QNotes, July 18-July 31, 2014

July 18-31 . 2014

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July 18-31. 2014

inside

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news & features

news. views. arts.

6 entertainment.

News Notes: Regional Briefs 7 News Notes: U.S./World

a&e / life&style 8 8 9 13 13 15 16 18

Defying expectations Our People: Lee Ziglar QList 2014 Playing the Field Jane’s World Tell Trinity Precious Pets Q Events Calendar

opinions & views 4 5 5 5

Editor’s Note TalkBack Guest Commentary QPoll

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New LGBT history exhibit opens at Levine museum

On the cover: Staff and youth of Time Out Youth Back row (L-R): Sarah Alwran, O’Neale Atkinson, Lux Cuellar, Leigh Dixon, Todd Rosendahl. Front row (L-R): Kayla Frierer, Scout Rosen, Rodney Tucker.

July 18-31 . 2014

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qnotes connect July 18-31, 2014 Vol 29 No 06

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

contributors this issue

Paige Braddock, Matt Comer, Lainey Millen, N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Rob Schofield, Trinity

front page

Graphic Design by Matt Comer & Lainey Millen Photography: Matt Comer Mission:

The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBT 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 LGBT life and social justice issues.

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Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2014 and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent of the editor or publisher. Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.

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

upcoming issues: 08.01.14: Charlotte Pride Preview Advertising Space Deadline: July 23 08.15.14: InFocus: Charlotte / Wine & Dine Advertising Space Deadline: Aug. 6

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editor’s note

by Matthew Morrell Hill Comer

†

McCrory’s missed opportunity North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory sure knows how to get himself and his staff in hot water. His administration has been plagued with controversy, missteps, investigations, questions, doubts, mismanagement and more. The one bargaining chip and leverage our intentionally weakened governor has is his veto and he can’t even use that due to a veto-proof, Tea Party-led Republican majority in the legislature.

Yet, there’s one more area in which McCrory does have some control — his executive offices and state agencies. Like the U.S. president, North Carolina’s governor can issue executive orders binding for those employees and agencies under the governor’s authority. McCrory, a Republican, exercised exactly that power on June 30, signing a new equal employment executive order protecting state workers on the basis of “race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disability and genetic information.”

Notably absent from the list was sexual orientation and gender identity, and when questioned about this absence both McCrory and staffers attempted to shoo away concern.

“It does mirror federal regulation. It does mirror state law. And it does mirror the previ-

ous governors who have signed similar orders, including Gov. Perdue, Gov. Easley and Gov. Martin before me,” McCrory told Raleigh news station WRAL. Firstly, McCrory’s official line has been incorrect. Federal employees are protected on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, under executive orders and rulings from the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

But, most important is the seeming flippancy and disregard McCrory and his office seemed to have for LGBT North Carolinians who have chosen to work for the state and her people. Ignoring their existence and refusing to offer much-needed employment protections must surely be a political move, for there are no legitimate reasons not to extend the protections.

By ignoring LGBT workers, McCrory missed his one, perfect opportunity to bring himself, his office and his state some good news for change — just one week after the secondhighest ranking House Republican caused controversy with comments comparing homosexuality to pedophilia.

McCrory could have moved his state forward — bringing it in line with our neighbor Virginia, which does protect its LGBT state

workers. McCrory could have moved his party forward — putting the Republican brand on a truly inclusive move, one with which even some conservatives agree. North Carolina has no business discriminating against those citizens who voluntarily agree to work in service to her.

Instead, McCrory’s ill-advised decisions resulted in nothing but more negative press for his state and his party.

McCrory would be wise to hire new advisors — trusted sources, including even LGBT people, who can help him right his horribly off-course administration. : : † Editor Matt Comer has dedicated his byline this issue in memory of his grandfather, Wilson Morrell Comer of Carroll County, Va., and Winston-Salem, N.C. (March 19, 1928-July 9, 2014).

Errata In the original version of our article “Black Pride fosters awareness, celebrates diversity” (July 4, 2014, pages 12-13), Miss Charlotte Black Gay Pride 2014 Carrie Chanel was incorrectly identified. We regret the error.

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views

guest commentary

talkback

by Rob Schofield :: N.C. Policy Watch

Letters to the editor and comments from goqnotes.com. and facebook.com/ qnotescarolinas. Web comments are not edited for grammar or punctuation.

right and gun advocates will weigh in regularly and loudly. America’s courts — both federal and state — are significantly more ideological and conservative in 2014 than they would be had the right not invested decades of effort and millions of dollars to make them that way.

A classic example of how this type of hardball politics often plays out is on display right now in North Carolina. Last June, Sen. Richard Burr’s silence led a one-man filibuster of President Barack Obama’s nomination of veteran federal prosecutor Jennifer MayParker to serve as the first African-American federal judge in the history of the Eastern District of North Carolina. Indeed, not only is Burr refusing to give his approval so that May-Parker’s nomination can be considered by the Senate Judiciary Committee (something that Senate practice currently requires from both home state senators), he’s refusing to say why. And to make matters even more maddening, Burr previously recommended May-Parker for the job at the outset of the Obama administration!

Clearly, Burr’s actions are the result of right-wing political pressure — both on him and Republican leaders — to block Obama nominations at every possible turn. As has been repeatedly documented, the pattern has been replicated in state after state.

That said, it’s also worth noting that recent and concerted efforts by the U.S. civil rights community and other progressives to push for solid and fair-minded judges have started to have an impact. This has been especially true during the first year-plus of the President’s second term.

North Carolina civil rights groups recently renewed their advocacy efforts by delivering a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy asking that he dispense with the requirement that Burr give his approval — at least in part on the grounds that the senator has forfeited any entitlement to such a courtesy with his utter refusal to explain his blockade.

Regardless, however, of the outcome in this single case, it’s clear that a course is being charted for the kind of advocacy that needs to happen on a consistent basis going forward.

If progressives want to push back against the conservative efforts to control the judiciary and, ultimately, secure the reversal of rulings like Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the path is clear and the time for action is now. : : — Rob Schofield is the Director of Research and Policy Development at N.C. Policy Watch.

qpoll There has been significant community conversation on the differences and similarities between Charlotte Pride and Charlotte Black Gay Pride. Some defend the two events. Others say we should have only one, united Pride event. What do you think?

See the options and vote: goqnotes.com/to/qpoll

Readers respond to and have their own conversation following editor Matt Comer and writer Charles Easley’s July 4 commentary, “A Conversation on Black Pride” (goqnotes. com/30084/).

I can’t believe what I just read. Matt Comer doesn’t seem to be able to conduct an interview much less serve as an editor. Someone really trying to get down to the issues at hand would be blunt with this ‘Charles’ person instead of agreeing with everything he says and siding with him out of fear of a foolish ‘racism’ attack.

It’s obvious this man plays the victim as is reflected in his comments and refuses to address the real issue. PRIDE should be all inclusive and is open to all of us, black or white. Who cares if your coming out is different? That’s not the point. Should white people have ‘WHITE PRIDE’ because they say blacks don’t understand what they go through? There would be hell to pay if such a thing happened and it would be considered racist from the start. Yet, it’s ok to have a ‘Black Pride’, which of course isn’t racist at all.

Next time get someone to pose questions that really address the heart of the issue and be blunt about the real concerns about why people don’t feel there should be a separate Pride event based on skin color.

— SR321, goqnotes.com, July 5 My friend, the interview was intelligent and on point. You seemed to be so filled with resentment that you didn’t fully read it but pick out certain points to back up your point of view. It’s not about racism or separation bur acknowledging that our community is extremely diverse and we should celebrate that diversity. All are welcome at black prides so I don’t see where this belief of separation comes from — a.mcewen, goqnotes.com, July 9 Maybe you should do some re-reading and figure out why it is that all you can do is try and find things to back up your point of view. Sorry to break it to you, but there are multitudes of people here in Charlotte who agree that there is no reason for a Black Gay Pride. Seems like you failed to answer the above poster’s question about why not a White Gay Pride? Yes, we know, that’s a tough one!

Whether or not all people are welcome at black gay pride is beside the point. Would black people rush to come out to an event called

“white gay pride”? The separation is in the title of the event itself. Sorry you are having such a difficult time seeing what is so obvious to most.

The interview was not intelligent and missed the point. Why do you think there is resentment just because someone points out something you don’t agree with or may be a fact to others? If you wanted to ‘celebrate all diversity’, just attend the one Pride event that is held that doesn’t specify color in the title!

— Maxillary, goqnotes.com, July 9

connect to goqnotes.com

In its recent decision in the Hobby Lobby case, the narrow conservative majority of the Supreme Court ruled that the craft store chain is exempt from the employer-mandate of the Affordable Care Act to include coverage for contraceptive services in the health insurance plans provided to employees. According to the majority, such a mandate violates the company owners’ religious freedom. Though characterized by some as being of limited impact, it’s hard not to see the ruling as far-reaching and extremely destructive.

According to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote a scathing dissent to the Court’s ruling, the implications for individual Americans as they relate to corporations is extremely worrisome. Ginsburg said the decision is one “of startling breadth” and that it will allow corporations to opt out of almost any law that they find “incompatible with their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

As Ginsburg noted, by the logic of the ruling, an employer might now be able to escape paying the minimum wage or according women equal pay for equal work if doing so offends their “sincerely held religious belief.”

Of course, one of the most frustrating things about reactionary Supreme Court decisions is that they don’t lend themselves to easy reversal. Constitutional amendments are virtually impossible to enact and it often takes decades at best for the Court to get around to overturning its most disastrous precedents. Acts of Congress can sometimes provide relief, but as a general matter, there simply aren’t many quick fixes.

So, what to do?

The most important answer to that question is for progressives to acknowledge the power of the courts and commit themselves to changing their composition going forward.

Ultimately, the Hobby Lobby decision and other recent rulings like it — e.g. Citizens United, McCutcheon v. FEC and Town of Greece v.

Galloway — are the byproducts of the judges who make up the judiciary.

For decades, progressives have devoted precious little political energy and capital to the composition of the courts — opting rather to defer to bar associations and other “neutral” organizations.

Meanwhile, conservatives have made influencing judicial nominations a top priority.

Whenever a person is nominated to the federal bench anywhere in the country, one can count on the fact that business lobbies, the religious

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July 18-31 . 2014

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news notes: carolinas

Charlotte

Triad

compiled by Lainey Millen & Matt Comer

Lesbian conversion upcoming

CHARLOTTE — “How to be a Lesbian in Ten Days or Less,” presented by Stephen Seay, will be staged from Aug. 1-3 at Upstage, 3306-C N. Davidson St. Performances are held on Aug. 1, 10 p.m., Aug. 2, 8 p.m. and Aug. 3, 7 p.m.

Written and performed by Leigh Hendrix, the satirical comedy features Butchy McDyke, a motivational speaker and expert lesbian. The comedic dialogue recounts a coming out story, fraught with outrageous characters, personal story and Reba McEntire. By the end of the evening, attendees will be able to shout, “I’m a big ’ol dyke!”

In addition to the comedy, Rachael Houdek presents her “The Right to Bare All” cabaret.

Tickets are $15/advance, $25/at the door.

Due to mature content, attendees must be 21 and above. info: upstagenoda.com.

— L.M.

Movie night announced

GSA’s get green light

Theatre company stages comedies

Board of Education Members: Seated L to R: Jean Kennedy, Susan Cox, and Kay Wright Norman Standing L to R: LA Overcash, Dr. Richard Miller, Charles Hughes, and Josh Wagner

SALISBURY — When fall classes start, Rowan-Salisbury Schools will have a returning “student” joining its ranks. The RowanSalisbury Board of Education gave permission for Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) clubs to meet, the Rowan Free Press reported.

During its July 10 meeting, the tension in the room became heightened by an “emotionally charged public comment period focused on the clashing perspectives of Christian fundamentalists and persons supporting the Gay-Straight Alliance after school support clubs.”

The Free Press added, “After public comment, a debate ensued between school board members on Policy 6-8, a set of Rowan-Salisbury School policies regarding non-curriculum afterschool clubs. Curriculum clubs are the Algebra Club, the French Club, and Young Nuclear Physicist’s club.

Non-curriculum clubs are clubs such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Junior Civitans clubs, and the Gay-Straight Alliance clubs.” The policy was not changed and GSAs will continue to meet after school. The vote was 5-2 to remove restrictive language from the extracurricular policy. Other options were to reinsert prohibitive language which would make the board open for law suit, prohibit all clubs from functioning on school property and permit just school curricular clubs and not non-curricular ones which the county supports.

Because of the federal Equal Access Act, which states that there must be equal treatment for all student clubs, the board decided to allow the GSAs to continue to meet. If they had not, they would have laid themselves open to lawsuits. To exclude GSAs would have been a violation of equal access and all of the other clubs would have had to be ended.

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Now, parental consent forms must be gathered prior to students attending afterschool clubs resulting from an opt-in clause peppered into Policy 6-8.

In 2006, Flip Benham and Operation Save America, along with other community members, led the charge and complained to the Board of Education when students from South Rowan High School started a GSA. This resulted in the ban of sex-based student clubs throughout the system.

With the vote, the eight-year ban was finally lifted. the Salisbury Post reported that “the policy banned sexually-oriented clubs such as the Gay-Straight Alliance and urged students to talk about any emotional issues concerning sexuality with school guidance counselors.”

“Mike Clawson, founder of the RowanSalisbury PFLAG, or Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays, said the school board made the right decision, not only in the interest of Rowan-Salisbury students, but also to be in line with the law,” the Post added.

A GSA at North Rowan High School began in 2013, but was suspended when it was not in compliance with the law. In 2012, East Rowan High School started a club.

Ali Culp, a student who started the GSA at North Rowan, Clawson and Bob Johnsen, a North Rowan GSA staff adviser and social studies teacher, in addition to an attorney with a subcommittee of the school board to share why GSAs were so beneficial, citing student safety issues for one. info: facebook.com/NorthRowanGsaClub. facebook.com/EastRowanGSAClub. rowanfreepress.com. salisburypost.com.

— L.M.

CHARLOTTE — Queen City Theatre Company will stage two comedies over the summer months.

From July 25-Aug. 2, “Things You Shouldn’t Say Past Midnight” will be held at Duke Energy Theatre at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. The limited engagement play by Peter Ackerman, is chocked full of “naughtiness” by three couples searching for love through a sexual romp. This marks the play’s regional premier, before its national TV series launch later this year on DirectTV’s Audience Network.

(This is the first original scripted comedy series for the satellite company. It stars Stephen Schneider, Collette Wolfe, Parker Young, Jimmy Ouyang, Keith David, Kerri Kenney, Alanna Ubach, Eddie Kay Thomas, Kurt Fuller, Lin Shayne, Jorge-Luis Pallo, Ivo Nandi and Hugh Dillon. And, it will launch with 10 episodes) Performances dates and times are: July 25, 26, Aug. 1 and Aug. 2, 8 p.m. and July 29-31, 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20-22. A special performance discount for the July 29 presentation at $15, is limited and only available online. Student and senior discounts are available.

Next month, from Aug. 21-29, “The Performers” will bring romantic comedy back to the Duke Energy Theatre. Its storyline tells how two high school friends (one now an adult film star) and their women friends reconnect at the Adult Film Award in Las Vegas, Nev. No ticket and performance times were available at press time, but will be reported as more information is available.

Both presentations are for mature audiences and contain adult content. info/tickets: queencitytheatre.com.

704-372-1000.

— L.M.

Soirée planned

CHARLOTTE — The National Diversity Council Carolinas Diversity Council will hold a summer mixer on Aug. 20, 6 p.m., at BlackFinn Salon, EpiCenter, 210 E. Trade St. Partake of appetizers and cocktails and meet other NDC Carolinas members, leadership and enjoy networking.

The event will take place in a private room on the second floor with limited seating, so reservations are encouraged. Email info@ ncdcarolinas.org to RSVP. info: ndccarolinas.org.

— L.M.

WINSTON-SALEM — OUT at the Movies will screen “The Way He Looks” on Aug. 9, 7 p.m., at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, ACE Theatre, 1533 S. Main St. The presentation marks the southeastern U.S. premiere of the film which hails from Brazil. Its original screening was at the 64th Berlin International Film Festival in February 2014 where it won the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Feature Film in panorama and the Teddy Award for Best LGBT-themed feature.

Written by Daniel Ribeiro, the story revolves around blind teenager Leonardo who becomes enamored with Gabriel, a new arrival at this school. It stars Ghilherme Lobo as Leonardo and Fabio Audi as Gabriel. It serves as a coming-of-age study of someone who seeks more independence while amidst the travails of vulnerability. info: outatthemovieswinstonston.org. thewayhelooks.com.

— L.M.

Triangle Center activities abound

RALEIGH — The LGBT Center of Raleigh, 324 S. Harrington St., has kept pace with a plethora of activities this summer, including support and discussion groups, game nights, luncheon and dinner soirées, family-focused programming, literary offerings, mixers and more.

On July 23, SAGE will hold a screening and ice cream social at 7 p.m. Attendees will be able to view videos created as part of a grant that share significant events in volunteer subject’s lives. Ice cream sundaes will be served during intermission.

The center will welcome K.G. MacGregor, an award-winning lesbian romance author and North Carolina native, at a meet-the-author event on July 27 at 1 p.m. She will do a reading from her new novel, “Anyone But You.” A Q&A discussion and book signing will follow facilitated by local author D. Jackson Leigh. info: lgbtcenterofraleigh.com.

— L.M.

Festival seeks supporters

RALEIGH — The 34th Annual Crape Myrtle Festival Grand Gala, “Unmasked, Remembering, Revealing, Evolving,” will be held on July 26, 7 p.m., at Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh, 409 W. Martin St. The evening will feature a silent auction, heavy hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Dressy cocktail attire is recommended, along with a mask (a few may be available in limited quantity for those who need one for early arrivals).

Tickets are $35/advance online, $40/at the door, $25/students advance online and $30/ students at the door. info/tickets: crapemyrtlefest.org.

— L.M.

Regional First Pride celebration on horizon

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. — The 1st Annual Pride End of Summer Festival will be held on Sept. 7, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m., at Rotary Park, 1001 N. Broadway St. The event is being hosted by the Pride Community Center of the Tri-Cities.

The day will be filled with food, fun, live

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continued from previous page music and informative speakers, as well as activities for children. Additionally, a silent auction will help raise funds for the development of a center. Local LGBT artists will showcase their works which will be up for sale.

Key organizers for the event are center cochairs Kenn Lyon and John Baker.

Musical headliner will be A Greater Disaster, a local indie/Americana/soul band comprised of students and recent alumni of East Tennessee State University’s music department.

Organizers have opened a call for other musicians and performers to participate in the day-long celebration.

Artists and crafters will show their wares from 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Booth and tent space will be available.

No festival is ever complete without volunteers and a rasher of people will be needed to make sure the day is successful. People will be needed for set-up, clean-up, errands, food service kitchen and grill help, as well as entrance support and more.

The festival is open to everyone.

Cost to attend is $10 for adults. Children will be admitted free-of-charge.

The center is hopeful that they can open a brick-and-mortar location in 2015 to serve the LGBT community in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. There are only two other centers in the state, one in Memphis and the other in Nashville. This would be the first center in East Tennessee.

The organizers want the space to provide one that fosters understanding, edu-

cation, acceptance, advocacy and growth.

It would be one where people can gather socially, hold meetings, have functions and pool all the resources of the LGBT community, organizers shared. The PCC will provide

information on pertinent issues, such as gay owned or operated businesses, gay friendly businesses, hotlines, LGBT groups, support groups, LGBT activities and events, and LGBT friendly services.

news notes: u.s./world.

Six national LGBT rights groups drop ENDA support over religious exemptions WASHINGTON, D.C. — Six of the nation’s leading LGBT rights advocacy groups on July 8 announced they were withdrawing their support for the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), fearing that broad religious exemptions included in the current bill could compel private companies to cite objections similar to those that prevailed in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling during the first week in July .

The withdrawal was first announced earlier the same day by The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and by mid-afternoon the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the Transgender Law Center issued a joint statement that they would no longer support the current version of ENDA because it provides “religiously affiliated organizations … a blank check to engage in workplace discrimination against LGBT people.”

At issue is the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in a case brought by Hobby Lobby that said family-owned businesses do not have to offer their employees contraceptive coverage

that conflicts with the owners’ religious beliefs.

The ruling has since led to an increase in calls for greater permission to discriminate against LGBT Americans on the basis of religious liberty.

The action leaves the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) as the only national LGBT advocacy group to continue lobbying for the legislation in its current form.

In a joint statement, the ACLU, GLAD, Lambda Legal, the NCLR and the Transgender Law Center said their support for ENDA “is no longer tenable.”

Earlier, Rea Carey, executive director of the Task Force, told The Washington Post that religious exemptions in the version of ENDA passed by the Senate last year are too broadly written and would allow religious institutions or companies to fire LGBT workers, or not hire them based on religious beliefs.

“If a private company can take its own religious beliefs and say you can’t have access to certain health-care, it’s a hop, skip and a jump to an interpretation that a private company could have religious beliefs that LGBT people

news

Organizers imagine a fully-diverse, respectful, non-violent, empowered society. info/volunteerism: pridetricities.com. pridetricities@gmail.com.

— L.M. are not equal or somehow go against their beliefs and therefore fire them,” Carey said in an interview with The Washington Post.

“We disagree with that trend. The implications of Hobby Lobby are becoming clear,” she added.

ENDA, approved in the Senate in November 2013, would outlaw workplace discrimination against LGBT Americans, but critics say the broad religious exemptions would allow religiously-affiliated employers, hospitals, colleges, and charities, to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

As well, ENDA does not prohibit discrimination in housing, public accommodations, education or many federal programs.

Meanwhile, House Republicans have said they will not consider the bill, in part because they believe ENDA’s current religious exemptions aren’t broad enough.

LGBT rights advocates say expanding the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to include sexual orientation and gender identity would offer comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBT Americans.

Carey said her group is also pushing to ensure that President Barack Obama does not include a broad religious exemption in an executive order that he is expected to sign that will ban discrimination against LGBT employees of federal contractors. : : — LGBTQ Nation

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Exhibit highlights a Charlotte community ‘defying expectations’ First-ever LGBT history exhibit includes local history timeline

by Matt Comer :: matt@goqnotes.com

Joshua Burford

CHARLOTTE — For the first time in the city’s history, a local museum will showcase an exhibit exploring national, regional and local LGBT history. The exhibit, “LGBTQ Perspectives on Equality,” opens on July 25 and runs through January at the Levine Museum of the South and is a collaboration with several organizations and initiatives.

“We get to work in a way that we’re known for — collaboration,” Kate Baillon, Levine vice president of exhibits, explains. “We get to work with a lot of members in the community to pull together this story and look at it through different lenses.”

The exhibit, comprised of four smaller exhibits, tackles national LGBT history in the “Out of the Shadows: Gay America from Kinsey to Stonewall” exhibit. Regionally, an exhibit on southern activist Pauli Murray will explore her work as a civil rights lawyer, poet, author and first African-American female Episcopal priest.

An artistic exhibit, “Minding the Ts and Qs: Gender Identity,” will allow visitors to explore gender and themselves.

But, it’s the fourth exhibit that might hold the most meaning for local LGBT community members. “Publicly Identified: Coming Out Activist in the Queen City” will be the first local history timeline and exhibit to ever explore the accomplishments and history of Charlotte’s local LGBT community.

The local exhibit is the first byproduct of work done for nearly two years by University of North Carolina-Charlotte staffer Joshua Burford. He and others at the university library’s Special Collections have been collecting items for the new Charlotte LGBTQ Community Archive — items they have used to compile the timeline and present it in exhibit form for the next six months.

Burford says the timelines shows a side of Charlotte few have ever seen.

“It’s a full spectrum community, not a tiny place struggling to make it,” Burford says. “It’s a place that has been public and visible for a really long time and now people will get to see what it looks like.”

The timeline begins in the 1940s and carries through more than a half century of history. But, it’s all just a fraction of the enormous material Burford says has already been collected for the new community archive. Local community members have been quick to help preserve their history.

Burford — who moved to Charlotte in 2012 — is a newcomer to the city. He says he takes his role as community archivist seri-

ously. It’s scary and humbling he says, and he’s been amazed at the amount of material the archive has already collected.

“There’s so much,” he says. “I expected to get a large amount of material. What I didn’t expect was the complexity. Charlotte hasn’t lagged behind the nation. In fact it has been leading the South. The amount of history has been overwhelming.”

The timeline does have some holes, though. Burford was “determined,” he says, to ensure the timeline exhibit included all portions of the LGBT community. He found mentions of bisexual history and transgender history, though he wishes more could have been included. He hopes the exhibit will inspire others to step forward with materials for the archive.

It’s Burford’s hope that the exhibit will not only educate, but empower. Charlotte has had many big victories in its LGBT history and he sees more on the horizon. As visitors leave the exhibit, Burford wants them to yearn for more.

Levine staffers, too, want to inspire action, education and conversation.

“I’m most excited about the opportunity to open up dialogue,” says Janeen Bryant, the Levine Museum’s vice president of education.

And, over the next six months, Burford says the exhibit will prove all the naysayers wrong.

“Charlotte was overlooked because people didn’t imagine we could do this sort of work in the Carolinas,” he says. “‘They’ll do something, but it won’t be much,’ was the expectation. But, we did a lot of other stuff just because we could. We’re constantly defying expectations.” more: Learn more about the upcoming set of exhibits, “LGBTQ Perspectives on Equality,” open July 25-Jan. 25, at museumofthenewsouth.org. : :

OUR PEOPLE:

Q&A with Lee Ziglar Secretary, Charlotte Business Guild

by Matt Comer :: matt@goqnotes.com Lee Ziglar, 21, has spent about two years living in Charlotte, where he is a senior at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. There, he majors in business administration with a concentration in talent management and a minor in communications. As a student leader, he’s headed up the campus LGBT student organization, SPECTRUM. In May he was elected the youngest-ever board member of the Charlotte Business Guild. He is the organization’s secretary and works to organize its Aspiring Professionals Initiative. Lee was voted by readers as the Best LGBT Young Adult Leader in our 2014 QList — Best of LGBT Charlotte. Our interview below has been edited for clarity and brevity.

You’re 21 and you’ve been at UNC-Charlotte for two years. But, you’re a senior. How’d that happen?

I went to an early college and got my associates degree the same time as my high school diploma. That sent me a head in credit hours, but I’ve still got another year and half left.

Did you like the early college program?

I would not change it for the world. It gave me new opportunities to meet people on a higher academic level and build more personal

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connections. It was a smaller school. My graduating class only had 42 people and I knew everyone’s first and last names.

Were you out in high school?

I had always had this feeling, but being from Davie County, it was a very small-town conservative area. It’s something that never really crossed my mind until I came to UNC-Charlotte.

About five months into my first year at UNCCharlotte, that’s when I came out.

What do you want to do when you graduate?

I love strategic planning and looking at the big picture. I love customer relationships and diversity. My overall goal in life would be to become a chief diversity officer, looking at how diverse a company’s employees are, the company itselt and the clientele and really try to build strategic decision based off that.

Seems like you’re a perfect match for the Charlotte Business Guid, then.

The guild really just fell right into my lap. I met Chad Sevearance, the guild’s president, through town hall meetings at the LGBT center.

I told him about some of the financial troubles and situations that UNC-Charlotte SPECTRUM

was having. Being on a university campus, we don’t really get much outside funds. I was trying to build connections and relationships in the community to build that financial support. I started going to guild events and I saw that it could be a benefit for me and I could also bring a collegiate and younger voice to the table. I try to help bring in younger people to events and get them to become members of the guild.

What kind of things do you do for fun?

I just love going out and hanging out with friends, especially in the LGBT community. There’s always something going on with events and fundraising and just networking. Also, I just love to relax and watch Netflix and hang out with my boyfriend.

What would be your idea of the most perfect vacation?

Believe it or not, I would love to go to Disney World. I’ve never been before. I actually have the same birthday as Walt Disney. I would love to go to Animal Kingdom and stay in the Animal Kingdom Lodge and wake up and be able to look out my window and see a giraffe or zebra.

Do you love the mountains or beach?

Hands down, I prefer the beach.

Coffee or tea?

I am more of a coffee person. I absolutely hate tea. Even sweet iced tea. Everyone gets on to me. They say I must not really be from the South. But, it just runs in my family. None of us like tea. I’ve tried it and given it a shot and everyone seems to think they can make their personal tea and their tea is the best thing in the world. It’s just so bitter to me. : :

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LIST

Best of LGBT Charlotte - 2014 Best Non-Profit Organization Time Out Youth For more than 20 years, Time Out Youth has served as a much-needed resource for Charlotte’s LGBT young people. Over the past several years, Time Out Youth, its board and its staff have taken new, strategic steps to grow the organization. Last fall, the group moved into larger space, offering young people a busi-

life

Readers cast their ballots for the best of Charlotte’s LGBT community From May 9-June 11, hundreds of readers just like you submitted your ballots in our annual QList — Best of LGBT Charlotte.

From the final tallied results, we’re pleased to present this year’s slate of QList honorees, marking the very best in community service, leadership, social activities, business, faith and more.

ness center, counseling space, a youth lounge, kitchen and more. These accomplishments have been noticed by the community and our readers.

Best Support/Social Group PRISM Begun as an outgrowth of Time Out Youth, PRISM serves those young people 18 and over who are or have aged out of Time Out Youth’s programming, offering them spaces to socialize, receive support and make new friends. PRISM is a relative newcomer on the block when it comes to local support and social groups, but its young adult leaders are making a difference and getting involved in LGBT community work across the city.

Best AIDS Service Organization Regional AIDS Interfaith Network (RAIN) For more than 20 years, the Regional AIDS Interfaith Network has worked as a shining example of what can happen when people of all faiths and

backgrounds come together to make a difference for those in need. Led by the Rev. Debbie Warren, RAIN has pushed the conversation on AIDS and HIV to new levels in the Queen City.

RAIN offers direct client support, works with community organizations and faith institutions and offers programs to sustain a caring support network for those living with and affected by HIV. Best Young Adult Leader Lee Ziglar At 21 years old, Lee Ziglar has jumped right into leadership positions in Charlotte’s LGBT community. As a senior at the University of North CarolinaCharlotte, he has led the campus’ LGBT student organization. He was recently elected as the youngestever board member of the Charlotte Business Guild, where he serves as

secretary. At the Guild, Lee also assists with the group’s Aspiring Professionals Initiative, and he has taken a leading role in networking with a variety of other local organizations across the city. Voters in the QList this year obviously took notice of Lee’s current and still up-and-coming leadership skills, naming him this year’s Best LGBT Young Adult Leader Best LGBT Leader Joshua Burford

Living in Charlotte since 2012, Joshua Burford has wasted no time jumping into the local leadership mix. At work, he’s the assistant director for sexual and gender diversity at the University

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QList 2014 continued from page 9 of North Carolina-Charlotte’s Multicultural Resource Center. There, he works to provide programs and services to LGBT and other students, including working as an advisor to the campus’ LGBT student organization. Away from work, Joshua has been a supporter of a wide range of local organizations as he networks and builds support for the new Charlotte LGBTQ Community Archive. He’s made it his personal mission to collect as many stories of Charlotte’s local LGBT history as possible. All of them are housed at the UNC-Charlotte J. Murray Atkins Library Special Collections. And, this month, he will work with staffers at the Levine Museum of the New South to open the city’s first-ever LGBT history exhibit, including the a local history timeline, the first local LGBT history exhibit from the Charlotte LGBTQ Community Archive.

Best LGBT Leader & Best Transgender Community Leader Janice Covington Voters had a clear favorite this year in Janice Covington, one of the city’s leading voices for equality in political and social circles. Janice has been a tireless advocate for transgender equality and equality for all people.

In 2012, she was elected the first-ever transgender delegate from North Carolina

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to the Democratic National Convention held in Charlotte that year.

Since, she has become increasingly involved in a variety of leadership roles within the local and state Democratic parties, including working to help found the local LGBT Democrats of Mecklenburg County.

Best Openly LGBT/Friendly Politician/ Elected Official The Hon. LaWana Mayfield, Charlotte City Council District 3 City Councilmember LaWana Mayfield continues to impress local citizens with her leadership skills, public service and social justice advocacy. Elected in 2011, Mayfield was re-elected to her position in 2013. As the first openly LGBT official elected in the city, she has worked to provide a voice for LGBT citizens and residents, as well as other work uplifting other communities in need of support. In recent years, Mayfield as worked to “ban the box,” working to implement changes that would change city employment forms, take off questions about past crimes and allow all people more fair opportunities for government employment.

Best Annual LGBT Event Charlotte Pride Honorable Mention: Charlotte Black Gay Pride No big city is complete without plenty of Pride, and Charlotte’s local LGBT Pride event is making its mark like never before.

Charlotte Pride has seen a reorganization over the past couple years, resurrected Charlotte’s annual LGBT Pride parade, expanded its festival size and grown tremendously year after year.

Voters in the QList have taken notice and honored Charlotte Pride with Best Annual LGBT Event. Runner up and honorable mention is Charlotte Black Gay Pride, which also received a sizable vote in this year’s ballot submissions.

Best LGBT Arts Group One Voice Chorus For more than 30 years, the men and women of One Voice Chorus have lifted their voices in unity, harmony, strength and pride. Their three decades have brought about joy and belonging to the many who have joined their choral ranks and those who have heard them in action. With popular shows like “Hollywood Squares,” their inspiring “HOME” concert benefiting Time Out Youth and others, One Voice has won the hearts of voters this year.

Best LGBT-Affirming Faith Institution Holy Covenant United Church of Christ Metropolitan Community Church of Charlotte (TIE) For the second year, Holy Covenant United Church of Christ takes its place among voters’ favorites for Best LGBT-Affirming Faith Institution. They’re joined this year by the Metropolitan Community Church of Charlotte, a long-serving spiritual home of LGBT welcome and affirmation and last year’s honorable mention. Holy Covenant, its pastor Nancy Kraft and some congregants, as well as the national General Synod of the United Church of Christ are plaintiffs in one of the state’s most recent lawsuits challenging the anti-LGBT constitutional amendment.

Best Man About Town Dan Mauney The ever-popular Dan Mauney just doesn’t know when to quit!

He’s like the Energizer Bunny, with hands in a variety of causes, businesses and organizations. As a new business owner, Dan’s SHU and BRIEF are taking shape as popular shopping destinations where he has also hosted several community events.

Takeover Friday, of which Dan is a co-founder, also continues to be a popular, regular event for Charlotte’s LGBT social crowd.

Best Woman About Town Janice Covington

life

Best LGBT Bar/Club The Bar at 316 Best LGBT-Friendly Bar/Club Snug Harbor Bar/Club with best Drink Value The Bar at 316 L4 Lounge (TIE) Club/Bar with Hottest Bar Staff Cathode Azure Bar/Club with Best Drag Show The Scorpio Best Local DJ DJ Little Betty Best Local Drag Performer Roxy C. Moorecox Best LGBT-Friendly, Locally-Owned Restaurant DISH Best LGBT-Friendly, Locally-Owned Retail Store White Rabbit Best LGBT-Friendly, Locally-Owned Coffee Shop Central Coffee Co.

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PEP, PrEP & TasP: Terms everyone should know Where we were, we are and where we are going

by Joel Wesley Thompson, MHS, PA-C ~ Clinical Researcher

AIDS made The New York Times on July 3, 1981, with the article “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals.”

We did not isolate the HIV virus until 1983 and did not have a screening test for it until 1985. We had our first mildly-effective, yet toxic medication, Retrovir (AZT), in 1987.

Effective treatment finally occurred in 1995 with three-drug therapy.

Before 1995, I held a lot of hands and attended a lot of funerals for my patients and friends. Now I am attending weddings and baby showers for my patients and friends. AIDS is no longer a death sentence and people living with HIV can have a normal life and normal life span.

Treatment for HIV has lead to treatment to prevent HIV. These treatments are now known as PEP, PrEP, and TasP. PEP, or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, is the term for using HIV medications after a potential exposure to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

PrEP, or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, is the term for using HIV medications before exposure to reduce the risk of HIV infection.

TasP, or Treatment as Prevention, is the term referring to HIV positive people taking their HIV medications properly and, thus, reducing the risk of transmission to others.

Let’s discuss each of these important treatments in a little more detail.

PEP usually involves taking a combination of three specific drugs for 30 days. The very early use of HIV drugs can stop an individual from becoming HIV positive. These are generally the same medicines that are used to treat HIV and must be started as soon as possible after an exposure event. Starting within the first 2- 3 hours provides more than 95% protection. Most guidelines have a cut off at 48 hours as the protection offered drops below 36% at 72 hours. Unlike Europe and Great Britain where PEP is available 24/7

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in the emergency departments and urgent cares, currently North Carolina emergency departments and urgent cares do not offer PEP, unfortunately. I am not certain why, but I suspect there is a need for more education in our medical community. PEP is also useful if a shared needle is the risk factor for HIV. Before getting PEP you will need to talk about your risk. This involves talking about the type of sex or type of exposure, and whether you know the HIV status of your partner. You will also need a rapid HIV test to make sure you are not positive before starting PEP. Finally, there may be mild, but manageable, side effects such as a queasy stomach or diarrhea. These are not common.

PrEP uses two drugs to reduce the risk of acquiring HIV and is taken daily. Truvada, a combination of two drugs, has been approved for 3 years now for PrEP and more than 10 years for use in treating HIV. In a 2007 ongoing study sponsored by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), the iPrEx study showed those individuals who took Truvada everyday had a protection rate of 96%, which is as good as using condoms every time. It has been suggested that the protection rate may be higher. For good reason, the CDC guidelines continue to recommend condom use as further protection against HIV and STDs. Please remember, Truvada only reduces the risk of HIV and does not help against any other STDs, such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, trichomonas, syphilis, genital warts, etc. The U.S. news magazine TIME called the iPrEx Study results “the most significant medical breakthrough of 2010” and President Barack Obama publically lauded the outcomes of the iPrEx study. PrEP with Truvada is covered by almost all insurance plans. Gilead, the makers of Truvada, has a generous patient assistance program for those uninsured and underinsured. For more information or to start PrEP, contact us at Rosedale Infectious Diseases.

TasP refers to HIV positive people using HIV treatment not only for their own health, but also to reduce the risk of transmission to others. It also means everyone who has HIV needs to be on medications. We have long known that HIV positive individuals who take their medications every day were living healthier, longer lives and were less likely to pass on HIV to others. Several studies going back to 2008 have shown decreased new infection rates in cities where TasP was implemented. The PARTNER Study followed 1140 sero-discordant couples (one positive and one negative), which was released in March 2014, revealed dramatic new information. When presenting the

results and asked what the study tells us about the chance of someone with an undetectable viral load transmitting HIV, presenter Alison Rodger said: “Our best estimate is it’s zero.” The study followed 1,140 committed couples, 60% straight and 40% gay for two years. In those two years these 1,140 HIV positive individuals took their medications every day and kept their viral loads less than 200. Their HIV negative partners who were not on PrEP had no outside sex partners. No condoms were used. Over 32,000 episodes of rectal and vaginal intercourse occurred. The gay guys accounted for more than half of all sexual events. Sorry straight allies! At the end of the two year study, how many did the HIV negative partners contracted HIV? None. Zip. Nada. The new paradigm may be that undetectable is the new negative! The PARTNER study is still recruiting gay male couples and its full results will be available until 2017. For more information, go to www.clinicaltrials.gov and search for the PARTNER Study or contact us at Rosedale Infectious Diseases.

The CDC has changed the language in its safer-sex education material.

Because Truvada offers protection as good as or better than condoms against HIV, unprotected sex is not the same as condomless sex. The CDC no longer uses the word unprotected when referencing sex without a condom. Truvada offers protection from HIV and now the CDC guidelines uses the word condomless sex instead of unprotected sex. Remember, Truvada does not offer protections from other STDs. And, please, remember your PrEP should include the following: • Use condoms.

• Get HIV tested regularly.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections.

• Get harm reduction education.

• Reduce one’s number of sexual partners.

Finally, as a reminder, the CDC states that approximately 20% of individuals who are positive for HIV don’t know it and are responsible for over 75% of all new infections! Get tested and know your status. Rosedale Infectious Diseases offers free HIV testing Monday through Friday.

These are exciting times indeed!

Don’t forget to visit our website at rosedaleid.com and friend us on Facebook for community and clinical updates.

— Sponsored Content —

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life

SPORTS

Playing the Field Match-ups from across the Carolinas: Season winding down

by Jon Hoppel :: qnotes contributor

The Knoxville Cyclones Photo taken by Tonya Huckaby Vaughn of the Knoxville Cyclones

Welcome back to Playing the Field. We hope everyone has been enjoying the beautiful summer weather the Carolinas have been having. This time of year, most leagues and teams are wrapping up their seasons. So, here are some events you surely will not want to miss.

Softball During the July 4 weekend, Nashville hosted their annual Metro Nashville Softball Association Classic. This event sees teams from all over the country come to participate, including teams from Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Chicago and Dallas.

As many as 500 people attended and nearly 400 players.

In this year’s competition, The Knoxville Cyclones D team went undefeated the entire tournament and took home the crown against an admittedly thin field of teams. But their performance highlighted their continued dominance throughout the year.

In the C division, Oscar’s Atlanta Sting were able to defeat the Pittsburgh Jolly Roger in the championship game. The Sting were also dominant throughout the tournament, winning every game by at least three runs. This is the first tourney win of the year for the newly formed team. They will look to continue their winning ways next month in Knoxville when K-Town softball hosts their annual event, The K-Town Klassic from Aug. 2-3. If you have a team or are a player interested in playing in that tournament, visit their website at ktownklassic.com to find out how to register.

In Charlotte, the Carolina Softball Alliance is winding down and will be holding their end of the season tournament on July 27 at Revolution Park. There are five teams currently in the league, each with a puncher’s chance of taking

home the league title. Here are the current standings: Carolina Showtime...............................................6-1 Carolina Xtreme....................................................6-2 The Swingers.........................................................3-4 Carolina Rage........................................................3-6 Team #1...................................................................2-7 For the game times of your favorite teams or players, check out their website at carolina softball.org Roller Derby There are only two home bouts left to check out your home team Charlotte Roller Girls this season. On Aug. 9, the B*Dazzlers will be taking on Classic City Bad News Bs. Then on Sept. 9, the All-Stars play host to the Atlanta Apocalypstix in a charity bout. Both bouts will take place at 6 p.m. at the Grady Cole Center.

The Gastonia G8Force also only have two home bouts left this season. On Aug. 17, they will be hosting the Charlotte B*Dazzlers in a big time North Carolina match up. And then on Sept.

14, the ladies will be hosting the Spartanburg Deadly Dolls. All bouts will be played at Kate’s Skating rink at 5:30 p.m. in Gastonia.

Gay Games Also, the Gay Games will be held in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio, Aug. 9-16. They will be presented by the Cleveland Foundation and is the “most inclusive sports and cultural festival in the world.” The opening ceremony will feature Olympic star Greg Louganis, entertainer Lance Bass, several Broadway stars, among others. Athletes will be competing in a wide range of sports, including rodeo, swimming, figure skating, dancing and bodybuilding. If you would like more information on this major sporting event, visit their website at gg9cle.com. : :

hey! what’s happening?

We want your news and event notices today. Be sure to send them to editor@goqnotes.com. Thank you!

July 18-31 . 2014

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tell trinity

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

Threesomes relationships: Are they for everyone?

Dear Trinity, After a few months, I am really starting to be a third to a couple I have been dating. I am not sure of your stance on threesome or multipartner/lover relationships. Are you for or against them?

Three’s Company, Boston, MA

Dear Three’s Company, Are long-lasting threesome relationships possible? Absolutely. I know many right here in Ft. Lauderdale. I’ve always been open to and for threesome relationships. Many of my cartoons show me with two men. I’ve not been in one yet, however, I still have time. But, is one person to fight with and feast with easier than two? You bet it is, honey.

So, if you’re in a threesome relationship should you stop? No way! But please…take videos!

Dearest Trinity, I’ve had a total of four lovers in the past 12 years. Each time it ends, I loose all my money to my lover. Now it’s happening again. How do I get less burned in a breakup?

Alone and Broke, Hollywood, FL

goqnotes.com

Dearest Alone, It may sound hard, but stop sharing so much of your wealth and start acquiring something for yourself. Remember, sweetie, Marilyn Monroe said it best when she said, “Diamond’s

are a girl’s best friend.” (My cartoon shows you how I net the wealth while being wed.)

Trinity Dear, My boyfriend is so not out of the closet that I’m thinking of leaving him. Too much secrecy! But, we love each other. Is love enough? Help!

Comfortably Out, Madison, WI Dear Out, Hiding anything is difficult, but if you really love him, then you better start making room in your closet! Some days will be harder than others.

So, imagine yourself as a movie/porn star whose playing the “undercover lover” helping him to come out. Take him to very gay places like Provincetown or Montréal. Being together in a gay environment is the best medicine. It may also be, darling, that you’re with him “spiritually” to show him that being gay is the great and powerful gift from Oz! Oh, and if all else fails, make him listen to Broadway show tunes. It worked for me!

Hey Trinity, My cell phone is so filled with so many ways of hooking up, i.e. Grindr, Scruff and Growlr, that I find myself going out less and less and surfing my apps more and more. Sometimes, however, I get myself into trouble. Got any advise for safe app surfing and hooking up?

App Woes, Rehoboth Beach, DE Hey App Woes, Cell phone app hookups are now a part of many people’s lives, just like Groupon and happy hour specials. But, to stay safe, pumpkin, keep a close copy of:

a&e

Trinity’s Cautious Tips For Safe App Hookups 1. Don’t give out your home address or cell number too quickly. Get a safe public meeting place, preferably a café or bar.

2. Remember, anyone can get a picture of anybody and Photoshop anything to make even a cucumber look like François Sagat (porn star)!

3. By your third correspondence, ask or demand a recent above the waste picture, if you haven’t already.

4. Think globally but search locally.

5. Before you go somewhere to meet someone, first talk on the phone at least once.

6. If you buy a plane ticket to visit your app hookup or date, split the cost. It’s pricey to fly across country to meet the man of your nightmares!

7. J ust because someone’s very good looking, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have major mood swings and an uncontrollable thirst for alcohol and drugs!

8. Just because someone’s a great writer and poet, doesn’t mean he’s not an eccentric lunatic. Including yours truly!

9. R emember, even you yourself would say or write whatever you had to, if you were a desperate introvert who falls in love easily!

10. L astly, have fun, be silly, be honest, be skeptical and don’t stay up too late! info: With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org. Learn more at telltrinity.com.

daily news, blog posts and lgbt community event listings Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter: goqnotes.com/subs

July 18-31 . 2014

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life

precious pets Courtesy N.C. State University College of Veterinary Medicine

Tips to ensure pets have a healthy and safe summer Clinicians at North Carolina State University’s Veterinary Health Complex remind owners that summer sun, soaring temperatures, and high humidity levels can be dangerous to companion animals.

“If you are uncomfortable, it’s safe to say that your pet is as well,” says Dr. Rita Hanel, assistant professor in emergency and critical care. “Pets can suffer from heat stroke, dehydration, and even sunburn. While you can lower your body temperature by sweating through numerous pours in your skin, your pet has limited sweat glands—found mostly on the nose and the pads of the feet. It does not take long for a pet to become dangerously overheated.”

While all dogs and cats are at risk, older or very young pets, overweight pets, pets with heavy coats, short-nosed dogs and dogs and cats with preexisting disease may need extra care. Limit exercise on hot and humid days to early morning and evening, remember asphalt becomes very hot, keep the water bowl cool and refreshed, and ensure that cooling shade is always nearby.

Of course, never leave a pet in a parked car — not even for a minute when you run into the dry cleaners. On a pleasant 85-degree day, the temperature inside a car with the windows rolled down can still reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. Dehydration, heat stroke, and even brain damage to the dog or cat can occur.

Dr. Hanel advises owners to take immediate action if the pet is panting excessively or has

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Photo Credit: thatsmytur

difficulty breathing, has an increased heart and respiratory rate, glazed eyes, drools, appears weak or in a stupor.

“Place the pet in the shade or air conditioning immediately and apply cool—not cold—water to reduce the animal’s core body temperature,” says Dr. Hanel. “Get help from your veterinarian as soon as possible.”

A check-up visit with the veterinarian is a good way to begin a healthy and safe summer.

Here are some basic tips to keep the summertime living easy:

• Exercise — adjust intensity and duration based on temperature and humidity, perhaps limiting activity to early morning or evening hours. Remember asphalt gets very hot and your dog is close to the ground and has sweat glands on the pads of the feet. Pets can dehydrate quickly, carry water with you; • Staying cool — when outside make sure your dog has ample shade and a constant source of cool water. Consider an inexpensive child’s plastic pool as a quick cool down for your pet or a refreshing spay from the garden hose; • Vacations — summer trips with a pet requires preparation and appropriate arrangements for travel, lodging, food, plenty of water as well as appropriate observation to ensure the pet is comfortable in new environments; • Kennels — an option to taking the pet on the road is a recommended vacation kennel. Be sure all vaccinations are up-to-date at least a week before boarding the pet; • Preventive medicine — summer is high season for fleas and ticks of all kinds and the appropriate application of veterinarianrecommended tick medication can help keep your pet free from these pests and maintain recommended heartworm medication since the potentially deadly heartworm disease is transmitted by mosquitoes; • Backyard hazards — Beware of toxic agents such as plant food, insecticides, fertilizer, coolants, citronella candles, oil products, and insect coils that may be around the home and yard. A compost bin or garbage can is a common yard element that may result in an emergency visit to the veterinarian with your pet having uncontrolled, non-stop shaking, symptoms of potentially lethal tremorgenic mycotoxin intoxication from ingesting fungus found on decomposing objects; • Party animals — your pet may not be one, confusion of crowded summer events can stress pets and is not an enjoyable experience for them. Make sure your pet has a microchip and wears a identification collar.

As a resource for pet owners, the Veterinary Health Complex at NC State provides a Small Animal Emergency Service weekdays from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., weekends from 5 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Monday, and 24 hours a day on legal holidays.

Call 919-513-6911 if you have a small animal emergency. For large animal emergencies, call 919-513-6630. : :

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C A L E N DA R JULY-AUGUST 2014 To see more upcoming events, visit goqnotes.com/calendar/ Submit your event at goqnotes.com/eventsubmit/

Continues through July 20 Charlotte Black Gay Pride City-wide Charlotte Black Gay Pride returns to the Queen City with a town hall, meet and greet and annual extravaganza.

See a story and events listing for more at goqnotes.com/30087/. charlotteblackgaypride.com

SEP JUL

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BEAR-B-QUE SEP JUL The Woodshed Lounge 4000 Queen City Dr., Charlotte 5-8 p.m.

Charlotte Pride hosts a BBQ dinner courtesy of Carolina Barbecue Co. Advance tickets available online for $10.

Admission at the door is $15. Proceeds benefit Charlotte Pride. charlottepride.org/bbq/ –––––––––––––––––––– Stars & Stripes Drag Bingo NC State Student Union Ballroom 2610 Cates Ave., Raleigh Doors 5:30 p.m., Games 7 p.m.

Putting the “fun” in “fundraising” with camp drag bingo! Proceeds benefit Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door. aas-c.org/special-events/drag-bingo

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HRC Recruitment Party Petra’s Piano Bar 1919 Commonwealth Ave., Charlotte 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Come learn more about the Human Rights Campaign and how you can get involved in Charlotte and North Carolina.

SEP JUL

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SEP JUL

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Out for Hillary Cathode Azure 1820 South Blvd., Charlotte 6-8 p.m.

Picnic and Paddle Ramsey Creek Park 18441 Nantz Rd., Cornelius 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

SEP JUL

Bring yourself, your friends, your family to Ramsey Creek Park and enjoy a day out with Charlotte’s own LGBTQ & inclusive Dragon Boat Racing Team. They will teach you about the sport, get you in the boat paddling and have you racing each other. Bag a lunch, we will have some homemade eats on hand as well. oneworlddragonboat.org

SEP JUL Happy Parents’ Day to our LGBT Moms and Dads!

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Are you out and ready for Hillary? Come get pumped up for the next presidential campaign and throw your support behind Hillary Clinton. Tickets are $20.16. Hosts can jump in for $201.60 (or bring along 10 guests). Hosts already include Kurtis Andree, Sarah Demarest, Dan Mauney, Zuni Johnson & Jason McCraw and Debbie Warren.

For more information, email neisha@ readyforhillary.com.

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PRISM Young Adults: Weekly discussion held each Monday, 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m. For young adults ages 18-25. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte. lgbtcharlotte.org.

Men’s Yoga: Weekly yoga sessions for men hosted by certified instructor. Each Monday, 7:30-8:30 p.m. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte.

Time Out Youth Center: Weekly support and discussion groups, Tuesday-Thursday, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monthly group for youth ages 11-14. timeoutyouth.org.

MeckPAC: Monthly meeting of local LGBT political action committee. First Tuesdays of each month, 6:30-8 p.m. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte.

StillOut Photography: Local LGBT photography club. Meets monthly on fourth Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte. facebook.com/ StillOutPhotography.

Friends Indeed: Men’s depression support group. Every other Tuesday, 6:30-8 p.m. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte.

Weekly HIV & Syphilis Testing: Hosted at the LGBT Community Center of Charlotte each Wednesday, 5-7 p.m.

HIV Support Group: Open support group for men and women who are HIV-positive. Hosted second Wednesdays of each month, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Different Roads Home. differentroadshome.org.

LGBTQ Adult Education and Discussion Group: Weekly on Thursdays, a safe place for LGBTQ adults to meet and discuss important issues and topics. Hosted at LGBT Community Center of Charlotte. Each Thursday, 6-8 p.m.

Men of all Cultures Together: Local chapter of National Association of Black and White Men Together. Every other Thursday, 6:30 p.m. LGBT Community Center of Charlotte.

PFLAG Charlotte: Monthly support group meeting. Second Thursday of each month, 7 p.m., Time Out Youth Center. pflagcharlotte.org.

Tradesmen: Monthly social meeting first Saturday of each month. 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. The Woodshed Lounge. charlottetradesmen.org.

Have a recurring weekly or monthly event, social, support or discussion group? Let us know. Submit your event at our online calendar at goqnotes.com/eventsubmit/.

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

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Recurring Charlotte Events:

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Continues through Aug. 17 HRC Family Picnic SEP AUG SEP AUG Charlotte Pride Freedom Park, Shelter 3 Uptown Charlotte 1900 East Blvd., Charlotte Join Charlotte Pride for a 11 a.m.-3 p.m. two-day street festival, enJoin HRC for its family picnic tertainment and the Bank of America with food, non-alcoholic beverages, face painting and other family activities. Charlotte Pride Parade. Events span both Saturday and Sunday, with the BYOB. parade on Sunday. Headlining entertainers include LeAnn Rimes, Sevyn Pride Mixology Streeter, Bianca Del Rio and more. A SEP AUG Lake Lissara Clubhouse full schedule of events can be found 7585 Shallowford Rd., online at charlottepride.org.

Lewisville 7-11 p.m.

It’s that time again to drink cocktails, vote for the best one, and raise money for PRIDE Winston-Salem. Help choose the Signature Cocktail for PRIDE 2014 No Place Like Home Festival & Food Truck Rodeo. $10 donation at the door for sampling. $5 donation for drink tickets. pridews.org

July 18-31. 2014

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July 18-31 . 2014

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July 18-31. 2014