QNotes, July 9, 2021

July 9-22, 2021

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July 9-22, 2021

inside this issue

July 9-22, 2021 Vol 36 No 06

connect

feature

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contributors this issue

David Boraks, Justin R. Ervin, L’Monique King, Jack Kirven, Hannah Erin Lang, Lauren Lindstrom, David Aaron Moore, Nate Morabito, Julianna Peres, Adam Polaski, Chris Rudisill, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Frank Summers, Trinity

front page

Graphic Design by Natasha Morehouse Photography: Jim Yarbrough

9 Time Out Youth Hires Sarah Mikhail as New Executive Director

news

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Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.

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

An all-LGBTQ cast will be performing Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.”

See it July 31 at The Enclave, located in south Charlotte. The production is directed by TG Matthews Cox.

6 News Notes 6 Briefs 8 ‘Going to Be the Big One’ 12 Infectious Art 13 Levine Museum Details Plans to Sell Uptown Home

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Mission:

The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBTQ and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBTQ life and social justice issues.

Queering the Vagina Monologues

10 Immersive Van Gogh 14 Queering the Vagina Monologues 15 New Work from Southern Equality Studios Debuts 17 Screen Savor: Rememberance of Things Past 18 Tell Trinity 19 ‘ As a Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned

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Fact and Fiction

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4 Financial Planning Strategies for LGBTQ People 16 Sharing a Home With Your Partner

events

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

Sharing Your Home With Your Partner

Buying a house with someone you love is an exciting time, but it is important to take proper steps in legal protections for you and your partner.

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July 9-22, 2021

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Financial Planning Strategies for LGBTQ People Advancements Create New Opportunities — and Needs

by Frank Summers Guest Contributor

S

omething important is happening in healthcare systems across the country: They’re recognizing the health needs of the LGBTQ community deserve attention, and many are forming dedicated services. For the first time, LGBTQ healthcare was a dedicated topic at a recent international conference on healthcare and aging. It’s more than just patient & condition, however. It’s also about cultural competency. They realize that many of us are uncomfortable discussing certain topics with our doctors, or even just being out. It’s also about respect for our chosen families and relationships, and who we want involved in our medical decision-making. There’s a greater understanding that our experiences and histories as LGBTQ people, including physical and psychological, shape us and impact our health our entire lives. You see, healthcare is not just about patient/condition — it’s about seeing us as complete people.

At the same time, there’s a cultural shift in how we see the latter part of our lives. Gone is the idea of retirement as sitting in a rocking chair, watching life pass by and reminiscing about our youths. Instead, “elderhood” is seen as a vibrant phase of life, when we’re active and doing new and exciting things…hopefully with the freedom that comes with leaving a full-time career behind. As exciting as that is, the truth is that each of us will someday be older and these advancements give us more options, but only if we plan. Living longer, more active, healthier lives…that sounds wonderful.

But how much will it cost? How will we pay for it?

Just as healthcare has changed for LGBTQ people, so has financial planning — and it’s more than just new products or

investment options. The personal connection is every bit as important. Understanding how we want to experience the phases of our lives and the connections to our community and chosen families helps design plans to be sure the funds are there to enjoy them. But what if something happens…an illness or injury or chronic condition?

Financial planning has changed, and awareness of our needs can help avoid a costly mistake. Some of us are now married, some couples have chosen to remain unmarried, and others are single. In fact, there is a higher percentage of single LGBTQ+ people than our straight counterparts, and many more of us do not have children to provide care or financial support for us when we get older.

For example, with long-term care planning, there are options that can give us control over who we hire and what we pay for. Traditional long-term care policies require specialty care by facilities or providers that they define. That may not work for someone who wants to remain in their own home and wants to control who is providing care. A traditional long-term care policy won’t fund the retrofit of a bathroom — but there are other options that will. In fact, there are now options for HIV+ people to help fund long term care or to get life insurance that didn’t exist just a couple of years ago.

Unfortunately, some things haven’t changed. Many LGBTQ people report discrimination or harassment in care facilities. Many of us want more options and control of where we live, and with whom, and to set the direction of our care.

We want to decide who provides services for us. Reviewing the options and making decisions in advance can make all the difference.

Equality may be the law of the land, but marriage isn’t for everyone. Unmarried couples still want to care for one

Staff

East Charlotte (Practice & Pharmacy Hours: 8am-5pm) 6010 East W.T. Harris Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28215

Richard T. Wynn, MD Primary Care Director and co-founder

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

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

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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.

Hana Kim, PA-C

July 9-22, 2021

For more information, visit franksummers.ceterainvestors.com.

Frank Summers is a financial planner who specializes in the needs of the LGBTQ+ community. He works with clients across the country, though his office is based in Charlotte, NC. 5200 77 Center Dr #330, Charlotte, NC 28217. Cetera Investors is a marketing name of Cetera Investment Services. Securities and Insurance products are offered through Cetera Investment Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

Locations

J. Wesley Thompson MHS, PA, AAHIVS, DFAAPA HIV Director and co-founder

Jerry A. Saunders, MD PhD

another and to have control over decisions and assets. That requires special planning and clarity. For the couples who do get married, or are considering it, there may be Social Security considerations to be taken into account.

Being single brings its own set of planning needs, especially when it comes to setting expectations for care if we become incapacitated or need care. At all times, we should have control over who will make our medical decisions for us, who will have access to our money, and who will decide what is done with our property and belongings.

Many of us want to be sure that it’s our chosen family and not our family-of-origin that makes our decisions. The right attorney can make sure that all of the paperwork is done properly and the right financial planner can be sure that the products and accounts are structured to support that.

While marriage equality has leveled the field, and financial products are the same for everyone, it’s our needs as people that make us different. Your financial planner, attorney and care advocates should work together as a team dedicated to you and your needs. We’ve worked too hard and achieved too much to settle for less. : :

South Charlotte (Practice Hours: 9am-6pm) 10508 Park Rd. • Suite 130 Charlotte, NC 28201 Phone: 704-208-4134 Fax: 704-248-7845 New Location! (Opening July 2021) 9835 Monroe Rd. • Suite B Charlotte, NC 28270

July 9-22, 2021

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news Local LGBTQ Groups Donate Collection of Books for Youth

More than 350 children’s books, all centering around LGTBQ characters and topics, have been donated to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation. Rosedale Health in Huntersville and Stonewall Sports Charlotte pooled their resources to celebrate Pride month with literature and youth outreach.

This idea emerged when players from Stonewall Sports Charlotte decided to sprinkle the Queen City’s public libraries with stories of acceptance and inclusivity. Rosedale Health + Wellness, a gay-owned HIV patient care center, then matched all of these donated books by providing an extra copy of each. Childcare professionals selected, evaluated and approved each piece for their appropriate age groups.

Although the library is a safe haven for many children, transportation to and from the building is not always possible. So, as with years past, the Charlotte Mecklenburg library will be re-launching their Mobile Library once more. The importance of reaching secluded, underrepresented communities emphasizes the need for new books. More so than anyone, these youths deserve to see themselves embodied in writing.

Executive Director of the Mecklenburg Library Foundation, Jenni Gaisbauer, says, “These titles reflect and celebrate the diverse world we share, and will help more young readers see themselves, their families and their neighbors in the books they read.” Some of these children’s books are “Amazing Grace” by Mary Hoffman, “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and “The Family Book” by Todd Parr.

“This donation shows [another] way our players give back to the community,” says Roger Howard, Stonewall Sports Commissioner, “We want everyone to feel safe and welcome in their home, school and community. We hope these books will support LGBTQ children and their allies.”

As with the Stonewall Sports’ philosophy, there is no LGBTQ-requirement. Baseball, racquetball and tennis players do not need to be LGBTQ-identified to play on a Stonewall team. Children who check out these new books do not have to be anything but respectful. The goal of this rainbow collection is to educate, include and celebrate all young readers throughout North Carolina.

To learn more about Rosedale Health + Wellness, go to myrosedalehealth.com. To learn more about Stonewall Sports Charlotte, go to stonewallcharlotte.org. info: bit.ly/2UnZOAn — Julianna Peres

Changes in Hong Kong May Spell Trouble for Gay Games

Next year will be the first time Hong Kong plays host to the Gay Games. For all of the controversy and questions surrounding China’s history with LGBTQ civil rights and human rights in general, Hong Kong (formerly a British Colony handed back to China in 1997) has been mostly accepting and welcoming of gays and lesbians, even after the city was returned to Chinese authorities. Even as late as 2017, when the Federation of Gay Games (FGG), announced that their next event would be held there, businesses and city officials were enthusiastic about the potential tourism the events would attract.

Now, just four years later, things are decidedly different That formerly positive enthusiasm is getting harder to come by these days as the central Chinese government is impacting Hong Kong. What was once a previously progressive and cosmopolitan culture is regressing, as indicated by city lawmakers.

According to a report carried by the website Hong Kong Free Press, Junius Ho, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, said of the Gay Games and its participants: “It is your business what you do in your own room, but if you go out and do it in public, it’s disgraceful. The point is simple, the [city governing body] should not get involved in this, it’s the civil society’s business if they want to do it, it’s wrong to throw money into this, and I don’t want to earn this type of dirty money, it doesn’t matter if we earn the HK$1 billion.”

Several companies have been shocked by the outright homophobic comments made by government officials like Ho. “Our position on the Gay Games is we understand the purpose is to promote inclusiveness and diversity, so we have no problem with that sort of spirit,” said Carrie Lam, chief executive of Hong Kong, For now, the Gay Games continues to be promoted by the FGG and several members of the Chinese government. info: gghk2022.com/en — Julianna Peres

N.C. Cherokee Tribe Still Prohibits Same-Sex Marriage

Tribal courts, such as those who govern the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in North Carolina have their own governing bodies and laws outside of the United States. In 2014, the Eastern Band Tribal Council passed a resolution that would ban all marriage between same-sex couples. Tamara Thompson and her partner Jillian Goldstein, who met at Harrah’s Cherokee Casino, set out to make a change in their Native American Reservation, only to be immediately shot down by the Tribal Council.

Tribal Council Chair Adam Wachacha dismissed Thompson’s well-researched LGBTQ-inclusive bill at the preliminary stages. The shock of such an abrupt rejection sent Thompson reeling, and she insisted that Wachacha’s actions should not have been possible — the resolution should have been merely reviewed, and not ruled upon, at this reading.

She complained to a reporter for the news and culture website Cherokee One Feather that, although she and Goldstein could marry in the United States, they would not be considered wives within their Cherokee community. This was further complicated by the fact that Goldstein is not an enrolled member of the Eastern Band.

Atsei Cooper, however, is an enrolled member. Cooper was raised by two moms and identifies as bisexual. In an effort to create some kind of tribal LGBTQ cohesion, Cooper, tribal member Justin Lee and other LGBTQ members and friends of the Cherokee Qualla Boundary created a Facebook Group called “Nudale Adantedi,” meaning “different hearted, different spirited.”

More than 400 individuals have joined this group and they, along with Thompson, are hoping to reach out to the Tribal Council once more. This group keeps LGBTQ individuals all over the country informed on the elections, hearings and rulings of the EBCI. “Our goal is to bring same-sex marriage to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians,” Cooper told radio station WFAE 90.7. “On top of that, we want decolonial education and changing the homophobic and transphobic culture that we have adopted here.” The EBCI has been criticized by many community members for having strayed from their traditional attitudes of love and acceptance.

The Nudale Adentedi group mentions that the shift from a matriarchal to a more patriarchal society is said to have made for a more conservative Council. This is yet to be seen, but many members of the Cherokee community are waiting for the July 1 Tribal Council meeting results. LGBTQ and allied members of the EBCI intend on making a demonstration before the meeting as a display of solidarity. info: bit.ly/3wfHmYb — Julianna Peres

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Briefs CHARLOTTE Time Out Youth Resumes In-Person Discussion Groups As July begins, so too will Time Out Youth’s (TOY) phase to begin in-person events once more. For youth between the ages of 11 and 20, Melanin, MagiQ, Tea Time, Space Aces and the Poetry Group will resume discussions at the TOY Center. COVID-related precautions, like new “air scrubbers,” masks and temperature checks are still in place, and all staff members have been vaccinated.

Vaccine clinics are being hosted throughout July, and drop-in hours are being reinstated on Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. With any queries, reach out to info@timeoutyouth.org.

info: timeoutyouth.org

NORTH CAROLINA Mayor of Hillsborough Publicly Supports LGBTQ Residents The sun shone over an array of rainbow flags in the small town of Hillsborough, N.C. on June 1. Overnight, each lamppost was adorned with its own Pride flag throughout the downtown area. The town’s mayor, Jenn Weaver says of this demonstration, “I think policies are the most important thing, but symbols are also really meaningful and powerful, and this certainly is one.” Public response was mostly positive with only a few citizens leaving negative comments on the official town’s Facebook page. But this is to be expected as Weaver puts it, “We live at the crossroads of progressivism and conservatism.”

info: bit.ly/3h00IMo

NATIONAL Transgender Women Sue Georgia for Transphobic Medicaid Program Shon Thomas and Gwendolyn Cheney reached out to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) for legal aid.

According to their case, Georgia’s Medicaid program covers several surgeries that, despite being needed by gender expansive persons for transitional purposes, is only offered to cisgender individuals. The lawsuit claims that Georgia’s Medicaid “incorrectly characterizes their gender-confirming health care needs as “cosmetic,” “experimental” and/or investigational.”

info: bit.ly/2SxiFsi

INTERNATIONAL Homophobia is Running Rampant in Turkey Police used tear gas on Pride parade participants in Turkey this past month, a parade which has been officially banned for the foreseeable future. More than 20 individuals were either arrested or detained for marching in the parade.

Earlier in 2021, Turkey’s government asked to be taken out of the Istanbul Convention due to its progressive views on LGBTQ persons. This convention, however, was created as a way to keep women safe from systemic violence.

Many members of Turkey’s government have been vocal about their disdain for gay, lesbian or transgender persons. The Human Rights Watch writes, “Anti-LGBT speeches and social media posts by top government officials have become common.”

info: wapo.st/3jkRRGD — Compiled Julianna Peres

Will Senate Apologize for Decades of Hate and Intolerance?

In a paper titled “America’s Promise of Reconciliation and Redemption: The Need for an Official Acknowledgement and Apology for the Historic Government Assault on LGBT Federal Employees and Military Personnel,” the LGBTQ Washingtonbased organization Mattachine Society, along with the law firm McDermott Will & Emery, are calling upon the U.S. Senate to apologize for their long history of homophobia.

Among the government-level supporters of this paper are senators Tammy Baldwin and Tim Cain.

The paper calls all members of Congress, the military and the Executive Branch to action, outlining each sectors’ explicit racist, homophobic, transphobic, colorist and xenophobic activities actions of hate and intolerance. The 28-page record goes into detail about anti-LGBTQ legislation, lynching of African Americans, Japanese-American internment and harming/harassing Native Hawaiians.

Charles Francis, President of Mattachine, says, “Our mission of archive activism strives to prevent America from repeating the most appalling errors of our history. For this project, we were inspired by the fundamental question ‘Do you want to remember or forget?’ which has been posed to governments worldwide when considering grave wrongs committed against their citizens. The government’s assault over seven decades on LGBT Americans is [one of such] wrongs requiring acknowledgment and apology.”

Over the course of two years, several members of both McDermott and Mattachine pored over Freedom of Information Act (FIA) requests in an effort to piece together the United States’ past of LGBTQ discrimination. In addition to these documents, Mattachine and McDermott brought the history of the U.S. military and federal employment into question.

No financial reparations are being requested from the government.

This means that, unlike past resolutions, the House of Representatives will not have to pay any one person or group as a consequence of the statement. The paper also brings up the issue of international hate crimes from the nations of Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, Brazil and the Netherlands. info: bit.ly/3zDwlTk — Julianna Peres

Raleigh Resident Featured in Gallery, Documentary and Book

Once the ball started rolling on the “Not Another Second” art exhibit, it couldn’t be stopped. 12 queer seniors had their photo portraits on display in a Brooklyn, N.Y. gallery when the show started picking up speed. The series was transformed into a documentary and, shortly thereafter, into a coffee table book.

The photographs, taken by Karsten Thormaehlen, feature individuals and couples over the age of 60. Each of the subjects were asked about their experiences with recognizing, accepting and living in pride of their LGBTQ identities. Some of them spent over 50 years in the closet, living life surrounded by intolerance, bigotry, discrimination and, in some cases and places, the risk of arrest. The exhibit opened at the start of this year in The Watermark at Brooklyn Heights and will remain open until September 2021.

Participant Richard Prescott sums the purpose of the project up perfectly when he says, “I think I lost a lot of years not being myself. Not only do we get to share our stories, but give courage to younger generations who are still scared of being their authentic self.”

Younger generations will benefit from the stories in the book “Not Another Second,” as well as all proceeds from sales, which will be donated to Watermark for Kids, a nonprofit that focuses on providing aid to LGBTQ youth.

This intergenerational effort is something that Ronnie Ellis Jr., a North Carolina native, cites as integral to the fight for LGBTQ equality. Growing up in the rural Raleigh area, Ellis was wary of losing his career because of his sexual orientation and did not come out for 54 years. Both Ellis and his now-deceased partner feared for their careers and lives. Despite the risks, they made a secret life for themselves during a large portion of the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the next. They spent 44 years together before his partner passed away in 2011.

Ellis later purchased a Victorian home in the Historic Oakwood district in Raleigh, became a leader in spearheading the conservation and restoration effort of the area and was frequently referred to as “Mr. Oakwood” around Raleigh. These days he spends his residential time between Raleigh and Tarboro, N.C. Ellis, 81, mirrors Prescott’s sentiments about today’s gay youth, “Somebody needs to let the young people know, we did what we could, and now they can pick up and make life better for other younger people.”

Watermark Retirement Communities and SAGE are funding this multimedia project, hoping to reach LGBTQ and allied elders and youth alike. SAGE Central North Carolina continues to serve individuals like Ellis, advocating for and supporting LGBTQ seniors over the age of 50 across the city of Raleigh. info: notanothersecond.com — Julianna Peres

July 9-22, 2021

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‘Going to Be the Big One’ Renters, Advocates Brace for End of Eviction Moratorium

by David Boraks, Lauren Lindstrom & Nate Morabito | Guest Contributors

P

eople who are behind on their rent because of the coronavirus pandemic got another reprieve last week: The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its moratorium on evictions for one more month.

The CDC has said it will be the last extension. Several extensions have been made since the moratorium was first enacted in September.

The moratorium doesn’t mean evictions have come to a standstill. A review of court records shows judges are continuing to order evictions for Mecklenburg County renters who failed to pay rent — and for other reasons like lease violations.

While cases have slowed dramatically, they’re about to pick up again, as courts begin scheduling cases that have been delayed during the pandemic. An estimated 250,000 North Carolinians are behind on their rent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

That worries housing advocates and social service providers, who are preparing for a flood of cases and more people seeking rent relief and other assistance.

“I’m concerned that there are going to be a lot of people getting evicted,” said Tommy Holderness, a lawyer with Legal Aid of North Carolina, “I just think the numbers are gonna be really bad.”

Looking at Evictions

Reporters for the The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, a group of six newsrooms working together to cover the city’s housing crisis, recently tried to access court data on evictions before and during the pandemic across North Carolina.

The court system either says they don’t have them, or there are barriers — even though these are public records. Much of it is only in paper copies, filed in the courthouse. In one instance, the collaborative was given a $6,000 estimate in fees for a state data set.

So reporters examined, by hand, more than 700 eviction orders issued at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse between October 2020 and April 2021. Despite the federal ban, most of those were for nonpayment of rent. Some tenants were able to work with their landlords to stay, or caught up on their balance, but many were removed from their homes.

Advocates say the ban worked well for some tenants whose income levels and pandemic-related hardships qualified them, but in some cases, either tenants didn’t submit necessary paperwork or didn’t qualify for protection.

Some tenants owed just a month or two, but others were $10,000 or more behind.

This is consistent with what officials with two local rent relief programs see every day.

Never before have so many people been able to rack up months and months of late balances. Carol Hardison of Crisis Assistance Ministry says the amount of rental assistance they’re paying out has soared.

“Pre-pandemic, you wouldn’t have been able to get more than a month or two behind without the landlord completely pad-locking you out,” Hardison said, “Now we’re sometimes paying two,

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July 9-22, 2021

scheduled hundreds of cases in an hour, because many tenants did not show up to court or didn’t have a lawyer.

COVID-19 slowed down scheduling, sometimes only 20 cases per courtroom, per hour, to avoid too many people in a room together. Others were done by video conference.

Holderness, the Legal Aid attorney, said he hopes the courts don’t rush to return dockets to pre-pandemic levels.

“I think that’s the one way to keep the numbers from just getting horrendous in a hurry,” he said, “but if the courts increase those docket sizes, it’ll be ugly in a hurry.”

People who spoke to the Collaborative think it will take months for the courts to hear all these cases.

What’s Being Done?

Hattie Howie, center, talks to Crisis Assistance Ministry customer service representative Lawrence Winston. (Photo Credit: Nell Redmond via Charlotte Journalism Collaborative) three and four, five months worth of rent to help a person.”

Erin Barbee, who oversees Mecklenburg’s rent, mortgage and utilities assistance RAMPCLT program for the nonprofit DreamKey Partners, says they’re seeing applicants come with overdue balances of $7,000 to $8,000, on average.

James Surane, a Charlotte-area attorney who represents landlords, says they’re seeing what he calls “unprecedented” amounts of overdue rent.

“Normally we’ve seen one or two months, whatever, $1,500 to $2,000.

We’re seeing ledgers now at $20,000 and $25,000,” Surane said. He says some tenants who qualified for the eviction protections don’t realize the moratorium does not write off that debt.

Hattie Howie came to Crisis Assistance Ministry this week looking for help paying three months of rent totaling about $3,000.

She said she was grateful her landlord has been patient with her efforts to catch up, but the balance weighs on her.

“It’s so stressful not knowing how the rent is going to be paid,” she said. Howie, 68, had to stop working after 33 years as a housekeeper and factory worker when her mother, who died in October, needed care, and her own health declined.

Her daughter, Thomasina Howie, lost her housekeeping work during the pandemic when people were wary of inviting others into their homes. She stayed in a hotel for several months before moving into a new apartment in May with help from the Salvation Army.

Thomasina said the pandemic hit harder for those already struggling.

“Before the pandemic, things were starting to look up on my end,” she said, “But when it hit, it made me fall all the way back and give so much of what I didn’t have back.”

Greater Charlotte Apartment Association Executive Director Kim Graham said property managers need stability as well, so they can provide critically important rental housing. Graham compared the moratorium extensions to riding a neverending rollercoaster in the dark.

“Just when you think you’re towards the end of this rollercoaster, you get another dip and another loop thrown your way and that is scary,” she said.

While court records show judges ordered the evictions of some for nonpayment, Graham said the vast majority of property managers and landlords have remained patient with renters and have worked with them in good faith. In fact, she said landlords were the ones who originally stepped up at the beginning of the pandemic before the federal government and financial industries stepped in.

“I do believe that there has been an injustice done to the landlords,” Graham said, “I definitely believe there was this sense that landlords had deep pockets, that landlords were at an advantage over the people that they housed, that landlords could weather the storm and that landlords really didn’t care, and all of those things are misnomers.”

What Happens When the Moratorium Ends?

A Mecklenburg County court spokeswoman said 1,070 eviction filings are pending at the court as of this week. Those are eviction filings from landlords who are waiting for a hearing date. Experts also told the CJC they expect many more landlords are waiting to file their petitions until after the moratorium expires.

A key factor for how quickly people might lose their homes is the speed that courts schedule hearings. Before the pandemic, Mecklenburg County routinely

Housing advocates say sufficient and timely rent relief is essential to preventing evictions once the moratorium lifts.

Both RAMPCLT and Crisis Assistance Ministry are increasing staffing to prepare for expected increased demand.

RampCLT has distributed a little more than $39 million since launching in 2020, with another $9.2 million available for city of Charlotte residents with a COVID-19 income loss or hardship.

Applications are available at Rampclt.com.

They will also begin prioritizing applicants with evictions filed and a scheduled court date within 30 days, in hopes of pushing out money first to those at greatest risk of becoming homeless.

“We’ve reprioritized in a way that we think will help us to impact the most vulnerable and get them the funds that they need to stay in their homes,” Barbee said. The program had previously prioritized applicants with the lowest incomes first.

Hardison said Crisis Assistance Ministry has added two “navigator” positions, trained to learn about all available aid opportunities at Crisis and elsewhere, and to help people sign up with the right program to maximize their help.

“This is going to be the big one,” Hardison said, “We’ve been focusing on this like a laser beam.” : : The following people contributed to this story: David Boraks (WFAE-FM), Lauren Lindstrom (The Charlotte Observer), Nate Morabito (WCNC-TV), Lexi Wilson (WCNC-TV), Jasmin Herrera (La Noticia), Gavin Off (The Charlotte Observer), David Raynor (Raleigh News & Observer), Rick Thames (Queens University) and David Griffith with the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative. qnotes is part of six major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.

life

Time Out Youth Hires Sarah Mikhail as New Executive Director First Generation Egyptian-American Fills position Aug. 9

by David Aaron Moore qnotes Staff Writer

I find it so incredibly fascinating there are so many churches around Charlotte that are LGBTQ supportive.

Especially growing up in an environment that was Christian and so not supportive. That’s really beautiful.

Here’s a place where queer Christians have obviously found their message and overcome some of the things society has told them. Driving around and seeing that is really uplifting, especially for me, because I still have a very religious family. My brother — who lives in Greenville, S.C. — is a supportive Christian. He’s like, “Okay, maybe I don’t get it, but I love my sister,” so I’m always welcome. I’m happy that people can have their religion and still be accepting of queer people.

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harlotte’s 30-year-old LGBTQ organization Time Out Youth (TOY) is welcoming a new executive director. Coinciding with the landmark anniversary year for the city’s queer youth services institution, Sarah Mikhail has been named to the position following a unanimous vote of the search committee and Board of Directors.

Mikhail officially takes the reins at TOY Aug. 9. “This is a dream job for me,” says Mikhail, a social work leader and advocate with over 15 years of experience working in the LGBTQ+ community and youth leadership, “and it came at such a perfect time; it was like a gift.”

As a queer, first generation Egyptian-American woman, Mikhail’s personal modus operandi is deeply rooted in recognizing the value of intersectionality. As well, she’s devoted to social justice matters for LGBTQ youth.

In her position as executive director at Time Out Youth, Mikhail plans to increase the visibility of TOY and expand outreach programs to the many LGBTQ young people the organization serves. Additionally, she will handle strategic and operational planning along with administrative and financial decisions for TOY. Sounds like you’re about to be extremely busy. While you still have time, tell us how you find power in intersectionality.

Intersectionality is at the core of my social work. I’ll use myself for an example: I am more than one identity. So it seems like “Oh this queer person came in” and that’s it. It’s all under the lens of queerness. Well, sure, yeah. That’s true but I’m also informing the world of my femme identity, I’m under the lens of my leadership, my work, my friendships, the crosscultural experience I’ve lived. Everything I do is under that lens. All of that is my identity. That informs the way I show up in the world. So to me, it’s seeing we are all showing up with many identities.

Sometimes, I know, it seems like we talk about that only when we’re talking about marginalized identities. But intersectionality is noting that we all have multiple identities that bring something to the issue that we’re talking about. We can’t ask someone to say, “Oh, I’m talking to you as my brown self, or my queer self.” We’re all of it. We’re all of it all the time. Like Audre Lorde said, “We don’t lead single issue lives, so there’s no such thing as a single issue struggle.”

How do you anticipate applying that to your new position at TOY? I want to come to Time Out Youth, talking to the team as their whole self, with every part of them being seen. In

Sarah Mikahil is looking forward to her new job at Time Out Youth. (Photo Credit: Jim Yarbrough) the work I’ve done, and what I want to do, we help the most marginalized, and we’re helping everyone. It’s very exciting to be the first woman of color serving as executive director at Time Out Youth, but it’s also very important for me to ally myself with people who don’t necessarily share that identity. Intersectionality isn’t just about marginalization. It’s also about this great moment for us to see there’s another perspective, there’s more work to be done and to be able to draw from the experiences of those people around us.

Tell us about your journey to Charlotte.

I moved here in September [2020] from New York. It had become unbearable to live there during that point of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m originally from northern Virginia, but I moved to New York right after college. I lived in Brooklyn for 15 years, and I was already getting to a place, like many New Yorkers do, after about 10 years or so. I’m not 23 anymore, and I was already thinking about leaving.

Then the pandemic hit, and my partner and I were working out of our one-bedroom apartment. My previous job was remote already, but I used to travel a lot and that just stopped. It seemed like the time was right, we already had friends here and my goddaughter is here. We visited in the summer of 2020, and we just packed up and came back three months later. I still love New York, but it was really hard and exhausting. I came to Charlotte and really loved it. It’s a big city that is robust and growing. There’s just a time in life when

you don’t want to try so hard to live. Life shouldn’t have to be that hard and coming here for like a month and realizing there were affordable places to live made the move such a no-brainer.

Are you enjoying life in the city?

We live in Country Club Heights, [and] I’ve found I like to live a quieter life, so, yeah.

I love nature, I love outside, and I love all [the] things that were really difficult to access in New York. I found that it had impacted my wellness and my sense of well-being. Here, I’m in a community that is warm and inviting. And I have access to some of the things that make me feel well about the world around me.

Tell us about your family. Your parents came here from Egypt?

Yes. My parents were Egyptian born and then moved to the United States in 1979, right before they had me and my brother. They moved to the United States in a very typical way. You know, the American dream, we want to give our children a better life. They didn’t even speak Arabic to us because they were very much a part of that assimilationist movement of the 1980s. My parents were going to have American children and live an American life. My parents were Christian, and my grandfather was an Evangelical Pastor, in Egypt! That’s unusual because most of the Christians in Egypt are Coptic Christians.

So far, what have you encountered here that really surprised you?

What’s on your to-do list at TOY? So I have a couple of things. I want to learn all about the team and what I can do to make the foundation, or structure at Time Out Youth, a place where people who work there are happy and want to stay. I’ve learned that people who work there really love the work, but I also know lots of people don’t stay for years and years because it’s a small team and there’s not a lot of room to grow. I’m the kind of person who wants to see lifelong careers, and I want to make it a place where people are paid well, they want to stay and they have room to grow and expand, in terms of size and scope of work.

Another one — I want to learn what’s working for the young people that are already attending Time Out Youth and what is missing for those that aren’t coming here, so that we can grow the programs from a young person’s perspective.

Over the past couple of years, there’s been talk in the community about creating a new LGBTQ center, and developing events for seniors at Time Out Youth. Have you heard any discussion of that?

I haven’t heard anything about senior programming, no, but I have heard mention about the need for a community center.

I understand the need for both. If we’re going to have LGBTQ youth that thrive and grow, it’s important that we have a place for everyone and a place for our elders and seniors.

What do you think it is about Time Out Youth? How has it been so successful and continued to thrive for so long?

It’s pretty amazing! It can’t be understated how important it is this center has been around for 30 years and how it has impacted the community. To me that says it’s just primed and ready to expand and grow, whether that be a community center that goes beyond just youth, or we expand on programs offering more for youth. I’m just excited about what we can bring to the LGBTQ community across Charlotte in general. : :

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Immersive Van Gogh An Enchanting Return to Live Art

by Chris Rudisill qnotes Contributor

space through September. According to Stallings, “one dollar from every ticket is being sewn back into the creative and small business community.”

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magine walking into a field of sunflowers. Bursts of yellow and burnt orange surround you against a sea of sky blue.

Soon the flowers that have become synonymous with artist Vincent Van Gogh fill every corner of the room and launch your journey into the life and work of one of the most influential artists in the world.

The Immersive Van Gogh exhibition, now open in Charlotte’s bustling new Camp North End, spreads across 76,154 square feet, or one and a half football fields of sensory overload. The specs include 118,800 frames of video, 500,000 cubic feet of projections and 190,000 pixels displaying Van Gogh’s work from the sunny landscapes and night scenes to his portraits and still life paintings.

The exhibition includes some of his most recognizable paintings like “Mangeurs de Pommes de Terre” (The Potato Eaters, 1885), “Nuit Étoilée” (Starry Night, 1889), “Les Tournesols” (Sunflowers, 1888), “Le Chambre à coucher” (The Bedroom, 1889) and so much more. Over 400 images were licensed for the exhibition from museums across the world.

Adding to the immersive experience, Italian composer Luca Longobardi has created an imaginative soundtrack. As the petals from “Ramo di Mandorlo Fiorito” (Almond Blossoms, 1890) fly across the room, Longobardi’s own “Kyoto” moves to Murcof’s “Lost in Time - Chapitre I” and Van Gogh’s “Camera da Letto” (Bedroom in Aries, 1888) is created all around you. Later in the roughly 35-minute show, blasts of color fill the room as the majestic sounds of Mussorgsky’s “Great Gate of Kiev” bring viewers to a moment of awe. The partnership of Artistic Director Massimiliano Siccardi and Longobardi is magnificent.

“Beyond art exhibiting, it’s also filmmaking,” said Corey Ross during the June 16th pre-opening and ribbon cutting.

Ross is just one of two producers from the Toronto-based Lighthouse Immersive company that created the immersive exhibition. “You’re going to find yourself standing in the middle of an animated film where Massimiliano Siccardi has deconstructed all of the works of Van Gogh and reconstructed them in a very interesting way.”

The blockbuster exhibition was seen by over 2 million visitors in Paris, received tremendous acclaim in Toronto, Chicago and San Francisco, and has additional openings scheduled for 16 cities across North America, but Charlotte currently has the largest exhibition in the world.

“This historic Ford Factory is such an incredible palette for Massimiliano to work on, and also for our team to work on,” continued Ross, “Each installation is completely unique and different. It’s informed by the architecture of the building.

It’s informed by the culture of the city, the collaboration we can have with the local presenter and moreover with local artists.”

Bree Stallings helped create those opportunities for the local art community in numbers that have far surpassed other

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A Welcomed Return to Art

Visitors admire the large-scale projections of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

(Photo Credit: Michael Browsilow) cities in the exhibition’s tour. Stallings was recently named Blumenthal Performing Arts Director of Artistic Experience and is a popular local artist and muralist herself who recently completed a mural at Time Out Youth with local LGBTQ youth.

Connecting to the history of Camp North End, a classic Model T with Van Gogh racing stripes sits near the opening of the exhibition. In 1924, nearly 35 years after Van Gogh’s death, architect Albert Kahn designed the first factory at the site for the Ford Motor Company. 300,000

Model T and Model A cars were built at the factory prior to the Great Depression.

The exhibition space also features photographs from the 1890s in Charlotte, showing what the city looked like during Van Gogh’s life. Murals, installations and sculptures complete the space with work from 19 local artists. In addition, 26 Charlotte-based artists are selling their custom merchandise in the boutique area of the exhibition gift shop and Blumenthal is expected to announce soon the 10 artists who will take up residence in the

Hundreds of images of Van Gogh’s work were used to create the exhibit.

(Photo Credit: Michael Browsilow)

Tom Gabbard welcomed a room full of city officials, local artists and community members to the event on June 16 with a smile on his face, acknowledging the long time since he had spoken in front of a physical audience. “We are at this unique point in time, as a world, as a country, coming out of the COVID crisis we’ve been living through,” said Gabbard. “Immersive Van Gogh in Charlotte and in many other cities is one of the first opportunities that we’ve had to be back together — to enjoy a live experience together.”

Gabbard has been the CEO of Blumenthal’s Performing Arts since 2003 and in that time has taken the organization to becoming a Top 10 market for touring Broadway shows in North America.

The Blumenthal’s 110 employees manage six theatres in Charlotte, typically hosting over 1,000 performances annually in addition to numerous education programs.

Revenue has been down however, with a 90 percent reduction over the past year because of pandemic shutdowns. In February, the arts organization released its PNC Broadway Lights and Equitable Bravo series lineup. Additional changes to the popular theatre seasons were announced in April, but exhibits like Immersive Van Gogh and local entertainment options are welcomed by residents and by the organization as our lives seem to be edging back to normal.

Reminders of the virus still exist however, with sitting or standing circles spaced throughout the exhibition at the appropriate six-foot intervals we’ve all grown accustomed to, and guests are encouraged to wear masks if they have not been vaccinated. Hand sanitizer stations are spaced for guests convenience and the Boileryard behind the Ford Building provides a perfect space to gather with friends outdoors after walking through the exhibition.

Ross further discussed the fully experiential moment that Immersive Van Gogh provides. “What’s been so wonderful about this project is coming out of COVID when none of us have been able to experience any of the usual experience of art, here is an opportunity to see a completely new type of genre as the first thing that you get to see,” he said.

When you visit, make sure to walk around the room, experience how the colors play off the corners and fill the space with light. Benches are scattered around the space for when you want to relax and take in the full breadth of the show, along with a bit of people watching. Cushions are also available for people to rent or purchase, allowing you to sit directly on the floor.

“Astonishing in scale and breathtakingly imaginative, this is a completely new look at the Master’s work.”

Tickets start at $39.99 for adults and $24.99 for kids. For more information about Immersive Van Gogh and to purchase tickets, visit vangoghclt.com. : :

* * * SPONSORED CONTENT * * *

Join Charlotte Pride for Our Weekend of Service, August 21-22 Charlotte Pride invites the entire community to a citywide and regional weekend of service and solidarity. The pandemic has taught us important lessons. One of the most important things we have learned from this pandemic is how important it is to give back and support each other.

The Charlotte Pride Weekend of Service will be held on August 21 – 22, 2021, our original festival and parade dates, to highlight our community’s passion for giving back and supporting each other and our neighbors.

How you can participate: Get together with your team at your nonprofit, community group, schools or student organizations, faith institution, business, ERG, or even an informal group of friends and plan out a community service or volunteer project that your team can lead and participate in, Aug. 21-22!

Ideas for service or volunteer projects: Park, stream, or road clean ups. Neighborhood or other community beautification projects. Community gardening or support. Food, clothing, and other resource drives/events/free stores. Soup kitchens. Elder or youth support. Community arts project. Animal shelter support. Free little library or pantry construction, installation, and/or stocking. And so much more!

Examples of community partners: The list of community organizations and service opportunities below are for reference only. Feel free to reach out to these organizations or others like them. Not all organizations listed may have group volunteer opportunities, or they may already be committed with another project, but this list should give you an idea of the kinds of organizations you can reach out to as you plan your service project: • Roof Above • House of Mercy • Classroom Central • Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation • Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful • Hands On Charlotte • Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina • Crisis Assistance Ministry • Friendship Trays • Humane Society of Charlotte • The Relatives • Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden • The Bulb • Charlotte Family Housing • Habitat for Humanity You can find a database of local nonprofit organizations and group volunteer opportunities via Share Charlotte at sharecharlotte.org.

Get involved today! Register your project!

Once you’ve determined and chosen your project, register it with Charlotte Pride! We want to give you shout outs and keep track of our collective community impact! You can learn more, find a downloadable one-sheeter of this information in this article, and register your service project online at charlottepride.org/service.

Coming Soon: Charlotte Pride Clothing and Resource Drive In the coming days, be sure to stay tuned for information on the Charlotte Pride Clothing and Resource Drive. As part of our Pride Season and Weekend of Service, we’ll be kicking off an effort to collect clothes and other resources for our community and neighbors. We’ll also be hosting a Free Store at the Pop-Up Pride Festival on Saturday, Sept. 18. You can ensure you get news and updates on this and other projects by signing up for our email newsletter at charlottepride.org/signup.

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Infectious Art

Charlotte Museums’ Responses to COVID-19

by L’Monique King qnotes Staff Writer

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s the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be leveling out and the number of cases decreases, the world is opening back up. In-person events are on the rise, businesses are re-opening their doors and the price of masks is declining as folks are being vaccinated and opting not to wear them.

The Queen City arts scene is no different. Charlotte has a thriving arts community that includes multiple museums. In this article qnotes takes a look at how area museums have handled COVID-19 pandemic safety measures from the beginning, to where we are now.

The Levine Museum of the New South’s mission is to “Connect the past to the future and to realize the promises of the New South.” As proudly stated on their website, [over] 30 years ago, Levine Museum of the New South was founded as a history museum that would tell everyone’s story — a radical idea at the time and a radical idea still. Their mission has led them to create a space that uses exhibits and programs to confront some of the most difficult issues facing us today in a historical context that deepens understanding, fosters empathy and inspires action toward a better future.

In keeping with the Levine’s history of radical ideas, they have big changes in the works. The museum is selling its uptown Charlotte building and plan to pursue a digital-first approach to serving the diverse population of Charlotte and beyond. See more about the museum’s plans on page 13.

It may take some time to sell the building and until then, the museum is open.On its website is a prominently displayed text box that includes a link beneath a statement on how the health and welfare of visitors, guests and staff are always top priority. When you click the link, a September 2020 statement on how the Museum will reopen at half-capacity and with decreased attendance times appears. There are links to learn more about the institution’s COVID-19 protocols, but they are currently inactive. Like much of the world, Levine Museum of the New South seems less inclined to put the pandemic front and center as it was during the height of infection rates. However, in attempting to meet folks where they are, they continue to alternately offer virtual experiences along with in-person exhibitions.

Speaking of virtual experiences, the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts and Culture certainly seemed to have handled them appropriately during the pandemic. Named for the architect who was the first Black student accepted at Clemson University and Charlotte’s first African-American Mayor in 1983 — the Gantt center has a history of showing visitors the importance of addressing social issues by way of awareness, diversity and representation. For the Gantt Center, the COVID-19 pandemic was no different. They closed temporarily during the time that stay-at-home orders were recommended by Gov. Cooper and ramped up their virtual offerings to include

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Like many other museums, the Mint continues to take protective measures. (Photo Credit: jpellgen via Flickr) showcases and full exhibitions, as well as a video series of community conversations and programs that highlight the disparities within various sectors of the Black community.

As the Gantt Center became increasingly more aware of the pandemic’s toll on the community, they changed their behavior in response to it. Likewise, folks can also virtually learn how the Gantt Center aims to continue to push the boundaries of creativity through the use of arts as activism. With all that being offered, the Harvey B. Gantt Center has also reopened with access granted to visitors six days a week.

The Mint Museum has two locations: One At Levine Center for the Arts on South Tryon St. and another on Randolph Rd. Both are operating full time and admission is free every Wednesday. In speaking with qnotes, a museum representative shared some of the Mint Museum’s COVID-19 protocols, which are still in place. Still taking protective measures against the pandemic, they have clear barriers in place at visitor and ticket stations and prefer that visitors continue to wear masks, though it’s not a requirement. Like other area museums, the Mint has also responded by offering some virtual experiences. That doesn’t preclude The Mint from in-person exhibitions focusing on local artists. At the Randolph location, “It Takes a Village” allows visitors to view artwork that is in celebration of the vibrant, grassroots art happening throughout Charlotte. For this exhibition The Mint Museum is collaborating with three of Charlotte’s innovative art collectives: BlkMrktClt, Brand the Moth and Goodyear Arts. The works of art in the ex-

hibition are done by more than 25 collective members and recognizes local artistic talent across a broad cross section of demographics: economic, racial, ethnic, age and education. Equally exciting and directly inspired by the pandemic is “Silent Streets: Art in the Time of Pandemic,” presenting works of art by local, regional, national and international artists who useart to surve y and tackle the challenging times. From comic strips to abstract painting, the exhibition embraces the potential of all artforms to grapple with the most urgent issues of our day, providing viewers with both solace and insight.

For museum goers that have had just about enough of dealing with today’s issues of viruses, gas line hacks and social unrest, there’s a new museum opening up — just in time to transport viewers back to a simpler time. Well, at least a time prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There’s a house listed on Airbnb that’s also utilized for photo shoots and events called the “Home of the 90s.” It’s a one-bedroom house decked out in colorful floor-to-ceiling murals, a payphone and countless memorabilia from the era.

Apparently, the pandemic didn’t cramp the style of LGBTQ community member and founder Jessica Jones and her business partner Camille Stinson. The two have taken the vision of the “Home of the 90s” and expanded upon it. The Home of the 90s Museum, located in Concord, N.C.opened on July 3. With the same 90s theme in mind, it will be bigger and grander than the one-bedroom house. The museum offers over 3,800 square feet (and 12 rooms) of 90s memory lanes with hand-painted murals by area artists. The Home of the 90s was so successful (in part due to folks seeking smaller less crowded ways to have fun during the pandemic) that it enabled Jessica Jones to save enough to open the museum.

Jessica told qnotes that though the COVID-19 state mandate has been lifted, her concerns for the safety of visitors still warranted the museum being professionally cleaned daily by a COVID-19 certified cleaning service provider. She and her partner hope the museum continues to put smiles on the faces of visitors like the “Home of the 90s” has. They also hope the museum will become known as “The Date Space of the Year.”

From the moment COVID-19 forced people into their homes, art became a source of solace. Our area museums have continued to provide a vehicle for artists to showcase how they use their creativity to release the tensions the pandemic has created and allow patrons to find comfort in art in a manner that is enjoyable and safe. : : qnotes is part of six major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.

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Levine Museum Details Plans to Sell Uptown Home A Part of Many Changes

by Hannah Erin Lang | Guest Contributor

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he Levine Museum of the New South is selling its building on 7th Street in uptown Charlotte as it looks to transform itself and how it interacts with the community.

In an email sent to museum members, Levine President and CEO Kathryn Hill said the museum will search for a “more flexible uptown facility” and pursue a “community-centered, digital-first transformation.”

“As part of our calling to reach new audiences and deliver non-traditional programming, we have decided to sell our Uptown property to fully embrace our next chapter,” she wrote in the email.

No immediate changes are planned, however, and the museum will continue to operate while the property is on the market.

“Our mission remains unchanged, and our role in this community is more important than it’s ever been,” Hill said in an interview with the Observer. “What we’re looking at now are new ways of delivering that are broadly accessible and highly compelling.”

“By digital-first, we don’t mean digitalonly,” she added, “There is nothing that re-

The Levine Museum of the New South said it is searching for a “more flexible uptown facility”as it moves to sell its building. (Photo Credit: The Charlotte Observer) places the power that’s generated in a room full of people who are sharing their stories and learning from each other, and in-person programming is still part of our strategy.”

Hill said selling the site could take up to a year. The sale also opens up a significant piece of uptown real estate.

Pandemic-related closures spurred the museum to embrace new types of projects, such as a digital walking tour of

the Brooklyn neighborhood launching this August, Hill told the Observer. “It has forever changed us,” she said.

“The museum’s mission has never been more important, and if we are to reach broadly across the community, we must imagine new ways to create and deliver content in the digital age,“ Hill said in the email, “We recognize, too, that we need to work more closely with and in the commu-

nities we serve, to ensure all Charlotteans are heard and known.”

The museum has received a threeyear, $600,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support the shift. The funds will go toward expanding the Brooklyn tour initiative and hiring a community engagement manager, among other items, Hill said. Last August, Hill said that the museum was exploring a potential sale or redevelopment of its uptown property, which comprises 0.7 acres at the corner of 7th St. and North College St. At the time, Hill said the board has been studying options for he site for several years.

The museum’s current facility opened in 2001, although the organization had a presence in the building for several years before that. The building and land it sits on are worth about $7.7 million, according to county real estate records cited by the Observer last year.

The Levine Museum was founded in 1991, according to their website. : : This story originally appeared on The Charlotte Observer, charlotteobserver.com.

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Queering the Vagina Monologues An All-LGBTQ Cast to Perform Eve Ensler’s Famous Feminist Performance Piece

by Julianna Peres qnotes Staff Writer

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he Vagina Monologues” is a show that, when seen, can never be unseen, or so is typically the goal. Director TG Matthews Cox’s cast (of all LGBTQ performers) possesses the chemistry, intensity and passion required to achieve this goal.

On July 31 at Charlotte’s The Enclave, stage lights will rise over an almost wholly lesbian cast at 7 p.m. This production is the third time that Cox has directed a stage performance of the play, and, despite the challenges that COVID-19 has put forth, she is excited to see the show come to life.

“As a lesbian, I always appreciate art that incorporates an inclusive and/or diverse presence,” Cox shares, “Though the context or intent of the monologues that are performed doesn’t change, with having an all LGBTQ cast, the energy does. In my opinion, the deliveries seem more powerful and more relatable for non-binary women, even more poignant.”

Most of the participants have been engaged in the theatre for years and are a part of the tight-knit community of North Carolina-based performers. Cox invited each team member on merit as well as chemistry. In the past, rehearsals have been held in cast members’ homes.

COVID-19, however, has seriously limited the amount of time and number of locations available for rehearsals.

“Preparation has been interesting because we are in a state of collective trauma,” performer Fatima Mann says of the pandemic-related practice restrictions. Mann goes on to emphasize the balance necessary for those emerging from months of quarantine as they readjust to group gatherings. Multiple cast members also point out the limited seating at the event itself, again highlighting the importance of staying safe during the pandemic.

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TG Matthews Cox directs “The Vagina Monologues.”

See it at The Enclave on July 31.

In addition to being LGBTQidentified, the cast is also made up of several women of color.

Many scholars have studied Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” with a critical lens, claiming that her production does not put women of color in the most flattering of spotlights.

“Rape is represented directly in the script only in monologues where the speakers are women of color,” alleges a piece published in the University of Chicago’s Women’s Studies Department. Author Christine Cooper goes on to write, “Unlike these others, the unmarked voices of American whiteness have their vaginas and selves intact. They may get pissed off at the gynecologist’s office, but they get the best of medical care.”

The lack of representation for voices of Black women in “The Vagina Monologues” is a feeling of limitation that

performers Kistyn Matthews Cox and Cayme Andrea would like to see lifted. Actress Jenny Ashcraft would like to highlight the struggles of sex trafficking.

“Too many girls and women are being sex slaves,” she says, “and more education needs to be provided.”Cox feels that Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues” should be performed as they are; the production itself should not be altered.

However, she hopes to create a series of monologues written from the perspective of LGBTQ individuals in the future.

Myrna Key-Parker and her fellow performer GoddessLyrical Carter have pondered what “The Vagina Monolgues” might be like if they included their gender expansive siblings in tales of vagina-revelry and disdain.

Carter says she believes male-to-female transgender individuals should have a safe

Myrna Key Parker lends her talents to the production of “The Vagina Monologues.”

space to explore their thoughts on the importance of the vagina. On the other side of that coin, Key-Parker is interested in seeing the perspective of a femaleto-male individual as they undergo the transition process. She says that she, and many who do not identify as transgender men, could learn a lot from hearing how a trans man’s relationship evolves with his genitalia.

Leslie Verleane Oliver says that incorporating men in the show would add to the performance’s purpose of representation. “It could be interesting to have men in the production that affirm vaginas,” Oliver suggests, “and own their mistreatment of them.”

Unfortunately, there is not enough time for every single story to be told throughout the three-hour show.

Cox and the cast maintain that, although they would add some things to the show if given the opportunity, they are proud to present an LGBTQ rendition of a 20-year-old production.

One of the main motivating factors for Cox to direct “The Vagina Monologues” in 2021 was the memory of her friend Samantha Cer-John.

Cer-John was instrumental in the previous two versions of the play that she and Cox produced in 2014 and 2016. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s performance will be donated to My Style Matters, Inc. in honor of Cer-John. An educational nonprofit, My Style Matters is a nonprofit for those with cancer and their caretakers.

The July 31 show will be hosted by special guest Chirl Girl, a popular Queen City media personality.

“People with vaginas are impacted by what happens to their vaginas,” Mann says matterof-factly. We are not separate things, and it’s okay to admit when the impact to our vaginas shows up in our daily lives. I hope that what audience members take away is that it is okay to be in-tune with what is happening to their bodies, whether they have vaginas or not.” : :

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New Work from Southern Equality Studios Debuts Featured Work in New Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center Exhibition

by Adam Polaski Guest Contributor REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN EQUALITY

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n April, the Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) opened a new exhibition, I AM A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD, which features the artwork of Southern Equality Studios artists Liz Williams and Al Murray. Southern Equality Studios is a program of the Campaign for Southern Equality focused on connecting with and supporting queer artists and creatives across the South and exploring how art is a catalyst in and force for achieving social change.

Through video and photographic work, entitled “Building a Better Table” and “You’re Welcome” (commissioned

by BMCM+AC), Williams and Murray invite the viewer to explore their role in taking or having a “seat at the table” — that is, how we use our voices and positions to enact social change. The work encourages viewers to acknowledge how their own place in the world may relate to the representation and liberation of BIPOC and queer people.

The multimedia piece “Building a Better Table” allows viewers to literally take a seat in front of a printed work and video. When the viewer sits, they reveal a series of words and images in a scene of a table presided over by models Quay Mills and Sage Jean, who wear shirts emblazoned with the words “You’re Welcome,” nudging viewers to acknowledge labor performed for their benefit and also serving as a cordial invitation to join in the work for

social change. The viewer is guided a step further by being encouraged to create their own calls to action and share these aspirations as a promise to themself as well as to their community.

Liz Williams, Southern Equality Studios Manager for the Campaign for Southern Equality, said about the work: “Being a global citizen means becoming aware of the wider world and our place in it, and these works

point to that awareness in two distinct ways: first, to respond to the mainstream exclusion and erasure of BIPOC trans and queer voices, and second, to hold audience members accountable for their own complacency and demand their commitment to address those exclusions. We’re grateful to Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center for the opportunity to share this message in this exhibition, and we’re looking forward to a spring and summer season of inviting everyone to help build a better table so we all have an impactful seat.”

Al Murray, Director of Relationships & Special Projects at the Campaign for Southern Equality, said today: “The Southern Equality Studios program has evolved over the past three years at the Campaign for Southern Equality — but at the heart of it all has been centering the power of art to open our hearts, expand our minds, and create change. I’m excited about this new undertaking for Southern Equality Studios and can’t wait for folks across the region to see this work and think about how they can build a better table.”

The exhibition also features historic work by BMC artists including Josef and Anni Albers, Leo Amino, Ruth Asawa, Ilya Bolotowsky, Jack Tworkov, Jean Varda and more. Contemporary responses include works from Iván Argote, Onicas Gaddis, Steve Locke, Mateo López, Sherrill Roland, Southern Equality Studios (Liz Williams and Al Murray), Javier Téllez and Grace Villamil. Curated by Kate Averett and Alice Sebrell.

I AM A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD will be available to view from April 9 – August 14, 2021. To learn how to make an appointment, go to blackmountaincollege.org/visit. : :

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Sharing Your Home With Your Partner Legal Eagles

Mortgage Default

by Justin R. Ervin, Attorney Guest Writer

M

any of us want a partner to share our lives and homes. For some, sharing a home means adding a partner as co-owner of a home owned before the relationship. This is a great way to recognize your relationship and provide security for your partner, but is it right for you?

Gift Tax

Although many people talk about “adding their partner to the deed,” what they’re really doing is giving away partial ownership of their property to their partner. This is a gift that could be subject to federal gift tax.

A gift worth more than the annual exclusion amount ($15,000 in 2021) to anyone other than a spouse triggers the obligation to file a gift tax return. It also either chips away at your lifetime exclusion amount (the amount that you can give away free of federal gift and estate taxes during life and at death, $11.7 million in 2021), or, if you’ve already exhausted that, results in tax due at rates up to 40 percent.

For example, if your home is worth $200,000 and you “add your partner to the deed,” then you’ve made a gift worth $100,000. Subtract the annual exclusion amount of $15,000 and that leaves a taxable gift of $85,000. If you haven’t exhausted your lifetime exclusion amount, then that’s $85,000 less that you can give away during life or leave behind at death without owing gift tax or estate tax; otherwise, the gift tax could be $34,000.

Selling part of your home to your partner for a token amount won’t help you avoid the gift tax. Any “sale” for less than full market value is considered a gift to the extent that the fair market value of the property exceeds the “sale” price.

For example, if your home is worth $200,000 and you “sell” half of it to your partner for $5, then you’ve exchanged property worth $100,000 for $5, resulting in a gift of $99,995, which doesn’t make much of a dent in the hypothetical gift tax described above.

A way around this is to marry your partner, because gifts to a spouse are not taxable. Another way around this is to make a will and/or trust giving the home to your partner after your death.

Q-mmunity

connections

If you borrowed money to buy your home, then you have a promissory note and a mortgage. The promissory note obligates you personally to repay the loan and allows the lender to sue you if you don’t. The mortgage makes your home the collateral for the loan and allows the lender to repossess the property if the loan isn’t repaid. Failure to pay is referred to as “default,” but that’s not the only thing that counts as a default. Your promissory note probably defines “default” to include giving away partial ownership of your home. Unless you refinance the loan to include your partner as a borrower when you give them partial ownership of your home, the lender can probably call the loan due and require you to repay the remaining balance immediately.

There are a few ways around this. You could: (1) pay off your mortgage and then give partial ownership to your partner, or (2) simultaneously refinance with your partner and give them partial ownership. Those won’t get you around the gift tax issue, though. Another way around this is to make a will and/or trust giving the home to your partner after your death.

Break-Up

No one likes to consider the possibility that their relationship could end, much less on a sour note, but we all know that it happens. If you’ve given away partial ownership of your home to your partner, then you can’t just take their name off the deed if you break up; they have to give their partial ownership back to you, triggering gift tax consequences as previously described.

If you and your partner refinanced together when you gave them partial ownership, then giving partial ownership back to you would leave your (now ex) partner responsible for the mortgage without any ownership of the home to show for it.

A way around this is to make a will and/or trust, which you can change whenever you want, that gives the home to your partner after your death.

Disinheriting Children

There are two types of co-ownership available to unmarried co-owners. The default is Tenancy in Common (TIC). If you co-own your home in TIC with your partner, then only your part ownership will pass at your death to your beneficiaries by intestacy or under your will, while your partner will continue to own their part ownership of the home.

Another type is Joint Tenancy with Right of Survivorship (JTWROS). To elect it, your deed must contain specific wording. If you co-own your home in JTWROS with your partner, then your part ownership will automatically pass to your partner; it does NOT pass to your beneficiaries by intestacy or under your will. After your death, your partner could sell the home, give it away, or make a will to leave it to whomever they want, excluding your other family members.

A way around this is to make a will and/or trust giving the home to your partner after your death for life and then to your children or other beneficiaries after your partner’s death.

Other Issues

This article discusses only North Carolina law and federal law applicable in North Carolina; other states’ laws might be different. There could be other tax consequences that are beyond the scope of this article. Spouses have many automatic protections; they’re beyond the scope of this article, but I wrote about them in the Dec. 1, 2017 issue of qnotes. Unfortunately, unmarried partners have no such automatic protections.

Conclusion

It’s a natural instinct to protect those closest to you, including ensuring that your partner has a home after your death, but you should do so thoughtfully, fully aware of your options and their consequences. : :

Copyright 2021, Justin R. Ervin, III; all rights reserved.

Justin R. Ervin, III practices with the law firm of Johnson, Peddrick & McDonald, PLLC in Greensboro, where he ended up after growing up in Rockingham, and is an adjunct professor of law at Elon University, his legal alma mater.

Licensed to practice law in North Carolina and Florida, Justin’s practice focuses on estate planning, estate administration and adult guardianships. Justin enjoys working with all sorts of clients and has a particular affinity for serving queer individuals and families, as well as immigrant families. Justin is open and active in the local queer community, having served on the Board of Directors of Guilford Green Foundation and LGBTQ Center. Justin regularly volunteers at pro bono estate planning events and has also served on the boards of directors of Benevolence Farm, the Greensboro Estate Planning Council and the Greensboro chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals.

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Remembrance of Things Past Screen Savor

by Gregg Shapiro Contributing Writer

I

f the mayor of Sandusky, Ohio hasn’t done so yet, he should definitely present gay filmmaker and native son, Todd Stephens, with a key to the city. Stephens has managed to make Sandusky, which Charles Dickens described as “sluggish and uninteresting…something like the back of an English watering-place out of the season,” somewhat captivating. He did so in David Moreton’s beloved, queer 1996 flick “Edge of Seventeen” (for which Stephens wrote the screenplay), as well as his 2001 directorial debut “Gypsy 83” and 2006’s over-thetop comedy “Another Gay Movie.”

Sandusky also figures prominently in Stephens’ wonderful award-winning new movie “Swan Song” (Magnolia Pictures).

“Inspired by a true icon” (Pat Pitsenbarger, 1943-2012), “Swan Song” stars Udo Kier as Mr. Pat, the formerly famous hairdresser known for the magic he worked with a brush, a comb, and hairspray on the heads of the city’s socialites.

Retired for years, following a series of bad breaks, including a stroke, Pat is reduced to residing in an assisted living facility, wearing sweatpants and gym shoes

with Velcro straps, sneaking a few puffs on a More cigarette when he can.

Pat’s fortunes could potentially change following a visit from lawyer Shanrock (Tom Bloom), who tells him that not only has his richest former client Rita (Linda Evans) died, but that she stipulated in her will that she wanted Pat to do her hair and make-up, for which he will be paid $25k. Pat, who hasn’t “pulled hair in years,” initially declines because he had a falling out with Rita, when she ceased to be his client and went to the salon named Kharma across the street, which is run by his competitor (and former employee, Dee Dee (a restrained Jennifer Coolidge). Pat tells Shanrock, “Bury her with bad hair.”

After a restless and emotional night, Pat has a change of heart. He digs out his fanny pack, stuffs it and his pockets with some Mores, favorite rings, a check from the government, his scissors and other accoutrements, and slips out of the home.

As Pat flies the coop, “Swan Song” becomes a road movie on foot. On his route to the funeral home, Pat pops into a convenience store, stops off at the cemetery where his lover, David, is buried, pays a visit to his former beauty supply store which is now a Black hair salon (one of the best scenes in the movie) and jumps rope with some kids. When he gets to

the former location of his and David’s old house, he’s heartsick to discover that it’s been torn down. Because David, who died in 1995, didn’t have a will, everything went to his nephew, leaving Pat with nothing.

Inside Kharma, Pat and Dee Dee have a showdown (another marvelous scene), but Dee Dee relents and gives Pat the bottle of once-popular shampoo for which he’s been hunting.

A couple more significant happenstances — one with Rita’s gay grandson Dustin (Michael Urie) and a marvelous visit to a local gay bar on its closing night (after 41 years!) — as well as what appears to be a reunion with old friend Eunice (Ira Hawkins), and the stage is set for Pat’s final meeting with the deceased Rita.

Stephens masterful “Swan Song” screenplay proves that he hasn’t lost his gift for comedy and drama, something he first demonstrated in “Edge of Seventeen.” “Swan Song” is the kind of movie where you laugh out loud, have a good cry, and then laugh so hard you cry.

Kier gives a career-high performance and deserves to be remembered during awards season. Coolidge, and the rest of the supporting cast are all exceptional, allowing “Swan Song” to take wing and soar. : : Rating: A-

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My Girlfriend, Her Pets and Our Tiny Apartment Tell Trinity

by Trinity | Contributing Writer Dear Trinity, One month into dating, my girlfriend’s job was cut cause of COVID-19, and “to save money” she and her two pets moved into my tiny ONE-bedroom apartment. Well, now five months later I still love her, but I want my place back. She never pays rent or utilities, and anytime I bring up moving it ends up a bad scene. I miss my alone time.

Trapped At Home, Wichita, KS

Dear Trapped, She doesn’t pay rent AND gets mad when you bring up moving! Why should she move, it’s free rent? However, [smirk] you could make it less comfortable for her, i.e., tell her you’re moving out or that you’re quitting your job and need financial help! Most importantly, darling, you have to decide, “Do you love yourself or do you love her more?”

Good luck, Trinity Hello Trinity, There’s a budtender at my local dispensary who is so right for me. I visit him often at work and keep asking him out, but he keeps declining.

Now I think he thinks I’m stalking him because I found his address and sent flowers. Help?

Yours, Stalking? Denver, CO

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Hello Stalking, When you find out someone’s not interested in you, yet you keep appearing at his job and sending flowers to his home, the only word I can think of is “stalking” which is the furthest thing from “starting” a relationship. So honey, chase guys who want to date you and far away from stalking guys who don’t.

Hey Trinity, I met someone great online, went to their home and they became a sex pig, spitting, pain and more. I’m not vanilla, but how do you tell if someone wants a “scene,” not just sex?

Gone Too Far, Toronto, ON Hey Gone Too Far, With one-night stands you have to take a stand. Next time, just ask, “what are you into?” And then listen for key words like affection versus asphyxiation. Some think that to make love means to make war. If sex is an adventure, plan each trip wisely!

Hugs, Trinity

Dearest Trinity, Since he invited me for dinner and a movie, I assumed it was a date, but after dinner we ended up in bed where he “accidentally” orgasmed and immediately asked me to leave, in the middle of a snow storm.

Was my beautiful date really just a bad onenight stand?

Shocked, Montreal, QC Dearest Shocked, He cooked, came and kicked you out in the snow. That monster! Sorry pumpkin, but yes you were yet another man’s toy.

Next time read:

Trinity’s Scenarios for Knowing When Mr. Cool is Really Mr. Fool

1. W hen meeting you for a date… she arrives unkempt, in greasy work clothes, unshowered and insists on fooling around!

2. On every date… he shows up late and gets angry if you bring it up.

3. At the club… she cruises without caring if you notice!

4. While meeting your friends… they act confrontational, argumentative and selfrighteous just to get a reaction!

5. During dinner… her dinner arrives first, so she starts eating without waiting or offering to share it until your meal arrives.

6. During conversation… he burps, coughs in your face and sneezes towards your food without any apology!

7. During a Netflix movie… you have to use the bathroom, but they refuse to pause the film because they’re “so into it!”

8. At breakfast… he knows you’re vegan, but makes his favorite ham and eggs with no alternative for you!

9. While making Saturday night plans… she says, “I’ll call you around 8:00 p.m. if I can make it,” without caring that you’ll be left without plans if she cancels.

10. L astly, during sex… he has an orgasm first, gets dressed and leaves without offering you an orgasm or post-sex cuddling. : : 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, www.wigministries.org Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation!

Send e-mails to: Trinity@telltrinity.com

life

Fact and Fiction

Health & Wellness: Juneteenth

by Jack Kirven qnotes Contributor

H

appy (belated by the time you see this) Juneteenth!

To celebrate the first Federally observed Juneteenth, I decided it was time to better understand The Emancipation Proclamation. I have never felt I grasped what it did and did not do, or how it does or does not reinforce Abraham Lincoln’s reputation as a force for equality.

I assume many of you, just like myself, have never really been told the truth about this document. I hope you will enjoy what I have discovered for myself.

The fallacy: The Emancipation Proclamation did not free a single slave.

The actuality: It immediately freed 20,000 - 50,000 slaves upon its proclamation. It applied to those slaves already in custody of Union forces within Confederate territory. Eventually, it freed 3.5 million of the 4 million enslaved people living at the time.

The fallacy: The Emancipation Proclamation couldn’t be enforced because it applied only to places where the U.S. government didn’t have authority. It “freed” slaves in areas the U.S. didn’t control, and it left enslaved those people in areas the Union did control.

The actuality: It applied to all enslaved people within territory occupied by Union forces. Initially that area was

more limited. However, as the Union line advanced deeper into Confederate territory, it freed more and more slaves.

It also prevented escaped slaves from being returned to their owners. In this way, as more Black people were behind Union lines, more became instantly and irrevocably freed peoples. The slave holding areas within the Union were exempted for reasons I will next explain (Tennessee, parts of Louisiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Delaware, the 48 counties reorganizing as West Virginia, and the counties within Virginia under Union control).

The fallacy: The Emancipation Proclamation left slaves within the U.S. enslaved.

The actuality: There were 500,000 slaves living within the boundaries of the US who were not freed by the Emancipation; however, all those areas were already in the process of abolishing slavery. The document did not need to apply to those areas, and in fact it could not for the reason I am about to explain.

The fallacy: Lincoln didn’t care about Black people. The Emancipation Proclamation was only a cynical ploy used as wartime propaganda.

The actuality: Lincoln did say in a letter that he would or would not free all, some, or no slaves in order to preserve the Union. He portrayed it merely as a wartime tactic in those letters. However, he did this as a way to soften northerner sentiment. Many northern people did not support emancipation, but they did want to pre-

serve the Union. In order to prepare public sentiment, Lincoln framed emancipation as a tool for destroying the Confederate economy. However, taking the broad context of all his other speeches and writings, Lincoln did in fact want to abolish slavery as a matter of morality. His saying otherwise was a clever manipulation.

The fallacy: Lincoln didn’t have the authority to free slaves.

The actuality: Lincoln could not circumvent slavery during times of peace, because it was enshrined in The Constitution. However, during the war he invoked his powers as Commander in Chief. He could not use that authority in areas already in compliance with the U.S., but those areas were already emancipating their slaves.

He definitely had authority to enforce the proclamation within areas in rebellion specially BECAUSE they were in rebellion. It was a wartime act, and therefore had the full force of law. As more territory came under Union control, the proclamation applied to more and more enslaved people.

So then: The Emancipation Proclamation freed millions of slaves, and those it did not cover were liberated by the jurisdictions where they lived. One of the conditions for reentry into the Union was abolition of slavery within those states’ newly written constitutions.

It cemented the momentum of ratifying the Thirteenth Amendment. It was an expression of Lincoln’s desire to end slavery, though it was presented as a war tactic, rather than an equality strategy. : :

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‘As a Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned’ Out in Print

by Terri Schlichenmeyer Contributing Writer As a Woman: What I Learned About Power, Sex and the Patriarchy After I Transitioned

by Paula Stone Williams ©2021, Atria Books $27.00 256 pages

T

here are two sides to every story.

In politics, there’s left and right; in fairy tales, it’s good or evil. Guilty or innocent in court, salty or spicy mealtimes, dog or cat among friends, heads or tails. Sometimes you choose and at other times, like in “As a Woman” by Paula Stone Williams, you can see both sides.

From the time he was very small, Paul Williams thought that he “should have been born a girl.” He wasn’t bitter about it — not when he was a teen, not even as an adult — but it lingered in the background of his life.

Oh, he tried to tamp down his desire to dress in his mother’s clothes, but he could not, despite knowing it would anger her. She caught him once wearing his Grandmother’s cast-offs, and he never forgot her reaction; even so, he

Author Paula Stone Williams. (Photo Credit: Rebecca Stumpf) ransacked her closet at least once a week during his adolescence, hoping his parents wouldn’t come home early.

His feelings of furtiveness were perhaps exacerbated by a family legacy of evangelical ministry. Every man he knew was a leader in their church; when he was young, it was assumed that Williams would follow them, as if there was no other option. And so, dutifully, he became a CEO in a “church planting” organization. He married a woman he genuinely loved, and they started a family.

But the urges didn’t go away. As his children grew and left the nest, Williams began to explore the possibility of letting out the woman he was inside. He confessed everything to his wife, started hormones and asked for his wife’s silence until he made plans for a transition physically and at work. He’d been at the organization for 35 years, and he was respected, although less than he believed. Williams was fired and humiliated.

Marriage in question, children shaken, job gone, he began to assess his life.

The world needed to know the truth.

And so, on July 29, 2014, Paula Stone Williams officially took to her blog...

Come to “As a Woman” looking for a memoir, and you’re going to be happy: Most of the pages here tell a tale of transitioning while immersed in a major evangelical organization, which are generally incompatible things. This is interesting, told in an unabashedly forward manner as author Paula Stone Williams resists minimizing her male past.

Dig deeper, though, and there’s more to this book: Its look at the difference in how society as a whole regards the roles of men and women, from someone with knowledge of both, is funny and sharp-eyed and could serve as a primer/warning for newly-transitioning women. It’s fiery, it’s sometimes the tiniest bit whiny, it’s a little repetitious, and it’s eyebrow-raising with a dash of heated argument-starter for zest.

In the end, “As a Woman” leaves a lot for female readers to agree with; Williams’ observations are honed, hard and honest. Men, however — particularly cis men — could take umbrage at her observations and might give this book a little bit of side-eye. : :

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