Pirate Ally Training,” the LGBTQ Center also promises to create a Safe Zone for staff, students and employees alike.

Housing programs, LGBTQ parent support groups, transgender discussion forums, HIV/AIDS task forces and anti-violence trainings are available through the Onslow County LGBTQ Community Center (onslowcountylgbtq.com).This group is

currently holding auditions for their Mr. and Miss Gay Onslow County Pageant as they also prepare to remember the Pulse shooting with an in-person memorial.

At the LGBT Center of Raleigh Library, the LGBT Center of Raleigh (lgbtcenterofraleigh.com) has never had more well read members. The concept behind this reading initiative was to have representation for all LGBTQ readers. With material available for children, young adults and adults of all ages, this library boasts more than 5,000 volumes of LGBTQ works.

Partnering with SAGE Central North Carolina, the LGBT Center of Raleigh focuses on LGBTQ elders, HIV/STI testing, transgender outreach and intergenerational conversations regarding LGBTQ history. Via Zoom, the center will be hosting a Triangle Autism Discussion and an Open Mic Night.

The Frank Harr Foundation (frankharrfoundation.org) operates out of Wilmington, holding 501c3 nonprofit status. They have also partnered with SAGE in an effort to include LGBTQ seniors in events and outings. Their support groups range in age and identity, with one group for transgender adults and another for transgender young adults.

Self-proclaimed as a “grassroots intermediary,” Southern Vision Alliance (SVA) (southernvision.org) is one of Durham’s most far-reaching LGBTQ organizations. Their Ignite NC project aims to better North Carolina in terms of living wage, student debt, police brutality and rape culture. This program has several trained cohorts organizing within their perspective colleges.

SVA has also created the People’s Solidarity Hub. This is a space for community members to come together in a strategizing session for ways to implement societal change. The Stop Evictions Now Network is fighting unlawful evictions in North Carolina, especially focusing on those who are evicting tenants during the COVID-19 fair housing moratorium.

“LGBTQ people are the key to our liberation,” says Scott, “We know what we need. Those in rural communities know what they need. We just have to be listened to.” : :

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* * * SPONSORED CONTENT * * *

Pride Month Offers Us a Chance to Reflect on Our Past Fifty-two years ago this month, a single spark at the Stonewall Inn would ignite a global movement for equality and liberation. The six-days-long riot and protest against police violence and brutality was led by patrons of the bar and Greenwich Village residents — including trans women, Black and Brown people, and young people. They took to the streets with bricks, bottles, and matchsticks in hand to force their message into the eyes and ears of a world that had turned their backs against them.

What began in the early morning hours of that fateful day in June was, by no means, the first or only time LGBTQ people would be forced to demand attention to our plight. Cooper Donuts, 1959. The White House and Independence Hall, 1965. Dewey’s, 1965. Julius’, 1966. Compton’s Cafeteria, 1966. Black Cat Tavern, 1967. And more.

Stonewall is remembered today because of what made it different: we remembered, we took to the streets, and we organized, with a never-before-seen proliferation of queer rights activism.

At Charlotte Pride, we ask our community and ourselves to pause and take stock of where our community has been, where it is now, and where it is going. June is the perfect moment for this. We reflect on the catalysts that led to Stonewall, the bravery of those who stood up before, during, and after the riots, and those who have helped organize and shape our movement since.

We also honor our own city’s history. Our first queer bars, support and activism groups, and publications in the mid-1970s. Our first Pride events and the work of community organizers in the 1980s and 1990s. Our founding in 2000 and the first Charlotte Pride Festival in 2001.

This year marks Charlotte Pride’s 20th annual events. Like the city around us, we’ve come a long way, as has every local LGBTQ community in our region. That’s why we’ve undertaken the Charlotte Pride History Project, an effort to document the stories and experiences of Pride organizers across the state’s Western Piedmont region. Later this summer, we’ll unveil an online exhibit with some of our initial research and findings, with an eye toward a traveling, physical exhibit in 2022.

We want to hear from you! Every Pride event is only as successful as the community it celebrates, so we want to hear from all kinds of folks, not just past Pride organizers. Do you have a unique and powerful story to share? Perhaps it’s a powerful memory from your first Pride, the story of how you met your partner at a Pride, found an affirming faith home, or got essential support or other services. Whatever your story, we’d love to talk to you. Send an email to history@charlottepride.org with a small overview of your story. We’ll review your email and reach out to capture your experiences in a unique way for the History Project and for Charlotte Pride’s 20th anniversary celebrations this year.

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A Celebration of Our Victories and a Reminder of the Battles Ahead Legal Eagles: Pride Month

by Candelario Saldana, Attorney Guest Writer

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s we celebrate Pride Month, we cannot forget about our progress and the work that remains. With Pride Month comes an opportunity to hold governments, companies and individuals accountable and to educate our colleagues, friends and family who are willing to learn to be better allies.

We can celebrate and be proud of all we have accomplished while also working hard to make the world a better place for ALL our LGBTQ+ community.

Progress Through Riots and Protests

On the morning of June 28, 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn and arrested individuals for violating New York’s criminal statute that authorized the arrest of anyone not wearing at least three articles of gender-appropriate clothing (I’ll leave how the statute defined “gender-appropriate” for another piece). However, patrons were tired of the constant police harassment and the social discrimination they faced, and instead of dispersing, they stood up to the police. Drag queens, transgender, gay and lesbian individuals (a majority of whom were Black or brown) stood up for their rights by rioting and protesting for about six days on Christopher St. in New York City — giving birth to the Stonewall Uprising. On the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, on June 28, 1970, thousands of people came together and marched on the streets of Manhattan; they marched from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park, in what is known as the “Christopher Street Liberation Day”— and that’s when the modern-day Pride parade began. As they walked through the streets, they chanted, “Say it loud, gay is proud,” a theme that lives on.

Although the modern-day Pride parades can be attributed to the Stonewall Uprising, it is essential to remember that our community has been fighting for our rights much longer. In fact, in an article titled “10 Years Before Stonewall, There Was the Cooper’s Do-nuts Riot”, Moffitt discusses how the first gay uprising in the United States happened ten years before the Stonewall Uprising and on the opposite side of the country, in California.

In May 1959, several drag queens, “hustlers,” and transgender women stood up to the police after they began arresting their friends — they threw donuts, coffee and paper plates. After a while, they retreated only to come back with more people. The riot continued for about a day and is considered the first gay uprising in modern history. See also Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics and Lipstick Lesbians.

Today, our Pride parades are full of glitter, the rainbow colors are abundant, and organizations and companies that support the LGBTQ+ community march to upbeat music to celebrate everything we’ve achieved and to remind our com-

The 1969 Stonewall Riots led to the Pride celebrations of today. munity that we are proud of who we are. However, Pride parades are also a symbolic protest reminding everyone that we will continue to fight for equality and liberation for all our community. They are also a way to mourn those we have lost (i.e., after the Pulse shooting, participants at various Pride parades wore white clothing and white veils to honor the victims killed — most of them Latinx).

Beyond Pride parades, our community has been protesting for decades including the rallies and protests led by Harvey Milk, widely thought to be the first openly gay elected official; the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 14, 1979; demonstrations in October 1987 in Washington, D.C., to pay homage to AIDS victims, which included the display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt; demonstrations in protest of the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; protests after the murder (in a Hate Crime) of Matthew Shepard in October 1998; protests across the United States demanding that local, state and federal governments recognize same-sex marriages; the recent protests in support of Black Trans Lives; and recently, on May 24, a rally in Charlotte, N.C. calling on the City of Charlotte to pass or expand their nondiscrimination ordinance now that the part in House Bill 142 that barred North Carolina cities from adopting local nondiscrimination ordinances has sunset as of December 2020.

Change Through the Courts

These protests, rallies and riots have helped us become visible, and this visibility has helped change the minds and hearts of many. This change has also been quite visible in the U.S. Supreme Court (“Court”), which first denied and then affirmed our rights.

One, Inc. v. Olesen, a 1958 Court decision, was one of the first Court cases concerning LGBTQ+ rights. The case involved a publisher associated with the Mattachine Society — one of the country’s first “ho-

mophile” groups. The publisher published a magazine titled “One: The Homosexual Magazine,” which is considered the first widely distributed magazine for gay readers in America. The Los Angeles postal authorities seized the magazines, arguing that the publication violated obscenity laws. The publisher argued that the seizure violated their constitutional right to freedom of speech. The Court ruled that speech or material aimed at a homosexual audience was not inherently obscene — a win for our community.

In 1972, the Court took on its first case considering marriage equality, Baker v.

Nelson. However, not much changed for our community after this case because the Court dismissed it “for want of a substantial federal question.” However, on June 26, 2013 — during Pride Month — the Court decided United States v. Windsor.

The case involved Edith Windsor, who had married Thea Spyer in Canada after having been together for 40 years. They lived in New York, which recognized same-sex marriages; however, the federal government did not. When Spyer passed away, the federal government refused to recognize their marriage and taxed Windsor’s inheritance at a higher rate than if a spouse had left the assets. In a 5-4 decision, the Court held that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, which denied federal recognition of same-sex marriages, was unconstitutional. In his opinion, Justice Kennedy wrote: “DOMA writes inequality into the entire United States Code” and “The differentiation demeans the couple, whose moral and sexual choices the Constitution protects….”— giving our community another win.

Exactly two years after the Windsor decision, on June 26, 2015 — right before the end of Pride Month — in another 5-4 decision, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment required a state to issue marriage licenses to two people of the same sex and to recognize same-sex marriages from states that

already licensed and performed same-sex marriages. Once more writing for the majority, Justice Kennedy wrote: “Marriage is sacred to those who live by their religions and offers unique fulfillment to those who find meaning in the secular realm.

Its dynamic allows two people to find a life that could not be found alone, for a marriage becomes greater than just the two persons.” This decision, for many, was one of the most important decisions for our LGBTQ+ community — a battle that required millions of dollars.

Beyond marriage, the Court has issued decisions that have had an impact on our sexual lives. For example, in Bowers v. Hardwick, the Court upheld, in a 5-4 decision, Georgia’s sodomy law.

Hardwick was caught, in 1982, by Georgia police giving oral sex to another man in the bedroom of his own home. He challenged the constitutionality of the statute; however, the court found that the Fourteenth Amendment did not prevent a state from criminalizing private sexual conduct involving same-sex couples — the court further found that the fact that homosexual conduct occurs in the privacy of the home does not affect the result (citing Stanley v. Georgia, 394 U.S. 557). Later, in 2003, in Lawrence v. Texas, the court overturned Bowers v. Hardwick in a 6-3 decision. Writing the decision for the Court, Justice Kennedy wrote: “Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression and certain intimate conduct.”

The decision found that sodomy laws that criminalized intimate homosexual behavior violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Beyond the cases above, the Court has also issued several other opinions, including Romer v. Evans, in 1996, finding that laws singling out LGBTQ people to take away our rights violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause; Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, also a 1996 case, held that private organizations could single out LGBTQ people; Masterpiece Cakeshop, Ltd. v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in a 7-2 decision, ruled that the government’s actions in assessing the baker’s decision to decline to bake a cake for a same-sex couple’s wedding violated the free exercise clause; and more recently, in 2020, the court issued its decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, ruling that employers cannot discriminate against LGBTQ individuals — Justice Gorsuch, to many people’s surprise, wrote the Court’s majority opinion stating: “An employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender defies the law.” However, the Supreme Court isn’t the only court issuing decisions that affect the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals. Lower courts have also issued opinions that have had an impact on our lives. For example, a recent opinion by the North Carolina Court of Appeals, M.E. v. T.J., held that unmarried same-sex couples could obtain domestic violence see Celebration on 18

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What is SPF in Sunscreen?

Health & Wellness: What to Know About the Rating

by Jack Kirven qnotes Contributor

W

e’re heading into summer again soon, and I just realized something: I have no idea what the numbers mean on a bottle of sunscreen. I figure there are a few possibilities. First, does it indicate the percentage of radiation deflected off your skin? Does it indicate how many minutes it lasts after applied? Does it take that number times longer to burn? What does SPF 30 mean, and why do some countries not bother going any higher? In the United States, you can find SPF 100 — what is that, and why don’t sunscreens in Europe go that high?

I have just taken it for granted that we all need to be using sunscreen, regardless of how dark our complexions are; however, I have also taken for granted that I understand how to choose a product. But I also heard that regular clothes already provide SPF 15. Is that enough? What is the best range anyway? What are the best ways to protect skin when out and about?

Also, why did I get sunburned at the beach in December on a cold, cloudy day?

What the SPF Rating Means First off, a high number does not automatically mean “better” protection from the sun’s UVA and UVB rays (the energy wavelengths that damage skin).

They are invisible to our eyes. Regardless of a cloudy or sunny day, they are present and it’s important to understand that the brightness of the daylight is not an indicator of how much exposure you may be receiving from radiation.

According to SkinCancer.org (bit. ly/3x5o08Y), “The SPF number tells you how long the sun’s UV radiation would take to redden your skin when using the product exactly as directed versus the

amount of time without any sunscreen. So ideally, with SPF 30 it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing sunscreen.” That might sound like a long time; however, it might take your skin only a couple minutes to begin to burn. With that in mind, regardless of how high the SPF rating is, keep in mind that 30, 50 or 100 times that duration still isn’t necessarily all that long.

And that is the problem with higher SPF ratings. They lull people into a false sense of safety. The product that is SPF 50 lets slightly less UV radiation hit your skin, but it isn’t zero. People tend to think SPF 100 means that it blocks 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. That isn’t true.

One of the reasons SPF products in other countries tend to max out at 30 is because anything beyond that is excessive. You need to reapply product with enough frequency that the higher SPF rating doesn’t matter. If you use a product as described, you shouldn’t be getting to the end of the product’s protection in the first place, so the fact a product has a higher SPF should be irrelevant — assuming you are using the product as directed.

Again, SkinCancer.org: “The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a waterresistant, broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher for any extended outdoor activity. Regardless of the SPF, though, it’s important to apply one ounce (two tablespoons) 30 minutes before going outside and reapply it every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating.”

The Ideal Products

According to the Environmental Working Group (bit.ly/3gd3psA), it is best to choose options offering SPF 15 - SPF 50. There are also other important factors to consider: • Choose creams, not sprays — sprays create droplets that are often unsafe to breathe

•A void products that contain Vitamin A, also called retinyl palmitate or retinol — studies find that it encourages the growth of tumors •A void oxybenzone, which acts like estrogen and can upset your hormonal balances •L ook instead for options that include zinc oxide, three percent avobenzone or Mexoryl SX — these add protection against UVA damage

When is the Sun Strongest?

I always grew up hearing that it’s best to avoid being in the sun from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.. Is that correct? What do scientists suggest in 2021? They are now saying that it’s best to avoid overexposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (bit.ly/2TF83rs), “The UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is mostly UVA and some UVB. Almost half the daytime total of the more harmful UVB radiation is received between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Even on a cloudy day, you can be sunburned by UVB radiation.”

What are Sources of SPF Protection Aside from Creams and Sprays?

Shade Staying in the shadow of a tree, awning or umbrella will offer mixed results.

Although they may protect you from direct exposure, they will do little to protect you from the radiation that is reflecting off the surfaces around you. Definitely look for shade, as it does offer some protection, but do not look to it to replace sunscreen.

Clothing The protection from clothes runs the gamut for obvious reasons. The coverage of the clothing, the material itself,

and the colors of the fabrics all matter.

Also, light clothing that is wet offers practically no protection at all. According to SkinCare.org (bit.ly/2TF8diy), “A white T-shirt provides only moderate sun protection, with a UPF of about 7. When that T-shirt gets wet, it provides a UPF of only 3! A dark, long-sleeved denim shirt can provide a UPF of about 1,700; in essence, complete sun protection.” This explains why the inhabitants of deserts often wear dark clothing, despite black material absorbing more heat energy than white fabric.

Food Some foods can help add protection within the skin itself, but they do not replace sunscreen. Consider eating foods high in Vitamin C like strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, black berries, guava and kiwi. Carrots, sweet potatoes and potatoes contain beta-carotene, which protects the skin. Oatmeal and cucumbers replenish collagen. Green tea, blue berries, dark chocolate, vinegar and pomegranate contain antioxidants that help to heal and reverse sun damage.

A note about Vitamin C: Remember to never, never, never expose your skin to sunlight after applying products that contain citrus. Remember what lemon juice does to hair? Yes, well it also does that to skin. Do not expose yourself to sunlight after using lemon, lime, orange, neroli, grapefruit and other citrus skin care regimens. This is especially important to remember with essential oils, which are very concentrated. : : Jack Kirven completed the MFA in Dance at UCLA, and earned certification as a personal trainer through NASM. His wellness philosophy is founded upon integrated lifestyles as opposed to isolated workouts. Visit him at jackkirven.com and INTEGRE8Twellness.com.

a&e

‘Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir’ Out in Print

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Contributing Writer Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir

by Brian Broome ©2021, HMH Books $26.00 272 pages

L

ittle kids have it so easy.

Somebody feeds them when they’re hungry, does their laundry, buys them toys and plays with them. Somebody escorts them everywhere and sometimes, they even get carried. Yep, life is good when you’re a little kid except, as in the new memoir, “Punch Me Up to the Gods” by Brian Broome, when it’s not.

He called Corey his “best friend,” but Corey was no friend to 10-year-old Brian Broome. Sure, things were sympatico at first, but it didn’t take long for Corey to sense Broome’s insecurities, or to start pummelling Broome, or

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to humiliate him. Broome’s father hoped that Corey might act as “a form of therapy” for a boy who played with girls too much; Broome endured the abuse and didn’t complain to the adults because he was a little in love with Corey.

As if Corey’s thrashings weren’t harsh enough, Broome’s dad beat Broome for a multitude of reasons, from a pink shirt to frustration over unemployment to racism: He said he’d rather kill his children himself than to let a white person do it. Broome, in fact, often wished that he was white like the people on TV, so he’d have the benefits of it. White parents really seemed to love their kids...

Broome dreamed of moving far away from the tiny working-class Ohio town of his birth, to a larger city where he believed he could avoid the bullying and teasing, leave his life behind and escape the embarrassment of his parents’ ramshackle existence. He did leave once, for college, but he was deeply humiliated by the racism and homophobia of his roommates. He called his mother then, and she came to get him.

She was one of a handful of Black women who saved him.

Being a man isn’t easy. Being a Black man in America is harder. Being a gay Black man led Broome to drugs, alcohol and away from his family — although, he says, “... yes, I was loved. Just not in ways that I could understand.”

Be prepared to be messed with here. Your emotions may never be the same.

There’s a tightly-coiled, ready-to-strike fist wrapped in melancholy and a miles-long people-watching incident in this book, both giving aptness to its title. “Punch Me Up to the Gods” refers to author Brian Broome’s father’s secondfavorite words before the beatings began, and they’ll hit you hard, too.

Happily, there are moments of humor, too, as Broome recalls things that occurred in his youth, or maybe just a few years ago. He surprises readers with similes that are sobering, in the middle of laughter. He steps back sometimes, to pick at something else, turns it over twice to examine it, and pulls it into his tale.

For this, you won’t regret picking this wonderfully companionable, startingly gracious and compelling memoir. “Punch Me Up to the Gods” is a don’t-miss; devouring it is so easy. : :

a&e

Can a Top Have Bottom Pleasures?

Tell Trinity

by Trinity | Contributing Writer Dear Trinity, I consider myself a strict top but recently had an encounter with another “top,” and I’ve been enjoying that side now and then. I find it pleasurable. Yet now I am wondering if this activity makes me a bottom?

Yours, Bottom Blues, Roanoke, VA

Dear Bottom Blues, I hope you’re sitting down, well at least leaning on something. The truth is yes, shoving, I mean smartly placing a man behind you, stimulating you and receiving pleasure back there, is the exact definition of a “bottom.” Welcome to Kansas, Dorothy!

But Toto, if you also like fudge packing, (oh God I didn’t just say that) I mean “topping,” then you simply have become a healthy, smart and open minded “versatile” man.

Sorry… and congratulations!

Love, Trinity

Dearest Trinity, I’m a great partner. I come home early, do all the bills, even cook great meals, but we don’t have sex anymore. It’s been nine months. What am I doing wrong?

Domestically Sexless, Omaha, NE

Q-mmunity

connections

Dearest Domestic, Newsflash, being domestic has nothing to do with sexual enticement. It makes for a great lifestyle but not a great love life.

Watching you do chores is un-sexually stimulating unless of course, why not start cleaning, cooking and paying bills in something more sexy, alluring and naughty.

Think undergarments, uniforms and more.

Honey, think turning your home into a XXX movie. Think vavoom!

Hey Trinity, I went to the bar, sat next to a really cute guy and we spent hours talking. He was great until he got up to leave. It was then that I discovered he was handicapped. Now I’ve committed to a date, and I’m not sure if I want to. Am I evil?

Handicapped Man, Indianapolis, IN

Hey Handicapped, In life we make choices, no different than if you found out he had a huge pecker, was a millionaire or only spoke French. If you’re not into him because of whatever, then you’re not into him, period. But maybe, just maybe you could go out with him, not because

you feel bad for him, but because you feel bad for your own unadventurous, narrowminded ways. Darling, he may end up being a French millionaire with a huge pecker!

Be adventurous, Trinity

Hello Trinity, I fell in love but she lives 1500 miles away. Help?

Yours, 1500, Memphis, TN

Hello 1500, Surely, I can help you, but you may not want to read this. Relationships are tough enough, but 1500 miles of, well, start reading:

Trinity’s Negative Tips for Being in a Long-Distance Relationship

1. Y ou’ll always WONDER what it’s like to live with someone, wake up with someone or have someone’s daily kisses.

2. Y ou’ll know way too much BOREDOM, way too much loneliness and far too much private time for someone who is “supposedly” in a relationship.

3. You’ll NEVER TRULY know multiple nights, weeks and months of being part of a “team,” a “romantic couple” or part of a “home.”

4. You’ll always MISS those fun-silly-simple nights together.

5. And you’ll NEVER BE ABLE to keep an eye on him, her or each other so… anything at any time can happen (don’t cry yet, there’s more)., 6. Most of your personal and relationship issues will be DEALT WITH over Facetime, Skype, Zoom or emails.

7. One of you will always be leaving, thus never REALLY HAVING that “perfect” family.

8. You may also AT TIMES FEEL LIKE why bother dressing sexy, cooking a nice meal or playing romantic music when you’re… living alone.

9. And you’re LEFT ON YOUR OWN (once again) to completely take care of everything that needs fixing or to be paid for (don’t blame me, I’m just writing this stuff!).

10. L astly, you’ll always be WONDERING, “Why in God’s name do I always feel single even though I’m not?” (Now you can cry!) : : With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted Spiritually Speaking, a weekly radio drama, performed globally and is now minister of WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings. Sponsored by: WIG Ministries, wigministries.org Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation!

Send e-mails to: Trinity@telltrinity.com

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June 11-24, 2021

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Celebration

continued from page 15

The North Carolina Court of Appeals case M.E. v. T.J. will allow unmarried same-sex couples to obtain domestic violence protective orders if passed. (Photo Credit: SeanPavonePhoto via Adobe Stock) protective orders (although an appeal is pending, the decision is considered a win for our community).

Although we’ve made progress in the courts, there are many issues the courts will decide soon. For example, as I write this piece, we’re waiting on a decision from the Court in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia. We’re also waiting for the Court to either grant or deny certiorari in Arlene’s Flowers v. Washington and Dignity Health v. Minton. But most importantly, we’re also waiting to hear on issues like abortion, immigration and other issues that affect members of our community because of our intersectional identities.

Progress Through Legislation and Executive Action and the Road Ahead

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The courts, riots and protests (although successful) have not been the only means to making positive progress for our community. State legislatures and city and county councils across the country continue to make decisions that affect our everyday lives. Currently, 20 states and more than 70 municipalities within the United States have banned conversion therapy. In addition, the District of Columbia and about 15 states have all banned LGBTQ+ “panic” defense (a project undertaken by the National LGBT Bar Association). LGBTQ+ “panic” defense is a “legal strategy that asks a jury to find that a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity/expression is to blame for the defendant’s violent reaction, including murder.” Recently, in North Carolina, six cities and counties have passed ordinances that protect sexual orientation and gender identity.

However, the attacks on our community through legislation continue. This year alone, there have been over 250 anti-LGBTQ bills, with over 120 of these attacking our trans community, specifically in areas of healthcare and access to sports.

Although many of these bills died in session and others tabled for the following year, 23 of these bills have passed into law (e.g., on April 6, Arkansas became the first

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state to ban trans-affirming health care, and on March 25, the governor also signed into law a bill that prevented trans females from playing school sports consistent with their gender identity; Tennessee’s governor, this year alone, has signed five anti-trans bills as well). These attacks on our community are a reminder of the work that remains and the importance of being vigilant as the most vulnerable in our society continue to have their rights stripped away.

The power of the executive branch has also been influential in making our community feel seen. In 2000, President Clinton proclaimed the month of June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. Later, in 2011, President Obama expanded the proclamation, which recognized Bisexual and Transgender individuals. However, Trump failed to acknowledge Pride Month during his term in office. On June 1, President Biden issued a proclamation reaffirming a “commitment to stand in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Americans in [our] ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice.” Before President Biden’s Pride Month proclamation, he issued an executive order to combat discrimination against LGBTQ people in health care, housing and education. He also lifted the ban on transgender individuals in the military — reversing Trump’s decision to reinstate the ban.

As election cycles come and go, we must remember the power of our vote.

We must turn out to vote for those who aren’t eligible. Once elected, we must hold our representatives accountable to the needs of our community — by participating in community town halls, marching on our streets demanding change and writing letters to our representatives asking them to support bills that affect members of our community. We cannot afford to sit on the sidelines as people in our community have their rights stripped away — we must unite to fight like we’ve done in the past to protect those we love.

We must lift the voices of those who have been silenced for too long and empower the marginalized — because until we are all liberated, no one is truly free. : :

life

Our People: Jacob Hamm

Entrepreneur Talks about the Importance of Listening to Young People hike or play.” When I was growing up we went outside and didn’t come back in until it was dark. We played.

by L’Monique King qnotes Staff Writer

What do you look forward to seeing happen within the next year for Time Out Youth?

I look forward to us expanding our youth services around homelessness.

J

acob Hamm was born in Florida, raised in Alabama and moved across the country to live in Ohio, California, New York and South Carolina. Since 2016 he’s been a resident of Lincolnton, N.C. Hamm lives there in an apartment, while he’s completing a remodel job on a house he’s looking forward to making into a home. On this warm Friday in late May, Hamm sits in his Lincolnton office, dressed in shorts and a simple t-shirt.

His choice for spring attire? Black and grey. He only wears blacks, grays and blues and buys multiples of shirts he likes, assuming they fit within his routine color scheme.

If you do an internet search for Jacob Hamm, you’ll most likely immediately learn that he’s the founder and CEO of a company called ProHealthDesk, but there’s so much more to Hamm.

If you were stuck eating only two food items for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Tacos and grapes.

Awesome. Tacos offer tons of options and grapes are quite healthy. So, let’s talk a little about who you’d be dining with. Are your married?

Yes. We have been together going on 13 years and legally married for six.

What’s the best thing about your spouse?

I love his creativity.

Let’s flip the script a bit. What if anything would he say drives him crazy about you?

I’m controlling.

Looking at your life thus far, what are you most proud of?

Hmm, I would probably say building my business.

What do you wish you could tell 15-year-old Jacob?

I think I would tell him not to change a thing and to follow your gut because you’ll end up right where you need to be.

As a board chair, what do you think is most important for those heading inclusive youth programs to know or practice?

I think today it’s probably listening to the youth and also making decisions with equity in mind.

You mentioned earlier you’re most proud of building your business. What is your business?

The name is ProHealthDesk. All one word.

We provide revenue cycle management, virtual office administration and bookkeeping services.

What is revenue cycle management?

It is a fancy way of saying medical billing.

Many people know you through your affiliation with Time Out Youth. What do you do at Time Out Youth?

I am currently the board chair, and I have been on the board for four years now.

What’s it like being a Board Chair for an LGBT youth organization like Time Out Youth?

It’s actually very fulfilling and also very scary. It’s fulfilling because I grew up in Alabama, and my childhood wasn’t the best. So, it’s very fulfilling [being able] to help LGBT youth have a better youth experience. It’s very scary because I’m realizing how disconnected I am from youth, and it’s making me feel old. You don’t change and adapt as quickly, so there’s technology out there that you just don’t understand or just doesn’t appeal to me. Things have come out of my mouth that sound just like my mother or father.

What’s the most challenging aspect of your work life?

I don’t know how to say this without sounding selfish or conceited, but I have 100 million ideas in my head and the hardest thing for me is staying focused on what I’m doing now. As soon as I get something started, I’m ready to move onto the next project. I’m a natural starter. I like to get projects started and get them going and then I’m ready to step away and let someone else run it day to day. I guess that’s the entrepreneur in me.

As an entrepreneur, a happily married gay man and a Board Chair for an

LGBTQ youth organization, many might say you’re an inspiration and a role model. Considering that, what do you want today’s LGBTQ youth to know?

I want them to know that no matter what situation they are in now, things can get better and will get better. And there are many people that love and support them.

In your ideal world, if you weren’t doing what you are now professionally, what would you be doing?

I want to be a Park Ranger. I love national parks. I collect national park pins. You can put that in there as a geeky interesting fact about me. I love maps as well. Just being out in nature — ­ it’s wonderful.

When your busy day comes to an end, how do you spend your downtime?

With what little down time that I have, I am usually walking or hiking. Walking on the Rail-Trail in Lincolnton or hiking in the mountains. I usually go hiking once a week on a Saturday or Sunday.

Those are great activities for someone who’d want to be a Park Ranger. Is there anything else you’d like qnotes readers to know about Jacob Hamm?

I can’t think of anything, other than, if you find any old maps, send them my way, because I love them. : :

Things like what?

Things they said, they were talking about [limiting] TV and I’m now talking about smart phones and tablets. I catch myself saying things like, “You need to put your phone down and go outside and take a

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