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EDITOR’S NOTE
Chaos and confusion by design
President Donald Trump wasted no time going after the transgender community, issuing executive orders at a dizzying pace during his first two weeks back in the White House. Keeping Democrats and his critics flummoxed is part of the Trump 2.0 plan.
The deluge of executive orders is designed to overwhelm and outrage, while Trump turns his grievances into revenge. Trump’s new team seems more adept at the inner workings of government, which also makes them more dangerous to the LGBTQ+ community.
The transgender community is caught up in a dehumanizing attempt to purge “otherness” from America. As we saw in the 2024 presidential campaign, they are the new red meat to feed a conservative and evangelical base who won’t stop at preventing trans women from competing in sports.
Callously and purposefully equating sex and gender in the executive order that claims an “immutable” male and female identity was the first salvo. In just a few days, the administration froze passports with X markers, banned trans people from serving in the military (something they also did in 2016, only to have the Biden administration reverse the order), and scrubbed the White House website of any references or resources to not only trans people but LGBTQ+ people as a whole. There is a pattern here – which stretches all the way back to crushing the modern LGBTQ+ movement since it began with the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
That gave way to a “homosexual panic” in the 1970s where teachers were targeted for their sexuality, LGBTQ+ people feared losing jobs, political candidates began to organize with the evangelicals, and recently deceased beauty queen and orange juice pitchwoman Anita Bryant became the face of bigotry.
Of course, the 1980s would bring the AIDS crisis and a complete dereliction of duty by President Ronald Reagan, who wouldn’t acknowledge AIDS existed until nearly five years into his two terms and tens of thousands were already dead.
With the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” allowing LGBTQ+ military members to serve openly, marriage equality, and a much higher profile for the community across the world, the days of heavyhanded bigotry seemed to be a relic of the past.
But far-right conservatives have been plotting all along to find a candidate willing to drive their wedge issue into public debate with a sledgehammer.
Trump was that candidate.
After President Joe Biden was elected, hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills were introduced at the state level, many of them targeting trans youth. Even out of power, Trump spent four years endlessly campaigning to retake the Oval Office, he also aligned himself with the anti-trans movement.
And while Trump has flip-flopped over the years on the issue of marriage equality, members of the U.S. Supreme Court – now stacked with his conservative appointees – have made it clear with the overturning of Roe v. Wade that they aren’t interested in precedent.
With all of this swirling, putting the queer mass wedding held at Charis Books & More on the cover was a no-brainer. The event, held the day before Trump’s inauguration, was both an act of defiance and love. Read the feature story on page 8.
We cover the national and local anti-trans legislation on page 6, but we’re also celebrating our trans sisters who find confidence and comraderies on the pageant scene (page 12) and congratulating out-actor and restaurateur Mitchell Anderson on MetroFresh’s 20th anniversary. Melissa Carter is also back in action this month with her “That’s What She Said” column about her son’s obsession with Sonic the Hedgehog (page 10).
January seemed to stretch out for a year and politics were extra exhausting, so remember to pace yourself and practice self-care as necessary. Just remember that the LGBTQ+ community has been here forever and we aren’t going anywhere.
Outside the mass queer wedding at Charis Book. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
COLLIN KELLEY
Trump signs anti-trans executive orders
By Collin Kelley and Christopher Kane
Shortly after his inauguration on Jan. 20, President Donald Trump used executive orders to begin a rollback of transgender rights in the United States. Confusing sex and gender
Trump signed an executive order stating that the U.S. government will only recognize a person’s gender assigned at birth – male or female. He said the order was part of his agenda to end “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs at federal agencies.
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said in his inaugural speech.
The executive order ignores the fact that sex refers to the different biological and physiological characteristics of males and females, while gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men.
Removing resources
By Jan. 21, the Trump administration had “eliminated nearly all LGBTQ and HIV focused content and resources” from WhiteHouse.gov and “key federal agency” websites, GLAAD announced in a press release. This move was similar to what happened during Trump’s first term.
Prior to President Donald Trump’s
inauguration, GLAAD had catalogued more than 50 links to LGBTQ- and HIVrelated content on White House web pages and on websites for the State Department and the Departments of Education, Justice, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Labor, along with other agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
As of Tuesday, GLAAD specifically found that terms like “lesbian,” “bisexual,” “gay,” “transgender,” “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” and “LGBTQ” are “no longer accessible on WhiteHouse.gov,” while “some LGBTQ-specific pages have been taken down from sites for the Centers for Disease Control, Department of State, and more.”
“President Trump claims to be a strong proponent of freedom of speech, yet he is clearly committed to censorship of any information containing or related to LGBTQ Americans and issues that we face,” GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis said. “Sadly for him, our community is more visible than ever; and this pathetic attempt to diminish and remove us will again prove unsuccessful.”
Freezing passports
The U.S. State Department froze all applications for passports with “X” sex markers and changes to gender identity on existing passports.
The Guardian obtained a memo from newly-appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructing department staff to
implement the new guidelines.
“The policy of the United States is that an individual’s sex is not changeable,” the email read, according to The Guardian.
In the memo, Rubio states that “sex, and not gender, shall be used” in official documents, including passports and consular reports of births abroad.
State department staff on Jan. 23 were ordered to “suspend any application requesting an X sex marker” and to “suspend any application where the applicant is seeking to change their sex marker” from the definition provided in Trump’s executive order.
The policy affects both current and future passport applications, according to The Guardian.
Passports with the ‘X’ identification, which began being issued in 2022, are still valid, but Rubio said in his memo that guidance on existing passports is still to come.
Trump framed the executive order under the title “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
Transgender service ban
CNN reported that President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 27 banning transgender service members.
Trump banned transgender Americans from serving in the military in 2017 during his first administration, but that ban was repealed by former President Joe
Biden in 2021.
An administration official told CNN that the new ban outlines standards regarding gender pronouns and states that mental and physical readiness requires transgender service members to be banned from the military.
CNN said exceptions to the ban were made during Trump’s first term, but it was unclear if similar exceptions would be included in the new ban. The exceptions in 2017 included transgender service members already serving in uniform who had joined the military under previous policies; those who did not require a gender change; and those who had been “stable for 36 consecutive months in their biological sex before accession.”
Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director of GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD Law), called Trump’s executive orders “a direct attack on transgender Americans.”
“The administration is trying to create fear and sow chaos by its statements and orders, but no executive action can change the fundamental truth that transgender people are vital members of our families and communities,” Martinez said in a statement. “Like all people, transgender people deserve dignity, respect, and the freedom to live without fear of government-sanctioned harm.”
Martinez said GLAD Law will fight the executive orders in court.
State Republican legislators introduce second anti-trans bill
By Collin Kelley and Dyana Bagby
While a bill to ban transgender girls from playing in high school and college sports works its way through the Georgia General Assembly, a second bill would target gender-affirming care.
State Sen. Blake Tillery (R-Vidalia) introduced legislation in January that would block state health insurance from covering hormone therapy, surgical
procedures, and other gender-affirming care.
The measure would also block state-owned or operated healthcare facilities and stateemployed healthcare providers from providing gender-affirming care, except for certain medical conditions.
The legislation was instigated by the settlement of a 2023 lawsuit filed by transgender state employees who were denied coverage for treatment during their transitions. In the settlement, the state agreed to cover gender dysphoria treatments.
Senate Republicans wasted no time in
targeting transgender people on day one of the Georgia General Assembly’s legislative session. SB 1, the first bill introduced on Jan. 13, would ban transgender students from participating in women’s sports in middle and high schools and colleges.
The ban would also apply to transgender boys who wish to compete on teams designated as male, but that would be “subject to exceptions” that the ban against girls would not be, according to the bill’s current language. The bill is currently with the Senate Education and Youth Committee.
On the same day, more than 100 LGBTQ+ activists gathered outside the State Capitol for a “Stand Up for Trans
Georgians” rally against anticipated anti-trans legislation. They also rallied to show support for transgender Georgians who face attacks by a GOP-led General Assembly emboldened by the re-election of Donald Trump, who has already signed anti-trans executive orders.
“I am here to let it be known to every legislator sitting comfortably across the street in the Capitol that we see you and we are watching you this session and every single session after, every bill you propose, every vote you cast, every word you say,” said Dean Steed, a Black trans man who works with Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SnapCo.).
“To those legislators who think that they can pass anti-trans and anti-Black policies without consequence, I want to make it loud and clear that we are ready. You all thought the movement was sleeping. No, we were just building,” Steed said. “We will make our presence known throughout the halls of the Capitol, day in and day out. So legislators, consider this a warning. And to my community, consider this a call to action, because when we fight, we win.”
Katie Burkholder contributed to this story.
The Stand Up for Trans Rights rally at the State Capitol on Jan. 13. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)
NEWS ROUNDUP
AHF received
MLK, Jr.
Social Justice Award
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the world’s largest nonprofit HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, was recently honored with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Social Justice Award during The King Center’s annual “Beloved Community Awards” in Atlanta.
The honor, which serves as nonprofit center’s highest recognition for contributions to social justice, was presented by Dr. Bernice A. King, chief executive officer of The King Center and the youngest daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and NBA legend Norm Nixon.
Founded in 1987, AHF has grown into a global leader in HIV/AIDS care, currently serving over 2.2 million people in 17 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and 47 countries worldwide.
Atlanta businesses earn perfect score on equality index
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation has released its 22nd annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the leading benchmarking tool for U.S. businesses in the field of LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace.
In 2024, a record 1,449 companies were scored based on their performance in four areas: non-discrimination policies across business entities, equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families, inclusive internal workplace culture, and corporate social responsibility.
Eighteen Atlanta-based companies scored a perfect 100 points on this year’s index: Alston & Bird, Assurant, Coca-Cola, Cox Enterprises, Eversheds Sutherland, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Fisher and Phillips, Global Payments Inc., IHG Hotels and Resorts, Invesco, King and Spalding, Morris, Manning, and Martin, NCR Voyix, Papa John’s International, Randstad, Smurfit WestRock, Southern Co., and Troutman Pepper Locke.
New stamp features artwork by Keith Haring
A new Forever stamp from the U.S. Postal Service features the artwork of iconic LGBTQ+ artist Keith Haring.
The stamp, the latest in the USPS’s popular Love series, uses an untitled 1985 drawing by Haring that includes two moving figures reaching toward a red heart. It was a theme Haring returned to throughout his career, making several variations, each in his signature style.
The stamp is available at Post Office locations nationwide and online at usps. com/shopstamps.
Cynthia Davis, a board member of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, accepts the MLK, Jr. Social Justice Award (Courtesy AHF)
Charis Books hosts mass queer wedding to celebrate love in the face of political turmoil
By Katie Burkholder
Since President Donald Trump’s reelection in November, anxiety has been high among LGBTQ+ people. The Trevor Project’s crisis services saw a volume increase of nearly 700 percent the day after Election Day.
With fears about the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges, attacks on transgender rights, the dissolution of diversity initiatives, and other threats Trump has made against LGBTQ+ people, the days leading up to the inauguration have been fraught. Twenty-four hours before Trump was sworn into office, however, the only feeling felt within the walls of Charis Books & More in Decatur was joy. A mass wedding event, called “Matrimony for the People,” was the reason.
“The feeling here – do you feel it? I’ve been in tears the whole time, since I walked in the door,” Charis founder Linda Bryant said of the energy cultivated at the bookstore’s mass wedding, hosted the morning of Jan. 19. Ten queer couples married on Sunday surrounded by friends, family, and a community determined to be joyful during a moment of political turmoil.
“Charis is so meaningful to us as a community,” said Mick Rehrig, who renewed his vows with his wife of 13 years, Jen Wilsea. “I’m a trans person, and knowing that Charis is here and will continue to be here fighting for our people grounds me and the work I’m doing with my community. It
Allie McCullen, left, and Loren Milliken share a kiss at the mass wedding ceremony. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
The participants of the Charis Books
Ashley Moyers and Laura Bandrowsky celebrate their nuptials. (Photos by Isadora Pennington)
The Charis Books and Charis Circle staff celebrate the mass wedding. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
feels good, [this event] feels like the right way to start [2025].”
The couples were young and old, newly married and renewing their commitment to one another, engaged for years and spontaneously joined in matrimony. They spanned backgrounds and identities, but they all had one thing in common: they were madly in love.
As E.R. Anderson – the executive director of Charis Circle, the bookstore’s philanthropic arm and officiant of the ceremony – invited the couples to exchange rings and “quiet and private” vows, teary sniffles and weepy laughs filled the room as the audience witnessed 10 pockets of intense, devoted, and overjoyed love.
The joy that filled Charis on Sunday was not ignorant of what was to come on Jan. 20. Most of the couples said the inauguration influenced their decision to protect their relationships with the legal rights afforded by marriage, but the overall consensus was that love and community were stronger than fear.
“We survived four years,” said Loren Milliken, who married his partner Allie McCullen. “I’ve been watching [Trump’s] platform really closely, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they tried to rescind civil liberties for marriage, so we went ahead and did it. We also thought this was the best way to get married, at a feminist long-standing bookstore with E.R. It’s very us… It’s a little bit of a fearful time, but we’re going
Malik Brown will be project director of Atlanta LGBTQ+ community center study
By Katie Burkholder
to celebrate together and get through this together.”
“We thought it would be good to get the legal rights just in case, although we’re more worried about other people in our lives who will be facing different consequences possibly from day one,” echoed Nathalie, who married their partner Anna Rose. “But it has been nice to have something positive and joyful to focus on.”
Anna, another of the newlyweds, pointed out that she felt “lucky” to be able to get married, “but there are a lot of legal protections that people aren’t lucky enough to have right now, and we should focus on those as well.”
The celebration closed on Charis’ patio, the warmth of a community celebrating queerness and love combatting the January chill in the air, with cake and a champagne toast given by Anderson.
“To our liberation, to our love, to our trickster and outlaw energy,” Anderson said. “May we always be free, may we always care for one another, and may we always fight for the right to be whoever we are, wherever we are in the world. May we end our borders, both in our personal lives and around the world. May there be peace in our homes, globally, here in this country, in our families, and may we make a better world for our children.”
Subjects identified only by their first names are done so at their request.
After stepping down as Director of LGBTQ Affairs for the City of Atlanta, Malik Brown has announced his new position as the Project Director of the LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study at the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority.
“I’m spending the next year working with a talented and diverse Exploratory Committee to really understand what our community needs and wants in a dedicated space for Atlanta’s LGBTQ community,” Brown told Georgia Voice. “This could be a cultural, educational, or recreational hub—or all of the above.
Brown will be overseeing the one-year exploration of the feasibility, potential, impact, and sustainability of a dedicated LGBTQ+ cultural and community space in Atlanta. In November 2024, the Atlanta City Council approved $150,000 in funds to go toward the exploratory effort.
“This isn’t just about a building – it’s about possibility,” Brown said in an Instagram post announcing the position. “It’s about bringing together community voices, bold ideas, and collective purpose to create something that truly reflects the heart of Atlanta. As a lifelong Atlantan and advocate, I’m proud to be part of this innovative and community-forward initiative. The work ahead excites me, and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.”
Dr. Alie Redd, the CEO of Covenant House Georgia, and Paul Conroy, the Founder and Producing Artistic Director of Out Front Theatre Company, join Brown as co-chairs of the committee.
Together, Brown and the exploratory committee will devise and deliver a community-informed recommendation report to city officials regarding the development of the community center.
According to the mayor’s office, the community center is expected to open in 2030 and the cost of construction would be between $30 and $50 million, raised through government funds, philanthropy, fundraising, and individual donors.
To learn more about the LGBTQ+ Community Center Feasibility Study, complete a partnership interest form, or subscribe to the newsletter for updates and progress on the study, visit atlgbtqcenter. com.
the “Matrimony for the People” mass wedding stand on the porch of Books & More on Jan. 19, 2025. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
Malik Brown
Jeff Anderson, left, and Chris Wilde exchanged vows at Charis. (Photo by Isadora Pennington)
Valuable lessons from kids
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
Over the holidays, I was reminded how we as adults tend to lose our imagination. That lesson didn’t come from the holidays themselves, rather it came from an errand that forced Mr. Carter into boredom.
My 10-yearold’s current obsession is Sonic the Hedgehog. And good timing on his part since the latest movie in the Sonic series came out in December, we attended the Sonic Symphony over New Year’s weekend and the new movie was recently made available to streaming services. Needless to say, most of his Christmas involved Sonic toys. I’m not exaggerating about this being an obsession.
One day, I had a task to complete and needed my son to sit still and occupy himself for about 20 minutes. Frowning, he asked what he could do and I responded, “Be patient.” I proceeded with my project, only to be distracted a few minutes later by how he decided to use this time. He assembled an action scene from a Sonic toy in his pocket and
a cat tower in the corner. He was lost in the made-up dialogue of a battle between his toy and some item swinging from the carpeted structure. Apparently whatever bad guy was on this makeshift building would soon have his efforts thwarted by the heroic hedgehog.
I just stared at his play, remembering how I once got lost in make-believe. My next-door neighbor, Katie, and I would prop album covers against each other to make our own Barbie Dream House since we lacked the actual store-bought structure. We’d add furniture and the dolls, and spend hours immersed in the drama of what we thought adult life would be like.
As I watched my son, I tried to remember the last time I created such a world for myself. As an adult, I’ve often relied on others to make up stories for me to follow, whether in books or on television. I had to go pretty far back to times with my neighborhood friends where I made stuff up out of thin air.
My best friend, Tracyann, and I would drag her twin brother along on our bicycle-fueled adventures around the neighborhood that included remakes of 70s television shows like “CHiPs” or “Dukes of Hazard.” When alone, I would recreate heroic scenes from the Winter Olympics in the snowy yard as my dog,
Polly, cheered me on. At least that’s what I assumed she was doing.
Before I turned away from my son and back to my task I asked myself, How did I get so boring?
No wonder we get stressed out and disillusioned as adults when you consider how much play time we actually get. It usually only happens when we’re around
children, and I have to thank my son for this awareness. I also understand that it was because of boredom, and not screens, that he was able to glide right into this natural state of play. We big kids could take a lesson from that, too.
FEB 13–MAR 16
By ZORA HOWARD Directed by LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Trans women find sisterhood and confidence in pageantry
By Katie Burkholder
The world of trans pageantry is much more than glitz and glamour to the women who participate. For transgender pageant queens, the competition also represents advocacy, education, and sisterhood –crucial given the political turmoil likely in store for the trans community with the upcoming administration.
The Thailand-based Miss International Queen, the world’s largest transgender pageant, has been raising global trans rights awareness, raising money for the Royal Charity AIDS Foundation of Thailand, and bringing trans women together for more than 20 years. From Dec. 8-12, 25 trans women from across the country met in Las Vegas, NV to compete for the inaugural title of Miss International Queen USA. Among the competitors were three women from Georgia: pageant newbies Bella Bautista and Jasmine Basanes and long-time pageant girl Kimora Elizabeth.
The three local competitors and their 22 challengers for the crown took part in workshops and seminars spanning information on employment rights, legal protections for trans people, and nutrition and a community project benefitting Nevada Homeless Youth before taking the stage. Over three days, the contestants performed in a Talent and National Costume competition, showcased swimsuits and evening gowns, and participated in Q&A interviews.
“[While you’re onstage,] you literally feel like everyone’s looking at you, looking up to you, and the world is your oyster,” Basanes told Georgia Voice.
While it is a competition – Midori Monet from Seattle, WA, took home
the title – the experience fostered by the organizers emphasized sisterhood over rivalry and fostered a space where the girls could, as Elizabeth put it, take their wigs off and be their true, authentic selves.
“It’s very important that we [as trans women] have a solid support system and we have people in our lives that not only understand us, but look like us,” she said.
“It’s very beautiful when you live this trans experience, when you’re going through your trans journey, and you have sisters who you know that you genuinely can trust because only we understand what we go through on the day-to-day.”
The competition is not only an opportunity for trans women to foster connections with other women like them, but also to meet women from different backgrounds who use their platforms to advocate for a diversity of issues.
“Pageantry is a reason to use your voice and use your platform to speak up about something,” Bautista said. ”You have 25 people discussing various topics that relate to their background, to their story, to their struggles. For me personally, one of the things that I’m most concerned about is discriminatory policies in local county jails. Unfortunately, last year, in April, I faced false imprisonment at my local county jail where I was subjected to unusual and cruel punishment. This new administration could actually increase the immunities for these officers, so it would become harder for people to fight against cases like mine that are happening across the country to trans people, to people in general.”
President Donald Trump, who campaigned on his opposition to transgender rights, signed two executive orders targeting transgender people the
same day he was inaugurated. He said his administration would work to “get transgender insanity the hell out of our schools, and we will keep [trans women] out of women’s sports.”
In 2024, at least 32 transgender and gender-expansive people were murdered. Amid such political turmoil and danger, trans women find affirming spaces like pageants more important than ever.
“We’re all in this together, not just in the pageant, but the world,” Basanes said. “We
Atlanta Pride announces key dates for 2025 festival
By Katie Burkholder
Following a record-breaking celebration in 2024, Atlanta Pride is looking ahead to this year’s festival and parade on Oct. 11-12.
“The 2025 Atlanta Pride Festival will be a vital moment for us to come together as a community and celebrate our unity in these uncertain times,” Executive Director Chris McCain said in a statement. “Pride has always been about standing together, uplifting one another, and embracing our collective strength and vibrancy. This year, as we celebrate a space that fosters joy and connection for all who join us while honoring the rich tapestry of identities and stores that make our community extraordinary. Together, we aim to create a joyful, inclusive space that uplifts every
attendee.”
Atlanta Pride is working to build off the success of last year’s event in Piedmont Park, which shattered attendance records with over 350,000 visitors; touted the largest Family Fun Zone and Artist Market in the festival’s history; and boasted the country’s largest outdoor drag event, the legendary Starlight Cabaret.
Applications will open for the Pride Parade and Marketplace on March 10, and nominations for this year’s Grand Marshals will be open from April 1 to May 1.
Beyond the festival, Atlanta Pride will offer year-round programming advancing the visibility and wellness of Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community. To keep up with Atlanta Pride and its upcoming events, visit atlantapride.org and follow them on Instagram (@atlantapride).
survived Trump’s first presidency. We can do it again, but we can’t do it separately. We have to take care of each other.”
Follow them on Instagram:
Jasmine Basanes: @jazzy.gabrielle
Bella Bautista: @bellabxllaa
Kimora Elizabeth: @agentk_mua
Miss International Queen USA: @missinternationalqueenusa
From left in both photos: Local trans women Bella Bautista, Jasmine Basanes, and Kimora Elizabeth competed in Miss International Queen USA 2025. (Provided)
Atlanta Pride Parade (File)
MJQ Concourse reopens at Underground Atlanta
By Sarra Sedghi
After 30 years on Ponce de Leon Ave., dance club MJQ Concourse reopens on Jan. 29 in the former Dante’s Down the Hatch space at Underground Atlanta.
The latest iteration of the legendary Atlanta nightclub features multiple dance floors and bars serving slightly more sophisticated drinks. At the same time, the new MJQ presents a time capsule that honors the iconic Dante’s Down the Hatch space at Underground Atlanta coupled with the vibe of “old Ponce.”
But the Downtown relocation and upgrades to drinks and design won’t change the identity of MJQ as a gritty little underground dance club where everyone is welcome, or its commitment to longtime regulars, co-owner Ryan Purcell insisted.
In 1994, George Chang opened MJQ in the basement of the Ponce de Leon Hotel, currently home to boutique hotel The Wylie. Three years later, Chang moved MJQ into the former Lou’s Blues Revue space and added “Concourse” to the name in honor of the Atlanta airport. MJQ Concourse became a hallmark of the city’s underground nightlife, especially for Atlanta’s queer community.
“I think that MJQ is one of the few places where you can experience Atlanta’s melting pot,” said Purcell. “We’re trying to create a safe space for everyone to co-mingle because that’s what Atlanta is. It was accepted and kind of how we are now — I mean, we want everybody to
be there.”
The club will still maintain that old Ponce attitude, too, with its Wednesday “locals only” nights and a lack of VIP perks.
“There are a lot of celebrities who have come through the space and they just want to blend in,” Purcell said. “You’ll just find Woody Harrelson posted up next to the DJ booth.”
The most exclusive offering at MJQ’s new location is the ability to purchase tickets online and wait in the will-call line instead of the general admission line.
Purcell got involved with MJQ after the COVID-19 pandemic, first as a photographer and then as a party manager. At the time, the club’s trio of owners had whittled down to just Ben Rhoades.
“Pretty much all of my introductions to Atlanta nightlife [are] through MJQ,” Purcell said.
But within weeks of coming on board as a co-owner of MJQ and reopening the club to the public, Atlanta developer Portman Holdings signed a deal with the landlords to purchase the property on which the club and its live music venue, The Drunken Unicorn, resided. The purchase also included the properties of other popular nighttime haunts on Ponce, like The Bookhouse Pub and Friends on Ponce.
Purcell said he immediately shifted his focus to finding a location for MJQ, affording the club security and longevity against a changing Ponce. That’s when the owners of Underground Atlanta reached out to Purcell and MJQ partner
Ryan Murphy about taking over Dante’s Down the Hatch — the space had sat dormant for 25 years because the owner was taking the time to find the right tenant. It didn’t take much work to bring Dante’s into the future.
The subterranean location at Underground Atlanta remained remarkably well preserved, even after 25 years.
The famed pirate ship became a spaceship, with its decks transformed into a loading bay aglow with neon lights. The most significant renovation saw the old Dante’s kitchen made over into a dance-
oriented area complete with a bar and DJ booth. Nods to Dante’s come in the form of an alligator head peeking out from the clouds and the Hatchling cocktail named in honor of Dante’s devotees.
More space allowed MJQ to expand to four bars, build out larger dance floors, and include capacity to host unique and immersive events. You’ll find hidden-away nooks around MJQ now. An enclosed space adjacent to the main dance floor, for instance, offers people an experience with a reduced noise level and elevated cocktails.
“If you want to come here, get a drink and dance, you can absolutely do that. If you just want to immerse yourself in the space and find these Easter eggs around and just chill, you can do that too,” Purcell said. “We specifically built this space for the patrons that have already been coming to MJQ. We’ve had 30 years to know what people want.”
MJQ Concourse (mjqofficial.com), 50 Lower Alabama St., Downtown. Open Wednesday – Saturday, 11 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Courtesy MJQ Concourse
BEST BETS
Peach City Sapphics and Queer Craft Night Atlanta are co-hosting a Valentine’s Day-themed Queer Craft Night at Monks Meadery, 579 N. Highland Ave. on Feb. 8 from 5-7 p.m. Queer Craft Night is a monthly meet-up usually held at Finca to Filter Coffee in Old Fourth Ward. Get more information .meetup.com/queercraft-night-atl.
The 2025 Georgia GSA/LGBTQ+ Youth Summit is Feb. 15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Agnes Scott College in Decatur. The event offers an opportunity to meet other queer and trans youth from around the state. The summit will offer educational breakout sessions, entertainment, art, community resources, and advocacy opportunities. Get more details and registration information at GeorgiaSafeSchoolsCoalition.org.
Celebrate Black History Month and raise funds for houseless LGBTQ+ youth on Feb. 22 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Dr. Lulu PRIDE Open Mic Night for Black History Month. The event will be held at Kat’s Cafe, 970 Piedmont Ave. NE. Tickets and information are available by searching eventbrite.com.
Southern Fried Queer Pride is hosting BLESS YR HEART, a queer Valentine’s Day dance party on Feb. 14 at the Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. Doors and music at 10 p.m. There will be a special performance by ALT3R and DJ sets by Boomchld, Craibby, Taylor Alxndr, and sexual health resources provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Get tickets and information at southernfriedqueerpride.com.
Lavender Lens Queer Movie Night will host a screening of the iconic documentary “Paris Is Burning” on Feb. 19 at 7 pm. At The Supermarket, 638 N. Highland Ave. Directed by Jennie Livingston, the film introduced a group of drag and trans performers in New York’s ball and house
scene. Get tickets and information at thesupermarketatl.com.
Better Way to Meet is hosting Be My Gay Valentine for men at the Kimpton Sylvan Hotel, 374 East Paces Ferry Rd. NE, on Feb. 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. The event will be a way to celebrate love while connecting with other single gay men. And there’s a romantic view of the city, too. Tickets and registration are available by searching eventbrite.com.
Charis Books will host the monthly Cliterati Open Mic featuring poet Elizabeth Michaud, author of the new collection “The Bones in the Garden (and other things found there.”) Sign-up for the open mic begins at 7:15 p.m. and readings begin at 7:30 p.m. Found at more at charisbooksandmore.com.
If you’re ready to be a dancing queen again, then head to the Fox Theatre Feb. 25-March 2 for the ABBA musical “Mamma Mia.” Tickets are available at foxtheatre.org.
Out Front Theatre is hosting a night with RuPaul’s Drag Race favorite Plasma on Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. She’s bringing her acclaimed one-woman, Broadway-inspired show for one night only. Tickets and details at outfronttheatre.com.
Vernard J. Gilmore’s final bow with Ailey
By Jim Farmer
Growing up, out performer Vernard J. Gilmore always knew he wanted to dance. Dancing had always been part of his life, starting when his mother would put him in back-to-school Chicago parades.
It was at Curie Performing and Creative Arts High School, though, that he knew he wanted to train to do it professionally. After studying at the Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater he became a member of the Alvin Ailey junior company in 1995 and then the main company two years later. Now, he’s the longest-tenured member there, as well as a choreographer.
Gilmore will be in Atlanta Feb 1216 when Alvin Ailey American Dance
generation now know how connected it is to who we are today,” Gilmore said. “Judith had a motto of ‘hold on to the past, live in the present and reach fearlessly into the future’ and those words resonate with me every day.”
Ailey had passed before Gilmore joined the troupe but everyone in the company has been welcoming. “As a young person, I remember being afraid to go outside of my boundaries but I remember learning about getting out into new environments and learning about the people so you’d have something to say when you came to the stage,” he said. “Now I dive into the unknown!”
As a gay man, he also credits the company for helping him feel comfortable in his own skin.
Theater visits for six performances at the Fox Theatre. With the city a regular stop, he’s lost track of the exact number of times he’s performed here.
The 2025 season makes him particularly happy. Several world premieres will be part of the offerings, including “Sacred Songs” by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing. The company’s signature work “Revelations” – which debuted in 1960 and features Gilmore – also ends every show as a fan favorite.
This season also honors the legacy of Judith Jamison, Ailey’s muse. A dancer and choreographer, she danced with the company from 1965 to 1980. Later she returned to act as the artistic director from 1989 until 2011 and then its artistic director emerita before passing last year.
“(This season) is really about celebrating the past and trying to let our
“Mr. Ailey always wanted everyone to feel included,” Gilmore said. “He wanted us to understand that our experience is our experience. It took away the boundaries of race, color, and religion. It gave you a space to be communicative and be a community. As a gay man, you always have to hide early on, but coming to this company allowed me to respect myself as a gay man and the people around me, and have pride in who I am.”
Last January, Gilmore decided to find a new venture to “feed his soul.” This is his final season with Ailey. He’s the artistic director of La Verdad, a male concept dance company. “I want to bring dance beyond the proscenium with innovative choreographers and immersive storytelling,” he said.
Tickets for Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre are available at foxtheatre.org.
Paris Is Burning
Plasma
Vernard J. Gilmore (Courtesy Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre)
Annual Rustin/Lorde breakfast
honors LGBTQ+ icons, MLK Jr. legacy
By Dyana Bagby
The 24th annual Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast honored the legacies of LGBTQ+ icons Bayard Rustin and Audre Lorde and celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. by promoting a vision of a “beloved community.”
Hundreds gathered Jan. 20 for the annual event hosted by the Southern Unity Movement. The breakfast is named for pioneering Black gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, who helped organize the 1963 March on Washington and was a close adviser to King, and Black lesbian “warrior poet” and activist Audre Lorde. Over the years, the breakfast has become the official LGBTQ+ celebration for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
“We do this every year because it’s a need. People have expressed that we need to come together,” said Roshelle Darlene Hudson, co-founder of SUM. “This is our family reunion.”
The Rustin/Lorde Breakfast illustrates Dr. King’s vision of the
“beloved community” and recognizes the contributions and intersecting identities of LGBTQ+ people in the quest for equality, she said.
The theme for this year’s breakfast was “Powerful Together: Unafraid and Ready for Change.” Hudson said the theme was fitting to celebrate Black LGBTQ+ communities and allies, but also to acknowledge the inauguration of Donald Trump and his promises to usher in an era of anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
Many people are fearful of what will happen over the next four years, Hudson said. Coming together as a community helps quell that anxiety.
“We don’t have to be afraid. We know how to survive. We know how to make it happen,” she said. “This is our time. This is our family reunion.”
“We set the stage, and basically serve as a catalyst to set the tone of how our community is going to move forward — and that’s going to be unafraid,” she said.
Roshelle Darlene Hudson, center, co-founder of the Bayard Rustin/ Audre Lorde Breakfast, greets community members to the 24th annual event held Jan. 20. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
Hundreds gathered at the Loudermilk Conference Center in Downtown Atlanta for the annual Rustin/Lorde Breakfast. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
The 8 most anticipated Atlanta restaurants opening in 2025
By Beth McKibben
With most of 2025 still ahead of us, it’s simply too difficult to gauge the average number of new restaurants expected to open around Atlanta this year. But we know of at least a few new restaurants hitting the dining scene in 2025, including eight hotly anticipated establishments opening over the next several months. From wine bars from two James Beard award-winning chefs to Thai and Korean restaurants in Atlanta, Roswell, and Marietta, we’re looking forward to the following eight restaurants opening in 2025.
Madeira Park
Wine bar led by Chef Steven Satterfield 640 North Highland Avenue, Poncey-Highland
Anticipated Winter 2025
It’s been 15 years since Chef Steven Satterfield opened the award-winning Miller Union on Brady Avenue in Atlanta. But in 2025, Satterfield and Miller Union partner Neal McCarthy will open wine bar Madeira Park in the heart of PonceyHighland. Taking over the former cafe space at the old Highland Inn (now Otto’s Apartment Hotel), Satterfield and McCarthy partnered with Dive Wine pop-
Fawn
Wine and amaro bar from Chef Terry Koval 119 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur Anticipated Winter 2025
Decatur will gain another spot from The Deer and the Dove owner and James Beard award-winning chef Terry Koval this winter. He and beverage director Matt Watkins plan to open Fawn next door to Cafe Alsace. As a wine and amaro bar, Fawn will focus on wines from many volcanic regions from around the world, including the Canary Islands, Crete, Campania in Italy, and Verne in France. Amaro on the menu will come from a variety of countries and be served by the glass and in flights. As for food, expect house-made charcuterie with local cheeses, crudos, fresh breads, caviar, and desserts from Koval.
Side Saddle Wine Saloon & Bar
Wine and tapas bar from owner of Finca to Filter
680 Hamilton Avenue, Boulevard Heights Anticipated Winter/Spring 2025
Wine Bar at Finca to Filter in the Old Fourth Ward on Thursday nights. Spring 2nd Branch aka Bōm Korean cuisine and hot pots from Chef Brian So 113 Church Street, Marietta
Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
The long-awaited second restaurant from Chef Brian So opens later this year, just around the corner from his awardwinning restaurant Spring in Marietta. Billed as a casual restaurant serving traditional Korean cuisine and hot pots, So and Spring partner Daniel Crawford will open Spring 2nd Branch aka Bōm in a redeveloped retail strip along Church Street, also home to Contrast Artisan Ales. At Bōm (“spring” or “springtime” in Korean), So will serve simmering Korean hot pots, dolsot bibimbap, mandu (dumplings), and other dishes like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and naengmyeon (cold noodles). Expect Cass Korean beer, soju, and wines by the glass, along with soju cocktails.
Tipsy Thaiger
up founder and sommelier Tim Willard. Expect a vegetable-heavy menu as well as charcuterie and cheese plates and a few standalone protein dishes from Satterfield. The wine menu will feature by-the-glass and bottle options offering familiar favorites, boundary-pushing vintages, and hard-to-find wines catering to collectors. Look for a section dedicated to vermouth, sherry, port, and madeira, with cocktails using fortified wines as mixing ingredients or base spirits.
Wa’haka
Oaxacan and Tex-Mex dishes 4474 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody
Anticipated Winter 2025
Cesar Hernandez, a co-owner of critically acclaimed restaurant Oaxaca in Chamblee, will open Wa’haka in the former Takorea space at the Georgetown shopping center in Dunwoody. Expect the menu to lean into dishes from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, including tlyaudas and moles, along with Tex-Mex dishes of enchiladas, nachos, and fajitas. Look for the bar to serve variations on margaritas and other cocktails made with mezcal and tequila.
The owner of Finca to Filter will open a location of the popular coffee shop and a new wine and tapas bar called Side Saddle later this year. Located along the Southside Beltline, the jewel box building will only seat 20 people and feature a horseshoeshaped bar. Most of the wine menu will focus on natural and low-intervention wines, with a food menu featuring sharable small plates and raw bar selections. Until it opens, you can catch owner Kayla Bellman and her team popping up with Side Saddle
All-day restaurant serving Thai cuisine
605 Atlanta Street, Roswell
Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
This pop-up will bring Thai food right to the heart of Roswell, and into one of the city’s most historic and storied buildings. Billed as an all-day Thai restaurant, Tipsy Thaiger takes over the old Public House space just off Roswell’s historic town
Otto’s Apartment Hotel in Poncey-Highland will be home to two new restaurants in 2025. (Courtesy of Otto’s Apartment Hotel)
Courtesy of Spring 2nd Branch/Bom
Celebrating 20 Years of MetroFresh at Midtown Promenade
By Katie Burkholder
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a new series highlighting LGBTQ+-owned restaurants in Atlanta.
Twenty years ago, Mitchell Anderson embarked on his second act. After an acting career spanning two decades, Anderson shifted gears, settled down in Atlanta with his now-husband, Richie, and, under the mentorship of Souper Jenny owner Jennifer Levison, opened a restaurant in Midtown serving soups, salads, and sandwiches made fresh daily.
When MetroFresh opened at Midtown Promenade in 2005 (before Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, and the Beltline), it had less than 50 seats and a tiny kitchen. Today, MetroFresh is nearly twice the size, a necessary upgrade that speaks to the restaurant’s popularity.
square. Look for street food-style dishes inspired by family recipes served at lunch and dinner, along with cocktails, beer, and wine. For now, catch Tipsy Thaiger popping up at neighboring Proper Hop Taphouse and Variant Brewing in Roswell.
Elise
French/Italian cuisine from Chef Craig Richards
Woodruff Arts Center campus, Midtown
Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
Chef Craig Richards, a co-owner of Italian restaurant Lyla Lila in Midtown, will open Elise just down the street at the Woodruff Arts Center this spring. The restaurant’s name nods to one
of Beethoven’s most famous piano compositions: “Für Elise.” Taking over the former Table 1280 space across from the High Museum on the Woodruff Arts Center campus, Elise will feature a menu melding French and Italian dishes, including the hand-made pastas for which Richards has become known at Lyla Lila. Look for classic cocktails from the bar as well as a wine list focused on both Old World French and Italian wines.
Some Luck
Thai street food restaurant and bar with a late-night menu from Talat Market chefs 644 North Highland Avenue, Poncey-Highland
Anticipated early Summer 2025
Chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter, owners of Summerhill Thai restaurant Talat Market, plan to open Thai bar Some Luck this summer in Poncey-Highland. Taking over the Highland Ballroom Lounge space beneath the Highland Inn, just beyond Madeira Park, Some Luck will serve a decidedly Thai-focused menu featuring bar snacks, noodle soups, wings, and latenight food inspired by dishes found at street stalls throughout Thailand. Expect quick-fired, stirred cocktails mixed with Thai ingredients and base spirits like rum, pitchers of ice-cold Singha beer, and local beers on draft.
Anderson said innovation is central to the business philosophy at MetroFresh. The lunch menu changes daily and includes soups like North African sweet potato and peanut and salads like lemon basil garden tuna created by Anderson and his chefs every morning. MetroFresh now serves breakfast, dinner, and Sunday brunch. The restaurant features a wine and coffee bar. Most recently, Anderson added an oatmeal bar to the morning lineup so people could choose personalized toppings.
“Some people eat there twice a day, five days a week,” Anderson said. “You can go there on a Monday and then go on a Tuesday and have something completely different.”
Located just steps from the Eastside Beltline trail and Piedmont Park, providing both regulars and new patrons with a welcoming environment in which to dine and excellent customer service is paramount.
“Whether you’ve been there three times that week or once in your life, everybody feels super welcome,” Anderson said.
MetroFresh is celebrating its 20th anniversary at Midtown Promenade in October, and while innovation is a distinguishing characteristic of the restaurant, Anderson is looking forward to the future with a focus on preservation instead of advancement.
“I’m not that interested in expanding, expanding, expanding; while that’s a really good business move, personally it just wasn’t what I was interested in,” he said. “What I more enjoy is going in every morning, creating the menu, being excited by the people that come through the door, and really being a part of it.”
Anderson did, however, open a small outlet of MetroFresh six years ago in the lobby of One Midtown Plaza on Peachtree Street, one block north of the High Museum. This location serves weekday breakfast and lunch and offers a happy hour on Thursday evenings until 7:30 p.m.
But after years of struggling to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic –something Anderson said was “incredibly
emotionally draining” – his next step is figuring out a succession plan for MetroFresh.
“It’s a lot of work for 20 years, and I’m not a young man anymore,” Anderson said. “I would think that the best way forward would be to bring in the right person to maybe come behind me and have those fresh ideas… I want to be collaborative,” he added. “I want to find these people that are on the team that can take what I’ve created and make it their own.”
Until that “right person” comes along, said Anderson, MetroFresh will continue business as usual at Midtown Promenade. Anderson and his staff also have a few events planned, including a Valentine’s Day dinner with entree and dessert specials and live music.
In April, Anderson will return to acting, partnering with Levison (also an actor-turned-restaurateur) to produce a weekend run of “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney, an epistolary play spanning 50 decades of letters and notes between two characters. The show will benefit the Zadie Project, Development in Gardening, and Synchronicity Theatre.
MetroFresh, 931 Monroe Dr., Midtown. Open Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
MetroFresh Uptown, One Midtown Plaza, Midtown. Open Monday – Friday for coffee, breakfast, and lunch, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bar MetroFresh remains open until 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays.
Mini marinated crab claws from Talat Market. (Photo by Beth McKibben)
