JAN-FEB UNITE NASHVILLE

NASHVILLE January/February 2015

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Hottest Stylists

LGBT 50

TY HERNDON

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LETTER FROM THE

publisher Joey Amato managing editor Joseph Brownell creative director Blake Kniffin Publisher

A new year has begun. Let’s hope that 2015 becomes yet another monumental year in the advancement of LGBT quality across our nation and specifically, here in Tennessee.

In this issue of UNITE, we will unveil our LGBT50, a list compiled by our readers of the 50 most influential individuals in our LGBT community. We feature 20 men, 20 women, 5 allies and 5 rising stars who are dedicated to help making Nashville a wonderful place to live. Two members of this list will be presented with the UNITE Man of the Year and Woman of the Year awards at our 2nd anniversary party in March. Details coming soon!

That being said, I can’t believe it’s been almost 2 years since we launched the publication. What started as a crazy idea has flourished into a successful business venture which now has branched off to other cities including Indianapolis and Cincinnati. I couldn’t have made this work without the hard work and dedication of my wonderful team of writers who work tirelessly to provide great content.

I also want to take this opportunity to wish our Managing Editor Joseph Brownell the best of luck in his new adventure to Chicago. Fear not, even though he has relocated, Joseph is still part of the UNITE family and will continue his role from the Windy City. I know what you’re thinking, UNITE Chicago perhaps? It’s a possibility. Never say never.

This year, I want to encourage everyone to do what they love.

My client Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac told me that even though we may not be the best artist, photographer, writer, etc., if you love what you are do, it doesn’t matter. We shouldn’t waste our time doing something we don’t enjoy…life is too short!

Jesse Walker Book Reviewer Sebastian Fortino Business editor A.J. Busé Business correspondent Michael Burcham, PhD, Business writers Dan J. Groover, Lisa Howe, Fitness Editor Mark Allyn Nimmo Food & Wine Editor Joshua Simpson, John Winnett HEALTH EDITOR Brian Hooper, MDiv, PsyD Life & Style Writer Kyle Kressin, Milton White Political Editor Jim Schmidt Arts & entertainment editors

Matthew Jeffers contributing writers Tom Coffman, Shane Jordan, Abby Rubenfeld Account Executive

Tyler Chapman, Mark Farrar, Sam Felker, Scott Glasgow, Joseph McLean Gregory, Lisa Howe, Rana Mukherji, Darrin Otto, Gordon Publow, Chris Robinette, Jeff Rymer, Jim Schmidt, Ro Toyos Advisory Board

Rivendell Media (908) 232-2021 Unite Magazine (615) 852-6660 joey@unitemag.com

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-Joey

@UNITELGBTMAG UNITELGBTMAG

cover photo courtesy of Ty Herndon

N NOW

NISSAN RECEIVES PERFECT HRC SCORE

by Jesse Walker Nissan earned a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Corporate Equality Index for the second year in a row.

In 2013, Nissan was among the fastest risers in the history of the index with a 70-point increase in just two years.

“Nissan has the most culturally diverse consumer base of any automotive manufacturer, and we know that to maintain that advantage we must focus on the human connection,” said Jeffrey Webster, director of Diversity and Inclusion at Nissan. “We concentrate our efforts on grassroots initiatives that give consumers the chance to interact with our vehicles and to have an open dialogue about what Nissan is doing in the LGBT community.”

In August, Nissan sponsored the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association’s (NLGJA) national convention in Chicago and as a part of the event, Nissan hosted a charity ride-and-drive featuring the Nissan Altima and Rogue. For every person who took a spin in a Nissan,

the company made a $25 donation to NLGJA’s Connect Student Journalism Project. After 100 test drives in two days, Nissan made a donation of $2,500 to help fund the program that gives college journalism students the opportunity to report on vital issues in the LGBT community.

Nissan’s LGBT employee resource group, the Gay-Straight Alliance at Nissan (GSAN), was one of the strongest factors behind Nissan’s perfect score in 2013, and it continues to be the driving force behind a large portion of the company’s LGBT community outreach.

In June, Nissan hosted an HRC Summit at Nissan North America’s headquarters in Nashville, where businesses and community leaders across Middle Tennessee gathered to share best practices for LGBT inclusion in the workplace and in the community. GSAN leaders led the discussion on employee resource groups, highlighting their own recruiting efforts that helped the group gain more than 100 members in its first six months.

GSAN members also coordinated Nissan’s presence at Nashville’s largest Pride festival to date in June. The all-electric Nissan LEAF kicked off the event as the official pace car for the Nashville Pride Equality Walk, and Nissan had interactive car displays and ways to escape the summer heat for festival-goers.

In addition to having a highly engaged group of LGBT employees and allies, Nissan offers inclusive benefits and Championing Diversity workshops for employees, and the Diversity and Inclusion team works closely with advocacy groups such as the HRC to drive a culture of equality in the workplace.

UNITE MAGAZINE | 5

PROUDLY SERVING OUR COMMUNITY

table of contents

FEATURE TY HERNDON CHANGES MUSIC ROW 24 NASHVILLE’S HOTTEST SYTLISTS 27

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NOW NISSAN SCORES 100 ON HRC INDEX DEREK YATES BECOMES ELLEN’S GARDENER MARRIAGE EQUALITY AND BEYOND

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BUSINESS CHAMBER CHAT POWERING YOUR MOJO

8 12

GIVING BACK HRC GEARS UP FOR 2015 THE BROOKS FUND

10 18

POLITICS JEFF YARBRO MEGAN BARRY

14 36

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TENNESSEE MAN CROWNED

NOW

ELLEN’S ‘TEMPORARY GARDENER’

by Joey Amato The name Derek Yates is now on the tip of everybody’s tongue thanks to our favorite talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. Yates was awarded the title of ‘Temporary Gardener’ during a recent episode this past November. The Chattanooga resident was presented with the coveted ‘golden hoe’ and a $1,000 gift card from Target.

Although the show made him an overnight celebrity, Yates has had a very impressive acting and modeling career thus far landing modeling gigs for international fashion labels.

In addition, Yates co-founded an organization called 1N3, which comes from the statistic that “one in three of us are impacted by drunk driving.”

The organization came about three years ago when his brother, Kevin Daniel ‘Sunshine’ Yates, was killed by a drunk driver on his way home from work. Yates and his team raise awareness about drunk driving at schools, public events and town hall meetings. “The two most impactful things about our non-profit are that we pull my brother’s mangled van on a trailer to events for people to have that visual which will hopefully impact someone even deeper and also the woman who killed my brother is now out of prison and has been presenting alongside my mother telling her side of the story and how it has impacted her life,” Yates mentions.

Tell us about the process you had to go through to become Ellen’s Temporary Gardener.

Ellen opened up the gardener competition after “Nick the Gardener” was cast in the Magic Mike sequel. She requested everyone make their best video showing off their skills. At first, I didn’t think I would have time and didn’t think my video would even get seen, but after a little push to do it, I grabbed my camera and stepdad, made a video, and then almost 70,000 views later I was announced on Ellen as the winner of the competition.

Of your acting roles, which one are you the most proud of and why?

photo by Kyoung Kim

I’m still in the beginning stages of my career, but at current I’m most proud of my first union television show role, because it made me eligible for the SAG-AFTRA, which is huge for an actor and their career. The role is a one-episode co-star role on the new show Hindsight debuting in 2015 on VH1. I’m looking forward to seeing how it is edited and played out.

Do you have any acting/modeling gigs planned in 2015?

Currently, I am open for hire. This business is so last minute and hurry up and wait that you rarely plan ahead much more than a couple of weeks let alone a couple of months. So hopefully, by the time 2015 rolls around and after the holidays, things will begin to pick up.

What do you find most challenging about acting/modeling? What has been your favorite modeling gig and why?

Currently, the most challenging thing is patience, because like any business, you rarely make your way to the top instantly.

And it isn’t that I’m not patient, and I’ve truly grown to learn to love the process, but when you know your potential and what you’re capable of, sometimes you get a little antsy waiting for your time to shine. Hopefully things will soon be picking up though. I’m confident that no matter what, one way or another, I will reach all of my goals.

I just recently booked my biggest modeling gig, which was to model the new 2015 swimwear for Cocksox. It isn’t a major brand here in the US, but it is a well-known brand in Australia for sure, and I’m hoping that with it on my resume, it will help me continue to get bigger gigs and more exposure.

For more information visit www.derek-yates.com

UNITE MAGAZINE | 7

BUSINESS

Chamber Chat

by Lisa Howe

The Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce continued its path of growth in 2014. Early in the year, the Board of Directors identified two main goals: increase the value of a chamber membership and strengthen the LGBT Chamber brand. By accomplishing these two goals, the LGBT Chamber has been able to achieve a crucial need to generate more revenue while staying true to its mission.

In 2014, the LGBT Chamber added numerous membership benefits. These included: • Mobile Website • Professional Development Speaker Series (Power Lunch) • Partner Perks Discount Card with QR Code • Jobs Posting Section on Website • Pride Bingo • Pride in Business - a forum for leaders of LGBT Employee Resource Groups The LGBT Chamber continued developing a strong brand with new marketing efforts including: • New e-mail marketing templates designed

by Emma • Renaming of LGBT Chamber events and programs: • LGBT Chamber Power Lunch partnered with MassMutual • Tastefully Unpredictable became LGBT Chamber presents TASTE • Also changed the name of the chamber’s other signature event to LGBT Chamber Excellence in Business Awards The successes of these efforts combined brought LGBT Chamber membership and revenue to an all-time high in 2014. These expanded networks also marked the greatest increase in our community and business partnerships, social medial engagement, website users and attendance at LGBT Chamber events.

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The LGBT Chamber has identified four main customers: Corporate, Business-to-Business, Small Business Owners, and Non-Profit Organizations.

Here are examples of highlights for each last year: The Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the most trusted source to find local LGBT-friendly businesses.

Whether our corporate partners are looking for customers, talent, suppliers, or partners, the LGBT Chamber provides the best resources, events, and programs where the business community can connect with their desired audience to achieve their goals.

The LGBT Chamber credits our loyal members for increasing and improving business-to-business referrals.

Referrals within the LGBT Chamber have impacted the local economy. The growth of LGBT Chamber members has resulted in job creation, office space additions, promotions,

and other factors that have contributed to the economic growth of Middle Tennessee.

The LGBT Chamber continuously looks for partnerships and resources to help our small business owners. In 2014, the LGBT Chamber partnered with the National Organization for Workforce Diversity, Cracker Barrel, Tennessee Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, Waller, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, MassMutual, and others to help educate LGBT business owners to gain access to contracts, procurement, and networking.

It has been very gratifying for the LGBT Chamber to build stronger relationships with its non-profit members. The new newsletter format and stronger social media presence allowed the LGBT Chamber to promote its non-profit members for The Big Payback,

Giving Tuesday, and other individual organization’s fundraising events.

2014 Nashville LGBT Chamber Success Stories Pride Bingo encouraged festivalgoers to visit the vendor booths of LGBT Chamber members. With the expansion of the festival to include booths outside of the main gates, the bingo cards encouraged people to find and visit members’ booths, regardless of their location.

Pride in Business: Getting employee resource group leaders together quarterly has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Giving talented leaders the opportunity to share best practices, experiences, challenges, and resources will advance workplace policies for LGBT employees.

Look for future collaborations between corporate members that will benefit the local LGBT community.

The LGBT Chamber Power Lunch partnered with MassMutual has been a powerful tool to not only empower its attendees but also develop the skills of our presenters and speakers.

The LGBT Chamber has 100% retention rate among its highest level of membership. Baker Donelson, Bass Berry & Sims, Bridgestone, Cracker Barrel, CURB Records, Fifth Third Bank, MassMutual, Nissan, The Bank of Nashville, Synovus Mortgage, and Waller all renewed their Chairman level memberships in 2014. They have been joined by Dollar General, Sunflower Vegetarian Cafe, and UBS. The most visible success of 2014 was TASTE. Small improvements across the board – venue, decor, food and beverage, silent auction, attendance, and entertainment –resulted in an exponentially improved experience for all participants. TASTE is a testament to what can be achieved when the talented and diverse members of the LGBT Chamber work together.

With additions to an already strong Board of Directors, increased membership, new community relationships, and greater resources, the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce shows no signs of slowing down in 2015. Please join us, or contact us to see how you or your business can be involved in this dynamic business organization.

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giving back

Jenny Ford, Blake Brockway, and Lon Hurst

photo by Joey Amato

HRC Gears Up for 2015

by Tom Coffman The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is pleased to announce that the 2015 Nashville Equality Dinner will be held at 6:00 p.m. on March 28 at the Renaissance Hotel.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of HRC in Nashville and the 15th gala dinner. Gala co-chairs Linzie Treadway, Blake Brockway, and Lon Hurst are proud to honor the founders of the Nashville Steering Committee and those who have helped sustain HRC’s mission over the last two decades with the theme: “20/20 – Celebrating Our Past, Envisioning Our Future.”

Building upon the legacy of the past 20 years, HRC has elected three Nashville members to the national Board of Governors. Jenny Ford, Blake Brockway, and Lon Hurst were recently confirmed to replace JR Simon, whose term had ended in October. “We incoming governors recognize that there have been great strides in equality made

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in Tennessee and we owe a debt of gratitude to all those who have brought us to this point,” Hurst said. “We also understand that the LGBT community still faces great challenges and that there is much work still to be done to ensure equality for all LGBT citizens of the state.”

HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work, and in every community. As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide — all committed to making HRC’s vision a reality.

While the Equality Dinner is the most visible of HRC’s fundraising events, HRC sponsors several others throughout the year. This year’s Her HRC event, “An Intimate Eve-

ning with Mindy Smith and Friends,” takes place on January 9 at 3rd and Lindsley. Last year’s fundraiser sold out well before the performance and this year’s event is expected to do the same.

Although working for equality on a national level is a large part of what the HRC does, they also work to foster equality in our local and state communities. Earlier this year HRC helped establish a coalition partnership in Tennessee.

Yes, Chattanooga sought to defeat a ballot initiative in the November election that would strip municipal workers of the partner benefits that had only recently been granted by the city council in part through the efforts of Councilman Chris Anderson, Chattanooga’s first LGBT elected official.

HRC Nashville, along with the Tennessee Equality Project, helped organize local phone banks to encourage Chattanooga voters to vote against the ballot measure. Although the efforts were unsuccessful and the initiative was carried by popular vote, HRC and the Yes, Chattanooga coalition laid the groundwork for sustained activism in the area.

Another HRC program, Project One America, was founded this year as a comprehensive, multi-year campaign to dramatically expand LGBT equality in the South through permanent campaigns in Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas - states that had no state-wide LGBT advocacy groups.

While marriage equality is the law of the land in 35 states and the District of Columbia, there are no explicit federal protections for LGBT Americans with regard to credit, education, employment, federal funding, housing, jury service, and public accommodations and members of the LGBT community in many states are often disproportionately impacted by regressive statutes.

HRC continues to provide rubrics for the assessment of equality through the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to LGBT employees, and the Municipal Equality Index (MEI), which examines the laws, policies, and services of municipalities and rates them on the basis of their inclusivity of LGBT people who live and work there.

HRC’s ongoing work to promote equality such as the programs outlined above, would not be possible without the members who join the Federal Club, which represents donors who pledge $1,200 per year or more, and the Federal Club Council, which represents donors who pledge $4,999 per year or more. These donors provide the backbone of the funding for HRC and ensure that HRC has the resources for its legislative and advocacy work.

As with all volunteer-based organizations, HRC is always looking for dedicated people who would like to get involved in working for equality. They have a variety of volunteer opportunities with differing levels of time commitment. For more information regarding any of HRC’s programs, events, or initiatives, please email: info@hrctn.org.

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BUSINESS

POWERING YOUR MOJO

BUILDING PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS IN 2015

by Dr. Michael Burcham What differentiates truly successful people from everyone else?

In my view, it’s a relatively simple answer: Successful people spend a large part of their time engaging in activities that simultaneously provide meaning and are at the core of their strengths. They are driven from a deep level of internal passion, which motivates them to work while others are playing.

In other words, truly successful people have Mojo. mo.jo: a power that may seem magical and that allows someone to be very effective, successful, etc.

My favorite “mojo” definition comes from business-thinker extraordinaire, Marshall Goldsmith. He says mojo is “that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates outside.”

The reason I relate to Goldsmith is that our mojo is our inward driver – our source of motivation. It’s a deep feeling of optimism about ourselves and about our life. It creates an internal feeling of confidence that radiates to the outside, impacting our work and all those around us. It causes other people to want to be around us. It causes us to commit ourselves to causes, to create, to persevere.

The only person who can define meaning and build motivation for you is you.

So as you begin the New Year, here are some things I’ve used to constantly keep myself fully charged and engaged: Step 1. Examine Who You Are Becoming It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 years old or 50 years old; we are all evolving and becoming. None of us are static. I fundamen-

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tally believe we become the five people with whom we spend most of our time. So look around and take a good look at your future. What are the topics your inner circle of friends are talking about? Where are they going? How are they improving and evolving? If you find yourself the smartest person in the room – or you aren’t sure you want to “be” the folks around you, you better do something about it.

Step 2. De-Clutter – Let Go of the Rest Once you’ve set your priorities around your passions and strengths – it’s time to de-clutter. Reorganize your world so you’re ready for the new journey you’re beginning. Our personalities evolve throughout our lives as life experiences – the good, the bad and the ugly – change how we see the world.

These also change how the world sees us.

Step 3. Commit to Learning As part of building a focus around your passion and strengths, examine the types of skills and competencies that are consistent with your strengths and learn a new skill in that domain.

Learning a new skill will boost your self-confidence. It will open up a whole new adventurous world filled with interesting people to meet. Skill development forces you out of your comfort zone – it helps you develop an “edge” about yourself.

The right new skills can also further differentiate you from the crowd.

Step 4. Get Busy and Make Meaning Get a plan for your day, your week, and your life. Start by waking up at the same time every day, get out of bed, and get going. I love to start my day at the gym. Some enjoy starting their day with meditation and coffee.

Once you’re up, keep your mind and body focused so you do not have time to fixate on the negative. Plan your calendar. Schedule a lunch. Do some research on a topic of interest. The early bird not only get the worm, but also the opportunities. Success collides with those who are out seeking it.

Understand that the role “from here to there” is not a straight line. There will be hills to climb, rivers to cross. Success requires resilience. It requires us to both survive today and continuously plan for tomorrow.

Your journey to success is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a distance game. Commit yourself, get busy and make meaning.

Step 5. Start paying it forward One of the most powerful ways to build your character and fuel your batteries is to give some of your time and talent to others. As you share your skills and strengths with others – you will find you, as the teacher, walk away learning more than the student. Helping others will also help you put your own life into perspective.

Final Thoughts motivation = the value of outcome x my expectation of achievement.

Motivation is the desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy to work towards that goal. If you want to use this New

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Year to create a new beginning for your life, get busy with these 5 simple steps.

Here’s what works for me: 1. Each year, I set a major goal that is consistent with my passions and skills, and follow a path toward that goal with milestones. I try to always finish what I start – it helps me think more carefully when I say “yes.”

2. I figure out what I need to let go of to make time for the new thing. I can’t just crowd more onto a busy calendar.

That’s just insanity. I re-prioritize how I’m spending my time and focus time with others of similar interests as my own. It makes the line between work and personal life a bit blurred, but it also provide me lots of renewed energy.

3. I’m always learning; I find learning opportunities in just about every situation. I try to increase my knowledge of subjects that inspire me.

4. I build a calendar that moves me toward my goals and commit myself to executing my plan.

5. Finally, I love to help aspiring entrepreneurs with their journey. This giving back to my community keeps my batteries charged.

No matter how young or old you are, your time is limited. Don’t waste your time living someone else’s life. Follow your heart and your intuition and build on your strengths and natural talent. Everything else is secondary.

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politics

JEFF YARBRO FROM FARM BOY TO STATE SENATOR

by A.J. Busé As I sit down to talk with attorney and state Senator Jeff Yarbro, it is apparent that he’s been working hard. Nearly exasperated, he says he can’t wait to take a few vacation days so he can relax and re-energize. “I’m either all-on or all-off,” he says.

“I can’t do in between.”

This “all-on” work ethic was developed in Dyersburg, Tennessee, just up the Mississippi River from Memphis. Growing up on his family’s farm taught Yarbro the importance of hard work and the value of doing what’s right. This pattern has certainly served him well. It also serves his clients – and now his constituents – extremely well.

After graduating with honors with a degree in Government from Harvard University, Yarbro worked on fellow Tennessean Al Gore’s presidential campaign, where he was inspired to work with the law to positively affect people’s lives. It was during a campaign march, walking along with Tipper Gore, that Yarbro met and fell in love with Tyler Chance, now his wife, and the two decided to attend law school together at the University of Virginia. After getting his law degree, Yarbro clerked with 6th Circuit judge Gilbert Merritt before joining the Nashville law firm Bass Berry Sims in the fall of 2005.

Run for the Hill On a drive back to Nashville after visiting his family in 2008,

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Jeff and Tyler were listening to the results for the presidential election on their car radio. As he recalls, “[Barack Obama’s election] was an exciting, big win for the nation. But at the same time that election was a big loss for Tennessee.” Several extremist and tea party-supported candidates won on the state level that night. Yarbro quickly realized that the legislation doesn’t accurately reflect the people of the state they represent. That night, behind the wheel in rural West Tennessee, he was inspired to change that.

He knew something needed to be done to bring balance back to Tennessee’s Capitol Hill.

In his first campaign for public office in 2010, Yarbro came within 17 votes of defeating 40-year incumbent Senator Douglas Henry. He returned to win the 2014 Democratic primary in the 21st district of Tennessee. He eventually won the general election. Even though the 108th General Assembly won’t be sworn in until a ceremony on January 13, state legislators in Tennessee begin their duties on Election Day. This means the constituents within a contorted U-shaped area of Davidson County that includes areas of Sylvan Park, the I-440 corridor, Woodbine, Tusculum, south of Antioch, the airport, East Nashville and Inglewood are already benefitting from Yabro’s “all-on” work ethic – he’s already serving the best he can, he says with a smile.

photo courtesy of Jeff Yarbro

During his campaign in 2009, Yarbro was one of the first Tennessee political candidates to invite LGBT couples to his fundraising events, even though his advisors weren’t too keen on that decision. But, as he explains it, “I wanted to get to know people and understand who they are. And by that, I mean all people in this state.”

In fact, it was at one such event, at David Taylor and Michael Ward’s house, that Jeff says he “found the energy and the sense of urgency to make a positive change. People are hungry to have a voice on their side.”

His view on marriage equality?

“I don’t think it is the legislature’s place to decide that a couple can’t be together. I’ve learned that people who don’t have a voice need someone to fight for them and their rights.”

He points out that no single issue has moved faster in this country than the acceptance of LGBT citizens.

But Yarbro will tell you that he’s not necessarily as liberal as he might seem. “It’s just that the right is much further right than it used to be,” he explains.

Yarbro believes that Tennessee is more moderate than some might think, that we’re more

centrist than those who represent us. That’s why he finds it important to be someone who represents more progressive views and ideals, to help swing the pendulum back into a more representative range.

Senator Yarbro Now that Yarbro, age 37, has started his first four-year term as a state Senator, he says his main goal is to bring compassion, common sense and fairness for everyone in Tennessee. He wants to present a competing vision of what Tennessee could be if legislators were really investing in our families. He also wants to see the expansion of Medicaid to help the 300,000 Tennesseans who are uninsured.

Yarbro is excited to see what can be accomplished. “I have faith that the people in Tennessee will demand better from their government,” he proclaims. As Jeff and I look out the window from his office at the top of the Pinnacle building in downtown Nashville, we can see for miles in every direction.

In fact, Jeff can practically see the entire 21st District from here. And we’re glad this hard-working ally is “all-on” to represent us equally.

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Jon Glassmeyer & Scott Ridgway PROVIDE A HOME FOR POLITICS

by Jim Schmidt If you have been to any political or community organization’s fundraiser in the past several years, there is a good chance you’ve visited the East Nashville home of Jon Glassmeyer and Scott Ridgway.

The couple carries one of the busiest social and work calendars in the city, but has always been gracious enough to open their home for events benefitting any number of charitable and political causes or candidates they support. UNITE wanted to talk with them to get a sense of what makes them so politically active and why they believe it is important to be involved in so many community events.

A longtime member of many non-profit and community boards such as Artrageous, Nashville Children’s Theatre and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Jon Glassmeyer has been engaged in many aspects of Nashville along with his LGBT community involvement in groups like Nashville CARES and the precursor to the LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Ridgway served as chairman of the Metro Human Relations Commission and the Franklin Brooks Fund and in his work life is the Executive Director of the statewide Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. Over the last few years, many in Nashville also have identified them as the former President and “First Lady” of the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Club, which under their leadership will bring the international Mark Bing-

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photo by Joey Amato

ham Cup tournament to Nashville in 2016.

Jon and Scott met almost nine years ago at an event at Play Dance Bar for the now defunct Smoky Mountain Rodeo Association.

After their initial meeting, the

couple started dating and quickly realized they shared a passion for community involvement, although their political histories had some differences. Glassmeyer characterizes himself as a solid “D” Democrat even supporting failed Democratic campaigns such as Walter Mondale

When asked if they have ever considered jumping on the ballot themselves, both admit to thinking about it but neither think it is likely we will see their name for office soon. “We are still under-represented in elected offices here and it is great we are starting to see more and more LGBT folks run for office to work on issues important to the community,” Ridgway says. With election season right around the corner, we suspect we will all visit the Glassmeyer and Ridgway home again soon.

Art Dance Music Theatre

Art Dance Music Theatre

Thinking back over the numerous political campaigns they have supported, a few favorites stick out to them: Former Mayor Bill Purcell, Vice-Mayor Diane Neighbors, Councilman Peter Westerholm and Judges Lynda Jones and Melissa Blackburn. One thing Jon and Scott make clear to any candidate is that they will be loyal when they commit to support them.

“We’ve had candidates who have been strongly supportive of issues that are important to us, so we feel we should be supportive of them even when things don’t always go right in their campaign,” states Glassmeyer.

Art Dance Music Theatre

Their similar beliefs on a number of issues have led them to be actively engaged in politics over the years. Glassmeyer cites protecting our neighborhoods, LGBT equality and supporting education as some of the most important considerations for any candidate or cause they might support. Ridgway says, “As a father to my son, I’ve seen the flaws in the public schools, whether it’s different standards for certain children or just not enough parental involvement, it is so important that we come up with solutions to the challenges facing education today and that’s part of what we look for in any campaign we support.”

Art Dance Music Theatre

and Michael Dukakis back in his college years at Sewanee University and in his upbringing in the Madison/Old Hickory area. In his college years, Ridgway was a Republican with slightly more conservative beliefs, backing Winfield Dunn over Ned McWherter for Governor. Raised in Lawrenceburg as a Southern Baptist with conservative Blue Dog Democratic parents, Ridgway says we are definitely a reflection of the way we were raised. “I was at UT, the president of the largest fraternity on campus and was ‘straight,’ it was just a different time back then and as I came to be more comfortable with who I was, my beliefs changed into more of a Democratic-leaning mindset.”

Watauga Arts Academy

a summer arts camp for high school students

June 14 - 27, 2015

Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tenn.

apsu.edu/watauga

For more information about our camp, please contact us: 931.221.7876 or watauga@apsu.edu

APSU is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, religion, age, disability status, and/or veteran status in its programs, and activities.www.apsu.edu/affirmative-action.

giving back

BROOKS FUND

EMBARKS ON 20th ANNIVERSARY

by Dan Groover

As Nashville’s landscape has evolved over the last 20 years, so have the needs and issues facing the local LGBT community. Through those two decades, The Brooks Fund has remained steadfast enhancing the quality of life for LGBT citizens and supporting the worthy organizations working toward building bridges and breaking down barriers.

Created in 1995, The Brooks Fund was named for the beloved Vanderbilt associate professor H. Franklin Brooks, and perpetuates his forthright championing of human rights. Through Franklin Brooks’ legacy and a matching grant from the Funders for Lesbian and Gay Issues of New York, The Brooks Fund was established within The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Though 20 years have passed, The Brooks Fund mission remains the same – encourage the inclusion, acceptance and recognition of Middle Tennessee’s lesbian and gay citizens and provide funding to a variety of nonprofit organizations and quality programs in Middle Tennessee.

Chris Sanders

photo courtesy of The Community Foundation

“I’m struck by the broad array of organizations The Brooks Fund has been able to help in the last two decades,“ said Michael McDaniel, coordinator of The Brooks Fund. “You’ve seen a lot from The Brooks Fund to date but there is much more to come as we celebrate our 20th anniversary.”

In 2014, the legacy of giving was one of the highest in the Fund’s history. The Brooks Fund was able to grant more than $16,300 to three local nonprofit organizations.

The Brooks Fund’s 2014 Grantmaking The generosity of Middle Tennesseans is helping The Brooks Fund build an endowment to support the LGBT community forever. In the past two decades, The Fund has granted over $224,900 to a variety of nonprofit organizations. The Brooks Fund was able to grant more than $17,300 to three local nonprofit organizations.

Tennessee Equality Project Foundation As the executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, Chris Sanders is heading up Equality Means Business, an initiative to increase the visibility of businesses that do not discriminate against customers or employees based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The scope and diversity of grant recipients truly reflects the community. The services include:

With a grant from The Brooks Fund, The TEP Foundation will fund a stipend for a local college student to recruit member businesses. This grant will also help support the production of a video to promote the program. Both tactics will accelerate the Foundation’s reach, allowing the LGBT community to know where their business and their job applications are welcome.

• cultural activities like film festivals and plays • outreach programs focusing on crisis management, violence prevention, and healthcare access • youth programs offering counseling, mentoring, and scholarships • community services such as hotlines, peer counseling, and support groups • training programs on topics of sensitivity/diversity, youth issues, and safety.

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“A grant from The Brooks Fund is vital to funding aspects of the program we couldn’t otherwise budget for,” said Sanders. “The grant is also a vote of confidence that tells the LGBT and community-at-large that the program is important. We’re pleased to have that kind of endorsement.”

Oasis Center’s Just Us Every Tuesday from September through May, Pam Sheffer advises high school students through Oasis Center’s Just Us program.

During this time, LGBTQI youth are engaged in group discussions and facilitated activities while connecting with opportunities to create positive change in the community.

As a Brooks Fund grantee, Just Us provides support and advocacy through relentless outreach to these youth, their families, and community allies through bi-weekly support and educational events, youth leadership and community climate change initiatives and Oasis-provided individual support services such as crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelters, education support and more.

“Because of The Brooks Fund’s belief in our work and our mission, we have been able to gain ground on the sustainability of our initial program,” said Sheffer.

Jewish Family Service of Nashville and Middle Tennessee For more than 35 years, Jewish Family Service of Nashville and Middle Tennessee has been providing adoption services to the community, and is well known for its welcoming stance toward gay and lesbian perspective adoptive individuals and couples.

Along with adoption home studies, The Brooks Fund grantee also coordinates placement and post-placement services for the gay and lesbian community.

Nashville in Harmony Nashville in Harmony, which chooses music with lyrics that encourage others to make a difference in the world, received a grant to support performance outreach activities for young people.

To support The Brooks Fund and its mission, visit www.TheBrooksFund.org.

Pam Sheffer

Culture

American Idol AlumNI Star in TPAC Musical

by Blake Kniffin The national tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a musical retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers, and the coat of many colors, will play Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Andrew Jackson Hall February 17-22. Broadway and television stars Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young – both American Idol alumni – lead the cast.

“We are honored to have American Idol alumni and Broadway stars Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young starring in this wonderful family production,” says Kathleen O’Brien, TPAC President and Chief Executive Officer. “TPAC is also a proud

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investor in the tour of the show, which we love because of the uplifting message and the amazing cast.”

Nashville transplants, both DeGarmo and Young are looking forward to bringing the show to their hometown. “We have done over 300 shows of Joseph so far and are so excited to have the opportunity to perform again on the TPAC stage,” stated Young. “It’s so great coming home.”

At 16, DeGarmo, who portrays the Narrator in Joseph, was voted the runner-up during American Idol’s third season. Young, who portrays the title role of Joseph, was a fifth season Idol finalist.

After their respective Idol seasons, both DeGarmo and Young held numerous theatrical roles. Starring as Penny Pingleton in Hairspray, DeGarmo became the first Idol alum to star on Broadway. DeGarmo’s roles also include playing Doralee Rhodes – a role made famous on film by Dolly Parton – in the national tour of 9 to 5: The Musical, and the 2010 Broadway cast of Hair. The latter is where she met now husband, Young, who has also starred in a Broadway revival of Grease.

While their theatre paths have crossed, they’ve never had the opportunity to work together until Joseph presented itself. “We really lucked out and got a great offer to do this show together,” said Young.

While the two have turned their attention to theatre, neither have given up on music. In addition to becoming a Grammy-nominated songwriter, Young has worked with musical stars ranging from Brian McKnight to Desmond Child and released his self-titled debut record in 2008. In 2004, shortly after Idol, DeGarmo released her debut album Blue Skies. Returning to her country roots, DeGarmo released the follow-up, an acoustic EP Unplugged in Nashville, in 2008.

In their spare time, the couple works on new material in their home studio. “We just love the creative process,” explained Young. The two collaborated on songs for the DeGarmo’s 2012 EP Live to Love.

Young mentions the great thing about theatre versus a concert tour is that they are usually in a city for one week at a time now as opposed to just a day for a concert performance. “It really gives you an opportunity to experience the city. And we love to go out.”

“It’s a lot of fun visiting new places together and finding new adventures,” added DeGarmo. “We got to go horseback riding in Oklahoma City with our cast. We are so lucky that we have an amazing cast and crew.”

With such an amazing cast and crew, one thing is for sure, the latest production of Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber’s family-favorite musical is not to be missed.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased by phone at (615) 782-4040, online at www.TPAC.org, or at the TPAC Box Office.

bk

b-kreative, llc

photos courtesy of TPAC

like what you see in

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graphic design | 615.870.4545 | b-kreativellc.com

MARRIAGE EQUALITY AND BEYOND N NOW

What a year for marriage equality! We’ve witnessed many successes, one huge defeat, and are on the precipice of marriage equality all across this great country.

If you had told me in 1988 when I left Lambda Legal Defense that we would be at this place at the end of 2014, I would have thought you were crazy. Yet here we are, close to making the dream a reality, and hopeful it will happen in the next six months.

The change in 2014 alone is amazing: on March 14, federal Judge Aleta Trauger issued a preliminary

by Abby R. Rubenfeld

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injunction against the State of Tennessee to prohibit them from refusing to recognize the valid marriages of our three Plaintiff couples, and finding that the Tennessee laws banning same sex marriage are likely unconstitutional under the United States Constitution. Later in the year, four different federal appellate courts (the step below the Supreme Court), with jurisdiction over 23 states, all held that state denial of marriage equality violates the U.S. Constitution – meaning marriage equality became the law of the land in the 23 states covered by those Circuits.

Then, on October 6, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the requests of the losing states in those Circuits to hear their appeals, and by so doing, gave their tacit approval to the rulings.

But on November 6, our own Sixth Circuit, which determines law for Tennessee and three other states (Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan), became the only federal appellate court to rule against marriage equality in a split decision. This overturned our March trial court victory. Sixth Circuit Judge Martha Craig Daughtery of Nashville wrote a blistering, excellent dissent supporting marriage equality. Yet, following the disappointing Sixth Circuit loss, progress continued as later that same month federal courts in three more unlikely states – Montana, Arkansas and Mississippi – held that the federal Constitution guarantees marriage equality for all. At press time, we are now up to 35 states recognizing marriage equality.

We took the next step for our case by asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take it and reverse the Sixth Circuit Court decision. Although we had 90 days to file our petition asking them to review the case, all four Sixth Circuit states filed immediately. Our amazing Tennessee litigation team filed our petition to the Supremes a mere 8 days after the ruling.

Music City’s

Biggest Band

Your Nashville Symphony | Live at the schermerhorn

BEETHOVEN’S SEVENTH

KENNY ROGERS

with the Nashville Symphony

with the Nashville Symphony

January 15 to 17

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA

GREGORY PORTER

January 8 to 10

So what’s next?

We are now waiting for the response from Tennessee, and have timed it so that the Supreme Court Justices can consider whether to take our case in mid-January. Since there is now a split opinion among the federal appellate courts on this hugely important issue, they will hopefully accept one of the cases. Their conferences on January 9 and 16 are the last ones at which the cases can be considered for this term. If the Supreme Court accepts any of the Sixth Circuit cases in January, there is time for the case or cases to be briefed, argued, and decided by June 30 — the last day of this term.

That means we could have marriage equality in Tennessee by July 1, 2015.

Say your prayers and keep your fingers crossed, but also remember as we move into this bright new world of equality that we are fighting for the right to marry, not to require anyone to marry or to give preferential treatment to married same-sex couples and their children. Once we all have that right, we need to be careful not to discriminate against those who choose not to marry. Like Blake Shelton sings, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

with the Nashville Symphony & Chorus

January 23

January 21 & 22

ÇA IRA

with Roger Waters and the Nashville Symphony Orchestra & Chorus

January 30

VALENTINE’S WITH PATTI LABELLE and the Nashville Symphony

February 13 & 14

615.687.6400 | NashvilleSymphony.org

feature

Ty Herndon

CHANGES MUSIC ROW

by Joey Amato

Being a gay man in Nashville can be difficult at times. Being a gay country star is even more challenging. Ty Herndon has always been all about the ties that bind.

You feel it when he’s singing deeply moving number one hits like “What Mattered Most” and “Living in a Moment.” You get it just as much when he’s goofing around with the audience between songs in concert making every attendee laugh. Even in a genre that already prides itself on relatability, he might be the king of connecting.

Now, with the release of Lies I Told Myself, his first country album in seven years, he’s bonding with fans in a new way.

Herndon invited folks to be direct participants in the album launch via a well-publicized Kickstarter campaign that made fans investors in the record.

Financially and, more critically, emotionally, his fans came through by more than doubling the goal laid out at the outset.

The love that goes both ways here, between performer and audience? It’s no lie.

Herndon also wanted to use this moment to reveal to the world and especially Music Row, that he was a gay man. “I’ve received nothing but support from everyone in Nashville and around the country,” Herndon tells UNITE. “I was out shopping the other day and people would just come up to me and hug me and tell me how proud they were. I still get teary eyed.”

Nobody knew exactly how fans or industry folks would react and many questioned his motives but Herndon hopes that his courageous announcement will help others to be proud of who they are and even better, prevent them from doing something even more tragic.

According to The Trevor Project, suicide is the second leading cause of death among young

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photos courtesy of Ty Herndon

people ages 10 to 24 and LGB youth are 4 times more likely, and questioning youth are 3 times more likely, to attempt suicide as their straight peers.

Lies I Told Myself stays true to the styles that made Herndon one of the top new artists of the mid and late 90s. There are some wrinkles and updates, as you’d hope. “I’m staying true to who I am and what I’m about as a singer,” says Herndon, “but also reinventing a little bit with sounds in the studio being current with what’s relevant on the radio today.”

Some may feel there’s a gap in the growth they’ve been able to see with Herndon, since Lies I Told Myself is his first country album in seven years and only the second album of all-new country material he’s released since 1999. There was an assumption that he might have crossed over into the contemporary Christian market when he released the highly-lauded Journey On in 2010, which garnered a Grammy nomination and Dove award win. These accolades put an exclamation point on a story of personal redemp-

tion that once seemed unlikely, given the well-known addiction issues that played havoc with his career from the mid-90s on up through a successful stint in rehab in 2004. Herndon’s experiences affect his interpretation of the title song “Lies I Told Myself ” — which is also the album’s first single — even though the lyrics aren’t specific to substance abuse.

According to Herndon, addiction has cost him a lot in his life. “Because of addiction, I told myself a lot of things that weren’t true. In recovery, I have seen absolutely the light of the truth. But I don’t know that I really consider this song a recovery song. I just consider it a song of truth.”

“I’ve had to deal with getting my life together,” he adds, “so that I can be the artist that I am today.”

Herndon is getting ready to hit the road with fellow country singers Andy Griggs and Jamie O’Neal in what he calls “120 minutes of all hits.” The non-stop performance features all three singers on stage at the same time.

“Sincerely”

Sandy Spain

sspain1@bellsouth.net | sandyspain.com | 615.646.3396

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Nashville’s

Hottest Stylists UNITE MAGAZINE | 27

ELAN Hair Germantown Years of Experience: 10 Celebrity Clients: During my time with CMT, I got the amazing opportunity to work with stars like Taylor Swift, Stephen Baldwin, the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, and The Brady Bunch’s Maureen McCormick to name a few.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: East Nashville stole my heart …along with my lawnmower.

Who has been your biggest influence? My mentor/salon owner/friend Dennis Clark with his driving force of self-motivation and success has long been the model after which I’ve built the majority of my business. My creativity would easily be traced back

Adam Barnes to my mother who, among other reasons, can’t sit still. She’s always crafting, painting, or otherwise creating something beautiful!

Hobbies Outside the Salon: I’m always in trouble with my boyfriend for having half-done art projects laying around the house (i.e. paintings, sculptures, etc. But, of course, I can blame my mother.) I enjoy being creative with no consequence whenever I can. But mostly, I teach hair when I’m not in the salon. I fly out on the weekends to teach new color techniques, cuts, and styles in other salons around the country on my days off from my Nashville clientele.

Matt Fine

Lunatic Fringe Salon

Years of Experience: 9 Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: Melrose and Germantown How do you find new hairstyles? Magazines, Pinterest Who has been your biggest influence? Vidal Sassoon Hobbies Outside the Salon: Camping in my Coleman Popup with my family Why were you interested in the beauty industry? My mom is a hair stylist and as a result, my first job was working inside a salon. I’ve always valued creativity and enjoy socializing with people. Getting into this industry allowed me to find a medium for creating shapes and colors while getting to know peoples’ stories on a deeper level. For me, getting in the hair biz just made sense. I’m really thankful I did; it’s been a fun journey.

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Chadd Lee Bryant Element Salon Years of Experience: 14 Celebrity Clients: All my clients are celebrities to me, but I’ve worked on a few “hair” and there!

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: East Nashville has my heart and my home.

How do you find new hairsytles? I create them or find them on fashion or art websites. I customize every new hairstyle to fit my client’s personality and lifestyle.

Who has been your biggest influence? My biggest influence has always been Dolly Parton. The higher the hair, the closer to God! Hobbies Outside the Salon: I do mechanic work on cars and motorcycles and I love karaoke.

Why were you interested in the beauty industry? My Grandmother had a salon that I grew up in and that’s where it all began. I learned from the best.

William Edge Salon Years of experience: 11

Crystal “The Pistol” Wakitsch

Celebrity Clientele: Amy Brown from The Bobby Bones Show, Bobby Bones from The Bobby Bones Show, Aubrey Peeples (Layla) from the show Nashville and Chaley Rose (Zoey) from the show Nashville Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: I kick it on the East Side.

How do you find new hairstyles? The Industry is always changing, and education is key. If you think you know everything about hairdressing, you don’t know anything at all. I want to give my guests what looks best on them, beautiful hair.

Who has been your biggest influence? William Edge has been my biggest influence; he is an amazing hairdresser, and brilliant mind in business. A few years back I wasn’t sure if the hair industry was going to be a future career for me, but when William Edge took over oursalon in Nashville, he shared his vision and passion for the hair industry with me and my team, and I got that spark back and the love of making people feel beautiful and making a great career with it. In 3 short years we have worked Nashville Fashion Week, NY Fashion Week, voted Best Salon 2014 in the “Toast of Music City” and I was voted #1 Hair Stylist in the 2014 Scene’s “The Best of Nashville.”

Why were you interested in the beauty industry? I love the energy of a salon; making people feel beautiful every day is a great feeling.

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Daryl Woods Lather Nashville

Years of Experience: 5 Celebrity Clients: My clients include winners of Dove Awards, ACMs, CMAs and Grammys. I also work with aspiring young women who compete for and have held the titles of Miss America and Miss USA. Most recently, clients have been seen on the ABC hit show, Nashville, National Geographic Commercials as well as local/regional commercials and music videos. It’s Nashville. Everyone’s a celebrity!

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: I have two favorites. My partner and I enjoy being a part of the Historic Whitland neighborhood, especially our annual 4th of July celebration.We also enjoy the Sylvan Park neighborhood with its great restaurants, local shops and friendly neighbors.

Who has been your biggest influence? Growing up I remember watching my barber’s every move. He was also an amazing role model because he was the minister of our little local Methodist Church in North Alabama. I also had aunts who “did hair” and taught me just how much hairspray is needed based on the humidity levels in the South and what everyday household utensils can be used to “tease good hair”.

Why were you interested in the beauty industry? Less than five years ago my life changed completely. I decided to change careers, said a grateful goodbye to a successful corporate career and went back to school to follow a dream. With determination, passion and drive, I built a solid book of business, worked just as hard as I did (if not harder) from behind a desk in an HR department and became the stylist I always wanted to be growing up. As a stylist, you’re an entrepreneur. The beauty industry has allowed me to build my own business andexperience the freedom that entrepreneurs enjoy. I have a major in Social Work and a minor in Psychology as well as a certification in Life Coaching, all of which enable me to do all the things I love to do in one creative and fashion forward career.

Green Pea Salon Years of Experience: Since perms (26).

Celebrity Clients:Yes, all of them.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: 12South, duh.

Why do you like styling hair? I give instant gratification.

Best Hair in Hollywood: Halle Berry.

What is your favorite hair style? French bob.

How did you get your start in the industry? I wanted to be an architect in college. I was inspired by Vidal Sassoon’s architectural concept on hair cutting.

Bam! Beauty Parlor!

Kelly Mason

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Lindsey Pippin Studio Gaven Haircolour Years of Experience: 6 Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: Germantown Why do you like styling hair?

Styling hair is an art form for me. Having the ability to connect with individuals while expressing my creative side and empowering others through their personal appearance is truly rewarding.

Who has the best hair in Hollywood?

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen What is your favorite hairstyle?

I love lived-in hair. Carefree, messy with a purpose hairstyles. Hence, the Olsen twins.

How did you get your start in the industry?

Originally, I was pursuing a career in photography, it was in that time I realized my passion lied on the other side of the lens, styling the subjects. Choosing to go to a school (The Salon Professional Academy Nashville) that set me up for success not only in the fundamentals of cosmetology but most importantly, business acumen, helped to solidify my existence in this industry.

John Grimes Parlour 3 in Brentwood

Celebrity Clients: Meghan Trainor, Dierks Bentley, Hayden Panettiere, Martina McBride, Sheryl Crow,Terri Clark, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Hunter Hayes, Lady Carnarvon of Highclere Castle.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: Historic White’s Creek, of course.

Why do you like styling hair? Most of all I enjoy giving people a lift. When you’re not feeling your best, good hair can be a quick game changer to feeling good and getting motivated.

Who has the best hair in Hollywood? That’s a tough one. Does Cher or Dolly count? I actually think J-Lo consistently has great, sexy hair. I also look forward to seeing what Julianne Hough is doing with her’s.

What is your favorite hairstyle? I love the retro glamour of the 1950’s. Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn, Lucy, Sophia Loren – they all pretty much had the same cut back then so it really came down to the styling and molding of their hair that set them apart. I can really appreciate all the detail and perfectionism that hairdressers put into their work during that era.

How did you get your start in the industry? I actually began giving makeovers to my grandmother at 11 years old. Eventually I moved to Tennessee in ‘94 and wasinspired by the talents and careers of Earl Cox and Robert Streets and thought, “Maybe I can do that.”

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Years of Experience: 25 Celebrity Clients: Donna Summer, Mindy McCready, Shelby Lynne, Allison Moore, Gillian Welch, Pam Tillis, Tom T. Hall, Sonny James, Ray Pillow, NY Times’ columnist Liz Smith, Loretta Lynn, Mary Gauthier, Shania Twain.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: My favorite neighborhood in Nashville is Green Hills because a lot of my cliental are up-scale clients. Green Hills has everything from Nordstrom to some of the most unusual consignment shops. Green Hills actually has everything I need in a short distance. The places I do business with are very kind, helpful and they are always up to date in styles from NY to London.

Why do you like styling hair? I’ve always loved to make people feel good about themselves. No matter if they go to the ball, award shows or just to have something where they feel extra special. When I do make them look beautiful, I did my job right.

Best hair in Hollywood: Nicole Kidman.You look at this woman who is like a canvas of art and no matter what you do to her or what event she’s attending, Nicole is always striking and breathtaking. She’s Hollywood glamour.

How did you get started in this industry? My folks wanted me to go into the music business so I could take over their businesses. I just realized

Joseph McLean Gregory

that I didn’t want to do that kind of work. So after I had gone to Belmont College, I knew there were other options in the music business. Before I knew it I had enrolled into a beauty college. I finished in 9 months and when I got out of hair school, I was ready to fix some hair and do some image making on folks in the entertainment industry. Especially with my contacts in the music business.

Now with the help of my clients over the years, I am very proud to say that I have never had to advertise anything for my work. It’s been all by word of mouth from my clients and for that I am very grateful and appreciated them so much.

Element

Raquel Christie

Years of Experience: 7 Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: 12South and the Gulch What are your favorite hair products or tools? I’m obsessed with all things Shu Uemura! I also love Kerastase, especially the thermiques for heat protection.

What is the hardest part of your job? Being a hairstylist isn’t just a job for me. It’s my passion and I strive to make every person that sits in my chair feel comfortable, happy and beautiful. That is the hardest part of my job and the best part.

What’s one thing people can do to make their hair look healthier? Make sure you are using the right products for your hair type and getting haircuts regularly.

Who is your hair icon? There are so many that I can’t choose one! The leaders in this industry and even your coworkers can be people to look up to and strive to be like.

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Rodney Mitchell Salon Years of Experience: 25 Celebrity Clients: I have worked with many celebrities over my career including Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Jeffrey Steele, Martina McBride, Tanya Tucker, Shania Twain and Matt Elrod from Survivor.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: Hillsboro Village What are your favorite hair products/tools?

Goldwell color and styling products along with my all time favorite BennieFactor styling spray What is the hardest part of your job? Convincing some clients that no haircut will make them look like Jennifer Anniston, Lawrence, or Garner.

What’s one thing someone can do to make their hair look healthier? Do not over shampoo and simply take care of your hair. It will show.

Who is your hair icon? Dolly Parton

Rodney Mitchell

Street Gypsy Salon Years of Exprience: 4 Celebrity Clients: We do work with a number of artists, both in and outside of Nashville. Street Gypsy has always stressed confidentiality with our clients, and we hold it in the highest regard. Trust is really important when I’m working with any client, high profile or not, and I wouldn’t want to betray that.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: East Nashville has been my home for a while now, and I love the neighborhood for the thriving creative spirit and style diversity.

Why do you like styling hair?

It’s fun and rewarding to utilize my craft and creativity to make someone else look and feel like the most attractive version of themselves. It’s amazing feeling when a client leaves the salon visibly elated at the transformation you’ve provided.

Best Hair in Hollywood: Megan Fox has an amazing color and long layer cut right now, and Robert Downey Jr. always has a fantastic cut. As a redhead, I always love Christina Hendricks’ color!

What is your favorite hair style?

It varies, depending on what works best for the client. A classic long-layer cut or bob can be really beautiful when done well!! At the same time, I always love when someone comes in wanting something different and edgy; that takes a little creativty. Nashville men are embracing more fun and creative hairstyles as well, which is great to see and work with!

Katie Warren

How did you get your start in the industry?

I’ve always had a keen interest in the hair industry. Though I spent a few years working in the music business after college, styling was something that had always stuck in the back of my mind. I went back to school and earned my license, and found that my past ties to music provide a great deal of fun and amazing opportunities in the styling world. It’s been more than I could ever ask for to be able to work so closely with two things that have always inspired me.

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Steven Lhamon Juel Salon Years of Experience: 9 Celebrity Clients: I do have celebrity clients, but I don’t kiss and tell.

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: I’m an East Nashville guy through and through.

What are your favorite hair products/tools? For my male clients, Oribe’s fibre groom is always at my station. It gives just the right amount of hold without being goopy, and almost all of my female clients have Kerastase’s Ciment Thermique used on them. It’s a perfect thermal protecting and reparative blow dry milk for the hair. It’s my favorite.

What is the hardest part of your job? I love what I do, so I can’t think of a single thing.

What’s one thing people can do to make their hair look healthier? Moisture. Maintaining proper hydration on all hair types is key for a healthy look and feel.

Who is your hair icon? Quite easily for me,Vidal Sassoon. Not only was he an innovator in my industry, but a driven business man, philanthropist, and humanitarian.

Russell Hobbs Studio F/X Salon Years of Experience: 34 Favorite Neighborhood: My favorite neighborhoods are Donelson and East Nashville.

Who has been your biggest influence? I truly look up to Micheal Cole, a great leader in our industry.

Hobbies outside the salon: In my spare time I enjoy travel, home renovation, art, community service.

Why were you interested in the beauty industry? I have always thought it was art that makes a person feel better about themselves. Hairdressing is art to me, not work. I love be able to help anyone shine with their own beauty.

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William Edge Salon Years of Experience: 8 Celebrity Clients: Day to day at William Edge, I have the opportunity to work with some of the hottest people in Nashville. I also travel to New York City for both spring and fall fashion weeks. I’ve styled and been lead stylist for many top fashion designers such as Betsy Johnson, Michael Costello, Nautica, Parke and Ronen, Leanna Marshall (Project Runway season 5 winner) and Irina Shabayeva (Project Runway season 6 winner).

Favorite Neighborhood in Nashville: I really enjoy spending time in many different neighborhoods in Nashville, they all have something different to offer. Whether it’s 2-4-1s in Five Points, honky-tonking downtown or a nice dinner in the Gulch, there’s always something going on in Nashville.

What are your favorite hair products/tools? Aveda all the way. I use their product line every day. I’ve never seen hair healthier than I do when my guests are using it. It’s a lifestyle.

My go-to Aveda styling products are Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair and the Confixor Gel. Paired together they give the hair great shine and control without weighing it down.

What is the hardest part about your job? For me the hardest part about my job is also the best. We as hairstylists have the ability to change the way someone looks at themselves every day. That can be a lot pressure, however the payoff is worth it.

Matt Smith

What’s one thing someone can do to make their hair look healthier? Staying on a regular haircut schedule. Even if you are growing or maintaining a haircut you still need to have a trim.

Keeping the ends trimmed will help prevent split ends and keep your hair healthy.

Who is your hair icon? I don’t necessarily think there has been one hair icon.There have been many iconic hairstyles from the Rachel in the 90s to Victoria Beckham’s A-line bob in the early 2000’s and now we have the Jennifer Lawrence pixie. Hair icons are forever changing.

politics

MEGAN BARRY TOSSES HER HAT INTO THE MAYORAL RACE

by Joey Amato

Megan Barry is a top contender to become Nashville’s next mayor. Born in California, Barry grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and relocated to Nashville in 1991 to pursue an MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen School. After graduation, instead of heading back home, she decided to stay.

In 2007, Barry won election to the Metro Council as a member at-large, and was re-elected in 2011 to a second four-year term. On the Council, Megan has chaired the Budget and Finance Committee and the Education Committee. She currently serves on the Codes, Fair and Farmer’s Market Committee, the Public Works Committee, and Rules and Confirmations Committee.

A devoted philanthropist, Barry serves on the boards of the Center for Non-Profit Management, the YWCA, the Belcourt Theatre, and the Tennessee Repertory Theatre. She is an advisory member for TIRRC and the New Leaders Council, and she serves on the Ethics Advisory Board for the Belmont University College of Business Administration.

As political candidates for mayor start to come forward, Barry already has one foot in the door, having played an active role in the passing of 2009’s non-discrimination ordinance as well as leading the legislation to extend health insurance and other benefits to samesex partners of Davidson County employees.

photo courtesy of Megan Barry

36 | UNITE MAGAZINE

On Development I got into politics because I moved into a historical neighborhood of Belmont/Hillsboro and it exists because people before me cared about preservation. The reason why we have all of this great stuff is because other people got involved first, so I absolutely believe in preservation. I think that ultimately government has a role in preservation but you have to have a grassroots movement to make it happen. Government can give you the tools, but ultimately you have to get the people that care about it to drive the train. As Mayor, I will be driving that train because I care deeply about this.

We have a great economic engine here that’s ticking along. I think we have put a lot of development into downtown, but the next mayor will have to focus on infrastructure. It’s not as interesting or glamourous but we have to make sure all this wonderful growth we are experiencing is also being supplemented with the sidewalks, roads, bus systems and all the things that make our city work.

On Transit I think our transit system needs to be a comprehensive transit approach with a 10-15 year vision. However, we need immediate fixes along with that vision. From my perspective, transit needs to be efficient. I think there are a lot of things we can do technologically to make our buses more efficient and also increase ridership. The more people you get out of their cars and onto the bus, the more demand there will be for mass transit.

It’s a great idea to connect the west and the east with Amp but we need to make sure everything connects when you get downtown.

On Affordable Housing We really need to push for more affordable housing for mid-income families and individuals who are just starting out – similar to the developments near Rolling Mill Hill. One of the things planners talk about is the idea of traditional home versus non-traditional. People in their 20s-40s are looking for a different type of housing stock. We have to create lots of different kinds of housing stock in our city.

On Business & Diversity I think what I’ve been able to do and what I will continue to do is be pro-business but also progressive and I think the two can go hand in hand. I have a 100% rating from the Chamber of Commerce. I have the ability to bring people together; we saw that when we passed the non-discrimination ordinance in 2009. I was able to leverage my friendships and ask people to just sit on their hands…and it passed.

The state is a lot less progressive than Davidson County but diversity is better for business. Businesses want to operate in a city with a diverse culture and diverse workforce.

We continue to see progress for marriage equality. I’ll marry the first person when we can get there. We just need to continue creating a place where everyone is welcome. We definitely don’t want to take a step back.

Let’s make sure we don’t take a step back, and let’s help Megan Barry become the next Mayor of Nashville!

For more information visit www.meganbarry.com

M

BEBE BUELL

IS READY TO ROCK NASHVILLE

MUSIC

by Jesse Walker

Nashville is quickly emerging as more than just the home of country music artists. In recent years, Kings of Leon, Jack White and members of rock bands Journey, Styx and Megadeth have all relocated to Music City. One of the city’s newest rock residents is Bebe Buell. You may know her as Liv Tyler’s really hot mom, but Buell is out to make a name for herself in Nashville’s music scene.

What was the inspiration behind your new music?

I’m inspired by the chances I’m taking. The new music was born the first week I moved here. There’s something in the air for songwriters in Nashville.

It’s almost like another dimension opens up and the songs just pour out! I came to Nashville in 2012 to sing on Eddy Arnold’s tribute album for Plowboy Records. I immediately fell in love with the city. As soon as I smelled the magnolia and stepped into Studio B, I knew I was home. People sometimes forget I was born and raised in the South. I’m just coming back to my roots. My new imprint is called AmerEclectic Records. I coined that term to describe my unique blend of explosive Rock & Roll and Americana inspirations.

What do you enjoy most about being on stage?

I often say, ‘the woman you’re next to now isn’t the man you’re going to see on stage.’ It is almost like turning into another person. I’m a born entertainer so being onstage is where I feel the safest and happiest. I love the connection I make with my audience. Getting people on their feet and moving is one of the best feelings and a goal when I’m up there. I won’t leave until everyone is dancing. I can’t quite describe the feeling I get when people cheer as I go into the chorus of “Hello Music City” or when they shimmy and shake as I sing “Shake Your Tushie – Shake Your Can While You Can.” It’s exhilarating!

Which song means the most to you and why?

Because we’re writing so many new songs all the time, I fall in love with another one everyday. But “Hello Music

38 | UNITE MAGAZINE

City” really tells the story of my relocation to Nashville, the reasons for moving and how happy I am. I’m among my “soul tribe” now. “Secret Sister” is probably the most personal song I have written to date. And I thank my collaborators for pulling it out of me. What people seem to respond to is that they can put their own personal meaning to the lyrics. I’ll be releasing a killer dance version of “Secret Sister” soon.

How has the move to Nashville affected your life, both personally and professionally?

The move to Nashville was a calling. I got this bee in my bonnet around May of 2012 that I was going to move here. I set to work making that happen.

The new music revolves around my move from NYC to Nashville in June of 2013. The floodgates of creative energy exploded. The addition of my producer Jon Tiven to this whole musical journey has awakened the “muse” and opened the door to

a slew of new songs. It’s poetic the way it’s all come together and the people I’m fortunate enough to be working with. On a personal level I have made some great friends in Nashville. I’m honored that Lisa Howe asked me to perform at Nashville LGBT Chamber’s fundraiser, TASTE. It was a blast. I love the drag queens at PLAY especially Deception and I would love to be more involved with Nashville PRIDE.

Who are some of your style icons?

I’ve always loved the great drag queens. When I first came to NYC in 1972, I learned everything I know about make-up and individual presentation from all my performance arts friends. I learned very quickly that style is not something you can learn – either you have it or you don’t. I was a little kid when I came to New York and having the support of fashion giants like Giorgio Sant’Angelo and Halston was fantastic. When I first arrived I kept falling in love with gay men and couldn’t understand why they didn’t want to date me. It was Halston who sat me down and told me, “Bebe! You’re missing a vital piece of equipment.” Also I think what Halston and Diane von Furstenberg taught us about fashion is that it can be comfortable. I still become emotional when I realize that Francesco Scavullo’s last shoot was with me. My extended family has always been my gay family – my advisors and my confidantes have been my inspiration. I don’t know what I would do without my gay following. I feel like they have given me my career.

What are your plans for 2015?

I will be returning to The Bluebird Cafe on February 5th for my third show. This will be “An Evening With Bebe Buell & The Nashville Aces” and we’re going to have a couple supersonic surprise guests with us that night. My team, The Nashville Aces and I, will be getting my EP ready for release in the Spring. I’m also really elated to be gearing up to do something with Crystal Gayle. I don’t want to reveal all of the surprises so keep your eyes and ears open. There will be a lot of great stuff coming up this year!

Photographer: Amy Phillips, EYE Photography Fashion Stylist: Milton White, The Fashion Office Make-up Artist, Hair Stylist: Betsy Briggs Cathcart, Studio BBC Salon Make-up/Hair Assist: Kyle Kressin, Studio BBC Salon

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feature

NASHVILLE'S LGBT 50 The LGBT 50 is a list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the LGBT community in Nashville as voted on by UNITE readers presented by Nissan and Cracker Barrel. We have selected 20 Men, 20 Women, 5 Rising Stars and 5 Allies to be on list out of 175 entries. UNITE will present two of these individuals with the 2014 Man and Woman of the Year award at our anniversary party in March.

Rising Stars

Blake Brockway Derrick Lachney Robbie Maris Julie Reliford Patrick Sims LGBT Allies

Mayor Karl Dean Kathy Halbrooks Claudia Huskey Cathy Lively Chris Robinette 40 | UNITE MAGAZINE

Rosa Berger Suzanne Bradford David Brzozowski Michael Burcham Hal Cato Brandy Clark Ted Crockett Jack Davis Jeremy Davis Sam Felker Michael Fluck Jenny Ford Beth Fortune Fletcher Foster Paula Foster Lisa Howe Dwayne Jenkins Jerry Jones Judy Lojek Chuck Long

Mac Shane McAnally Margot McCormack Music City Sisters Kate Nelson Marisa Richmond Scott Ridgway Abby Rubenfeld Maria Salas Chris Sanders Pam Scheffer Jim Schmidt Steve Smotherman Patricia Snyder David Taylor Debbie Turner Jonda Valentine Nancy VanReece Paul Vasterling Pam Wheeler

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health

by Brian Hooper, M.Div, Psy.D.

New Year's

RESOLUTIONS OR EVOLUTIONS

The beginning of each new year finds many of us once again attempting some sort of reinvention of ourselves, becoming someone other than who we have been. Here, the wisdom of Oscar Wilde may well be employed, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”

The problem is, many of us have really no idea who we are. The temptation is to create a persona and then step into it.

At first, donning our reinvented self can feel good, really, really good. It is not that different from finding the perfectly fitting pair of jeans or tailored shirt. It can accentuate some aspect of who we are or would like the world to notice, but who we fully are is so much more than the perfect cut or latest label.

We don’t meet that real self by putting clothes on, but by pealing away the layers of words, attitudes, stories, and postures intended to convince us that we can finally be acceptable to ourselves.

And if shopping to fill our closets with the latest in threads can be a costly venture, so called self-reinvention can be mentally and emotionally exhausting when it is based on garnering the approval of others, especially when our own self acceptance is at stake.

Many of the men I work with in my private practice would appear to others to truly have it all together -- bright, well employed, attractive, fashionably dressed. And yet they feel like impostors, actors on the stages of their own lives. The phrase of Selman (1974, 1976) in his understanding of interpersonal perspective taking comes to mind, “I see you seeing me; I see the me I think you see.”

So instead of making a half dozen resolutions, how about opting for a conscious evolution?! Instead of making a list of things you will do or not do in the next year, begin to make a list of things you notice about yourself. This is the choice to be “awake” -- awake to what is within you, around you, and between you and others.

The idea is to get curious about yourself -- what you are thinking, why you believe the ideas you believe, the emotion you are experiencing and when you first started having that emotion, why you may feel compelled to do something or be somewhere, how your perception of any given situation is related to other situations from your distant past. You can observe, note, and explore just about anything and have it result in personal growth.

Here are ten things for everyone, and especially gay men, to ask themselves: 1. Do I feel anxious or depressed simply when I’m alone?

2. Do I sense that if others knew the real me, they would not like me?

3. Does the use of alcohol feel more like a requirement than a choice?

4. Do others tell me I’m attractive, but I don’t feel aesthetically appealing?

42 | UNITE MAGAZINE

5. When someone I’m interested in does not respond to a text or e-mail in a timely manner, do I become either sullen or enraged?

6. Do I “run hot and cold,” with romantic interests, approaching someone until they are truly interested and then backing away?

7. Have I become known for something special (throwing a great party, being the life of the party, being an expert in my profession, etc.) because I don’t sense that there is anything especially important about who I am on the inside (my mind and heart) worth knowing?

8. Did I grow up feeling ashamed or shamed about my sexuality?

9. Do I have a sense of always feeling less than content with my life?

10. Do I feel uneasy about my life’s direction and purpose?

Anyone of these above questions, or other questions you ask yourself, can be a path into the core of who you are if you engage the path with openness, acceptance, and patience. In my own inner work as a gay man and in my work as a psychotherapist, I have found that suspending judgment and observing from a place of acceptance can lead to profound insights. And in turn, new beliefs and new behaviors can follow. This then results in change from the inside out.

This spiritual archeology, this going down into the soul’s basement, is not easy work. It is easier to go shopping or make a list of resolutions! But the treasures within, even if they at first appear to be lead, can be a real gold mine. That’s the alchemical paradox -- finding, accepting, and loving that buried part of who we are is what we long for and most need. It is the authentic self. And even if it is wounded, just finding and accepting it is healing. And that wounded part, once found, can be our own healer, the agent of our true evolution.

Brian Hooper, M.Div., Psy.D. is a state licensed pastoral psychotherapist with a private practice in the Belle Meade area of Nashville. He invites you to visit his website: www.drbrianhooper.com

F family

Kyle and Pennington with their son Cayden

photo courtesy of Kyle and Pennington

The Kids ARE ALL RIGHT:

LGBT FAMILIES WITH KIDS

by Shane Jordan

I grew-up in a home with both a mother and a father. It was a typical looking family. And in the 80’s, that was not unusual. Typical was, well, typical. Families were defined as a mother, father and their children. Children from single parent families were relatively unusual and were somewhat of an oddity in those days. Everyone knew who they were and secretly felt sorry for those unfortunate “latch key” kids.

Today, families aren’t quite so cookie-cutter similar. Some families are comprised of a mother and her children and a father who is no longer an active member of the family or never has been. Other families consist of two absent parents, leaving the parental role to be fulfilled by grandparents or foster families. And there are, for the first time in history, a fair amount of same-sex parents who are raising children. These families are a few million strong.

Despite studies proving otherwise, some people still insist that children are being ruined by this type of family dynamic.

Some opponents worry children of same-sex couples will become homosexual. Studies show children of same-sex parents are no more likely to identify themselves as homosexual than children of heterosexual parents. Being exposed to same-sex parents doesn’t turn a child homosexual, but it might increase their chances of being more tolerant.

Some argue that children of same-sex couples will be teased. No child

44 | UNITE MAGAZINE

is immune to playground teasing no matter what kind of family they’re from. Studies show that same-sex parents are more likely to have a healthy emotional connection with their children than most traditional families. This bond increases the chance that children will have support to get through the jabs from their classmates.

LGBT parents have been criticized because their partnership doesn’t give children a balanced view of gender roles. They aren’t afforded the opportunity to see a woman take on traditional roles while her male spouse takes on the duties of the traditional father. At its basic level, this is true, but one could argue whether this is a bad thing. Is it harmful for a child to see a man do dishes, cook dinner and nurture children? If this is harmful to a child’s development, then the children of stay-at-home dads will surely grow-up with emotional issues and children of windowed mothers are likely to need to visit a psychiatrist.

In today’s more liberal world, even children of “traditional” parents may not have the clear models of traditional femininity or masculinity that generations past have had. Today, many moms work outside of the home, leaving dads to care for the children and the household duties.

LGBT parents are acutely aware of the need for positive role models of both sexes for their children. “It Takes a Village” is a statement

that was popularized by Hillary Rodham Clinton and is the perfect mantra for the LGBT parental community. Surrounding children with loving adults who contribute positively to their lives is the best way to raise them.

Some opponents suggest that children adopted into same-sex marriages are having their rights violated. Children have the right to live in a loving household with parents who will guide and teach them right from wrong. Heterosexual and homosexual parents alike are equally capable of providing this type of environment.

Adoption is not the only way LGBT families are created. Many same-sex couples are co-parenting the biological children of one or both partners. Though these families probably face fewer legal battles than those with adopted children, their trials exist outside of the courtroom. Society still frowns on this family structure and discrimination abounds.

There has been a slight shift in views on same-sex parenting in recent years. The popular ABC sitcom, “Modern Family” features two dominant gay characters, Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his partner, Cameron (Eric Stonestreet) who are the proud parents of a daughter, Lily, whom they adopted from Vietnam. Just a few years ago, a program featuring this type of family wouldn’t have been a smash hit, in fact, it wouldn’t have been allowed on cable television.

But we still have a long way to go.

What do we do to solve this crisis? Personal relationships coupled with an open mind is one way to bridge the gap between the opponents and understanding. Look around your community for

positive examples of same-sex parenting. I did and found a shining example of a loving family.

Kyle and Pennington share their home and love with adorable little Cayden. Their home is full of laughter, love, family dinners and snuggles. Their calendar is full of school activities, birthday parties and community events. Cayden is a straight “A” student and purple belt in karate. He’s an active gymnast and emotionally healthy young man. They have their share of scraped knees and monsters under the bed, but those are fixed by bandages and kisses. Their home is delightfully normal. They are an excellent example of a “Modern Family.”

Unfortunately, along with the normal struggles of married and parental life, they and others like them, face a society that thinks their relationship is wrong, and that they aren’t fit to raise their son.

If those who oppose were to take the time to personally get to know them, they would see that their love is real, and that their skills as parents haven’t diminished because of their relationship.

If you’re opposed to same-sex marriages, I challenge you to examine your beliefs and the issue. Legislators and the public are using the topic of same-sex parenting to propel their political agenda.

The arguments against it are not made to protect children, but to win constituents. These laws are prohibiting LGBT couples, who are upright people, from becoming parents and are ignoring decades of science and studies. They aren’t considering the child’s welfare either. Prohibiting LGBT adoption does nothing to solve the child welfare conundrum. We need to strive towards providing more permanent families for children, not creating laws that place fewer of them.

health

HIV/AIDS Coalition

CALLS FOR SCALE-UP OF PrEP

by Dan Groover growing evidence for the effectiveness of PrEP. While not appropriate for everyone, it is clear that, when taken as directed, PrEP can significantly reduce new HIV infections. Time for debate on the effectiveness of PrEP is over.

The largest and longest running national coalition of community-based HIV/AIDS organizations, the AIDS United Public Policy Committee (PPC) which covers jurisdictions that include more than two-thirds of People Living with HIV/AIDS, calls for the scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. PrEP, a breakthrough in biomedical HIV prevention, involves a once-daily medication that when taken as directed, reduces the risk of HIV infection by upwards of 90%. The PPC commits to raising awareness of and reducing barriers to full scale-up of PrEP as a critically important prevention tool for people faced with substantial risk of HIV infection.

November 23, 2014, marked the four-year anniversary of the iPrEx study – the first randomized controlled trial that found PrEP effective in reducing HIV infection risk. Two years later in 2012, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Truvada as PrEP. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended the use of PrEP for those at substantial risk of HIV infection. Furthermore, preliminary findings from two ongoing studies of PrEP in Europe, PROUD and IPERGAY, both bolster the

46 | UNITE MAGAZINE

“Our scientific knowledge that PrEP works and is a substantial tool to prevent HIV just keeps getting stronger,” said Michael Kaplan, President and CEO of AIDS United, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the AIDS epidemic in the United States through strategic grant-making, capacity building, formative research and policy. “Four years after the release of the iPrEx study, two years after the FDA recommendation and 6 months after the release of the CDC guidelines it’s time to move forward on PrEP. Our task must now be to educate people at risk of HIV infection, leaders and policymakers about PrEP and make PrEP accessible and affordable throughout the United States.”

While the body of science showing PrEP to be effective has grown, it remains unknown and underutilized by people most likely to benefit from it. An August 2014 study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 80% of gay and bisexual men knew “only a little” or “nothing at all” about this important HIV prevention tool. People most at risk for HIV infection need to have full and accurate information to make an informed decision about PrEP, as well as support access and adherence to the daily medication.

“Nashville CARES is dedicated to raising awareness of PrEP, along with other HIV prevention methods, for at-risk populations in Middle Tennessee,” says Joseph Interrante, CEO of Nashville CARES, co-chair of the AIDS United Public Policy Committee. “The results of this study demonstrate how much is needed to educate the American people about the reality of HIV/AIDS in 2014. We have many treatment and prevention options, but only if people are aware of them.”

“We view PrEP as an important tool in meeting the goal of reducing rates of infection

as outlined by the U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy,” added Ronald Johnson, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at AIDS United.

“It’s time for PrEP to take its place among our other proven prevention methods. We’ll continue to work to increase access to PrEP in additional to all other comprehensive HIV prevention strategies.”

AIDS United PPC Members are moving beyond debate as to whether PrEP should be supported, and are now focusing on how to scale up its appropriate use. Efforts going forward include raising awareness among their constituents of the benefits of PrEP, reducing barriers to access by ensuring insurance coverage, and helping the medical community understand who stands to benefit most from this proven prevention tool. At the national level, AIDS United will work do the same by researching barriers to access, developing better ways to message and discuss PrEP, and by advocating that the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) review the clinical effectiveness of PrEP. “In Middle Tennessee, we are committed to finding new ways to reach at-risk populations who stand to benefit the most from PrEP and ensuring people are able to access it,” says Interrante.

The PPC invites other AIDS-service organizations and HIV advocates to share their experiences, barriers, and perspectives about what will be required to fully scale-up PrEP using the social media hashtag #PrEPWorks.

“While science has proven that PrEP works, individuals need all the facts and support to make decisions that are right for them. AIDS United believes PrEP is another critical took to prevent new infections. Our PPC member organizations are committed to increasing awareness and working to eliminate barriers to access for all people who could benefit from this important prevention tool. PrEP will be part of ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic — but only if we can implement it widely,” said Kaplan.

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