QNotes, September 18, 2020

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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Sept. 18-Oct. 1, 2020

inside this issue

Sept. 18-Oct. 1, 2020 Vol 35 No 11

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feature

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Mykah Buff, Cal Cunningham, Rev. Vance Haywood, Kendra R. Johnson, Jack Kirven, Cade Lee, Lainey Millen, Stanley, Popovich, Chris Rudisill, Gregg Shapiro, Trinity, Jim Yarbrough

front page

Graphic Design by Chris Rudisill Photography/Illustration: FURnace

10 Setting Bar for Generosity

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

The Chicks are still going strong and are continuing to bring relevant and timely lyrical themes to their musical offerings. They have not missed out on opportunities to share their messages, be it as a group or on their own.

6 Youth Suicide 6 Voter Safety Protection 6 News Briefs 7 SCEPAC Endorsements 7 Pride: Durham, NC 8 Interim Board Tries to Move MeckPAC Forward

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Mission:

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

Still Chirping

news

16 18

Tell Trinity Still Chirping

life 11 Bears, Bears… Everywhere — NOT 13 Public Health Workers Stand Behind Contact Tracing 19 Our People: J. Clapp

views 4 NAACP Election Important to LGBTQ+ Community 5 The Story of North Carolina Belongs to All of Us 5 Election 2020: Now, Never 14 Spiritual Reflections: Be Community 15 Mental Health: Being an Introvert vs. Social Anxiety 17 Coronavirus Journal

events Our calendar will return once events begin again.

Our People: J. Clapp

For someone who spends valuable time working with community social justice and organizational efforts and enterprises, J. Clapp also has invested time in dealing with important issues as part of their drag performances and work.

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Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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NAACP Election Important to LGBTQ+ Community Op-Ed

BY Cade Lee | Guest Contributor

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of us. For me — at the time a very angry, rom day one, Rev. Corine Mack concerned, and closeted LGBTQ+ person has led the Charlotte-Mecklenburg — Rev. Mack taught me the complexities of NAACP with a progressive lens. Her politics in this area and showed me what election as president of the Charlotteit truly means to fight for others. You see, Mecklenburg NAACP in January 2015 Mack represents that which we all hope to marked the start of an intersectional embody: tolerance, love and a passion for and inclusive path forward for the justice for all people. entrenched civil rights organization.

Long before Rev. Mack and I crossed Fast forward to today, when Rev. Mack paths, she was fighting for progressive is running for reelection. As a recently issues that many leaders wouldn’t dare out bisexual man in Mecklenburg speak of. As soon as she assumed the County, it is especially important to me presidency of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg that we have leaders in place who will NAACP, Mack took bold stances in favor fight with an intersectional lens for all of LGBTQ+ rights and vehemently oppeople, not just a select few. posed the ban on gay marriage that existI met Rev. Mack while I was a gun ed in North Carolina. Mack also continues violence prevention advocate for March Rev. Corine Mack. to support full rights and recognition of For Our Lives. Our paths crossed under (Photo Credit: Charlotte-Mecklenburg trans people in this country. It’s not just extremely grim circumstances as the NAACP via Facebook) the LGBTQ+ community that Rev. Mack throes of gun violence impacted the fights for, though. She has consistently stood up and spoUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte community. Mack ken out against discrimination of our Latinx brothers and was one of the first people to reach out and actually check sisters. At the end of the day, Rev. Mack selflessly fights for on those of us at the university demanding change and an LGBTQ+ and Latinx people because she will always oppose end to senseless gun violence. In the months that followed, the hate and bigotry that fuels discrimination in all forms. she and I worked to implement local gun violence prevention In addition to fighting against discrimination, Rev. Mack strategies and implicit bias training in our community. I came recognizes the obvious intersections of racial and climate to know a leader that wears her heart on her sleeve and fights justice and the need to address environmental racism. She for equality and justice with a strength I’ve seen in few others. is one of the only leaders in this community who consistentWhile many see the inequities that exist for Black and Brown, ly attends meetings surrounding environmental and climate LGBTQ+ and other marginalized communities as an undefeatissues and uses her platform to bring awareness to the inable obstacle, Mack stands up, speaks out and fights for all

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Sept. 18-Oct. 1, 2020

justice and racism that is amplified by the climate crisis. She marches with climate activists and fights for climate action so that my generation and future generations don’t have to.

One of the most incredible qualities of Rev. Mack is her dedication to using faith and activism to heal the people around her. Early in her social justice career, she served as a minister and counseled inmates in the New York prison system. Today, she centers her work around the love she has for all human beings and the need for us to rid this world of the hate that is so prevalent in our society. I truly have not met anyone more dedicated to love and healing than Corine Mack.

We’re reaching a pivotal point in Mecklenburg County.

Many of our local elected officials have failed to be the representative and inclusive leaders they promised to be on the campaign trail. The flames of hate flagrantly fanned through the Republican National Convention show how much work we truly need to do in our community. We need Rev. Corine Mack to remain the president of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP. This is not the time to elect a moderate president, but to allow Rev. Mack to continue her intersectional leadership. There is no one more dedicated to fighting for LGBTQ+ and immigrant rights, racial and climate justice and the basic love and decency that every person deserves.

If you haven’t already, join the Charlotte-Mecklenburg branch of the NAACP today and get ready to cast your informed vote in the coming weeks. Particularly in the LGBTQ+ community, we cannot afford to lose a leader who will not hesitate to go to battle for us any day of the week. : : To learn more about the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP branch, visit charlottenaacp.com.

Election 2020: It’s Now or Never Political Voices

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

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ith less than 50 days between us and the most important election of our lifetimes, we’re kicking into high gear at Equality North Carolina (ENC). On Sept. 9, we launched a “30 Days of Action” campaign called #OutToVote that will provide unique and innovative ways for North Carolinians to plug into our work supporting our 147 proequality candidates across the state (bit.ly/2RhGgZP).

From Town Halls to phone banking to recording videos about the importance of voting, we’re uplifting a call to action for the ENC community every day and invite you to add your voice to the chorus. #OutToVote will lead into a special weekend of activities over National Coming Out Day — the weekend before Early Voting begins on Oct. 15.

We’ve also set up a texting code for you to stay upto-date on all things election 2020. To opt-in, just text “OutToVote” to 79606, and we’ll be in touch!

With so many crucial areas of focus right now, we’d like to provide you with an overview of what we’re putting the most energy into in the months ahead. We hope you’ll join us.

Census 2020: Be Counted Thanks to the Trump administration shortening the deadline, there are only a few short days before you and your loved ones can no longer fill out the census (bit. ly/2FpKYlJ). The deadline for self-response is Sept. 30!

At the time this column was written, North Carolina ranks 37th out the 50 states when it comes to census completion.

This is abysmal and could have a longstanding impact on vulnerable North Carolina communities for the next 10 years.

Millions of Black, Brown, LGBTQ and resource-poor people are relying on a complete count to make sure that their communities receive necessary funding for vital services and infrastructure. We also depend on the census to ensure that our communities get their fair share of representatives in Congress. Communities that are undercounted will be underresourced and underrepresented for the next 10 years.

We know that the chaos of this time may have made the census seem like less of a priority. But, in reality, it is one

of a small number of powerful tools we have to shape the future of our lives on a local level. If you’ve already completed the census — that’s wonderful! Today, we challenge you to ask five people in your life if they’ve also filled it out.

It’s on all of us to make sure that our communities are counted and to leverage every tool we have to make this country a more equitable and compassionate place to live.

Can You Serve As A Poll Worker?

Do you have a few hours to help ensure that our polls are fully staffed and functional this election season?

Equality NC is encouraging LGBTQ folks, especially those who are young and healthy, to become official poll workers with the Board of Elections (bit. ly/2DVD1UW). Currently, we are experiencing poll worker shortages in almost every county across the state.

This is going to be ESSENTIAL to a smooth and fair election as, historically, poll workers tend to be older, retired individuals who are currently at greater risk during the pandemic. We’ve already seen this administration lay the groundwork for voter suppression through the USPS. Now, we must ensure that the voting process at the polls is as smooth and cohesive as possible.

ENC will also provide education for workers on the difficulties faced by LGBTQ folks at the polls, especially transgender and GNC (gender non-conforming) folks. To get started, please fill out this form (bit.ly/32ltqQp) ,and we will forward your name to your county party for consideration.

From all of us at ENC, thank you for doing your part to ensure a fair and equitable election process. It’s on all of us.

Election 2020 ENC — and our endorsed candidates — need your support in the weeks ahead. It’s going to be a brutal and draining march to Nov. 3, and none of us are going to make it there alone. Do you have an hour a week to vol-

unteer to support our work? Sign up on our website (bit. ly/3hooUFl), and we’ll plug you in wherever you feel comfortable. Are you registered to vote? Do you know your early voting location? Do you know how to request an absentee ballot online? We’ve built out answers to all these questions and more on our voter FAQ (bit.ly/2RhGgZP).

Check it out and make sure that you and your loved ones have a plan to vote. Decide what day. Figure out your childcare situation now. Don’t wait until October to map out your plan.

We also have a number of ways to get engaged already outlined on our #OutToVote campaign (bit.ly/3imk0dj) page. This is a living campaign, and new opportunities will be added as they come up, so, please, assess your capacity and keep checking back for new ways to get involved.

The future of our country depends on people who care deciding to step up over the next several weeks. We’re stepping up — and we hope that we can count on you to join us in this fight to build a more just and compassionate world for us all. : :

The Story of North Carolina Belongs to All of Us Op-Ed

BY Cal Cunningham | Guest Contributor

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his year marks 50 years since the first Pride parade. And as we look back, we are reminded of the unstoppable spirit of the LGBTQ+ community that marched on, even in the face of adversity. As our country faces unprecedented challenges, we could use a drop of that same tenacity. This past Pride Month, I recommitted myself to continuing efforts to ensure equal treatment for all those who call our state, and country, home — no matter who they love.

Earlier this summer, we saw great progress for our nation, but also a reminder that we can’t let our foot off the gas when it comes to pursuing protections for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors.

In June, the Trump Administration finalized its shameful rule to strip away health care protections for trangender Americans put forth under the Affordable Care Act. By rolling back protections that made it illegal to deny someone care based on their gender identity, health insurers will be allowed to deny insurance, or even needed medical care and procedures, to transgender individuals.

This is wrong under normal circumstances, but taking away health care protections during a global pandemic is downright cruel. In the Senate, I will defend the protections in the Affordable Care Act and expand healthcare to more Americans.

North Carolina is also one of 14 states that hasn’t expanded Medicaid, which is the single largest provider of health coverage for those living with HIV. It’s past time we expand Medicaid and fund additional HIV/ AIDS research.

We also received good news in June, when the Supreme Court ruled the LGBTQ+ community is protected from workplace discrimination. This is a monumental victory and one worth celebrating, but we must keep the tide rolling as we continue to fight for equal rights for all.

The SCOTUS decision should extend to those who serve. After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, I volunteered to join the Army Reserves. As a veteran, I find the Administration’s ban against transgender people serving in the military unpatriotic and wrong, and I support Senate efforts to codify protections for trans military members into law in the next Defense Authorization.

Together, we spoke out against “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies until they were repealed. We fought opponents of

marriage equality until the Supreme Court stepped in. We can, and must, keep up the fight.

I am proud to have called North Carolina home my entire life, and I know our state’s story is still being written, and this next chapter must include everyone — no matter who they are or who they love. That’s why my wife, Elizabeth, and I were among the first voices in 2012 to speak out against North Carolina’s Amendment One. You can count on me to bring a commitment to equality and equal treatment under the law for all North Carolinians to the United States Senate.

In the U.S. Senate, I’ll fight discrimination everywhere it exists. We ought to pass the Equality Act to protect LGBTQ+ North Carolinians from discrimination in housing and the workplace. I support efforts to ban discrimination in public accomodations like restaurants, businesses and bathrooms.

I’ll also fight for the safety of LGBTQ+ youth. A person’s safety and quality of life should not be conditioned upon who they love or how they identify. I’ll work to undo harmful policies that prevent the safety and wellbeing of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

I am committed to fighting discrimination everywhere it exists and I vow to support and defend the rights of LGBTQ+ North Carolinians as our state’s next U.S. senator, because North Carolina belongs to all of us. As we celebrate 50 years of Pride, let us reaffirm our commitment to equality for all North Carolinians. : :

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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news Youth most vulnerable among LGBTQ community for suicide

LOS ANGELES, Calif.. — September is Suicide Prevention Month and the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law has compiled research that shows that antiLGBTQ discrimination and victimization contribute to an increase in the risk of suicidality and that LGBTQ individuals are at disproportionate risk of suicidal ideation, planning and attempts.

Findings from the Institute’s data found that there is a high prevalence of suicidal behavior among those who identify as LGB. A 2016 review of research found 17 percent of LGB adults had attempted suicide during their lifetime, compared with 2.4 percent of the general U.S. population.

A recent report from the Generations Study, a nationally representative study of cisgender LGB individuals, found that LGBQ people who experienced conversion therapy were at higher risk for suicide behavior compared with their peers who did not undergo the practice.

The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), conducted by the National Center for Transgender Equality, found that the prevalence of suicide thoughts and attempts among transgender adults is significantly higher than that of the U.S. general population. A 2019 analysis of the USTS found that respondents who faced discrimination, rejection, and violence were more likely to report suicide thoughts and attempts.

Some factors were associated with lower risk of suicide thoughts and attempts, however, for those who are transgender due to familial support and fulfillment of gender-affirming surgical care.

A 2014 report found that LGBTQ youth are at heightened risk for suicidal outcomes, but risk varies based on sex and race/ethnicity. In general, LGBTQ youth were three times more likely than non-LGBQ youth to contemplate suicide, make a suicide plan, harm themselves or attempt suicide compared to non-LGBTQ youth. LGBTQ females had higher prevalence of suicide thoughts, attempts and self-harm than their male counterparts. Compared to white LGBTQ youth, Asian and Black LGBTQ youth were at significantly lower odds of suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and self-harm. Alaskan Native/Pacific Islander and Latino LGBTQ youths were at significantly higher risk of a suicide attempt in the past year.

A 2019 report found that anti-bullying laws that explicitly protect youth based on sexual orientation are associated with fewer suicide attempts among all youth, regardless of sexual orientation.

However, The Trevor Project released new research that highlights the prevalence of unmet mental healthcare needs among LGBTQ youth, a population the organization says has been found to be at significantly increased risk for depression, anxiety, and suicide. The report, “Breaking Barriers to Quality Mental Health Care for LGBTQ Youth,” details the numerous barriers LGBTQ youth face when trying to access mental healthcare and how those barriers operate within and across intersecting social identities. Overall, more than half of LGBTQ youth who reported wanting mental healthcare in the past year did not receive it.

The most commonly endorsed barrier was the inability to afford care. LGBTQ-specific barriers included concerns around being outed, not having their LGBTQ identity understood or overly focusing on their LGBTQ identity and not finding a provider who was LGBTQ. Youthspecific concerns relating to not wanting to get parental permission and having parents who refused to allow care were also endorsed by LGBTQ youth. Additional barriers endorsed by LGBTQ youth include previous negative experiences, as well as transportation concerns, such as having no way to get to the location or having the location be too far away.

Race/ethnicity, gender, geography and socioeconomic status were all significant predictors of whether or not an LGBTQ youth received the mental healthcare they desired.

Insurance challenges were very frequently mentioned as a reason youth were unable to receive desired mental healthcare. This included both lack of insurance coverage as well as insurance coverage that was too limiting to provide appropriate care.

“Given the disproportionately higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide attempts reported by LGBTQ youth, any barriers to mental health care can have enormous consequences. We must act now to break down these barriers to save lives,” said Dr. Amy E. Green, director of Research for The Trevor Project. Green added, “COVID-19 has highlighted vast disparities that exist within the U.S. mental health care system, while also demonstrating that mental health care can be effectively provided via telephone or video conferencing when necessary. The advancements in telehealth services prompted by the pandemic have expanded the ability for those in need to receive care and should be adopted and expanded upon long term.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance” results for 2019 that found that 43 percent of transgender youth have been bullied on school property. And, 29 percent of transgender youth, 21 percent of gay and lesbian youth and 22 percent of bisexual youth have attempted suicide, the Human Rights Campaign shared.

“With quarantine safety measures in place across the country, LGBTQ+ youth are at an even greater risk of social isolation and depression,” ISP.com Communications Coordinator Jim Mitchell shared. “Online resources have become increasingly more important for LGBTQ+ youth to maintain their mental and emotional health during and after this period.” He offered a list of resources that ISP has online as a tool for youth. LGBTQ+ Youth Are Not Alone can be found at isp.com/blog/lgbtq-youth-online-resources. info: williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu. thetrevorproject.org. cdc.gov. hrc.org. isp.com.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

Orgs launch voter safety protection campaign

RALEIGH, N.C. — With COVID-19 continuing to upend communities, Equality North Carolina, the North Carolina Black Alliance and Disability Rights North Carolina have launched a voter safety protection campaign called Safe Voter NC to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for 250,000 North Carolinians from marginalized communities as they head to the polls.

Whether voting early or voting on Election Day, eligible voters that complete the PPE kit request form on the SafeVoterNC.org website will receive a free single-use PPE kit by mail while supplies last.

Voters are encouraged to request their free kits early.

Safe Voter NC is designed to increase voter turnout and protect marginalized voters while they visit the ballot box. LGBTQ individuals, Black and Brown Americans and individuals living with disabilities are among the most disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and in need of PPE while navigating the voting process, organizers shared.

Kendra R. Johnson, executive director for Equality North Carolina, said, “LGBTQ people, especially Black and Brown folks, already experience numerous obstacles to safe and fair voting, including gerrymandering, voter suppression, and unjust voter ID laws. With the pandemic now adding a layer of health concerns for marginalized folks, we must all do our part to protect ourselves and other vulnerable Americans as we head to vote in the most important election of our lifetimes and fight for the soul of this nation.”

“In 2020, we will create a space for voters to feel protected and empowered during this election cycle,” said Marcus Bass, deputy director for North Carolina Black Alliance. “Our democracy is legitimized, only when everyone has a fair opportunity to cast their ballots.

The constituents in our collective community of organizations face an unbelievable amount of opposition and suppression of their voting rights. That is why we have partnered with Equality NC and Disability Rights NC to help curb the issues that face those communities.”

“All people need and deserve to exercise their right to vote,” said Virginia Knowlton Marcus, chief executive officer of Disability Rights North Carolina. “North Carolina Black Alliance, Equality NC and Disability Rights North Carolina are collaborating to ensure that voters who have historically been targeted and harmed by voter suppression efforts — including voters of color, disabled voters, voters with low incomes, and older voters — can safely access the polls. DRNC is proud to partner in this important work to break down barriers to voting and harness the strength of marginalized communities across North Carolina.”

More information is available online. info: safevoternc.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

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ACTION ALERT! COMPLETE YOUR CENSUS NOW

In just a few weeks, the 2020 Census will be completing their field operations and responses are still needed in order to ensure that full and accurate data is gathered. Information from the census determines how much funding each state receives for schools, hospitals, nutrition and additional programs in those communities, among other objectives.

If you have not completed a survey, either online, with an enumerator or over the phone at 844-330-2020, do it today!

It only takes about 10 minutes.

Visit my2020census.org and be heard and counted.

‘Bears’ creators launch new web series

Ben Zook and Joe Dietl from “Where the Bears Are” have created a new web series, “That Darn Corona!” which focuses on the pandemic. It explores a gay couple trying to make the most of sheltering in place — the “struggle with drinking too much, COVID weight gain, too much medicinal pot, doomed selfimprovement projects, crappy birthdays, disastrous haircuts and more.” The fivepart sitcom spoof offering is available on YouTube.

info: youtu.be/5TQnRDc15i0.

Voices to connect community

Engage 2020: Community Conversations - Local Voices Matter will be held from 3-4 p.m., on Sept. 27, Oct. 11, Oct. 25 and Nov. 8. The virtual event is being conducted through a partnership between the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library and Local Voices Network. The goal of the gatherings experience is to connect residents in conversation around past and current civic and social trends, and to discuss how people’s neighbors experience civic, social, and political engagement. Engage 2020 programs are offered in partnership with the Digital Public Library of America.

info: bit.ly/3iJU0c5.

HRC goes virtual gala

The Human Rights Campaign is taking its Gala fundraising efforts online this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. On Sept. 24, 8-9 p.m., people from across the nation will show their support for the work that the campaign does in pursuit of equality. Currently, a call is out for equality captains. Monies raised will be used to defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden on Nov. 3. Sign-ups are available online, as well as a vehicle to contribute to the cause.

info: bit.ly/2QHibeQ.

Sports group reports on fall schedule

Stonewall Sports Charlotte has released its fall schedule of play and some made the field for play and some did not. Canceled was fall bowling, under discussion is cornhole and preparing for the season is fall kickball (with an amended rule book and logistics for safer play amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions).

For kickball players, there is a zero tolerance COVID-19 restriction policy which must be agreed upon in writing when registering, plus there is a shortened season with smaller team sizes. For more

see next page u

information, email charlotte.commissioner@ stonewallsports.org.

info: stonewallsports.org.

Youth conference sets date

Registration is now open for the 2020 Carolina Conference on Queer Youth scheduled for Oct. 16, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. This online experience will allow youth from across the state to gather virtually to discuss and engage in this year’s thematic work, “Black Queer and Trans Lives Matter: Uplifting QTBIPOC and Addressing AntiBlackness in LGBTQ+ Spaces.” Cost to attend ranges from $5-$10. To register, visit bit.ly/35HJqye.

info: timeoutyouth.org/ccqy.

Youth ‘spirited’ resilience day upcoming

We Are Family is hosting their Spirit Day 2020: Queen Youth Fest from Oct. 15-18 and will be highlighting the role of art in queer/transgender resilience. It kicks off with “Pose” star Cecilia Gentili on Oct. 15 and continues throughout the virtual festival. The organization is also hosting a GSA coalition meeting on Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m, via Zoom, that focuses on the pandemic, among other topics. Registration is available online.

info: waf.org/spirit-day-2020. waf.org/gsa.

Ministry unveil new initiative

Reconciling Ministries Network has announced its newest social justice initiative, Rooted & Rising, a comprehensive campaign for the next season of the Reconciling movement, organizers shared. It refocuses the organization’s efforts on its grassroots organizing with a deep commitment to intersectional LGBTQ justice. “Rooted & Rising represents a movement ready to be the Church, no matter what the denomination decides when the General Conference meets,” organizers added.

Kids get “family” coloring book

WTVR recently reported that Mark Loewen has created a coloring book series that celebrates LGBTQ families and educates others about them. The creator was looking for options and found a glut in material available for same-sex parents. Nothing depicted the framework of his family structure, so he developed one.

info: bit.ly/32unk09.

ASO gets new digs

Triad Health Project has announced that it is moving to new offices at 501 Westwood Ave. The new facility is currently under construction and is need of partnerships to help with bringing the project to fruition.

They are seeking technology for their conference room/educational space; funds for new blinds for privacy; sponsorship of an indoor mural for a local artist; and funds for landscaping and outdoor beautification efforts. To learn more, email info@ triadhealthproject.org.

info: triadhealthproject.org.

ENC accepting RYE Fellowship apps

Equality North Carolina is accepting applications through Oct. 2 for their 2021 Rural Youth Empowerment (RYE) Fellowship, a year-long mentorship and training program for LGBTQ young people in rural areas of North Carolina. Over the course of a year, a cohort of 10 RYE Fellows will attend day-long leadership institutes in three different locations throughout the state, attend major ENC community events, participate in monthly video conferences, work one-on-one with community mentors, and receive fellowship stipends to help offset costs associated with their project. Applications are available online for ellows and mentors.

info: bit.ly/33xVmzY. bit.ly/35FEwSv.

Choir director can sue

Actors Ben Lewis and Blake Lee will star in Lifetime’s “Christmas Setup” movie this winter. The couple are actually married in real life. This is the network’s first holiday movie with an LGBTQ-led storyline, TVLine reported.

Gay City News reported that a Sandor Demkovich can sue the Catholic church that fired him after learning that he had married his boyfriend. Grounds for the suit are based on claims of subjection to hostile work environment by his supervisor because of his sexual orientation and physical disabilities.

info: bit.ly/2ZAm1em.

info: bit.ly/3iv2SC0.

Effort underway to save stages

Artist featured in creative initiative

info: bit.ly/2E33PTe. rmnetwork.org.

Married couple to star in film

Independent musical venues are experiencing strains under the pandemic. Thirteen of Charlotte, N.C.’s stages are asking the public to sign a petition to help save their venues.

Those asking for help are Amos’ Southend, The Evening Muse, Free Range Brewing, MaxxMusic, Middle C. Jazz, Neighborhood Theatre, Petra’s, Skylark Social Club, Snug Harbor, The Tipsy Burro, The Thirsty Beaver, Tommy’s Pub and The Visualite.

info: bit.ly/3iwYeDG.

Charlotte, N.C. artist Irene Nguyen (aka Lil Bit Design) was spotlighted by Charlotte Is Creative for her signage that she created in support of Black Lives Matter, as well as LGBTQ, transgender and human rights.

The art piece featured a rainbow flag as the background with a transgender colored circle overlay and Black fist completing the work.

info: bit.ly/3mlmoTL.

SC Equality PAC announces first round of endorsements

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The SC Equality PAC, the political action committee of SC Equality, the statewide LGBTQ civil rights group, has released their first round of endorsements for state and local races for the 2020 season.

The list includes 69 of the state’s leaders (42 incumbents seeking re-election and 27 challengers seeking to fill seats in the legislature) who would work to achieve equality for LGBTQ residents and their families. In addition, one local endorsement was included in this round, the organization said.

SC Equality Executive Director Jeff Ayers said that it was crucial to have a pro-equality majority in South Carolina’s government.

“For the past two years, we’ve watched every bill that would improve the lives of LGBTQ South Carolinians get voted down in our state legislature,” said Ayers. “It’s our hope South Carolina will become a better place to live for its LGBTQ population by removing daily difficulties for its transgender residents, prohibiting conversion therapy and blocking harmful religious exemption bills.”

SC Equality PAC is in the middle of it’s endorsement process and will be rolling out their next list of endorsements in the coming weeks. So far it has endorsed 22 state senate races (a majority of which are opposed), 45 house races (with nine being unopposed), along with Kristin Graziano as sheriff for Charleston County.

The list of endorsements can be found online in the 2020 LGBTQ Voter Guide (which will be updated as new endorsements are announced).

SC Equality Coalition, the political advocacy arm of SC Equality, will be announcing their endorsements for federal offices shortly. info: bit.ly/2RpyL2T. — Compiled by Lainey Millen

Pride: Durham, NC to host weekend-long event

DURHAM, N.C. — From Sept. 25-27, the Triangle will see Pride: Durham, NC roll out their three-day programming for virtual festival goers.

The LGBTQ Center of Durham sponsors this annual event and features entertainment and a host of other opportunities for community engagement. This year, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the festival will be held online. The majority of the programming will occur on Sept. 26, but the other two days have options as well.

During the festival there will be a showing of several documentaries including “MAJOR!” that tells the story about Miss Major, a Black transgender elder and activist.

Educational and restorative sessions will take place on Sept. 26 via Zoom, including Sister Circle with Dominique Jackson. This opportunity is designed specifically for transgender women and femmes of color.

Dai Burger, Taylor ALXNDR, Wafia and Robin S will entertain during the evening hours, along with local musicians.

Also featured this year will be a Pride Zine that participants can read and enjoy.

“A large communal gathering is neither safe nor feasible this year, but it is our goal to meet as many people as possible where they are by bringing a digital Pride into their homes. It is our hope that you will join us in spreading love and uplifting our community in September and throughout the coming year,” center chair J. Clapp shared.

The event will mostly stream on twitch.tv/lgbtqcenterdurham.

The organization has been gathering funding for the event. Suggested levels of giving are $5,000/Presenting, $2,500-$4,999/Lavender, $1,000-$2,499/Equality, $500-$999/Pride and $1$499/Community. Email pride@lgbtqcenterdurham.org to contribute or for more information.

Check with Pride: Durham, NC and Twitch websites for more ticket information as the event closes in. info: pridedurhamnc.org.

— Compiled by Lainey Millen

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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news

Interim Board Tries to Move MeckPAC Forward Three Community Leaders Take the Reigns Temporarily to Salvage the 22-Year Organization

By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As qnotes reported on Aug. 10, MeckPAC has had a difficult time maintaining board members over the past few years. The organization was founded in 1998 in a unified effort to fight anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and policies in the Queen City, but our investigation into its recent mismanagement and suspicious spending by the organization’s leadership left many wondering if its demise was inevitable.

Mecklenburg LGBTQ, known as MeckPAC or Mecklenburg LGBT Political Action Committee, had its active status terminated by the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement on Feb. 13.

Community members called for an audit, release of financial documents and for Matt Comer, the organization’s former chair, to step down. Comer immediately resigned, and the two remaining board members soon followed. But first, they appointed a transitional board of directors to include William Loftin as the interim chair, Nate Turner as interim vice-chair and Richard Grimstad as interim treasurer.

“They were willing to dissolve the whole organization,” says Loftin, who sees the need for MeckPAC to survive.

Following our report, former board member Emily Plauché was in contact with the state and has been working with the three to resolve the filings. Plauché originally left the MeckPAC board in 2018. According to Loftin, past board members have turned over a deluge of documents, but Grimstad is still waiting on additional receipts to complete a financial audit. “We want to be transparent as possible,” says Loftin. Comer met the three at Wells Fargo on Aug. 21, and Grimstad is currently the only person with access to the bank account.

With that transparency in mind, a community meeting was scheduled for Aug. 15, and a post on the organization’s Facebook page announced the interim board.

Plauché and Ryan Morrice facilitated the virtual Zoom meeting which lasted two and a half hours, according to Loftin. More than 20 people attended.

The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House

In an article written for Princeton University’s Activist Graduate School, co-creator of Occupy Wall Street and

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Some on the call even suggested a different person take over as transitional leader — something that Loftin described as an experience all too familiar, being a Black gay man. To him, it seemed that the conversation was racially motivated especially when only he and Turner, who is also Black, were singled out. The fact is that the three stepped up to help because they were asked. “None of us want to stay on the organization long term,” says Loftin. “We just want to help get it viable and we have had the experience of doing that.”

Loftin and Grimstad have both helped with similar transitions in Charlotte. Loftin was chair of Charlotte Black Pride (formerly Charlotte Black Gay Pride) starting in 2012 and helped the organization regain its non-profit status a year later. Grimstad, a CPA, helped Charlotte Pride when it separated from the now-defunct LGBT Community Center of Charlotte in 2012. Turner is a former LGBTQ Democrats of North Carolina board member and officer.

Next Steps

Interim MeckPAC Chair William Loftin the school’s Program Director, Micah White, describes the moment those words by Audre Lorde were first uttered. “Speaking of her experiences as a Black lesbian feminist, she derided the then-burgeoning feminist academia for its heterosexual white bias.” Her penned phrase has been leveraged in many debates and for some, it adequately represents the prevalence of infighting and discrimination that continues in LGBTQ community organizations.

The meeting in August left many, including Loftin, feeling discouraged. He says that he and Turner felt personally attacked and that there seemed to be a focus on disqualifying them. Other members of the community have expressed similar concerns about the response. “This is why people, especially people of color, are not involved in the LGBT community of Charlotte,” says Loftin.

When pointing out the trepidation and conspiracies that occurred after the recent crisis, Loftin also hopes that it can provide an opportunity for the community to grow from the experience. “We need to just look at how we are as a community at this time,” he says. “How do we have these things in place where people can do certain things and take advantage of certain organizations? And, there’s no one watching. Why was this organization allowed to be almost nonexistent for two years and nobody cared about it until this happened?”

Loftin confirmed that documents have yet to be filed with the State Board of Elections — something they are not authorized to do. They are continuing to work with Plauché to complete the necessary steps. A statement on the organization’s Facebook page from Aug. 3 suggested that the former board members completed these filings.

Loftin says they discovered that was not true.

He is creating two advisory committees to get MeckPAC running again. Turner will lead a group focused on policies and procedures and Grimstad will oversee a financial review and reporting committee. The main goal will be to determine what can be done now to resolve the organization’s status and then put in safeguards for the future. “At this point, we want the organization to be viable, but we cannot move forward until those (reports) are submitted,” he says. “Technically the organization does not exist to the State Board of Elections.”

In such a pivotal election year, one question remains.

Can MeckPAC meet the needs of local LGBTQ people and engage with voters in some way that help build confidence in the organization again? Loftin believes that the conversation can still happen, even if they are not able to do endorsements. “There’s too much at stake for us to be caught up in fighting each other.” : :

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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Setting the Bar for Generosity Local Groups Raise Funds to Keep Bars Open

BY Jack Kirven | QNotes Contributor

R

obbie Best is one of the organizers of FURnace, a bear community happy hours group that would normally meet on the second Friday of each month.

The event has not happened since COVID-19 forced the closure of most venues where large groups socialize.

Crown Station (facebook.com/ CrownStation) is the location of choice for FURnace, the location’s owner — Billy Dail — being a long-term friend to the bear group’s organizers. Although some think Crown Station is only a coffee shop or event venue, the majority of its money is made on the bar side, rather than food. For this reason, it has been closed indefinitely by the pandemic.

The location has been excluded as gay community bars have collaborated, because they mistakenly feel that Crown Station has not been affected in the same way.

As the closures have lengthened to nearly eight months already, many community social spots began receiving financial aid from both government and community resources. As previously reported by qnotes, several local bars have been struggling to pay rent and keep staff employed. Best set up a GoFundMe fundraiser, because the owners of Crown Station were reluctant to do so themselves. Bears within the social group share the crowd sourcing link amongst their friends.

Although not strictly an LGBTQ business, Crown Station has long been a safe space that is welcoming to the queer community. Best has known Dail since the early 1990s, and he considers Dail to be a staunch friend and ally.

“I went looking for a venue for happy hours, including LGBT places, and we were turned down,” Best explains.

“Crown Station welcomed us with open arms. It feels like Cheers, because the people who frequent it are so friendly (including straight people). It’s very disheartening to think a place that has always been so open and loving could fall through the cracks.”

FURnace’s events during Pride have attracted hundreds of celebrants each year since 2015. Following these happy hour gatherings, the venue has brought in live DJs to entertain the crowds once the bear event has concluded. Crown Station is located at 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte. Find the Crown Station GoFundMe online at gofundme.com/f/help-save-crown-station. As of press time, the fund has collected over $3,000.

“Please help the people who have helped us. We have to look after each other during these unprecedented times,” Best concluded.

Similarly, Craig Maxwell — a player for Charlotte’s gay rugby team, the Charlotte Royals — has been partnering with Sidelines and Club Argon.

The Charlotte Royals as an organization has donated $1,500 toward the GoFundMe for the two bars, which are located side by side on South Boulevard in Charlotte.

A group of participants at Bear Happy Hour prior to the COVID-19 pandemic closures.

The crowdsourcing drives (Photo Credit: Facebook) can be found at PayPal (PayPalMe.com/BarArgon, In addition, the collaborators have hosted a virtual Venmo (venmo.com/ dance party on Twitch called Quarantine Is A Drag. The bar-argon) and GoFundMe (gofundme.com/f/ pre-recorded performances were supplied by local and SidelinesAndBarArgonHelp). So far the combined contriregional drag queens for the nearly four-hour event. butions have reached over $10,000. It should be noted “The Charlotte gay scene is spread out, so it’s very that half the proceeds go to paying staff to keep them at valuable to have a home and safe space where two clubs the bars, and half goes to rent and utilities to keep the touch, while also catering to different groups,” Maxwell venues current on their funobserved. “Sidelines has been a place to call home for the damental operating costs.

Royals, and Argon shows lots of diversity that isn’t neces“Charlotte Royals has a sarily present in other clubs. Kevin and John are both very longstanding relationship embracing of all sorts.” To further underscore the symbiowith Sidelines and Argon,” sis, Maxwell has helped with branding and setting up the Maxwell explained. “These bars, and the bars have provided part-time work when he bars have been sponsors and others were furloughed or unemployed in the past. since nearly day one, and Team members of the Royals have also helped with renoif they close, the Royals vations at Argon when quarantine started, in order to take will have a very different advantage of the downtime. situation in terms of events Contrary to observations made by this writer in past isand other support. We have sues of qnotes, it would seem gay bars are not as obsolete been helping them over as they had appeared to be before the onset of COVID-19. [the] last few months.”

These safe spaces are still intrinsic to the community, despite the popularization of socializing apps and broader societal acceptance of LGBTQ people.

These businesses remain important places to maintain connections within the various subsets of the gay community. “I wanted to say ‘thank you’ to the entertainers and DJs who donated their time, energy, and creativity for the live streaming event on Twitch,” Maxwell On the set for Quarantine Is A Drag with DJ Marvy Marv. (Photo Credit: Facebook) said. “The party could not have happened without their generosity.” : :

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Bears, Bears…

Everywhere — NOT Bears Sitges Week Called Off

BY Jim Yarbrough | QNotes Managing Editor

Sitges, Spain Bear Week participants and competition winners from the 2019 gathering.

(Photo Credit: Manucarroz via Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license)

I

n September of each year, thousands of Bears — usually larger, hairier and muscular gay men — converge on the city of Sitges. A small village known as the Jewel of the Mediterranean, Sitges is located about 21 miles south of Barcelona, Spain in Catalonia. Sitges is famous for its beaches, museums, scenic walkways, carnivals and festivals. And, of course, that includes all the different gay events and parties throughout the year.

One of the largest events in Sitges is the September Bears Week, the largest and most diverse Bear event in the world.

The Bears Sitges Association (BSA) called off this year’s event. The group made the decision after receiving a letter from the City Council that said the city would not support the 10-day festival because of COVID-19. This year’s Bears Week was slated for Sept. 4-13. The BSA has now asked that “bears who have reserved to come to the event, not to cancel their vacation.” Even with no “Bear — Village” on the seafront, no Mr. Bear Sitges Competition

and other official Bears Week activities, the BSA ask the Bears to support event sponsors now more than ever before.

With Bears Week Sitges September 2020 canceled, many Bears are looking to the next big Sitges Bear event. They won’t have to wait too long, provided COVID-19 has subsided enough for the City Council to allow it. The Spring Bear Week will take place from Thursday, April 29 to Sunday, May 2, 2021. Four days instead of a 10-day annual event in September, the spring Bears Week is always a long weekend and still boasts nightly parties, hot clubs, streets and beaches full with thousands of men of all types.

Organizers said to book early in order to get good accommodations, however, keep in mind the uncertainty of how COVID-19 may affect any plans for Bear Sitges in the spring. The next big Bear Week Sitges is set for Sept. 3-12, 2021.

For more information, visit bearssitges. org, bearssitgesmeeting.com, bearssitgestravel.com and gaysitgesguide.com. : :

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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life

Public Health Workers Stand Behind Contact Tracing

Community Care of North Carolina Launched an Army to Help Fight COVID-19 Spread

I

By Chris Rudisill | QNotes Contributor

Anyone who has been potentially exposed n April, the North Carolina Department of is entered into another database called CCTO, Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) anor the COVID-19 Community Team Outreach nounced the Carolina Community Tracing Tool. Case investigators continue to follow Collaborative. The partnership between up with those who test positive, checking Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), on their symptoms and additional contacts. the North Carolina Area Health Education Finally, contact tracers reach out to individuCenters (NC AHEC) and NCDHHS was part als, letting them know that they have been of Gov. Roy Cooper’s initiative to slowly lift exposed to someone who has tested positive, restrictions by focusing on testing, tracing recommending quarantine, monitoring and and trends. potential testing. Dale points out that contact In simple terms, the idea behind contact tracers are reaching out to individuals every tracing is to connect with people early who few days to check in and see if they need adhave been exposed to the coronavirus ditional resources. to help stop the spread. According to the Dale and Page point out that the staff Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also helping with basic needs. Many of (CDC), “communities must scale up and the CCNC staff come from clinical or public train a large workforce and work collaborahealth backgrounds. They are focused on tively across public and private agencies to building trust with the community and often stop the transmission of COVID-19.” That provide resources on a wide range of food, was the goal of the Collaborative. Health exhygiene and health needs. Dale says she perts pointed out early in the pandemic the applied for the position because, like many importance for rapid response to control other self-professed “public health nerds,” the spread, a fact that is under additional she wanted to find a way to help people in scrutiny now after evidence of the Trump the community. administration’s effort to purposefully downplay the threat of COVID-19.

CCNC launched its contact tracing The arduous work of contact tracers takes perseverance and patience, especially in strained program within a matter of weeks. While circumstances such as what is being experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic. they were not previously working in tracing Staff at CCNC say they are still get(Photo Credit: canva) communicable diseases, they had close ting hang-ups and people are not always relationships with NCDHHS and primary receptive to providing contact information, state, including 846 from CCNC. Some of these individuals care providers across the state. “The work echoing Harris. “It’s a numbers game,” says work as case investigators and others as contact tracers. we have done laying that infrastructure allowed us to Paul Mahoney, senior vice president of communications at “We support the counties where they are in that moment move rather quickly,” says Christina Page, vice president CCNC. He points out that people do not always answer the and that shifts and evolves,” says Page. for performance optimization at CCNC. phone when a contact tracer calls, but there are plenty of The Carolina Community Tracing Collaborative (CCTC) is The project required a lot of new staff. There are cursuccess stories where people are calling back and, in some based on supporting existing local health department efforts rently over 1,500 full-time and part-time employees supcases, calling back multiple times. “At least then, we’ve let to meet potential spikes in cases, but each local department porting contact tracing efforts at the local level across the them know they’ve been exposed,” says Mahoney. “It’s must request the program. Despite more than 56,000 positheir choice on whether they are going to comply with tive cases in the Charlotte region, a joint reporting effort of that. At the very least, maybe they are going to wear a the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (CJC) uncovered only a mask if they wouldn’t have before. Maybe they are not handful of success stories tracking the origins of widespread going to be the one to bring grandma her cake that week, COVID-19 infections since March. because they realize maybe they should stay Mecklenburg County Public Health away. I think we’re making a difference, even if Director Gibbie Harris told reporters it’s not enough to stand by itself.” that she was concerned the longtime Terri Duncan, director of the Consolidated epidemiology practice was not workHealth and Human Services for Bladen County ing. In an interview with the CJC’s Nate points out the additional challenges that rural Morabito from WCNC-TV and David areas are facing. The Eastern North Carolina Boraks from WFAE 90.7, Harris said that case investigators county is the fourth largest in the state by land area, but are calling more than 800 people a day, but not getting has a population of only 33,190. “strict compliance.” The county has yet to request the “We were really struggling at the height,” says Duncan. support of CCNC, funded fully by the state, in their contact In many rural areas, public health offices do not have a tracing efforts. team of employees. It is often just one employee doing the work. “Every nurse here has done some contact tracing

Saving One Life

How it Works

The program is designed to connect positive cases quickly through partners in the CCTC. The county health department receives notification of a positive case and it is entered into an online system called NC-COVID. The case is then assigned to investigators who interview the positive patient and give appropriate isolation orders. According to CCNC Regional Supervisor Kristi Dale, these case investigators liaise with the local health department daily and help to track cases and outbreaks. The investigator enters information into a secure system that is comparative to other state health databases, like those that track HIV and STI infections.

The investigator also asks a series of questions to learn who individual patients have been in contact with. Where did you go in the last 10 days? Whom did you see? Did you visit with that person for more than 10 minutes?

see Contact Tracing on 14

Characteristics of a Contact Tracer and Investigator

Provided by Kristy Dale, Region 10 Supervisor for Community Care of North Carolina • Intuitive • Attention to detail • Able to deescalate • Patience situations • Caring personality • Stress management • Empathetic • Multi-tasker • Good listener • Self-directed worker

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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Be Community

Spiritual Reflections: Finding Joy in the Midst of Devastation

BY Rev. Vance Haywood | Guest Contributor

W

ith everything going on around us, it is easy to become overwhelmed at the sheer volume of chaos and the magnitude of the issues we face. Like many of you, I have found myself looking for hope, and knowing all too well the feeling of fear and confusion. How do we find hope? Joy? Is that even possible? Fortunately, I found that the answer is YES! I have just returned from a mission trip where we delivered supplies to Vinton, La. that was left devastated by Hurricane Laura. Nearly every home is destroyed or heavily damaged. When we arrived, the devastation became apparent as we drove down I-10 through Lake Charles — high rise buildings with almost all the windows blown out, entire neighborhoods leveled and forest landscapes now a field of twisted tree trunks with the branches left mangled or missing. We walked into the local church that is providing meals and supplies for the area. A cattle trough sat by the front door. Once used for a baptismal, it is now the water being used to flush the toilets in the building. The lobby and auditorium have become a makeshift shelter.

The volunteers, from the moment we drove up, came smiling and so appreciative of the supplies that were being delivered. Other volunteers as I walked around simply asked “what can I get for you,” offering food and supplies as they thought I was one of the thousands of people

showing up each day seeking support. At first glance, this just seems like what should be. That is what communities, and particularly faith communities, should be doing... answering the call to serve, right?

What made this so remarkable is that the volunteers here are all people who have had their homes destroyed. They are faced with all the uncertainty of experiencing homelessness in a matter of hours.

The church building itself is damaged, but they have tarped it and bandaged it to keep functioning to meet the immediate needs.

Knowing what these volunteers are going through, and seeing them smile and find joy, reminded me that, yes, we can find joy; and hope even in the most devastating of times. Even in the uncertainty and chaos, we can find hope and joy. What this town and these individuals had was a unity that brought them together. A unity that we are familiar with in times of great despair, but is all too often forgotten at other times.

Today, with the chaos around us, with the COVID-19 pandemic, racism and poverty and the sheer messiness of life, we can find hope and we can find joy — if we look at what is important and embrace the unity we cling to in times of distress. Experience and share

Volunteers helped with relief efforts in the aftermath of the devastation from Hurricane Laura.(Photo Credit: Rev. Van Haywood) all-inclusive, unconditional love, stand for justice, and BE COMMUNITY! : : Rev. Vance Haywood is senior pastor at St. John’s Metropolitan Community Church in Raleigh, N.C.

Contact Tracing continued from page 13

and answering of the hotline in the last six months.”

Even though they were struggling with capacity, Duncan was apprehensive of CCNC originally.

She considers the residents her friends and family. “I want to treat them as such,” says Duncan. That community feeling was important to maintain.

For Bladen County, CCNC staff had to become part of the local health department team, adopting their policies and spending time with them. Currently there are three case investigators and three contact tracers, including bilingual staff.

“We could not have maintained without the help of CCNC,” says Duncan now. Additional support from the program provided local health departments the ability to continue with other important work as well.

Contact tracing is not new, and the regular work of public health does not stop with a new pandemic. For years, public health officials have been using methods to

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trace HIV and STI infection, along with other communicable diseases. The needs of people who are HIV positive or for HIV/STI prevention still exists. Dale explains that part of their purpose has been providing some relief to health department staff.

Other challenges exist in rural areas. GPS does not always work and there are ongoing barriers to access care and for public health workers to meet people where they are. Programs like NCCARE360 are allowing officials to connect rural people to additional services they need to stay safe and quarantine when needed.

The program is the first statewide coordinated care network to electronically connect those with identified needs to community resources.

There is still a stigma associated with COVID-19 as well. Duncan says a lack of understanding and hesitancy to share information hinders the work. She even had to fight back against some residents who wanted her to identify people who tested positive. “As early as March or April, you really should assume that everyone is positive,” says Duncan referring them to guidance from the U.S. Surgeon General.

These barriers all impact the lack of cooperation and that is making some health officials frustrated, but Duncan points out the importance of contact tracing in controlling the virus. “If we can reach at least one person and prevent one serious illness and one death, then yes, it is worth it,” says Duncan.

North Carolina currently has over 180,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and over 3,000 deaths. Bladen County only has 798 positive cases as of Sept. 11 compared to 26,781 in Mecklenburg County, but both counties have around 240 cases per 10,000 residents. : : qnotes is part of six major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.

Being an Introvert vs. Social Anxiety: Understanding the Difference Mental Health

BY Stanley Popovich | guest WRITER

B

eing an introvert and having social anxiety are often confused, but they’re not the same. An introvert is a personality trait. Social anxiety is a mental health condition.

An introvert might resist going to a party because they get drained from loud music and too much social interaction.

Someone with social anxiety, on the other hand, might feel dread or panic about going to a party. They worry they’ll say something “stupid” or that people won’t like them.

Preferring alone time and being sensitive to overstimulation (introversion) is not the same as fearing social interaction (social anxiety). Keep reading to learn more about the differences between introversion and social anxiety.

there could be a genetic component.2 It usually develops over time and often starts in a person’s teens.

Negative experiences like bullying, family conflict and abuse might contribute to a person developing social anxiety. Serotonin imbalance may also be partly to blame.

Serotonin is a brain chemical that helps regulate mood.

When it’s imbalanced, it can make the amygdala — the brain’s fear center — overreact.

You Can Be A Socially Anxious Introvert Or A Socially Anxious Extrovert.

Part of the reason introversion and social anxiety get confused is because people with social anxiety may exhibit some introvert traits — like What Is An Introvert? spending time alone and shyIntroverts are more ing away from public speaking focused on their internal (although many introverts are thoughts and feelings than comfortable speaking in front on external stimulation. of others). But not loving large Introverts prefer time to social gatherings and dreadthemselves and small group Social anxiety and introversion can make for a perfect storm when dealing with being in crowds and handling over stimulation. ing them because of selfinteractions. Crowds and (Photo Credit: 1STunningART via Adobe Stock) consciousness are two very parties can drain introverts, different things. who usually need time to Extroverts can suffer with themselves to “recharge” after mind and like to plan and prepare before taking action. social anxiety, too. Someone social activities.

They also gravitate toward self-reflection and research. who loves being around friends and family may freeze Being introverted has a biological explanation. The like a deer in the headlights when giving a presentation introvert brain is more sensitive to external stimuli — in front of strangers. Social anxiety doesn’t discriminate things like noisy environments and crowds — because of What Is Social Anxiety? between introverts and extroverts. something called the RAS, an area of the brain that regu“He’s just shy.” “She gets quiet around people.” You’ve lates arousal.1 Introverts have a higher set point, meaning heard these refrains before. Maybe your mom or dad their brain is triggered more easily by outside stimulation.

Overcoming Social Anxiety even said things like this to describe you as a child. Some Extroverts have a lower set point. They’re not as bothered So, if you suffer with social anxiety, what can you do? people are shy as kids and grow out of it as they get older. by crowds or loud noise. In fact, extroverts are often enerThe good news is plenty.

Some people are shy as adults, too. gized by social interaction.

Since social anxiety is a disorder, there are some But others feel outright panic, terror or dread in social hallmark signs, including a constant fear of social situasituations. These people have social anxiety disorder (also tions due to fear of humiliation or embarrassment, feeling FIVE Signs You’re An Introvert called social phobia), a type of anxiety disorder that causes panicky or anxious before social situations, and anxiety extreme fear in social situations.

Introversion and extroversion occur on a continuum. that disrupts your daily life.

People with social anxiety disorder find it hard to meet Most people fall somewhere closer to the middle but lean Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help people new people. They worry others will judge or scrutinize them. slightly more one way or the other. Here are some signs manage their social anxiety. CBT helps you learn to control They may also worry others won’t like them. Many people you’re an introvert: anxiety by replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. with social anxiety realize their fears aren’t rational, but it • Being around crowds or large groups drains your Exposure therapy is also helpful for some people. doesn’t change the panic they feel about social situations. energy. If you feel exhausted after a party, concert, or a It helps you gradually face social situations rather than Symptoms of social anxiety disorder can be both physigroup outing and need quiet time to yourself to recuperavoiding them. Eventually, social interactions cause less cal and psychological. ate, you might be an introvert. Introverts expend energy anxiety.

• Physical symptoms include blushing, feeling nauseous, in social situations, while extroverts gain energy from Group therapy with others who have social anxiety also sweating excessively, having a rapid heart rate, trembling interactions with others. helps some people. or shaking and having a hard time getting words out.

• You have a small group of friends. If you love spending One thing is certain: To overcome social anxiety you • Psychological symptoms can include worrying intensely one-on-one time with others and prefer small groups, must be willing to confront it. But what if you can’t afford about social situations, avoiding social situations or tryyou might be an introvert. Introverts usually have a small individual therapy or counseling programs? Thankfully, ing to “disappear” into the background, fearing others circle of close friends, while extroverts often have a there are other resources. See some of them below. will judge you, and worrying excessively about embarlarger social circle of friends and acquaintances, many of rassing yourself. whom they only interact with on a superficial level. ____________________ People with social anxiety may reach for alcohol to face • You enjoy spending time alone. If a few hours alone social situations, and they may start to worry about a sowith a good book or a solo nature walk is your idea of a cial event days or weeks in advance. People with extreme Sources: good time, you’re in good company with other introverts.

1 social phobias might avoid all kinds of social situations, • You prefer working alone. If the thought of collaborathttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5501251/ 2 from parties to interviews to meetings, and even shopping ing with others or working on group projects overwhelms https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/socialand eating in public. you, you might be an introvert. This doesn’t mean you phobia#causes don’t work well with others. Introverts just prefer to work independently most of the time.

Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing What Causes Social Anxiety?

• You find yourself daydreaming a lot. Introverts spend Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Unlike introversion, social anxiety isn’t necessarily a lot of time in their heads. They have a very active inner Methods.” For information, visit managingfear.com. something you’re born with, although researchers think

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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a&e

Put It Down, Get Out of the House and Start Meeting People Tell Trinity

BY Trinity | CONTRIBUTING WRITER honey, if your neighbors keep complaining, then practice a little self-control while you’re self-fulfilling. Take a day off, unplug the Internet and try moaning into a pillow rather than down a hallway.

Love, Trinity Dear Trinity, I’m a regular looking guy. I don’t feel comfortable meeting other gay men. They’re all so built and beautiful. I just want to be OK with being regular. What’s someone regular like me to do?

Yours, Regular Joe, Topeka, KS

Hello Trinity, Lately, since COVID-19, I’ve been experiencing an immense amount of self-sexual fulfillment, if you know what I mean. My neighbors are starting to complain about the noise and my friends are concerned. Is “it” dangerous to my health?

Yours, Self-fulfillment, Baltimore, MD Hello Self-fulfillment, When your therapist said, “Take some personal time for yourself,” she didn’t mean this. If masturbation is the word you’re beating around the bush about, then no, it’s not dangerous, but obsessive acts of any kind CAN lead you down a dangerous path. If you’re going totally insane, then put everything down, put on a mask and get out of your house.

Exercising, dieting and social distancing with friends will absolutely make you less of a handful. And lastly,

Q-mmunity

connections

Dear Regular Joe, The gay male world can be as pretentious and frightening as the straight female world can be even more cruel and unforgiving. When I was in college, we went to a carnival and bought eight long-ribbed balloons. In our dorm room we blew

space starting at $22: call qnotes for details 704.531.9988

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them up really large to really small and accruing sizes in between and attached them to the ceiling. At the end of the semester the biggest and smallest or most alluring balloons aged terribly, but the most regular, middle balloon kept its perfection. It outshined them all over time. In other words, pumpkin, the world’s your carnival and the future is yours, more than you know.

(Expectation and acceptance can co-exist together. See my cartoon for guidance.)

Trinity Hey Trinity, I met you at a party last month, and you snubbed me off. Are you getting so popular that you’ve acquired airs about yourself?

Yours, Dissatisfied, Denver, CO Hey Dissatisfied, If I offended you, I apologize. But just for the record, I am not the type to snub anyone. Some common mistakes of snobbery include: someone being shy, nearsighted or just simply not noticing someone. Also at parties, people get caught up in conversations, or are not able to speak with everyone. Yes, sweetie, being ignored is cruel, but being open-minded to someone not noticing you and giving them another chance is less cruel.

Let’s have coffee, Trinity Dearest Trinity, I’m not the best with words, especially when I need to approach a stranger. It seems like every pick up line has been used.

What do you say to meet someone new?

Thanks, Speechless, Venice Beach, CA

Dearest Speechless, Usually, just throwing my head back with a smile gets me what I need…or lands me in jail. But once I’ve talked my way out of incarceration, these quick one-liners can make or break the whole night. So, darling, get wordy, witty and wild with:

Trinity’s Popular Pickup Lines

After you’ve tried: 1. Hello, my name is... and I just wanted to say hello.

2. Are you from around here?

3. Is someone sitting here?

4. You look awfully familiar. I’m...

5. Didn’t we meet at a party not too long ago?

Then try these: 1. Pardon me, but don’t we share custody to a child in Pakistan?

2. Your eyes, they’re like deep magnets. Are they yours?

3. Excuse me, but didn’t we have a romantic evening in Rome just recently?

4. I may look like a tough girl, but I’m really just a nice guy.

5. Hey, didn’t you and I spend time in a prison cell together?

Lastly, this one never fails: Hello, I was told by my psychic that we were supposed to meet tonight.

Go get ‘em, Trinity 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.

views

Coronavirus Journal: ‘A Journal of a Plague Year’ Jesse’s Journal

By Jesse Monteagudo | Guest Contributor

I

n 1722 Daniel Defoe, the author of “Robinson Crusoe,” wrote “A Journal of the Plague Year.” This was a semi-fictional account of the Great Plague, an outbreak of the bubonic plague that struck London from 1665 to 1666. In 18 months, the plague killed about 100,000 people, almost a quarter of the population of London. Though Defoe was only five at the time, this event was close enough for many to remember it, allowing Defoe to base his account on the memories of those who survived, including his uncle, Henry Foe (H.F. became the fictional voice.). Defoe wrote about specific neighborhoods, streets and even houses where events took place. Fiction or not, Defoe’s “Journal of the Plague Year” did such a good job describing the horrors of an epidemic that even historians quoted from it: “From the first week in June the infection spread in a dreadful manner, and the bills [mortality records] rose high. All that could conceal their distemper did it, to prevent their neighbors shunning them, and also to prevent authority shutting up their houses.

In June the richest sort thronged out of town. In Whitechapel nothing was to be seen but wagons and carts, with goods, women, children, etc., besides innumerable numbers of men on horseback a terrible and melancholy thing to see.”

Like Defoe three centuries ago, coronavirus has inspired many writers like me: women and men of all ages,

races, classes and genders, who are now jotting down their own personal experiences with the pandemic. Perhaps, half a century from now, future Defoes will take our reminiscences and use them to compile their own “Journal of the Plague Year.”

Defoe’s bubonic plague killed 100,000 people. COVID-19 already killed over 190,000 people in this country and almost 880,000 people worldwide.

King Charles II, his Court and Parliament all left town for the duration, at a time when people expected less from their governments than we do today. But not even the Stuart court was able to reach the levels of incompetence and mismanagement achieved by Trump and his Administration; or by Red State governors like Ron Desantis.

Like Defoe’s fictional narrator, H.F., I live the pandemic one day at a time and, like H.F., I am grateful that my loved ones and I have survived this plague (so far).

I keep trying to do my part to stop the spread of COVID-19, while at the same time doing my bit to eradicate the other horror of our age, Donald Trump. But life must still be enjoyed, even in a plague year. Soon Ron and I will head off for our first vacation of 2020, one that you might read about after we return. This, my friends, is a lesson that we should learn from this pandemic. We must do our best to proceed with our lives, while at the same time managing to conform to this New Normal. May better days return. : :

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Still Chirping

An Interview with Natalie Maine, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of The Chicks

BY Gregg Shapiro | Guest Contributor

W

MM: I think it’s the way the world, hopefully, is changing to more acceptance. Country has a reputation of being very exclusive, and I can only think of two gay artists when we were kind of coming up in the ranks. That was Ty Herndon and Chely Wright. Hanging out with them, I definitely got the sense that they always felt kind of on the outside. They were amazing artists, and there was no reason why they shouldn’t be played just as much. So, we’re just hoping that the world is getting a clue.

Everybody is equal.

NM: [When we first met them] weren’t they all still in the closet? They weren’t allowed to be out then.

ER: I think other people, other artists who knew them knew.

NM: I’m happy that they can come out now, in an industry where they had to be closeted just 10 years ago. That’s very cool.

ay back when, during the early reign of George W. Bush (kind of miss him now, don’t we), musical country trio The Chicks (FKA Dixie Chicks) did the unthinkable. Not only did they speak their minds about Bush as POTUS, but also expressed their displeasure that, like them, he was also a Texan. The reaction was swift and unnecessarily merciless. Airplay and record sales came to a virtually screeching halt. Not ones to sit idle, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire stood tall and came back with the 2006’s Grammy-winning “Taking the Long Way Home.” Following that, the members of The Chicks worked on some side projects and have now, thankfully, reunited for the amazing new record “Gaslighter” (Columbia/Sony Music). The album contains everything you love about The Chicks, including breathtaking vocal solos and harmonies. It also expands The Chicks’ style into modern pop territory, as well as featuring more musical political statements. Natalie, Emily and Martie were kind enough to answer a few questions during the summer of 2020.

GS: “Julianna Calm Down” is one of my favorite songs on the album, with the lines about putting on your best shoes and showing off your best moves, and it made me wonder what it would mean to The Chicks to have one of the queens on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” perform “Julianna Calm Down” or another song from the new album?

NM: [Laughs] that would be great! I know there’s been a couple of drag revues called “Chicks With Dicks”…

The Chicks: [all laugh] NM: …in the past, but we never got to see one.

Gregg Shapiro: The Chicks’ previous album, “Taking The Long Way Home,” was released in 2006 and, in the interim, there was a 2013 solo album by Natalie and a couple of albums, in 2010 and 2013, by Emily’s and Natalie’s Court Yard Hounds. Why was now the right time for The Chicks to reunite and release a new album?

Emily Robison: I think the 2016 tour was really fun. It was a great reconnection with our fanbase. At the same time, we were able to do the live album that Sony took as one of the last of our two albums for the label. So, the prospect of having one more studio album to do was a motivator, to be free agents. But we were also having a lot of fun. If we were going to tour again, we definitely wanted to have some new music for the next tour.

GS: I’m grateful to have been able to participate in the unforgettable experience of the 2017 Women’s March in Key West. What would it mean to you if “March March,” a song inspired partly by your experience at the Women’s March, became an anthem for the movement?

Natalie Maines: That would be awesome! We’ve offered it up to anybody in the movement to use at will. We’ll see if anybody takes us up on it. But, yeah, I mean it would be a good one [laughs].

GS: Texas, where you all have deep roots, has been hit particularly hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m sure you’re all as anxious for the 2020 presidential election as many of us are. What can we do in the meantime?

ER: Get people to vote! Get as many people to vote as we can.

NM: Lobby your officials to get mail-in voting so that they can’t scare people away from the polls. I wouldn’t go vote in a pandemic. Luckily, in California we have mail-in voting, and I have been doing that for several years. Even though I do mail-in voting, a lot of times I fill it out at home, but I still like to go to the polling place and put it in the box.

The Chicks — (left to right) Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Robison — have been outspoken about their views on political and social issues.

(Photo Credit: Robin Harper)

GS: “Tights on My Boat,” as well as the title track and “Hope It’s Something Good” sound like 21st century updates to the classic country cheatin’ song.

The Chicks: [All laugh.]

GS: How cathartic is it to create and perform these types of songs?

Martie Maguire: [Laughs] Well, we don’t get to perform them yet, really. The tour was supposed to start June 6th and that’s not going to happen for a while. We have heard a lot of people calling it a great divorce album. I don’t think we think of it that way. We do pull not from one experience but from all of our experiences and from our songwriters’ experiences. So, I think those songs might have a common thread, but it’s probably 10 people’s experiences all together.

GS: Incorporated into all of the seriousness on the album is a display of The Chicks’ sense of humor in the

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song “Texas Man.” Is it important to you all, as performers and songwriters, to include that kind of thing?

NM: Yeah. I feel like there’s humor in “Gaslighter,” there’s humor in “Sleep At Night,” there’s humor in “Tights On My Boat.” There’s humor in a lot of our songs. I think a lot of times humor can make a jagged pill easier to swallow, right [laughs]? We do like to stay light, even when it gets really heavy.

ER: I’m not sure if we’re conscious of it. I would say that certain days we’d go, “let’s do something fun today” or something a little bit less than what we’ve already been talking about. That might be a conscious way we do it.

GS: “Texas Man” is one of four songs on “Gaslighter” co-written by gay singer/songwriter Justin Tranter.

In recent years, a growing number of queer female country and Americana artists, such as Brandy Clark, Jamie Wyatt, Brandi Carlile, and H.C. McEntire, and others have become more visible. What do you think about that?

GS: I do the same thing.

NM: I still get to feel a part of it all, but I don’t have to wait in a line [laughs]. I won’t be doing that this time. I’ll just be mailing it in.

GS: I live in Fort Lauderdale and Dixie Highway runs right through Broward County. Riviera Beach, in Palm Beach County, renamed a stretch of Old Dixie Highway as President Barack Obama Highway. Following your band’s name change, and other such examples, do you think the name Dixie is long for this earth?

ER: I think it’s always going to be a place and a time, and people will know it in a historical sense. But I don’t know that we need to celebrate it.

NM: I do think that word will disappear. With products and businesses and, yes, even us. Yes, I think it will be part of the past.

GS: Finally, since we all had to miss Pride this year, if The Chicks were invited to perform at a Pride festival anywhere in the US, do you think that would ever happen?

MM: Sure!

NM: I went to my first Pride last year, and it was so much fun!

ER: The flood gates are definitely open! : :

life

Our People: Justin ‘J.’ Clapp Drag Performer, Activist, Educator

By Mykah Buff | QNotes Staff Writer

J

ustin Clapp, more commonly known as J. Clapp, is the interim executive director at the LGBTQ Center of Durham in North Carolina. Clapp also holds two other positions: one as a director at Duke University in the university’s Office of Access and Outreach, and the other as founder and chair of Pride: Durham.

With the help of their drag persona, Vivica C. Cox, Clapp spreads the word of love and acceptance through his performances and special guest appearances, as just this past June he appeared on an NPR show called “Reflections On What Makes This Pride Month So Significant” where show host Michel Martin, along with Clapp and other LGBTQ figureheads, discussed a number of topics related to this year’s Pride celebrations.

Can you tell me about your position at the center?

As the Executive Director of the LGBTQ Center of Durham, I have the privilege of working with some of the smartest, most talented and caring individuals I have ever faced. Yes, I spend a lot of time making sure the center functions and giving it direction, but I often think this position changed my life. So, every day I work to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people in Durham and surrounding areas, I am actually improving my life. To know that our Host Home Program works to end homelessness or our Gender Resources, Advocacy, and Support Program (GRASP) will help people navigate the world makes me feel so proud of our team. We also run Pride and have made it more accessible and inclusive since taking it over in 2018.

There’s much to be proud of.

Is there anything unique about Pride: Durham that you feel might set it apart from other Pride festivals you’ve attended or been a part of in the past?

I believe Pride: Durham really strives to be different in how we keep it communityfocused and regional all at the same time.

We have struck the balance between sponsorships and feeling like home.

Additionally, we have prioritized trans people of color in our headlining artists.

We are very proud of the turnout we get

while continually fighting for liberation in the ways we can.

How has not being able to hold a traditional in-person Pride celebration affected you emotionally?

I am so sad about it! We have worked hard to reinvigorate Pride, center the needs of the most marginalized among us and have a long-standing presence. This year, our third year planning Pride, is just so much harder.

What inspired you to become a drag performer?

My community. I started doing drag in high school and my friends got tired of me being passionate about it and doing nothing about it. They looked at me and told me to get going or stop talking about it. I never knew someone could be so lovingly annoyed.

How did you decide on your stage name?

That is one of my favorite stories! I was asked to perform professionally, and I knew the name I had would not work for me and the new persona I was creating for my transition from amateur to professional. So, I sat down with a couple of friends while visiting Nashville, Tenn. and someone asked me the question: “Who is a celebrity you would want to emulate if you could?!” Immediately I knew Vivica A. Fox was the one and the name just came right to us! It’s perfect.

I actually grew up on the land where my ancestors worked during slavery.

What are some of the ways you use drag performances and/or events as a platform to promote social justice?

Social justice is part of who the House of Coxx is. We use it to dismantle rape culture and promote consent in all spaces. Additionally, our work is used to promote anti-racism and gender equality. Our art does the speaking. Naomi Dix and Stormie Daie have hosted a vigil for Black Lives Matter. I have worked with local non-profits to raise awareness around gender equality and housing supports. We just exist with a mindset of being in the community and know that we can only exist with the love of the community.

What sort of things do you enjoy doing outside of work and your drag career?

For me, being in the river in the summer and playing video games is just my absolute favorite. You will find me playing too much Overwatch. Additionally, I am reconnecting with my love of cooking during this pandemic. I also love reading and

going on walks with friends, having deep conversations.

What’s your home life like? Married?

Single? Dating? Children?

One could say I’m dating.

What’s your favorite color?

All of them? Honestly, I love the orange, rose gold, coral range of colors.

What’s your favorite food?

SUSHI. If you were visited by a magic genie who promised to grant you one wish, what would it be?

For this country to stop putting barriers between people and their harmless happiness. : :

What was your first performance and what was it like?

My first performance as a professional was at the Pinhook in Durham, N.C., and was an opportunity to open for Manila Luzon from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” I had not yet learned how to style a wig, do makeup, sew or anything, but I went up there and performed the best I could, and the crowd LOVED every moment of it. Oh, it was a good time. Manila gave me good advice, and also showed me that we have to be professional no matter what. She had just experienced a tragedy and still showed up and showed out.

Where are you from?

Roxboro, North Carolina in Person County!

Sept. 18-Oct 1, 2020

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