QNotes, September 4, 2020

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Clay Aiken, Mykah Buff, Jack Kirven, MPact Global Action, Lainey Millen, Jesse Monteagudo, David Aaron Moore, Chris Rudisill, Randi Salvatore, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Sara Shariff, Trinity

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

inside this issue

feature

10 COVID-19: Its Journey Since December 2019

Our People: Mike Hargett

news

Being an entrepreneur is always a whirlwind experience. This coffee maven has brought his talents to the streets with his Detour Coffeebar truck and is serving up tasty brew.

6 ENC, Others Release Endorsements 7 Demystifying the Election Process 8 Court Rules Law Violation 8 N.C. Author Kenan Dies 8 News Briefs 9 Injunction Won on Health Care Rule

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a&e 14 Out in Print: ‘Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw’ 16 Tell Trinity

life 13 In Memoriam 15 Health & Wellness: Raw versus Cooked Food 18 Sex During COVID 19 Our People: Mike Hargett

views 4 Love Overcomes Hate 5 Joe Biden Will Champion Equality from Oval Office 5 Across the Great Divide 14 Legal Eagles: Starting a Business During a Pandemic

events Our calendar will return once events begin again.

In Memoriam

The numbers of loved ones who have succumbed in the coronavirus pandemic continue to mount.

Among those lost is a North Carolina man who spent his time serving his church and community.

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Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Love Overcomes Hate The First Time I Experienced such HATE… as a Lesbian

BY Randi SalvatorE | Guest Contributor

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testors,” who informed them that they would be moving I was not only “OK,” but I ello everyone. I work on in 15 minutes. I was pleased with the cops also showing was touched and empowpart-time at White us support and kindness. They got a coffee next door and ered to firsthand receive Rabbit. I have been hung out awhile, to keep an eye on things. Sure enough, all the support from Plaza working here since November within about 15 minutes the protestors packed up their Midwood, while the angry 2019, and I LOVE my job, and nasty, inappropriate signs and the noise drifted away. men out front spewed my work fam! I moved to the The hate was gone, but the love and support continued.

“Lesbian you are going to Queen City from New York Ice cream from Two Scoops Creamery and support from Hell!” at me. I simply smiled, almost four years ago.

Seventh Sin Tattoo, both across the street from us. The rest of knowing that their actions Getting this job was part the day and into the night when we closed at 9 p.m., we even were not very “Christian” of the right things coming had a bunch of people come out and spread love with posiand sure he was not agoing together for me, to really feel tive protest signs and outfits to support us, as a store, as a to get them to a better connected to Charlotte, along big part of the LGBTQ community. The next day we also were place. with meeting my awesome showered with more support and love. Gifts from Bridget at A mother and her girlfriend! Although I have been Living the Young Life, Sunflour Baking Company, and a wondaughter walked into the dating only girls for years now, derful collection of goodies from a group of awesome ladies, store next, and the mothI spent 40 years living straight, mothers who call themselves Plaza Midwood Moms! er looked at me and said, so I see myself as that same Phone calls, social media posts, gifts, donations for the “we have never been in person. Again, being from N.Y., store and staff poured in over the 48 hours following this here, but we just wanted things don’t scare me easily, Anti-LGBTQ protesters lined the streets outside White Rabbit. protest! I personally am very overwhelmed and touched, to come in and offer you and my self-confidence doesn’t (Photo Credit: Randi Salvatore) as are all the staff here. I am dedicated to my job here some emotional supmake me doubt myself or ever and honored since I am the only female who works in the port.” If it wasn’t for the feel ashamed of who I am. For store. The only lesbian, which I am proud to say! pandemic, I would have given them both a big hug! It was that, I am glad that I was the person working on Tuesday, I am part of the LGBTQ community. My memory of this so great to feel this love and support, and did I mention, Aug. 25, when at least nine older, white men showed up right day will not focus on the hate spewed toward the LGBTQ they were straight, even better! They made a purchase to in front of our store, White Rabbit, hollering, yelling and raiscommunity. I will forever be thankful and moved by the support the store. Next a man walked into the store saying ing large signs with hateful, ridiculous words on them. reaction from the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. The to me, “I have never been here, and I am not even gay, but They were loud and so full of hate, and spewing stupidoutpouring of kindness, love and support that was given I saw this yelling out front from up the street, and I had to ity, such as “Repent, repent…you nasty perverts. Give God to us is PRICELESS! I want to send a sincere Thank You to come down and make sure all were OK, and support you!” back his rainbow, faggots, you stole it a long time ago.” everyone. I feel stronger knowing I have so much support Yes! MORE LOVE! My heart personally was so touched The phone started to ring, and it was local neighbors that in my corner when I am here at work. : : and reminded of the good people and good deeds in the had driven by and saw this hateful display out front. These world, especially here in neighbors included mothers, straight people, businesses Plaza Midwood. Louisa from owners — and they all asked me if I was OK. They offered to Central Coffee Co. came come to the store if I needed them, or if I did not feel safe.

On Aug. 25 around lunchtime, a group of in with a bag of drinks and I felt so amazing at the kindness, love and support that mature white men with large signs of hate took cookies, again apologizing to showed up! I was truly touched that at least 10 people called to the sidewalk right in front of White Rabbit. me for having to deal with the within 30 minutes to see if “we,” White Rabbit, were “OK.” Some of the man yelled at the top of their voichate. Honestly, by this time, Central Coffee Co. next es colorful words of hate and condemnation. because of who I am as a door called and shared They were extremely ugly to our customers person, and my own beliefs, their outrage at this and our staff. the shouting outside was display of hate outside, Then came the caring concern from our background noise, like white which went beyond our neighbors. As noted above, the Plaza Midwood noise, but not exactly the kind store to the corner of community poured out support for us with love to help you relax and sleep.

Louise Ave., the coffee and compassion. For that we are so grateful.

I was hearing and feeling shop parking lot. The Thank you Plaza Midwood Moms, the Plaza the love that was winning female staff offered to Midwood Merchant Association and all the over the hate in front of come over if I needed businesses and individuals who showered us the store. For me, that hate anything and offered me White Rabbi was showered with with support. This has meant so much to everywas hitting our “rainbow” any coffee or snacks. I supportive gifts from Plaza Midwood one here at White Rabbit. painted walls and bouncing thanked her and every White Rabbit employee Moms, individuals and businesses.

Thank you from all of us, off it back at them. The cops other caller, for being so Randi Salvatore.

(Photo Credit: qnotes staff) Jim Yarbrough, Owner showed up and spoke to us. sweet and kind to take (Photo Credit: qnotes staff) They also spoke to the “prothe time to think of us!

Much Appreciation

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Sept. 4-17, 2020

Joe Biden Will Champion Equality from the Oval Office Op-Ed

BY Clay Aiken | Guest Contributor

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Rights Act of 1964 should not apply to gay n July 22, 2016, Donald Trump accepted and transgender workers — leaving them the Republican Party’s presidential susceptible to being fired over their sexual nomination in Cleveland. In his speech that orientation or gender identity. night, Trump pledged to “do everything in Throughout the course of this presi[his] power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.” dency, we have seen that LGBTQ rights are Almost one year later to the day, on July not just at risk — they are under attack.

26, 2017, Trump announced by tweet that When I came out publicly in 2008, our “the United States Government will not country’s laws and attitudes on equality accept or allow transgender individuals to were very different, and in the years after, serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military.”

I was encouraged to see the tremendous Unfortunately, the broken promises to progress America was making. Since Trump the LGBTQ community don’t stop there. became President, however, our progress As he campaigned for office in 2016, has stalled and even reversed. It’s been Trump claimed that he would be a “real upsetting to see our rights at the mercy of friend” to LGBTQ Americans. He claimed to the occupant of the White House. support marriage equality and said he would It couldn’t be more evident that come “fight” for equal rights.

November, we need to take the first step toFour years later, we’ve seen exactly how wards moving back in the right direction. We hollow those words were. need a President who will set a tone of incluInstead of pushing for progress and adsion and equality from the Oval Office, and vocating reforms that would advance equalJoe Biden has already shown us exactly the ity in this country, this administration has kind of leadership he will bring to the job. taken the exact opposite approach, rolling In the U.S. Senate, he championed the back hard-fought anti-discrimination protecFormer Vice President and 2020 Democratic presidental candidate Joe Biden. (Photo Credit: Gage Matthew Shepard and James L. Byrd Hate tions on issues ranging from healthcare to Skidmore via Flickr. CC-BY-SA 2.0 Generic license) Crimes Act. As Vice President, he worked housing to military service. to end Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and proudly anWith our nation more divided than ever nounced his support for marriage equality and with hate crimes directed at the LGBTQ Housing and Urban Development announced a proposal before it was politically popular. And now, as a candidate community on the rise (bit.ly/3hCSOqn), we find ourselves (wapo.st/3gDo9aT) that would allow homeless shelters for President, Biden has pledged his support for legislation in a perilous moment — one that demands leadership to discriminate against transgender and gender nonconlike the Equality Act, which will ensure that discrimination that brings us together. But time and time again, instead forming Americans. The announcement came just after on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation ends. of rallying Americans together in opposition to hate and the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Throughout his career in public service, Joe Biden has discrimination, this administration has largely responded similar regulation (nyti.ms/3b3HeSF) that undid healthcare been a staunch ally for the LGBTQ community. His comwith a deafening silence or even outright hostility. protections for transgender people. mitment to the cause of equality speaks for itself, and it’s The latest examples occurred within days of each Meanwhile, the Trump administration even directed exactly what we need in the White House. : : other earlier this summer, when the Department of its lawyers to argue to the Supreme Court that the Civil

Across the Great Divide Jesse’s Journal

BY Jesse Monteagudo | Guest Contributor

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his is a troubling year for the American people. In addition to struggling through a pandemic, racial unrest, economic depression and climate disaster, these disUnited States of America are more divided than at any time since the Civil War (1861-1865). Both sides view the upcoming elections in apocalyptic terms, as tyranny or anarchy will take over if our opponents prevail. Many of us fear that our country will descend into a second civil war, no matter which party wins the presidency. Families are divided and friendships are broken as both sides retreat to their corners, ready to fight.

As a progressive Democrat who vehemently dislikes Donald Trump and all that he has done, I am obviously biased. But I try my best to maintain personal ties across the great divide. Unlike some of my friends who grew up as part of liberal families, I was raised in a conservative household. Like most Cuban-American families, my folks came to this country to escape Cuba’s socialist revolution.

I grew up in a community which feared social reforms or liberal programs as gateways to Communism. Many Cuban-Americans, like many Venezuelan-Americans or Nicaraguan-Americans after them, became the backbone of the Republican Party in Miami-Dade County. To this day most of my blood relatives are registered Republicans and staunch Trump supporters. Despite all this, I forged my

The U.S. is in a turmultuous time that has sharp division between Blue and Red. (Photo Credit: Rob Atkins via Adobe Stock) own political path. Even so, I still maintain good relations with my relatives, though we agree to disagree. The same goes for some gay Cuban-Americans with whom I sometimes socialize.

Though most of my friends and acquaintances are progressive Democrats, I still have ties with people whose political views are vastly different than mine. One of my oldest friends is Andy Eddy, with whom I worked in the past and who remains active in Broward County’s Log Cabin Republican club. Though I am shocked that the Log Cabin club endorsed Trump despite his Administration’s policies against our community, I still look forward to working with Eddy in pursuit of goals that we agree on.

In dealing with friends who happen to be Republican or Conservative, I try to deal with them as friends and not political adversaries; and try to avoid politics whenever I am with them. Most notably, my boyfriend Ron Farago is a registered Libertarian; a fact that leads to some political discussions but is something that I can live with. At least, when it comes to the general elections, Ron takes my advice and votes for the candidates that I recommend.

Before the first American Civil War divided our nation, political parties collapsed, and Protestant denominations split between northern and southern branches. Today’s Red America and Blue America are likewise divided in many ways, encouraged by a president who does not care for anyone except his base. Though I must remain true to my beliefs, I hope to remain friends with people who do not share those views. : :

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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ENC, Others Release Endorsements Election 2020: Races Heat Up in Attempt to Retain Seats and Recapture Conservative Ones

BY Lainey Millen | QNotes Staff Writer

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Equality North Carolina Action Fund PAC (ENCAFPAC) released their official round of the organization’s 2020 electoral endorsements for political races across the state of North Carolina. Earlier this year, ENC launched their PAC website, OUT* To Vote, as a complement to their work where the public can view all of ENCAFPAC’s endorsed candidates and stay abreast of news impacting electoral work across the state of North Carolina.

Kendra R. Johnson, executive director, said, “As the COVID-19 crisis continues to expose the massive flaws and cracks within this country’s political and social systems, it is more important than ever that we elect pro-equality candidates who have the most vulnerable North Carolinians’ needs front-of-mind. The road ahead will be tough, to say the least, and North Carolinians deserve leaders committed to building a world where marginalized folks have support and care and don’t have to fear for their survival.”

Other organizations across the U.S. and region — The Victory Fund (VF), Emily’s List (EL), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Democracy for America (DA) and Replacements, Ltd. PAC (RLPAC) — have also made their selections and will be included in the endorsees list below.

National U.S. Senate Cal Cunningham, NC (ENCAFPAC, DA, HRC, RLPAC) Jaime Harrison, SC (DA, HRC) Jim Clyburn, SC, House Majority Whip (HRC) U.S. House of Representatives G.K. Butterfield, NC (1) (HRC) Deborah Ross, NC (2) (ENCAFPAC, EL, HRC, RLPAC) David Price, NC (4) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) David Wilson Brown, NC (5) (ENCAFPAC) Kathy Manning, NC (6) (ENCAFPAC, EL, HRC, RLPAC) Pat Timmons-Goodson, NC (8) (ENCAFPAC, EL, HRC) Cynthia Wallace, NC (9) (ENCAFPAC) Moe Davis, NC (11) (ENCAFPAC) Alma Adams, NC (12) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Scott Huffman, NC (13) (ENCAFPAC)

Council of State Governor: Roy Cooper (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Lt. Governor: Yvonne Lewis Holley (ENCAFPAC, DA) Attorney General: Josh Stein (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Treasurer: Ronnie Chatterji (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Secretary of State: Elaine Marshall (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC)

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Schools Superintendent: Jen Mangrum (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Commissioner of Agriculture: Jenna Wadsworth (ENCAFPAC, DA, RLPAC) Commissioner of Insurance: Wayne Goodwin (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Commissioner of Labor: Jessica Holmes (ENCAFPAC)

NC General Assembly Senate (by district) Donna Lake (7) (ENCAFPAC) Harper Peterson (9) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Allen Wellons (11) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) John Kirkman (12) (ENCAFPAC) Jay Chaudhuri (15) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Wiley Nickel (16) (ENCAFPAC) Sam Searcy (17) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Sarah Crawford (18) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Kirk deViere (19) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Natalie S. Murdock (20) (ENCAFPAC) Mike Woodard (22) (ENCAFPAC) Valerie Foushee (23) (ENCAFPAC) J.D. Wooten (24) (ENCAFPAC, HRC, RLPAC) Helen Probst Mills (25) (ENCAFPAC) Michael Garrett (27) (ENCAFPAC, HRC, RLPAC) Gladys Robinson (28) (RLPAC) Wally White (30) (ENCAFPAC) Terri LeGrand (31) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Jose Santiago (35) (ENCAFPAC) Jeff Jackson (37) (ENCAFPAC) Mujtaba Mohammed (38) (ENCAFPAC) DeAndrea Salvador (39) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Natasha Marcus (41) (ENCAFPAC) William Young (43) (ENCAFPAC) Jeanne Supin (45) (ENCAFPAC) David Brian Wheeler (47) (ENCAFPAC) Brian Caskey (48) (ENCAFPAC) Julie Mayfield (49) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) House of Representatives (by district) Emily Nicholson (1) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Christopher Schulte (4) (ENCAFPAC) Brian Farkas (9) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Allison Dahle (11) (ENCAFPAC, DA) Virginia Cox-Dougherty (12) (HRC) Marcy Wofford (14) (ENCAFPAC) Debbi Fintak (16) (ENCAFPAC) Deb Butler (18) (ENCAFPAC) Marcia Morgan (19) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Vernetta Alston (29) (ENCAFPAC, VF) Marcia Morey (30) (ENCAFPAC) Rosa U. Gill (33) (ENCAFPAC) Grier Martin (34) (ENCAFPAC) Terence Everitt (35) (HRC) Julie von Haefen (36) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Sydney Batch (37) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Abe Jones (38) (ENCAFPAC) Joe John (40) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Gale Adcock (41) (ENCAFPAC) Kimberly Hardy (43) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Frances Jackson (45) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Cynthia Ball (49) (ENCAFPAC) Graig Meyer (50) (ENCAFPAC) Jason Cain (51) (DA) Lowell Simon (52) (ENCAFPAC) Sally Weeks Benson (53) (ENCAFPAC)

Robert T. Reives, II (54) (ENCAFPAC) Verla Insko (56) (ENCAFPAC) Ashton Clemmons (57) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Amos Quick, III (58) (RLPAC) Nicole Quick (59) (ENCAFPAC, HRC, RLPAC) Cecil Brockman (60) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Pricey Harrison (61) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Brandon Gray (62) (ENCAFPAC) Ricky Hurtado (63) (ENCAFPAC, HRC, RLPAC) Eric Henry (64) (ENCAFPAC) Pamela DeMaria (69) (ENCAFPAC) Evelyn Terry (71) (RLPAC) Dan Besse (74) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Al Heggins (76) (ENCAFPAC) Aimy Steele (82) (ENCAFPAC, DA, HRC, RLPAC) Gail Young (83) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Mary G. Belk (88) (ENCAFPAC) Greg Cranford (89) (ENCAFPAC) Terry Brown (92) (ENCAFPAC, DA) Ray Russell (93) (ENCAFPAC, HRC, RLPAC) Christy Clark (98) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Nasif Majeed (99) (ENCAFPAC) John Autry (100) (ENCAFPAC) Carolyn G. Logan (101) (ENCAFPAC) Becky Carney (102) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Rachel Hunt (103) (ENCAFPAC) Brandon Lofton (104) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Wesley Harris (105) (ENCAFPAC, HRC) Kelly M. Alexander, Jr. (107) (ENCAFPAC) Susan Fisher (114) (ENCAFPAC) Brian Turner (116) (ENCAFPAC) Josh Remillard (117) (ENCAFPAC)

Judicial NC Supreme Court Chief Justice: Cheri Beasley (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Associate Justice, NC Supreme Court: Lucy Inman (Seat 2), Mark Davis (Seat 4) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Court of Appeals: Tricia Shields (Seat 40), Lora Cubbage (Seat 5), Gray Styers (Seat 6), Reuben Young (Seat 7), Chris Brook (Seat 13) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) Forsyth County: District Court — Whit Davis (Seat 8) (ENCAFPAC) Guilford County: District Court — Caroline Pemberton (Seat 4) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC), Gavin Reardon (Seat 4) (ENCAFPAC), Marcus Shields (Seat 5) (ENCAFPAC), Bill Davis (Seat 11) (ENCAFPAC), Brian Tomlin (Seat 13) (RLPAC) Mecklenburg County: District Court — Aretha Blake, Rex Marvel (ENCAFPAC) Orange & Chatham Counties: Hathaway Pendergrass (Seat 3) (ENCAFPAC) Wake County: Jim Black (Seat 3) (ENCAFPAC)

Local Alamance County (NC) County Commission: Bob Byrd (RLPAC), Dreama Caldwell (ENCAFPAC), Kristen Powers (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC) School Board: John Coleman (ENCAFPAC)

Asheville/Buncombe County (NC) City Council: Kristen Goldsmith, Kim Roney, Nicole Townsend (ENCAFPAC) County Commission: Jasmine BeachFerrara, Brownie Newman, Parker Sloan, Terri Wells (ENCAFPAC, VF) Chatham County (NC) School Board: Melissa Hlavac (ENCAFPAC) Durham County (NC) County Commission: Nida Allam, Heidi Carter, Brenda Howerton, Wendy Jacobs (ENCAFPAC) Forsyth County (NC) Winston-Salem Council: Annette Scippio ( East Ward), John Larson (South Ward), Kevin Mundy (Southwest Ward) (RLPAC) Guilford County (NC) Commissioner: Mary Beth Murphy (4) (ENCAFPAC), Carly Cooke (5) (ENCAFPAC, RLPAC), James Upchurch (6) (ENCAFPAC), Skip Alston (8) (RLPAC) Board of Education: Blake Odum (3), Deborah Napper (5), Bettye Jenkins (7) (ENCAFPAC); T. Dianne Bellamy-Small (1) (RLPAC) Johnston County (NC) County Commission: Wendy Ella May (ENCAFPAC) Mecklenburg County (NC) County Commission: Leigh Altman (AtLarge), Pat Cotham (At-Large), Laura Meier (5), Susan Rodriguez-McDowell (6) (ENCAFPAC) New Hanover County (NC) County Commission: Leslie Cohen (ENCAFPAC) Orange County (NC) County Commission: Mark Dorosin, Renee A. Price (ENCAFPAC) School Board: Carrie Doyle (ENCAFPAC) Wake County (NC) County Commission: Matt Calabria, Sig Hutchinson (ENCAFPAC) Register of Deeds: Tammy Brunner (ENCAFPAC) Wilkes County (NC) County Commission: D. Jerome Watkins (ENCAFPAC) Charleston County (SC) Sheriff: Kristin Graziano (VF) As of press time, SC Equality PAC had not finalized their endorsements. Look for them online at a later date at scequality action.org. For more information and candidate profiles, visit equalityncpac.org, hrc. org, emilyslist.org, democracyforamerica. com, replacementsltdpac.org and victoryfund.org. : :

Demystifying the Election Process Election 2020: Tips, Truths and Timeliness

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By Lainey Millen | QNotes Staff Writer

ell, here we are at T-minus however many days which are left until Nov. 3, 2020, when as a nation we cast our votes on ballots from “sea to shining sea.” This year, needless to say, will be one that will go down in history books as a major tale of good versus evil. No matter what, voting not only for president, but up and down the ballot, will be important steps to take to assure that the country is able to retain a democracy.

The LGBTQ community has seen our collective rights challenged, some severely stripped away, while we have also seen some “good guy” moments such as the recent employment decision brought down by the Supreme Court of the United States. But, those have been fleeting in the ever-present push back by Conservative politicians and a “fearful” leader whose only aim is to set the U.S. back in its pursuit of “life, liberty and justice for ALL.” Now, we have a chance to defend American Democracy by simply doing one highly important thing this fall — vote! This is not the time to say that you are disinterested, bored, tired of the struggle, etc. That will only land us all back right where we are now, and that is feeling the oppression of discrimination, being overwhelmed by illness and death that could have been on some level abated as far as the numbers that are seen daily, along with the treacherous violation of civil rights.

Voting Initiatives

Both regionally and nationally, a number of “get out the vote” drives and initiatives are underway. Each one has captured on innovative ways to reach their audiences in the wake of social distancing guidelines mandated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Equality North Carolina Action Fund PAC (ENCAFPAC) has developed their OUT* to Vote campaign (*even if we have to stay inside). They are spending time in introducing statewide candidates to voters via an interview process that is made available online through equalitync.org/vote, social media channels and through the organization’s eblast newsletter. ENCAFPAC has endorsed 145 candidates (see the endorsement story on the opposite page).

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) also has brought its endorsement process to the Carolinas with its Champions for Equality for North Carolina General Assembly races. They gave nods to 26 candidates who have “led the fight in their own communities and on the state level to advance equality and defend against attempts to roll back LGBTQ rights.”

“North Carolina continues to be a key state for defending and advancing LGBTQ protections and we need local leaders to continue the fight,” said Melodia Gutiérrez, HRC’s associate regional campaigns director. “There is a lot more work to do to ensure that 319,000 LGBTQ North Carolinians have the protections from discrimination all humans deserve. … Between now and November, we are laser focused on mobilizing the more than 1.5 million Equality Voters throughout the state to ensure these [26] and other proequality candidates up and down the ballot are elected.”

One more project for ENCAFPAC is their call for young, healthy volunteers to become official poll workers for their local board of elections. “Currently, we are experiencing poll worker shortages in almost every county across the state.

Historically, poll workers tend to be older, retired individuals who are currently at greater risk during the pandemic and, as a result, can’t serve in their usual roles.” Contact local boards of election for information on how to participate.

HRC has hired on additional staff to work in priority and second-tier states, including North Carolina. This is being handled through intensive virtual interactions among

volunteers with committee members through its TEAM tool, as well as using virtual phone banks and text banks to engage voters. HRC is attempting to “pull the emergency brake on the hateful anti-LGBTQ agenda of the TrumpPence administration and elect a Congress that would hold them accountable.”

PFLAG has also joined in with the voter attraction initiative process and have created PFLAG VOTES (with the “o” in votes displayed as a heart with 2020 inside). They have developed a voter registration linking process that gives potential voters the necessary channels to complete the action. PFLAG shared, “Education is one of the three crucial pillars of PFLAG’s work, and that includes education about the upcoming election in NC.” Their aim is to provide “trusted tools and resources you need to go to the polls — and get others to join you — confidently, safely, and with equality and justice top of mind.” PFLAG also added, “This is the most critical election of our lifetime.”

The Victory Fund has stated that they have shattered their previous endorsement records and are supporting over 300 LGBTQ candidates nationally for the 2020 election season. One of those being endorsed is Kristin Graziano who, if elected, will make history as the first openly LGBTQ sheriff in South Carolina. The Fund said that this year’s elections have gotten “dirty” with counter candidates decrying homophobic statements.

Reclaim Our Vote and the NC NAACP has been conducting their own election campaign. They have been sending out postcards encouraging People of Color recipients to engage in early voting and to register or re-register then if they have not already done so. Reclaim Our Vote says, “Be Vote Ready!”

Registering to Vote

Time is closing in on being able to register to vote in this ever-crucial election season. There are many

organizations that have provided strategies to accomplish this. However, the more direct way is through state election board sites. Applicants are required to have a valid North Carolina identification or driver’s license for online registration.

In North Carolina, the deadline to register is Oct. 9, 25 days before the election. In order to apply, applicants are required to have their forms postmarked on or before the deadline.

Prospective voters can apply at their county board of elections office, through voter registration drives and through the state’s website.

Additionally, eligible voters may also register to vote and cast their vote on the same day during the One-Stop early voting period.

To learn more about voting, registration and other issues, as well as checking your registration details, visit ncsbe.gov.

Additionally, volunteer opportunities are being made available through the “You Can Vote” initiative. Those who are part of this program can help get the word out to eligible voters during the challenges presented during the COVID-19 pandemic and can volunteer from home in many cases, organizers shared.

This includes assistance for voter registration, helping voters to learn how to vote, learning what is on the ballot, as well as being part of the Get Out the Vote campaign. Training will be provided to those who serve. To learn more, visit youcanvote.org/volunteer.

Additionally, Vote Protectors will be onsite at voting locations across North Carolina serving as the “eyes and ears on the ground” helping voters who encounter problems at the polls. Sign up with Democracy NC at democracync.org/take-action/election-protection to be part of this initiative.

For information on South Carolina voter registration, visit scvotes.gov.

Absentee Ballots

ENCAFPAC shared, “We’ve already seen this administration lay the groundwork for voter suppression through the USPS [United States Postal Service]. Now, we must ensure that the voting process at the polls is as smooth and cohesive as possible.” The organization is providing education for workers on the difficulties faced by LGBTQ individuals at the polls, especially those who are transgender and gender non-conforming. Visit bit.ly/3lwBANs to fill out an election worker interest form that will be forwarded on to election officials for consideration.

Applications for registered North Carolina voters is currently underway. Information is available through county boards of election or the state’s board of election website.

Ballot request forms must be submitted to county offices before Oct. 27. And, absentee ballots must be postmarked on or before Nov. 3 and received by mail by 5 p.m. on the third day following the election.

Democracy NC and You Can Vote suggest that absentee ballots be sent in early due to postal service concerns.

For those who are worried about whether their ballots may arrive at their county board of elections on time are encouraged to bring their absentee ballots to the respective locations in person. Voters may still need to wait in line and enter the facility so that ballots can be officially logged in. Absentee ballots began being mailed to recipients beginning on Sept. 4. Once ballots are mailed or dropped off, check with the state board of election website to check on the status of ballots. see Voting Tips on 11

Sept. 4-17, 2020

qnotes

7

BRIEFS

news Court Rules Law Violation by State Department in Denying Passport to Couple’s Daughter

ATLANTA, Ga. — On Aug. 27 a federal court in Georgia ordered the Trump Administration to recognize the U.S. citizenship since birth of Simone Mize-Gregg, the two-year-old daughter of a married same-sex couple, and to issue her a U.S. passport.

The U.S. State Department had refused to recognize Simone as a U.S. citizen, even though both of her parents, Derek Mize and Jonathan Gregg, are U.S. citizens and children born abroad to heterosexual married U.S. citizens are automatically considered U.S. citizens themselves.

The lawsuit, filed in 2019 by Lambda Legal and Immigration Equality, sought to challenge the U.S. State Department’s policy that treats the children of same-sex married couples born abroad as “born out of wedlock,” denying that they are citizens since birth in clear violation of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act. “We are so relieved that the court has recognized our daughter, Simone, as the U.S. citizen she has been since the day she was born. When we brought Simone into this world, as married, same-sex parents, we never anticipated our own government would disrespect our family and refuse to recognize our daughter as a U.S. citizen,” said Derek Mize, who with his husband, Jonathan Gregg, are the parents of the two-year-old. “As a result of the State Department’s discriminatory actions, we have undertaken a long journey to have our daughter recognized as a U.S. citizen. But today, that journey is complete, and we are overcome with gratitude, for our lawyers and for the Court, for recognizing us as a family that is simply trying to give our daughter the best possible start, which all children deserve.”

The State Department insisted on treating baby Simone as an immigrant because she was born abroad and is not related biologically to both parents, even though the Immigration and Nationality Act confers citizenship to the children of married U.S. citizen couples automatically.

“Today’s court decision is a resounding victory for LGBTQ families. The court has declared baby Simone, the marital child of Derek and Jonny, to be a U.S. citizen since birth and ordered the State Department to issue her a U.S. passport. We are very pleased the court found that the agency’s policy was irreconcilable with the law and our Constitution’s guarantee to equality because it treated the children of married, same-sex parents differently from the children of other married parents,” said Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, senior counsel and health care strategist at Lambda Legal. “This is the second federal court this summer to rule against the State Department’s policy to treat children of married, same-sex parents as children “born out of wedlock” and not entitled to birthright U.S. citizenship. It is time for the federal government to stop defending this unlawful and unconstitutional policy. No family should have to face the fear and uncertainty of having their child’s citizenship status be held in limbo.”

Mize and Gregg married in New York in 2015. They had their daughter Simone via surrogacy in England in 2018, and both fathers are listed on her birth certificate. When they applied for recognition of her U.S. citizenship, the U.S. consulate in London rejected their application. Because only one of Simone’s fathers has a biological connection to her, the State Department disregarded Jonathan and Derek’s marriage and treated Simone as though she was born out of wedlock, a classification which requires more stringent requirements for recognition of her citizenship.

“We celebrate the court’s decision, which acknowledges what has been true since the day she was born. Simone Mize-Gregg is a citizen of the United States. Today’s decision in Georgia reaffirms what every other federal court who has heard this issue has held: family means more than biology alone. The State Department should change its discriminatory and unconstitutional policy immediately before it hurts another family,” said Aaron C. Morris, Immigration Equality executive director.

The Immigration and Nationality Act states that children of married U.S. citizens born abroad are U.S. citizens from birth so long as one of their parents has lived in the U.S. at some point, but the State Department routinely denies that right to same-sex couples and their marital children. While different-sex couples are automatically presumed to both be parents of their children, same-sex couples are subjected to invasive questioning about how they brought their child into their family. Also, because one parent is not a biological parent, same-sex couples are treated as if they are not married, and their children are not recognized as citizens unless the biological parent can meet additional criteria.

On June 17 this year, a Maryland federal judge in a similar case ruled that Kessem Kiviti, daughter of same-sex married couple Roee and Adiel Kiviti, has been a U.S. citizen from birth. Kessem’s fathers are also both U.S. citizens who were told by the State Department that their daughter was not a citizen because she was not biologically related to both of her parents. Immigration Equality, Lambda Legal, and pro bono counsel also represented the Kiviti family in their case against the U.S. State Department, which was filed in September 2019.

The lawsuit Mize-Gregg v. Pompeo was originally filed July 29, 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. info: lambdalegal.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

N.C. Author Kenan Dies

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — University of North Carolina graduate and English professor Randall Kenan has died.

The 57-year-old Black educator was found dead in Hillsboro, N.C. at his home on Aug. 29, The Associated Press reported.

Kenan had spent his career exploring the experiences of being Black and gay in the American South. A collection of short stories, “Let the Dead Bury Their Dead,” was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, a recipient of a Lambda Literary Award for Gay Fiction, as well as a New York Times Notable Book designee.

In addition to his other writings, he penned a young adult biography of author James Baldwin, the AP added.

He had recently written an open, reflective letter on his experience as a Black student at the university in the 1980s, looking at the more recent removal of Confederate statutes across the southern landscape.

WRAL reported that Terry Rhodes, dean of UNC’s College of Arts & Sciences said, “He was one of the leading lights at Carolina. He was a Tar Heel alumnus, a native North Carolinian who loved writing about his roots, beloved by his students, a mentor to younger writers and a master craftsman and storyteller. We will miss him greatly.”

His career took him from work on the editorial staff of Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. to teaching at Sarah Lawrence College, Columbia University, Vassar College, Duke University and UNC as well as serving as a visiting professor at the University of Mississippi.

He was the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Sherwood Anderson Award, the John Dos Passos Award, and was the 1997 Rome Prize winner from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was awarded the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2005.

He left an unfinished book, “There’s a Man Going ‘Round Taking Names,” at his death. info: bit.ly/3bl59Np. bit.ly/2QFh52S. Photo Credit: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

8

qnotes

Sept. 4-17, 2020

AIDS walk goes virtual

The House of Mercy will host its 27th Annual Walk for AIDS on Sept. 12 using a virtual platform for the first time in the history of the event. One hundred percent of the funds raised from this year’s virtual Walk will directly support those living with HIV who receive services through House of Mercy. The fundraising goal is $50,000. Registration for the event is available online.

info: thehouseofmercy.org/walk.

Port city compiles history

Charleston, S.C.’s Harlan Green has taken on the mantle of compiling materials into a viable archive of LGBTQ life in the historic city. Greene is a College of Charleston Library scholar-in-residence. He kicked off “The Real Rainbow Row,” a live-streamed walking tour of the peninsula’s LGBTQ site in July 2020, WCIV reported. During the event, participants were able to engage in an edit-a-thon to help bridge gaps and inequities in Wikipedia content to create new articles, expand ones in existence and add sources of a scholarly nature.

The event was part of the college’s LGBTQ Life in the Lowcountry project and Special Collections project.

info: speccoll.coc.edu/lgbtq. bit.ly/34QmxIA.

Orgs ‘thrive’ together

Three LGBTQ organizations in WinstonSalem, N.C. are banding together to host an event on Nov. 12 to celebrate and honor local businesses, non-profits and faith communities who are committed to the full inclusion of the LGBTQ community. Partners in “Together We Thrive” include OUT at the Movies, PFLAG Winston-Salem and North Star LGBTQ Community Center who will host their annual “In Good Company Gala.”

The focus this year is to show the importance of collaboration and strategic partnerships in the era of COVID-19. The fundraiser will help support the mission of these organizations throughout the Piedmont-Triad area. For more information, email igc@northstarlgbtcc.com.

info: northstarlgbtcc.com/in-goodcompany.

HRC to host national fundraiser

The Human Rights Campaign will hold its National Virtual Event fundraiser on Sept. 24 as a replacement for several in-person galas which were canceled due to the ongoing pandemic. Now, the organization is calling on people to step up as Equality Captains. An online sign-up form is available for those who wish to serve. Gala events help fund HRC’s fight for equality.

info: bit.ly/2QHibeQ.

Pastor lashes out at Harris

Metro Weekly reported that North Carolina Bishop Patrick Wooden, Jr. who leads the Upper Room Church of God in Christ in Raleigh, N.C., used a sermon attacking Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris for officiating a same-sex wedding in 2013 when she was serving California as its attorney general.

He stated, “anybody who’s trying to turn America into Sodom and Gomorrah is not good for this nation, she ain’t good for the state, and she ain’t good for Black folk.”

info: bit.ly/3lDPi15.

Anti-hate campaign launched

Alliance for Full Acceptance has launched a campaign in partnership with Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Charleston, Mother Emanuel AME Church, Charleston Hispanic Association,

Injunction Won on Health Care Rule, Impacts LGBTQ North Carolinians

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Aug. 18 Federal District Court Judge Frederic Block issued a preliminary injunction against a recently published regulation by the United States Department of Health and Human Services which would illegally strip away critical anti-discrimination protections in the Affordable Care Act. The injunction comes after the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) sued the Trump-Pence administration for advancing a rule that would have eliminated explicit protections from discrimination based on sex stereotyping and gender identity, thereby sanctioning discrimination against LGBTQ people, particularly transgender people, in health care programs and activities. The rule was scheduled to take effect on Aug. 18 but will now be precluded from becoming operative, HRC stated.

This preliminary injunction means that 319,000 LGBTQ North Carolinians will be protected from discrimination by health care providers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity until the conclusion of the lawsuit, likely after the upcoming election. “…LGBTQ North Carolinians can breathe a sigh of relief,” said Associate Regional Campaign Director Melodía Gutiérrez. “This ruling underscores the importance of protections guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, a law Sen. Thom Tillis has repeatedly voted to repeal and promised to undo if he is re-elected. But the fight to make sure LGBTQ people have equal access to health care is not over. We need to elect Joe Biden as President and elect Cal Cunningham to the U.S. Senate to safeguard LGBTQ protections from discrimination. Our community can’t afford six more years of Thom Tillis in the Senate. We need Cal Cunningham to take on the fight for LGBTQ equality.”

In response to the preliminary injunction, HRC President Alphonso David issued the following statement: “This is a crucial early victory for our plaintiffs, Tanya and Cecilia, and for the entire LGBTQ community, particularly those who are multiply marginalized and suffering disproportionality from the impacts of the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racialized violence.

We are pleased the Court recognized this irrational rule for what it is: discrimination, plain and simple. LGBTQ Americans deserve the health care that they need without fear of mistreatment, harassment, or humiliation.

“This failed attempt to callously strip away non-discrimination health care protections is merely the latest in a long line of attacks against the transgender community from the Trump-Pence team. [the] victory is a step in the right direction, and we at the Human Rights Campaign will continue to fight the administration’s attempts to dehumanize and stigmatize the LGBTQ community. This rule should be permanently tossed out and we will fight in court to ensure that it is.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two plaintiffs, both transgender women of color: Tanya Asapansa-Johnson Walker, an Army veteran, two-time lung cancer survivor and community leader who co-founded a statewide advocacy group for transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers, and Cecilia Gentili, an entrepreneur, activist, writer and storyteller with over a decade of experience as a patient and health care policy advocate. info: hrc.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

Lowcountry Coalition Against Hate, the AntiDefamation League, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, Columbia Jewish Federation, Charleston Jewish Federation and others to “Stamp Out Hate South Carolina.” The state is one of three in the U.S. with no law specifically protecting citizens targeted by hate crimes. In other news, AFFA has welcomed new board members empowerment speaker Sunshine Bella Goodman, medical accountant Keller Lee, education professional Portia Neat and software leadership team member Ashley Peele.

include: the Mint Museum, Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts & Culture, Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, Levine Museum of the New South, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, Arts & Science Council, Atkins Library at University of North Carolina, Charlotte, Goodyear Arts, Carolina Raptor Center, Charlotte Symphony and the McColl Center for Art + Innovation.

info: g.co/explorecharlotte.

info: stampouthate.sc. affa-sc.org.

Park named after trans activist

In a first for New York state, a waterfront park in Manhattan will be named after LGBTQ civil rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, People magazine reported. The transgender person of color was memorialized as one of the prominent leaders of the Stonewall Uprising in 1969.

info: bit.ly/3gJk2dC.

Google celebrates the QC

The third city in the U.S. and the first one in the South, Charlotte, N.C. has been chosen

by Google to be featured on its global Arts & Culture website. Among those places and faces that viewers can explore are artist John W. Love, Jr., a virtual field trip at the Levine Museum of the New South, a lesson in the city’s Civil Rights Movement, public artworks, and more. Google Arts & Culture Charlotte partners

Sept. 4-17, 2020

qnotes

9

life

COVID-19: Its Journey Since December 2019 A Look at Reported Specs and a Firsthand Account from an N.C. Gay Couple

BY David AAron Moore | Guest Contributor

I

would cough she would take her nitially it was reported that the first mask off. I believe this is where we cases of a flu-like disease came were initially exposed.” from a Chinese province called Within two days Costales began Wuhan in December 2019. to feel the effects. Five days later he This, while now in question, led to was tested for COVID. Two days later the naming of the seventh coronavithe results come back as positive. rus known to exist.

While attending physicians felt his C = China symptoms were not bad enough for O = Origin him to be hospitalized, both men

VI = Virus agree now that was a mistake.

D = December Over the next week, Costales’ 19 = 2019 symptoms continued to grow worse Speculation about COVID-19 ran while McCann says he experienced rampant. It was a laboratory experiwhat he describes as similar to the ment that got out of control. It was impact of a bad cold. a biochemical weapon. It mutated On June 25, the men consulted from bats and snakes eaten at an with their general practitioner, who outdoor market from its purported told Costales to return to the hospoint of origin. pital immediately. He was admitted In early February stories began June 26 and placed into an intensive to emerge about disease-stricken care unit. passengers aboard a cruise liner “I should have been admitted known as the Diamond Princess. sooner,” Costales recalls. “But since Reports carried by international some of the symptoms of COVID news showed images of people are the same as the side effects of seemingly trapped in quarantine chemo, I was given chemo treatment aboard the ship. measures. The delay was almost a Eventually, the passengers were week of COVID symptoms that were released in a manner that, in hindnearly too late to treat. sight, could best be described as “If my admission had been chaotic and haphazard. Some simply delayed any further, even by just walked off the ship and got into a a matter of hours, ventilation and taxi, while others were flown in limeven death could have been very ited quarantine fashion from Japan real outcomes. Certainly ICU care back to the United States.

Brian McCann (left) and Tom Costales have been navitating the travails of COVID-19, hospitalizations and recovery. and the long hospital stay would not Fragmented recollections such (Photo Credit: Brian McCann) have occurred if earlier treatment as these, thought to tell the story of was conducted.” the initial introduction of COVID-19 Now let’s look at the story close to home. In North While contact-tracing has been a into the United States, now seem like Carolina, practically 165,000 cases have been reported, significant point of interest for many, that did not seem to ancient history, although just under seven months have with just under 3,000 deaths. be the case for the hospital staff the two men worked with. passed.

In South Carolina, the total number of people with “We offered our suspicions of where and how we conSince that time, world culture has seemingly turned confirmed cases is currently just under 115,000, with contracted COVID, and they were met almost dismissively. We upside down. firmed deaths also close to 3,000. asked about this response, and while it was not lack of inGlobally and locally, individuals are encouraged to North Carolina residents and married couple Brian terest, it was found that even the most clear-cut instances stay at home and refrain from travel. While U.S. President McCann and Tom Costales know first-hand how devastatof transmission could be easily disproved or found not to Donald Trump remains defiant about wearing a protecing the impact of COVID-19 can truly be. Both men became be the true source of transmission.” tive mask and pushes unproven treatments, scientists infected and extremely ill, were hospitalized, fought the As the next week passed, Costales battled for his life in and physicians are hard at work to educate the populaillness and have lived to tell their stories. the Intensive Care Unit at WakeMed Cary Hospital. tion about the importance of protective gear and habits, McCann is a real estate broker. Husband Costales is a McCann, although likely positive and exhibiting sympwhile biochemical companies scramble to come up software quality engineer. The two met online in 2005 via toms, is not yet sick enough for hospitalization. with a vaccine. Many businesses have closed, countless Yahoo personals.

He continues to weather out the storm at home with individuals have lost their jobs and means of support, “We corresponded for several weeks and eventually updates from caretakers regarding Costales’ status. social activities have come to a standstill and students made that initial phone call,” McCann recalls. “We discov“I started getting phone calls from ICU doctors and have been forced to receive education via the Internet or ered how our paths had crossed earlier in our lives. We nurses saying his condition is critical and ... there’s a good television broadcasts. grew up in the same town, went to the same church and chance he won’t make it.

Meanwhile, the numbers of infected and dead have discovered our dads played tennis together.

“I needed to prepare myself for not seeing him again,” continued to tic ever upward.

“Eventually we met face-to-face in Monterey Bay, because visitation is not allowed.

According to details from the Centers for Disease Calif. and found the basic ingredients of a very successful “The idea of never seeing him again is just too much Control and Prevention and the World Health relationship. Six months after our first date, we moved in for my brain to comprehend. Meanwhile I was coughing Organization, COVID-19 mutated ever-so-slightly once it together. We’ve been together ever since.” constantly and struggling more and more to breathe. began to spread across the United States and Europe, creIn October of 2008 the couple married in California.

“Then the calls from the hospital’s palliative care team ating a strain that was reportedly 10 times more infectious Since 2016 the two have made their home in Cary, N.C. start coming in. They want to know what kind of life than what was originally discovered in China.

Prior to the couple’s battle with COVID-19, Costales support instructions I have. Do I know what Tom wants?

Of course, all of the information told in the introduchad been waging a health battle of his own with esophaI know the calls are to prepare me for the worst and to tory section of this story is culled from various intergeal cancer. reinforce the reality of the situation, but I didn’t apprecinational reports. qnotes worked hard to find details While not an extremely aggressive cancer, his treatate them and even though it was supposed to help me from sources believed to be accurate and non-biased. ments did require multiple rounds of chemotherapy, somehow, it didn’t.”

However, with world reaction to the pandemic as it has which left him with a compromised immune system Four days later McCann’s situation had worsened to been, it can be difficult to weed through details and and more susceptible to various infections than most. the point that he called an ambulance and had himself ascertain what is valid, speculative or possibly tainted by Although it is often difficult to tell where the point of infecadmitted. political motivation. tion began, McCann recalls when and where he believes “It was 3:30 in the morning, and I had been waking up As of late August, statistics place the number of cases the initial exposure occurred. every 15 minutes, feeling like I couldn’t breathe.” McCann confirmed around the globe at approximately 25 million, “Tom had his last appointment for chemo and we were with an estimated 840,000 deaths. In the United States both very excited. There was a woman in the waiting room there are nearly six million confirmed cases, and close to ... I remember she kept coughing a lot. Every time she 185,000 deaths. see next page u

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qnotes

Sept. 4-17, 2020

was taken to the same hospital as his husband, where he spent most of the day in an emergency isolation room.

“I was given medication to calm my cough. Finally I was able to breathe again.

Chest X-rays showed that I had COVID-19 pneumonia. The same as Tom, only not as bad. I was checked into a private room less than 100 feet away from Tom in the Intensive Care Unit.”

Over time both men began to improve.

McCann, who was not as ill as his husband, improved at a faster pace.

As with most COVID patients, the two men were initially told they would not be able to see each other.

A caring ICU nurse who became acquainted with them both, decided to step in and override that policy.

Wednesday, July 1, turned out to be a day neither of the men will ever forget.

“The nurse had been thinking about both of us a lot and was convinced that it would help Tom’s recovery for us to see each other,” McCann explained.

“Even knowing that Brian was in the same hospital as I was, I didn’t know where he was or that it was possible for us to see each other,” Costales remembers.

“When they first wheeled him into my room, I wasn’t even sure what was happening was real.”

“They let me stay in his room for three hours,” McCann said. “It was a very powerful moment and a very emotional reunion.”

The following evening McCann was discharged. Costales was allowed to come home six days later, continuing to recover at home via Bluetooth technology and daily visits from in-home nurses. Although a staph infection he picked up during his extended stay there required an additional period of hospitilization, he is now currently back at home and on the mend.

Of their battle with the disease, both men have these thoughts to share: “Bear in mind, COVID-19 means you’re alone for all of this,” McCann offers.

“There is no physical contact with family or friends and no one to take care of you. It’s an extremely isolated feeling and at a time when you need help the most.”

Says Costales: “This is like no other virus and has no remote resemblance to a typical virus in terms of contraction or recovery. The threat of full-on symptoms is very real, regardless of any current tactics.

While it diminishes with time, and it may be safe to say that my current threat is over, there is always the possibility of secondary exposure. So [for now] there should never be any relaxing of precautions or guarded measures.” : :

Voting Tips

continued from page 7 For South Carolina voters, sample and absentee ballot information are available online scvotes.gov/absentee-voting for use by voters.

Early Voting

In-person, One-Stop, early voting begins on Oct. 15 and continues through Oct. 31 in North Carolina. During this time, voters are able to cast a ballot in their respective county at a number of early voting locations and fix any problems with their registration. Additionally, this is a time when voters can register and cast their votes on the same day. This is different than Election Day, when voters are required to cast their ballots at their assigned precinct.

Note: There is no same-day registration on Election Day. No matter what, safety procedures will be employed for election officials and voters. For instance, in Mecklenburg County in North Carolina, workers will be equipped with face coverings, there will be frequent cleanings and masks will be provided for all voters who would like them but are not mandatory. Check with local county offices for more details. One suggestion to help things run more smoothly is to download a sample ballot and plan voting selections in advance. Visit vt.ncsbe. gov/reglkup to learn more.

Check South Carolina’s Board of Election’s website for early voting locations at scvotes.gov/data/Precincts.html.

Election Day

Voters across the country will head to the polls on Nov. 3 in order to cast their ballots in person. Due to COVID-19, stringent guidelines are will be observed with regard to social distancing, materials handling, etc. In Mecklenburg County, voters will be given a stylus to use to sign forms and for the purpose of voting. Precinct

workers will wear masks and gloves. Hand sanitizer will be available for use, as well as methods for cleaning equipment, etc.

Plexi-panels will also be used to separate voters from personnel. One thing to note is that lines are expected to be long.

Patience in working through the process under the stressors of the pandemic will serve for a safe voting experience by everyone. Check with local boards of election for polling place hours of operation.

For comprehensive information on voting in South Carolina, visit scvotes.gov.

Vote America is providing voters with assistance in reaching local boards of election offices and election reminders to help make the experience easier. Visit voteamerica.com to learn more.

To ensure that your voice is heard, take the pledge to vote. If you are able, see to it that your family and friends have a way to be part of the “precious privilege” given every U.S. citizen, and that is the power of voting. Carolina Jews for Justice shared a prayer among the organization’s members that seems very timely right now. They suggest that voters say it when voting. It reads: “Blessed are you, Adonai, our God, Ruler of the Universe, for giving us the opportunity to mend the world!”

So, for today and tomorrow, band together under the rainbow’s arching embrace, mend the world with your vote and show strength in numbers by voting for progressive candidates who will take your concerns seriously and will find a way to help shape a future that we ALL can enjoy, not just a few. : : For comprehensive information on voting, including specialized new and features, visit qnotes Turnout Voter Resource Guide supported by Solutions Journalism Network online at goqnotes.com/voter-resource.

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Sept. 4-17, 2020

life

In Memoriam

COVID-19 Community Losses Continue

BY QNotes Staff

I

n March, we started documenting the lives of LGBTQ people who have died from COVID-19. With over 5 Million positive cases and over 180,000 deaths in the U.S., the pandemic continues to impact the country. A lack of LGBTQ-inclusive data makes it difficult to know the full impact of the coronavirus on our community. qnotes will continue to try and honor LGBTQ people who have died from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic.

If you’ve lost a friend or loved one in the LGBTQ community, email chrisrudisill@goqnotes.com.

Maria Mercader

CBS News journalist Maria Mercader died on March 29 in a New York hospital. She was 54. Mercader was a network veteran who covered breaking news for nearly three decades and was the director of talent strategy later in her career.

She was active in coordinating CBS News participation in the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and the National Association of Black Journalists. “Maria Mercader was, I guess, a typical journalist — always asking questions,” said friend and colleague Marcy McGinnis. “But she was anything but typical. Maria asked questions, not because she was producing a story, but because she wanted to know about you and your life.”

Anthony Brooks and Phillip Tsai-Brooks

Married six years ago, Texas councilman Anthony Brooks and his husband Phillip TsaiBrooks died two days apart after contracting COVID-19. Brooks, 42, died on April 12 and TsaiBrooks, 52, died on April 14. Live Oak Councilman Anthony Brooks was an employee at San Antonio Military Medical Center and a military veteran. His husband, Phillip, was a local business owner. The two were both active in the San Antonio-area community. Their deaths have helped raise national awareness about the threat of the virus. Robert Tsai, one of Phillip’s brothers, told NBC affiliate WOAI-TV that their deaths “should serve as a warning that the coronavirus can be deadly, even to those who are otherwise healthy and relatively young.”

Shahin Shahablou

Award-winning gay photojournalist Shahin Shahablou died on April 15 in a London hospital. He was 56. The freelance photojournalist did work for Amnesty International and Cooltan Arts. Shahablou was raised in Iran and fled in 2011 for Britain where he gained refugee status. Prior to this he was a well-respected photographer for two decades, exhibiting his work in solo shows in Iran and India and was a board member of the Iranian Photojournalists Association. Many of his subjects were from the LGBTQ community. In the 1980s, he was once imprisoned for more than two years for being a member of a dissident group.

Dr. Kenneth Lewes

Influential scholar Dr. Kenneth Lewes died on April 17 in New York. He was 76. He challenged views of homosexuality with his book “The Psychoanalytic Theory of

Male Homosexuality” (1988).

He defied the previous ideas that being gay was an illness and explored the psychiatric profession’s “century-long history of homophobia.” His book’s title was later changed to “Psychoanalysis and Male Homosexuality” in later editions and has been credited as a major force in shaping social acceptance of homosexuality.

He was a professor of Renaissance Literature at Rutgers University and received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Michigan in 1982.

Beth Salamensky

Former Los Angeles attorney Beth Salemensky died on April 17 in Chicago, Ill. She was 43. As a lesbian whose relatives had vanished from her life, she found a new family at Beth Chayim Chadashim, a queer synagogue in Los Angeles, where she moved after graduating law school in 2002. After moving back to her hometown in the Chicago area to care for her mother who was later institutionalized, she was left essentially homeless after the family home was liquidated to pay for care. Following a call to Reboot, a progressive Jewish non-profit, four strangers showed up to make sure she would not be buried alone. “I thought it was really important to be here,” said one of those “dedicated mourners” in a Chicago Sun Times story. “I’m a lesbian and wanted to represent that, and also Jewish. I thought it was important that she have a sister here, that she was represented.”

Dosha “DJay” Joi

Youth advocate Dosha “DJay” Joi died on May 14 in Milwaukee, Wisc. He was 28. He was part of a group that successfully lobbied for a law that allows young people eligible for special education to remain in foster care until age 21. He testified on behalf of a change in state law that eliminated work permits for 16- and 17-year-olds and fought for changes in Wisconsin child welfare law. Joi identified as queer and championed greater rights for the LGBTQ community. “He knew about his efficacy and his importantance and his purpose,” said U.S. Congresswoman Gwen Moore who became close to Joi when he shadowed her at the U.S. Capitol as part of a program for foster youth. Just before his death, Joi was honored by Kids Matter, Inc. where he had volunteered for more than four years as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, commonly known as CASA. Moore and U.S. Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, have introduced the Dosha Joi Immediate Coverage for Former Foster Youth Act that will, if passed, immediately ensure that eligible former foster youth have access to Medicaid until the age of 26.

James J. Smith

Dubbed “the Father of Gay Pride” in Staten Island, N.Y., James Smith died on June 28. He was 79.

He served in the U.S. Coast Guard, was a founding member of the Pride Center of Staten Island and co-founded the Miss Staten Island Pageant. Professionally, Smith

was an addiction counselor and worked in the Office of Addiction Services and Supports at the South Beach Psychiatric Center. He also was a regular blogger for the Staten Island Advance, writing about gay life on the Island.

Durvi Martinez

Vermont farmworker and Migrant Justice activist Durvi Martinez died on July 1, three months after being deported to Mexico. They were 32. According to a GoFundMe.com page to support the family’s hospital and funeral expenses, Martinez, a transgender woman, suffered severe violence before immigrating to the U.S. and was deported despite a pending asylum claim. Migrant Justice referred to them as “a brave and outspoken advocate for immigrant and LGBTQ rights” in a statement following their death. “Durvi will be remembered as a loving and supportive friend.” The organization is claiming that Martinez contracted the virus while in detention and was denied medication, weakening their immune system. Martinez was a frequent participant in Migrant Justice protests and events, including marches for the release of other detained farmworkers.

Rev. Vickey Gibbs

Progressive pastor in Houston, Texas, Rev. Vickey Gibbs died on July 10. She was 57. According to a profile on CNN, her last sermon described what she called a fractured nation, and the impact that the coronavirus was having on her community. Rev. Gibbs was ordained in December 2014 at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church and became the associate pastor in 2015. Her passion for social justice extended outside of the church, calling out racism in daily life and participating in countless marches and events in the city. She was diagnosed with lupus at a young age and had exceeded her life expectancy, according to her wife Cassandra White.

Houston-based Out Smart Magazine said, “Houston lost one of its most powerful pastoral voices.”

Rev. Clay Ollis

Community leader and former managing editor of qnotes, Rev. Clay Ollis of Kings Mountain, N.C. died on Aug. 19. He was 55. Rev. Dawn Flynn, the pastor at New Life MCC in Gastonia, N.C., said that Ollis was a “dear friend and dedicated practitioner.” He was a member of MCC Charlotte and New Life MCC for many years. At New Life, he served as the choir director, music director, vice moderator and was a on the Board of Directors. He loved music and was a frequent soloist. Ollis served as managing editor of qnotes from May 2000 through June 2001. Rev. Paul Whiting said on Facebook that the community is “missing some beautiful music today” upon his death. : : Photo Credits: Maria Mercader, CBS; Anthony Brooks and Phillip Tasi-Brooks, Facebook; Shahin Shahablou, Instragam; Dr. Kenneth Lewes, penlibrary.org; Beth Salamensky, Facebook; Dosha “Djay” Joi, Twitter; James J. Smith, Staten Island Advance; Durvi Martinez, Migrant Justice; Rev. Vickey Gibbs, Metropolitan Community Church; Rev. Clay Ollis, personal archives.

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Starting a Business During a Pandemic Legal Eagles: Might Not Be as Crazy as It Sounds

BY Sara Shariff, attorney | guest WRITER

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f you’ve thought about starting a business but never had the time, or found other excuses to keep you from taking the initial leap, consider this (now) to be a sign to go for it, even during the pandemic.

Whether it is because you were laid off from your last employment, unhappy with your current job or just want more control over your time and work, starting a business lets you be your own boss. This is particularly beneficial considering the obstacles and challenges LGBTQ individuals face in the job market, including discrimination in the workplace.

The recent landmark Supreme Court case decision in June gave a major win for the LGBTQ community by barring employers from discriminating based on sexual orientation.

The Justices decided that discrimination based on sexual or gender orientation is prohibited because it is ultimately discrimination based on “sex.” This allows LGBTQ individuals to be protected under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. While this new federal law is a significant victory, this unfortunately does not mean that the issue of LGBTQ employment discrimination is completely gone now.

There are some possible loopholes: if an employer has a religious reason for not hiring or terminating an LGBTQ employee, the employer may claim it has a protected religious exemption which would allow it to do so. The fight for equality is not over yet, and there are still injustices and prejudices which make it harder for LGBTQ individuals to excel in the standard job system.

The overall uncertainties about employment, because of discrimination concerns or business closures and downsizing due to COVID-19, are all the more reason to start a business, whether it’s your full-time gig or a side hustle.

There is a risk to starting a business, but there are also currently uncertainties and instability with employment.

Should you be cautious and do your research? Yes, of course, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t unique benefits to becoming an entrepreneur in our current economy.

Now, more than ever, the accessibility of resources is a tremendous benefit to prospective entrepreneurs. There are endless books, podcasts, blogs and websites which can guide you through the beginning steps of starting a business. A

consuming to research all great place to start is the Small of the initial considerations, Business Administration’s licenses, registrations and resource web page (bit. business forms you will ly/3hE0qsz). The pandemic has need to start your business. forced us into a world of virThat said, it’s much easier tual interactions, but this also to start a business with all means you and your potential of the correct filings, rather customers aren’t restricted than facing delays and by geography and can meet needing amendments to people, access information make sure the business is and order goods and services created properly. from home. Maintaining low For instance, you can overhead costs initially is one consult with an attorney of the most common pieces of During the COVID-19 pandemic, people may be faced with and a tax accountant advice for new businesses, and job loss, coupled with stress, but can use the time to explore regarding what would be this is much easier to do when starting up a business. Planning is essential to achieve goals. the best structure for your the new normal is for people to business model, whether work from home. it’s an LLC, C Corp, S Corp or Non-Profit. Other considerYou can learn a lot about what to do by paying attention ations may depend on what type of service or product you to what not to do. Even established corporations are realizing are offering. If you are creating a new product, you might there are flaws with how their business is structured, providneed to check if there are any patents, copyrights or tradeing a learning opportunity and a market opening for more marks already filed for that product or design. The right efficient competitors. This was one of the first economic realset of advisors can help prevent issues from arising and izations during the pandemic when larger supply chain commake sure you can start your business smoothly. panies were unable to adjust after international shipments Plan ahead for your funding. Companies need to think were halted, opening the market to smaller businesses that long-term if they want to be successful in our changing econprovide locally sourced goods. That’s just one example of omy. Find investors, get crowdfunding or use the bootstraphow the market and business models will need to change ping approach to start your business. You need to plan for in the long run. If entrepreneurs stay informed about new some inconsistencies in cash flow and know that it will take consumer needs and create a sustainable business model, time to get your business off the ground. However, there are they can help fill the gaps in our current system. currently lower interest rates for borrowers, remote working Intrigued? Here are things to keep in mind: can help minimize overhead costs and e-commerce has Don’t hesitate to launch an innovative business. reduced costs for equipment and product inventory, which People are looking for change, and consumers are open overall makes this a perfect time to get started. : : to new business models. There is a growth in consumer consciousness, and many people care more about quality Sara Shariff is an attorney with Hull and Chandler in Charlotte goods and services rather than just hyper-efficiency. who practices business law and estate planning law. Her fields Consult with advisors. There are many legal and financial of expertise include business formation, contracts, corporate considerations when forming a new business, which a busitransitions and mergers and acquisitions. ness attorney and other advisors can help you with. It’s time-

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‘Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw’ Out in Print

BY terri schlichenmeyer | CONTRIBUTING WRITER “Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw”

by Charles Leerhsen ©2020, Simon & Schuster $28.00 304 pages

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hat man there? He’s just a nice guy.

Kind and generous, respectful and friendly, he’s a true gentleman, and he’s never judgmental.

He loves children and animals, truth and honor. He’s a good sport, a good man — and in the new book “Butch Cassidy” by Charles Leerhsen, he’s a good shot, too.

Eight years before the film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was released in 1969, the last of Cassidy’s Wild Bunch “went into the ground.” Her name was Laura Bullion and, says Leerhsen, she was one of a small handful of female groupies who followed the outlaw gang, led by the man played by Paul Newman.

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“It was easy,” Leerhsen says “to be smitten by Cassidy...”

Born Robert Parker in a tiny cabin in Beaver, Utah, Cassidy grew up uninterested in both his parents farm, and his ancestors’ Mormon religion. He was too fun-loving, too full of mischief and an appreciation for guns, horses and gambling to settle down — and yet, unlike many Wild West scoundrels, he was well-read, kind and goodhearted which, in the hearts and minds of Old West citizens, set him apart from all the others during his life of crime.

Later, though apparently not deceitfully, he began using “Cassidy” as a surname, alternating with his given name.

Despite its appeal as an American legend, the story of Butch Cassidy and Harry “Sundance” Longabaugh might’ve merely enfolded into history, were it not for Hollywood — although Tinseltown messed with the myth. Reel men and real men were two different things and, says Leerhsen, it’s possible that Sundance wasn’t Cassidy’s best friend. Their bones may not lie in South America and historians believe that Cassidy may have been bisexual; indeed, Cassidy’s mother commented on it. About the bank heists, train robberies and horse thefts: Cassidy was a criminal, but was Hollywood correct in portraying him as an “extraordinary human being?”

“Oddly enough,” says Leerhsen, “the answer, it seems, is yes...”

Thankfully, that doesn’t mean a clichéd riding-off-intothe-sunset scene inside “Butch Cassidy.” There’s no such sentimentality here; instead, you’ll find lots of delightful set-you-rights and the chance to meet a roguish scoundrel who’s hard to historically hate — a notion that many of Cassidy’s victims would have surprisingly agreed with.

In explaining why that’s so, author Leerhsen shows why Cassidy’s exploits loomed so large in the West but were then largely forgotten for so long. In this, readers may get the sense that the movie memorializing didn’t please Leerhsen, and that he is no fan of the general Hollywoodization of history.

But that’s one small part of what’s here. The real appeal of this book — what’s fully half the fun of it — is the sense that Leerhsen isn’t just telling this tale. He’s growling it, grizzled-like, perhaps over campfire and cowpoke stew, surrounded by rustled cattle.

Absolutely, historians will want this book. For sure, L’Amour and McMurtry fans will enjoy it. As for lovers of a good tale, well, if you want something different to close out the summer, “Butch Cassidy” will be a nice change : :.

life

Raw versus Cooked Food

Health & Wellness: How Heat Affects Nutrition

BY Jack Kirven | qnotes contributor

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nutrition available in many instances. Raw toutrition often gets overly complicated matoes are an excellent source of Vitamin C by well-intending people. Sometimes we and Vitamin A. But lycopene is an important are told an entire category of food is bad — antioxidant that cannot be accessed until the fear of fat in the latter half of the twenheat is applied. So yes, enjoy your marinara tieth century is a good example. In avoiding and catsup. Both forms of tomato are healthsome foods that would otherwise be just ful, but each for different reasons. fine, we end up with nightmare products like margarine. Please tell me you aren’t still using margarine! Also, unless you’re allergic, Cooking food makes it toxic eggs are amazing.

No. That is just a no. No. From what I There are so many diets and styles of could tell speaking to this raw vegan, he was eating, and people can get very emotionally extrapolating based on trans fatty acids. invested in their strategies. I have found that Fats have smoking points. Each fat begins to people become as defensive about food be reconfigured by heat at different temas they do about politics. It’s really quite peratures. The smoking point of a fat is the strange, especially if there isn’t an allergy, temperature at which a lipid changes its moaversion or religious/moral proscription lecular alignments and becomes a dreaded causing the limitations. Some vegans, in trans fatty acid. For that reason there are particular, come to mind, but also ravenous some fats that are not at all suitable for carnivores. What I just realized in writing cooking. Olive oil is an example of this: You that is that whether it be an extreme toward should not cook with olive oil. Use it for salad plants or an extreme toward flesh, food can dressing or cold prepared dips. Coconut oil is become a dangerous topic at the dinner fine for medium heat, but do not use sometable. Odd, yes? thing with a lower smoking point than lard or Cooking tomatoes helps to release the antioxident lycopene. In raw form it is an excellent source Another curiously defensive stance can vegetable oil for high heat. of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. come from people who are bound and He took this principle and applied it determined to eat junk food and who abhor across the board to all foods at all times. It is “rabbit food.” Like… okay. I love some junk misguided. True: Over-processing or adding tartare and cured meats. I see no problem whatsoever food, too. But all the time? chemicals to food is questionable. Yes, avoid overcooking with this; however, this man is a raw vegan, and that poses And now I have encountered someone who is particuyour food. Boiling vegetables into goop is not only disgustsome issues to be aware of. larly adamant about a raw vegan version of the Paleo Diet. I ing, it is also destructive to the nutrients. But this person There is no vertebrate I know of on the planet that can would caution you against believing phrases like, “this is the was trying to say that any cooking turns carbohydrates digest fiber. Bioflora in the digestive tract help to extract most natural way to eat,” regardless of the style. Eskimos and proteins into carcinogens. It is true that burned food nutrition from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains and have survived for thousands of years on raw fish and is unhealthy for that reason, but how often are you charlegumes. Chewing and saliva break through cell walls, but blubber. People in places with extended growing seasons ring your strawberries? I mean, really? Carrots are a good without helpful bacteria, we cannot fully access all the sometimes develop a food culture that avoids meat entirely. example of a food that has more bioavailable nutrition nutrition from plants, especially when raw. Cooking allows Humans can survive on a wide variety of foods. We are neionce it has been reduced a little with heat. Don’t boil them more of the energy and nutrients from food to reach ther herbivores nor carnivores. We are omnivores. Ignore arto death, just heat them until they are tender. our bodies. Similarly, many meats are also more easily guments that direct you toward our pointy teeth or our long digested when heat has begun the process of breaking intestinal system. It seems odd that in making the argument It is frustrating when someone takes small kernels of down proteins (not to mention the role cooking plays in for meat or plants being the healthier option, these people truth and explodes them out to make strange claims. I killing pathogens). Accessing protein is always one of the overlook the fact that we have traits to digest both. would encourage you to focus on as much variety as poschiefest concerns for vegans, and eating raw plants all but Something my mother had introduced me to is a raw sible. Whether it be plant or animal foods, every option prevents much of the plant protein from being absorbed. diet. She doesn’t evangelize it, so I never really thought of has its own perks and gaps. A wide array on your menu If you do want to be vegan, I highly recommend you conit as much more than yet another one of her odd nutrition fills in all those blanks and creates synergy as nutrients sider the potential problems you might face following a experiments. Watching her eat eggs makes me slightly often help absorb each other. Yes, eat some foods raw raw regimen on top of that. panicky, but she knows better than to tell me to eat them and some cooked. But be cautious about trying to eat like that way. But I tried to have a conversation about it with a Neanderthal. They went extinct for many reasons. : : Raw food has more nutrition a die-hard advocate, and I found he made some startling The argument here is that without the application of claims. I would like to look at some of them.

Jack Kirven completed the MFA in Dance at UCLA, and earned heat more of the nutrients in a food will be preserved, certification as a personal trainer through NASM. His wellness especially water soluble vitamins (which can be destroyed philosophy is founded upon integrated lifestyles as opduring cooking). I agree: Prolonged and/or high heat Raw is food in its natural form posed to isolated workouts. Visit him at jackkirven.com and obliterates nutrients. But low and medium heats do not There is no argument that we can eat raw foods. We do INTEGRE8Twellness.com. cause so much damage, and cooking actually makes more it all the time with fruits, salads, crudité, seeds, nuts, sushi,

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Adults Keep Secrets While Children Tell Their Parents Everything Tell Trinity

BY Trinity | CONTRIBUTING WRITER Hello Trinity, After 15 years with my partner, I have kept my extra love affairs to myself. But lately, I feel guilty that my partner is so innocent, honest and monogamous. However, I know my partner will leave me the second I tell the truth! I am trapped between good and evil. What do you think?

Truth or Dare, Albany, NY Hello Truth or Dare, Now I know I’ve seen this question somewhere. Ah, here it is in the book called, “How to Screw Up a Great Thing with Your Big Mouth!” In the chapter called “Ruining Someone’s Life,” it says here that, “When you tell someone you love something that will ruin their life, then you must decide between ruining it, or not! Thus, if it ain’t broken, don’t break it, just fix it!”

Remember, sweetie, adults have secrets while children tell their parents everything!

Hugs, Trinity

Dearest Resort, Being comfortable in your own skin and letting others be comfortable or uncomfortable in theirs is definitely a powerful gift.

Yet, I understand that as competition for the “sexiest” package continues to be paramount in the gay community, whether to embrace it or embargo it continues to be a dilemma! So for now, darling, you be YOUR natural gay self and let others be their testosterone gay self, and I promise you will be the better for it! It may be time for

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Sept. 4-17, 2020

Dear Not Sleeping, Listen closely to these key words, “out of state,” “boyfriend,” “two weeks,” “can’t live without you!” These words scream dysfunction, disappointment and heartbreak!

Honey, you’re about to be awarded the crown for a contest called, “America’s Most Dysfunctional,” and you’re not even aware that you entered it! So, keep repeating after me, “Stay centered and in control. This is not real. This is just a moment in time that will end.” Snap out of it!

Kisses, Trin.

Dear Loading, While most baseball games have just four bases, the dating game has a few more. So here’s:

space starting at $22: call qnotes for details 704.531.9988

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Dear Trinity.

I’ve been dating the same guy every day for the past two weeks. He’s visiting from out of state and has a boyfriend he also calls his roommate. Now he tells me he “can’t live without me,” and I feel the same. I don’t sleep or go anywhere without my cell phone. Help?

Not Sleeping, Ann Arbor, MI

Hey Trinity, I’m new to the dating game, and I’m having trouble figuring out what the “bases” are. Any suggestions for someone new to the baseball/dating game?

Thanks, Bases Loading, Madison, WI

Dearest Trinity, Vacationing at gay-friendly resorts is something I’ve done for years. But gay resorts seem more like body building competitions.

What happened to celebrating diversity?

The Last Resort, Atlanta, GA

Q-mmunity

YOU to embrace diversity! (Some moments in life are “ahah” ones while others are just “ho-hum.” See my cartoon for a possible enlightened view.)

Trinity’s Major League Bats, Balls and Bases for the Dating Game

Batter Up: START with a smart or seductive nod or gesture but no jumping up and down!

Approach Field: Say MORE than just, “Hello!” And don’t be arrogant!

Test Swing: INVITE your new acquaintance for “Coffee?,” “Tea?” or “A little bit of me!”

Take Position: PLACING one hand on their shoulder, knee or arm will let you know if they are charmed OR alarmed!

Ball One: Make PLANS to seduce... I mean to see each other again!

Ball Two: Have a first and second DATE to lunch or dinner.

Ball Three: Invite your date HOME for a drink, to taste your “special” brownies or a mini massage. But don’t reveal your S&M dungeon, just yet!

Steal First: Sharing a bottle of WINE and making lots of toasts promises that you’ll be, “the host getting the most!”

Steal Second and Third: FINALLY, it’s time for groping, grabbing, necking and throwing each other down... I mean rolling around!

Homerun: All out, uninhibited (but protected) SEX, including sound effects, role playing and a ticker-tape parade! : : With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity hosted “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama performed globally, and is now minister of sponsor, WIG: Wild Inspirational Gatherings, wigministries.org, Gay Spirituality for the Next Generation! Learn more at telltrinity.com.

Send emails to: trinity@telltrinity.com.

Sept. 4-17, 2020

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Sex During COVID Tips for Gay and Bisexual Men

BY MPact Global Action | Guest Contributor MPact is closely following developments regarding the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease, and particularly its impact on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men around the world. MPact has provided short infomational notes with resources on a variety of topics, which can be found at mpactglobal.org/covid-19

S

ex can be affirming, pleasurable and positive for a range of health-related reasons including stress reduction. It is also an opportunity to (re)discover our bodies. Like many gay and bisexual men, you might be wondering about sex during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some tips to help you make choices that are right for you:

Knowledge is power.

COVID-19 is highly transmissible. The virus is airborne through droplets when a person coughs or sneezes, meaning it can be transmitted from talking, singing or shouting. The virus is found in saliva, mucus and feces. Having this knowledge can help you make informed choices about your sexual and social activities.

Get (re)acquainted with yourself.

Masturbation is always your safest option. Take this time to (re)discover parts of your body you may not have

known were erogenous zones. It is also a strategy for being present, getting centered and staying in the moment.

Add porn and/or sex toys to the mix.

Porn with or without your favorite sex toys will help expand your horizons as you continue to blaze new exploratory trails.

Keep it wet.

Wash your hands and any sex toys you may want to use with soap and water for 20 seconds or more before and after use.

The wetter the better!

Phone a “friend.”

Consider bringing others to your masturbation sessions via phone, text or video. Use your favorite sex app or encrypted platform for one-on-one or group meet-ups. Know about the risks that come with sex online, including privacy, safety and security violations, especially if you are going nude on cam.

Put on a show.

If you live with your sex partner(s) and one or more of you travel for work, wear a mask at all times when outside the home.

If you choose to keep your distance from one another at home, you can watch each other get off. Mutual masturbation is a great way to get in touch with your inner exhibitionist or voyeur.

Form a sex pod and keep it closed.

If you do choose to have sex with others, limit sex to live-in and known sex partners.

Alternatively, define your quarantine hookups and reduce the number of sex partners you have. Small, closed sex pods or bubbles are good alternatives to large sex parties.

Engage in chats with your partners about protection against COVID before you decide to meet in person, each time.

Discuss what’s on and off the menu.

Since the virus has been found in saliva and feces, kissing, rimming or any other sexual activity involving ass to mouth and mouth to mouth, contact may raise the risk of acquiring or transmitting COVID-19.

Communicating the ins and outs of your play session is key.

Mask for Mask.

Wearing a mask during sex might not only reduce COVID-19 transmission, but it could also be really fucking hot! It is also a good time to get creative with other physical barriers — creating your own “glory hole” can be fun.

Remember the 4 ‘Cs’ of sex.

Communication, Consent, Choice and Community are helpful guides during sex.

Openly discuss your COVID-adaptive strategies with your potential partners so you can collectively assess risk and come to agreements together. Always get consent from your partners before having sex. Be respectful of other people’s rights to make choices that work for them, even if they differ from your own. Be mindful of how your sexual choices can impact your wider community.

HIV and other STIs are still disproportionately affecting gay and bisexual men in every part of the world. Stay informed and use the tools at our disposal. This includes HIV/STI testing, condoms, lube, PrEP and PEP. If you are living with HIV or on PrEP, stock-up on your antiretroviral medications if you can, as multi-month dispensing of your meds might now be available where you live.

If COVID-19 testing is available where you live, get tested. If you and/or your sex partner(s) are not feeling well, save sex for another day. And keep yourself and others informed.

More resources that can help are found online at bit.ly/2QIH9u2. : :

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Our People: Mike Hargett

Local Entrepreneur, Owner of Detour Coffeebar

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wner of the Detour Coffeebar Truck, Mike Hargett, is a local entrepreneur in Charlotte. For the majority of his life, he worked in corporate America doing office work. After growing tired of his office job, he decided to look into other avenues of employment.

Mike had previously worked as a barista at Border’s Books and also had a dream of opening a coffee truck. So, he started researching the process of going into business and also enrolled in business classes at the local community college. His efforts paid off in the end, as his dream of a coffee truck came true last October with the opening of the Detour Coffeebar truck.

Can you briefly explain how the Detour Coffeebar was born?

Working in the corporate environment, I felt I was losing the connection with real people and community — a connection I recalled from prior bookstore barista roles.

What’s your favorite thing about coffee?

My favorite thing about coffee is actually not coffee — it’s the community, the conversations, the creativity. It’s amazing how much a cup of coffee connects us all, no matter what background or zip code or political views. It’s truly amazing.

BY Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff Writer In an NBA article published earlier this month you said, “If there’s passion, make sure there’s education behind it.”

I said that? Sounds like me! LOL! Can you elaborate a little more on this statement? Do you feel your business would not have thrived the way it has if you hadn’t gotten the necessary education?

I think passion can only get you so far.

Passion is fuel for the vehicle, and we all need fuel. But education is the underthe-hood mechanics that keeps us wellmaintained.

Can you briefly compare your life now to before when working in corporate America?

I think I felt a little powerless and at the mercy of a blurred hierarchy. At times it felt that titles superseded the actual work and that is no longer the case. Yes, I have more control, but I have considerably more risk… which, when it works, is truly rewarding!

What’s been the biggest change of all since you’ve started your venture and left your corporate job? Is there anything you miss about your previous position?

One of the biggest changes is that “nothing is guaranteed” is even more true. If I miss anything, it would be the steady paycheck! And the benefits — PTO went from meaning Paid Time Off to Play Time Over.

What advice do you have for individuals thinking of becoming an entrepreneur like yourself?

I’m only a year into this, so I don’t have a lot of advice. I’m still learning and still hopeful! I think any new entrepreneurs should definitely pace themselves and weigh out ALL options.

What’s your favorite Detour Coffeebar menu item?

We’re transitioning from summer to fall menus but the ’90s menu is close to my heart! I play a ’90s song every week when I post the weekly schedule so things like Destiny’s Chai and Boyz II Mint are just fun and something different and unexpected.

In your opinion, why is it so important to celebrate and advocate for diversity?

Diversity keeps us interested and creative. Celebrating diversity is celebrating humanity. We won’t learn about human-

ity if we’re not accepting and advocating for diversity.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

If resources weren’t an issue? I’d say travel writing!

What are three words that describe you best?

Determined, motivated and inspired. : :

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