How Our Greenways Enhance Life in Nashville Grizzlies to Celebrate 11 Years at Model Auction
APRIL 2017 / VOLUME 16 / ISSUE 04 FIRST ISSUE FREE - ADD’L COPIES 50¢ EACH
Through May 29 DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE 919 BROADWAY NASHVILLE, TN 37203 FRISTCENTER.ORG #IRVINGPENNFCVA Irving Penn: Beyond Beauty is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE, Sakurako and William Fisher, The William R. Kenan Jr. Endowment Fund, The Lauder Foundation—Leonard and Judy Lauder Fund, Edward Lenkin and Roselin Atzwanger, The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Margery and Edgar Masinter, The Margery and Edgar Masinter Exhibitions Fund, the James F. Petersen Charitable Fund in honor of Tania and Tom Evans, The Bernie Stadiem Endowment Fund, and the Trellis Fund. The C. F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program, Treasures to Go.
Irving Penn. Truman Capote, New York, 1979, printed 1983. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Irving Penn Foundation. © The Irving Penn Foundation O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M APRIL 2017
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APRIL 2017
Your Nashville Symphony L I V E AT T H E S C H E R M E R H O R N | G E T T I C K E T S TO DAY
MATTHEW MORRISON
Beethoven’s Second
SINGS BROADWAY & STANDARDS
& SYMPHONY SOLOISTS PLAY NEW AMERICAN CLASSICS
APRIL 6 TO 8
L L M O ZA RT
Mozart & Rachmaninoff Featuring conductor Edo de Waart
M AT I N E E
April 23
April 14 & 15
AEGIS
SCIENCES FOUNDATION
April 27 to 29
AEGIS
SCIENCES FOUNDATION
march 20
L I V E O N M O T H E R ’S D AY
May 4 to 6
May 14
WITH THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
May 19 to 21
May 25 with support from:
615.687.6400 • NashvilleSymphony.org @OUTANDABOUTNASH
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18 04.17
CONTENTS 12
NASHVILLE CARES SUPPORTS DINING OUT FOR LIFE
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NASHVILLE RANKED IN TOP PLACES TO LIVE + GREENWAYS
15
32
12
H8’S A DRAG INTRODUCES SHERRY VINE
26
THE GRIZZLIES CELEBRATE 11 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
32
MARDI GRAS & ST. PATTY’S DAY FUN ON CHURCH STREET
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O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
APRIL 2017
BART DURHAM I N J U R Y
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COCKTAILS & CONVERSATION REMOVING OBSTACLES TO INCLUSION BEA PERDUE
Walker, First Tennessee Bank’s Executive Vice 3UHVLGHQW IRU DI¿QLW\ EDQNLQJ ,Q WKH VDPH YHLQ as the conference, audience members were not only given opportunities to ask questions, but to also share their expertise and experience on the intersection of gender expression and identity with race, religion, economics, industry, the legal system, civic engagement and other areas that impact our region. The audience comprised a cross-section of community members from LQGXVWU\ JRYHUQPHQW DQG WKH QRQ SUR¿W sector, including representatives from Change Healthcare, Department of Children Services, Dollar General, Fifth Third Bank, KPMG, Ministry of Equality Tennessee, Nashville CARES, Street Works, Tennessee Human Rights Commission, WellCare Health Plans, and others. Conversation will continue at the 2017 LGBT+ College Conference, now in its fourth year. The conference provides an opportunity for students, faculty, administrators, practitioners, professionals, and leaders to focus
on research, learning, and thought on issues of diversity and inclusion in the academy, the workplace, and the “worldplace.â€? The slate RI KLJK SURÂżOH VSHDNHUV LQFOXGHV 5HWLUHG Atlanta U.S. Immigration Attorney Terry Bird; Nashville Black Pride Founder Dwayne Jenkins; Cigna Senior Medical Executive Dr. Renee McLaughlin; University of Alabama Head of Sports Management and U.S. AntiDoping Agency Board Member, Dr. Ken Wright; First Tennessee Vice President of Credit Risk John Rainwater. The Conference Awards Dinner Keynote Speaker is highly respected diversity & inclusion practitioner,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MYL PAC
How do we remove obstacles to inclusion? We begin with open and honest dialogue that acknowledges the potential danger to our enterprises and people if we employ policies and engage in practices that facilitate or support the exclusion of any of our citizens from meaningful participation in economic, social, political and cultural life. A group of committed citizens joined in a facilitated discussion on inclusion at the second annual Cocktails & Conversation event at Waller hosted by the LGBT+ College Conference Advisory Board. The event served to kick-off the upcoming LGBT+ College Conference at Middle Tennessee State University, April 6-8, 2017. Dr. Patrick McCarthy, Industrial Organizational Psychology Professor at MTSU, moderated the discussion with the following panelists: Lisa Howe, Nashville LGBT Chamber CEO; Aron Karabel, a partner at Waller who focuses on labor and employment law; Dr. Marisa Richmond, MTSU history professor and Metro Human Relations Commission member; and Lynne
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Eric Watson, president and CEO of the Carolinas-Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council. Community members are invited to nominate individuals and organizations that have advanced efforts of support and inclusion in the LGBT+ community. Registration is complimentary to both students and community members. A complete agenda can be viewed at www.mtsu.edu/ mtlambda/LGBTplusCC.php. For additional information about the conference, please contact Dr. Will Langston, MTSU Psychology Professor and MT Lambda Faculty Advisor, at William.Langston@ mtsu.edu. Bea Perdue is the development director for the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University.
EXCELLENCE IN
Friday - April 28th, 2017 11am - 1pm Hilton Nashville Downtown CELEBRATING
FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION:
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IN NASHVILLE BUSINESS
Support the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce at our annual Excellence in Business Awards, which includes a Who’s Who of entrepreneurs, corporate executives, small business owners, civic leaders, and professionals. CONTACT LISA HOWE AT 615-507-5185 WITH QUESTIONS OR INTEREST. PRESENTING SPONSOR
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OUR CALL TO BATTLE
RECENT REVERSALS IN PERSPECTIVE JUSTIN SWEATMAN-WEAVER
“I don’t know why I feel bad when I have to use the teacher’s bathroom.â€? Scrawled in pencil on a piece of plain white copy paper in the handwriting of a young child still learning the complexities of print and punctuation, this simple sentence made my heart sink deep in my chest. I knew her story, I knew her family’s challenges, but QRZ IRU WKH Âż UVW WLPH , IHOW OLNH , WUXO\ NQHZ her. Six-year old Jessie [a pseudonym] is a little girl, just like any other, living in Knoxville and beginning her journey through her early elementary school years. But, unlike most, Jessie is faced with the dilemma of being barred from the student bathrooms in her school because she is transgender, a GHFLVLRQ WKDW KHU IDPLO\ KDV EHHQ Âż JKWLQJ tooth-and-nail for far too long.
The letter, addressed to the Court, had been entrusted to me just days before the US Department of Justice and the Department of Education rescinded the Title IX transgender student support guidance that the Obama Administration had put in place. It ended: “Please tell my school to let me use the girl’s bathroom. Thank you. Love, Jessie.â€? Our landscape has changed quite a bit VLQFH WKH Âż UVW WLPH , UHDG WKH OHWWHU In response to the Executive Branch’s actions on Title IX, communities across the country rallied to send a resounding message that our support of transgender students would be louder, clearer, and more unwavering than ever; that the DOJ and DOE would be held accountable; and that justice would in time prevail as the Supreme Court of the United States would soon deliberate on Gavin Grimm vs Gloucester County School Board, a historic case that would hopefully DIÂż UP RQFH DQG IRU DOO the protection of gender identity and expression under Title IX. Plot twist II: Because the rescinded JXLGDQFH QXOOLÂż HG D portion of the case, the Supreme Court decided to send the GG vs Gloucester back to the lower court. And just like that, the light of hope at the end of the tunnel crept further away.
:H ¿ QG RXUVHOYHV QRZ LQ D WLPH RI confusion, fear, and anger. Our map to victory KDV EHHQ À LSSHG OLNH D PRQRSRO\ ERDUG DW WKH hands of a sore loser. But after we lick our wounds and clear our heads, we understand that these are the times when we are truly called to do the work we were charged with when we started this journey. It’s not our defeat; it’s our call to battle. With or without Title IX guidance or a Supreme Court ruling, queer and transgender students still have rights. And every person now has the opportunity to be someone’s guardian, cheerleader, or champion. We have not only the chance, but even the awesome responsibility, to be there for young people like Jessie and to live out the promise that our community will not rest until all people are afforded the same respect, safety, and dignity. Our community was here long before this Administration and will be here long after. We can continue to provide safety and support. We can continue to show up and ¿ JKW IRU \RXQJ SHRSOH DW &RQJUHVV DW WKH Department of Education, at the State Capitol, and at local school boards. We can continue to uplift and amplify the voices of trans and queer students. And, most importantly for PH ZH FDQ ¿ JKW IRU D ZRUOG ZKHUH -HVVLH DQG other young people brave enough to live their authentic lives won’t have to feel bad anymore.
Justin Sweatman-Weaver is the Board Chair of GLSEN Tennessee, a volunteerled organization working to create safe and inclusive K-12 learning environments for LGBT students in Tennessee.
It’s important to remember that no rights have been eliminated and that case law still stands on the side of inclusion and equality. You can help a young person who has been victimized or discriminated DJDLQVW FODLP WKHLU ULJKWV DW VFKRRO E\ ¿ OLQJ DQ RQOLQH FRPSODLQW ZLWK WKH 2I¿ FH RI &LYLO 5LJKWV E\ YLVLWLQJ ZZZ HG JRY DERXW RI¿ FHV OLVW RFU FRPSODLQWLQWUR KWPO */6(1 7HQQHVVHH LV DOZD\V SUHSDUHG to help with claims, if needed: simply email us at Tennessee@ chapters.glsen.org.
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CARES’ DINING OUT FOR LIFE CONTINUES TO EXPAND MORE HOSTS THAN EVER NEEDED TO WELCOME, EDUCATE
one of the most enjoyable experiences of his “Role models are important,â€? said Ron life. Nashville CARES was founded in 1985 Snitker, a two-year returning restaurant with hopes of helping residents of Middle host for Nashville’s Dining Out for Life, an Tennessee better understand how to prevent annual fundraiser for local HIV advocacy this disease that takes the lives of many of organization, Nashville CARES. Snitker, a our loved ones every year. According to the local member of the Nashville community— organization’s mission statement, Nashville ZKRVH EDFNJURXQG LV LQ Âż QDQFLDO VHUYLFHV CARES offers services annually to 55,000 marketing and sales, and who holds a degree men, women, and children in the middle in music performance and business from the Tennessee area affected by HIV/AIDS. Some University of Iowa—says participating in of the services included case management this event is all about helping the community and education. Snitker grew up in a small town in Iowa and creating awareness. Snitker is an active philanthropist and with a population of only 9,000 people in an volunteer in the Nashville community. In area where there weren’t many out LGBT addition to his support for Nashville CARES, people and in an era where the HIV/AIDS he has volunteered for organizations such epidemic was known as the gay cancer and as the Nashville Symphony, Blair School the stigma surrounding it was immense. of Music at Vanderbilt University, the $V 5RQ VDLG Âł7KLV LV WKH PRVW VLJQLÂż FDQW Middle Tennessee State University Lambda disease in modern lives,â€? and that’s why he organization, and currently serves as Vice always wants to be involved. According to the Nashville CARES, President of the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Dining Out for Life has grown rapidly over and Transgender Chamber of Commerce. Although all of his volunteer experiences time. On April 18, 2017, an estimated 20,000 are equally important to him, Snitker said people will dine at over 80 restaurants to volunteering for Nashville CARES has been raise over $160,000 for Nashville Cares. MICHAEL CANTRELL
O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
APRIL 2017
Before moving to Nashville and transferring his job, Snitker hosted Dining Out for Life in restaurants in San Francisco. Between him and his husband, they have hosted for a total of 15 years, four of which (two each) have been in the Nashville area. In addition to Dining Out for Life, Ron has volunteered for The Nashville Aids Walk and Avant Garde, both annual fundraisers for Nashville CARES. For the past two years, Snitker has been the host at Lockeland Table in East Nashville. Lockeland Table is a local restaurant that serves new American cuisine and grows and cans its own herbs. Two years ago, a few people asked Ron to help them host this restaurant because of the high demand of time for a host to commit on the day of the event. Due to Snitker’s philanthropic nature, he did not hesitate to volunteer. When asked what his inspiration was for volunteering for this event, Ron simply stated that Nashville CARES’ mission to educate and help the FRPPXQLW\ ¿ JKW DJDLQVW +,9 $,'6 ZDV enough of an inspiration for him.
“Being a host for Dining out for Life is one of the most simple ways to become involved,” said Snitker. He added that a hosts’ job is simple; “Promote the restaurant on social media and help drive business to the event, and when the guests arrive educate them on the mission of Nashville CARES, serve as an ambassador, and thank diners for supporting the organization.” To become a host for Dining out for Life on Tuesday April 18, 2017, you may contact Vince Walzberg at vwalzberg@nashvillecares.org.
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INTRODUCING OUR ALL NEW
GAY GUIDE LEARN HOW TO RESERVE YOUR AD NOW is the time to list your business on O&AN’s Gay Guide featuring LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses. Four listing levels are available for every budget and marketing plan.
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SILVER LISTING AS LOW AS $25/MONTH WITH 1-YEAR CONTRACT* Free listing details plus: • Website • Email contact • Logo • 50-word description
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ONLINE & PRINT! PLATINUM LISTING AS LOW AS $99/MONTH WITH 1-YEAR CONTRACT* Please note: Limited Platinum-level listings are available. Gold listing details plus: • 60-second video (provided by advertiser or produced by O&AN at additional cost) • Listing at top of section above other non-Platinum listings • Profile of business written by O&AN staff labeled “sponsored content” and posted in the Business Section on the O&AN website • Listing in monthly print Gay Guide in O&AN
Contact Eric Ginsberg, O&AN Director of Sales, Marketing, & Events, by phone at 615.596.6210 or via email at eginsberg@outandaboutnashville.com for more information if you’re interested in listing your business. *Enjoy an additional 10% discount when pre-paid for year contract. /OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M 14/OUTANDABOUTNASH
APRIL 2017
OUTANDABOUTNASHVILLE.COM
BY GAVIN ROSS
The Music City Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, along with Play Dance Bar, are presenting the 6th annual H8’s A Drag on April 23, 2017. This year Sherry Vine will be performing her full-length show alongside Miss Gay USofA Aurora Sexton, the Ebony Goddess Chyna, and a stellar local line up. H8’s A Drag will inaugurate another season of anti-bullying support, awareness, and education for at-risk LGBTQI Youth and the community, to coincide with the annual GLSEN Day of Silence. This year’s theme—H8’s a Drag: LOVE is not SILENT—places focus on silence and indifference, as bullying and hatred go on around us, causing irreparable harm and death. Headliner Sherry Vine sat down with us to introduce herself to 1DVKYLOOH DXGLHQFHV LQ DGYDQFH RI KHU ¿UVW YLVLW WR 1DVKYLOOH
wanted to do this drag queen, and I real connected to that and was like, Âł7KLV LV IXQ ´ I just started to explore doing things in drag. I would come to class and do monologues from For Colored Girls ‌ and okay there’s a guy doing a black woman’s monologue. But it was just kind of to experiment, and I really connected with that. When I would read a Streetcar Called Desire, I would want to play Blanche—that’s the good part. I started performing around Los Angeles, where I was going to school, for fun, but without the intention of it being a career. And then I kind of woke up one day and was like, “Oh s**t, I think I’m a professional GUDJ TXHHQ QRZ´ $QG RQFH , HPEUDFHG WKDW LW ZDV UHDOO\ IXQ $W ÂżUVW , ZDV NLQG RI ÂżJKWLQJ DJDLQVW LW EHFDXVH , ZDQWHG WR EH D PRYLH VWDU QRW D drag queen.
If you were to describe Sherry Vine, what type of entertainer would you say she was? :HOO GH¿QLWHO\ LWœV KHDY\ RQ WKH SRS SDURGLHV , KDYH EHHQ FDOOHG everything from hooker Barbie, to describe the look, to the weird Al Yankovic of drag. It’s always in good humor, a naughty kind of fun. I don’t think it’s offending anyone, it’s just mostly silly poop/bathroom humor, and I really kind of just make fun of myself mostly. In one sentence Sherry Vine is the Weird Al Yankovic of drag, singing naughty parodies of your favorite pop song.
:KR ZHUH VRPH RI \RXU LQĂ€XHQFHV RU GLG \RX KDYH DQ\" :HUH there any people doing what you wanted to do? I eventually discovered people doing what I wanted to do, but when , ÂżUVW VWDUWHG , ZDV LQ JUDGXDWH VFKRRO LQ &DOLIRUQLD JHWWLQJ D 0DVWHUÂśV degree in Theatre. No one certainly was doing drag, and they kind of thought I was crazy. And the only drag I had seen going to the bars in West Hollywood was, you know, what I would call old school drag. It’s not a read, it was just not what I wanted to do. I loved watching queens in a gown lip syncing to Whitney Houston, but I knew it’s not what I wanted to do. 6R ZKHQ , ÂżUVW FUHDWHG WKH FKDUDFWHU 6KHUU\ 9LQH WKH ÂżUVW WKLQJ , did was total broken down ex-Las Vegas showgirl singing this torch song version of Black Coffee—live not lip syncing—and certainly in West Hollywood people were like, “What’s going on?â€? I felt like I was interested in being more theatrical and dramatic and coming from a place that I had not seen anyone do this.
What got you started wanting to do drag? I just kind of was dressing up and going out for fun when I was younger in college. I went to college to study theatre, and we kind of had to do these monologues based on real people. I tried to make them diverse: I would do like a business man and this real nerdy tech guy. Then I said I
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Once I came to New York, I was like, “Oh, I certainly GLGQÂśW LQYHQW WKLV ´ $QG WKHUH ZDV D ZKROH ZRUOG RI GUDJ queens doing different things. One of the first queens I saw was Vaginal Cream Davis ... and she was singing punk songs and about shrimping people’s toes, and I loved it. And that was kind of the inspiration. What has been the evolution you have seen in drag? This year is my 25-year anniversary of drag, and I can’t believe it. I have been around long enough that I have seen quite a few what I call renaissances of drag, where it will be like five or six years where it’s like, “God, where are the new drag queens?â€? Then it’s like there are twenty new drag queens. I have seen it happen numerous times, like when RuPaul’s Drag Race started, and it was a hit. Now there are lots and lots of new drag queens, and I love it. And I just love seeing the talent—there are so many talented people. There are queens that can sing, queens that can dance, queens that are funny, and queens that give you crazy looks. What got you interested in helping a cause like the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence? Well, I have a long history of doing different things with Sisters in other cities. I have worked with some in San Francisco. I lived in Berlin for three years from 2001 to 2004, and there is a very active strong Sister community there, and I would do benefits and work with them... I just love supporting: I am always up for a benefit and for an AIDS charity, and if I am free and I can get there, I will be there. I would say probably in Berlin I was a bit more active because they go out to the bars, they bar hop, they hand out condoms, and they go out to the shows, and want to know the queens, so I was a bit more involved in Berlin. INDEPENDENT EYEWEAR STORE AND OPTOMETRIST IN EAST NASHVILLE WE OFFER COMPREHENSIVE EYE EXAMS AND HIGH-QUALITY, UNIQUE GLASSES.
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Is there something that you want Nashville to know before you come? , DP UHDOO\ H[FLWHG ,Q \HDUV , KDYH EHHQ HYHU\ZKHUH but I haven’t been to Nashville. Why have I not been to Nashville? So, when this came up, I was so excited, and I FDQÂśW ZDLW WR JHW GRZQ WKHUH DQG WR VHH WKH FLW\ DQG SHUIRUP And I think people are kind of surprised by my show. They may know me from YouTube and think, “Oh, she’s that queen that sings about poop,â€? but there is more to it than that. I am going to mix it up. I have some Broadway stuff, I do a lot of shtick comedy, some stand-up-type stuff, interaction with the audience, and it’s all in good fun. I’m not reading anyone but myself. I think people will come and be like, “Oh, okay, there are a bunch of drag queens that have not been on Drag Race that can do a show.â€? I hope that they will come DQG KDYH IXQ
YOUR CHECK IS YOUR RESERVATION MAIL TO THE ADDRESS BELOW
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL ROBB (615/568-1786) 5015 HARDING PIKE ~
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THE TEMPLE ~ (615) 352-7620
O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
Tickets for the show are available at h8sadrag2017. eventbrite.com
APRIL 2017 PHOTOS: JEFF EASON & ANNA NICOLE
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REAL ESTATE Sheila D Barnard, Realtor, THE REALTY ASSOCIATION 1305 Murfressboro Pike Nashville, TN 37217 615-385-9010 SheilaBarnard.RealtyAssociation.com
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Kate Nelson, Realtor, VILLAGE REALESTATE 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 | realestatewithkate.com
6HQLRU &HQWHU IRU WKH $UWV The Larry Keeton Theatre 108 Donelson Pike Nashville, TN 37215 615-231-1231 | thelarrykeetontheatre.org
SPIRITUALITY Covenant of the Cross 752 Madison Square Madison, TN 37115 615-612-5040 | covenantofthecross.com
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES %DUW 'XUKDP ,QMXU\ /DZ 2I¿FH 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 | bartdurham.com
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
High Gravity Photography Mt. Juliet, TN 615-347-4515 | highgravityphotography.com John Cannon Studios 1108-C Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-496-1259 | johncannonart.com Papa & Roberts, PLLC, Attorney and Consultants Benjamin Papa/ Attorney & Mediator 1612 Westgate Circle. Ste 220 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-767-5900 | PapaRoberts.com
PLAY Dance Bar 1519 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203 615-322-9627 | playdancebar.com Tribe 1517 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203 615-329-2912 | tribenashville.com ORGANIZATIONS Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 | nashvillehumane.org Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 | nashvillelgbtchamber.org
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1 5 Y E A R S O F LG B T N E WS
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BY JAMES GRADY
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O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
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Brandon is still in his honeymoon phase with the city: “Nashville KDV HQGOHVV WKLQJV WR GR IURP MXVW HQMR\LQJ OLYH PXVLF WR Âż QGLQJ RQH RI the many hidden cafes or restaurants. It’s everything I wanted it to be and more.â€? Brandon also believes that the culture of Nashville is conducive to his longer-term goals. “I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a kid. That being a part of who I am I’m soaking up the culture and art of the city as much as I can,â€? he said. “I feel like there are endless opportunities for an artist in this city. I think I have a opportunity to become an openly gay tattoo artist here more than any other city I could have moved to.â€? This doesn’t mean he’s in love with everything. Like many ORQJ WLPH UHVLGHQWV KH SRLQWV WR WUDIÂż F DV RQH RI KLV PDMRU FRQV Âł,WÂśV something I’m still getting used to,â€? he said. “Back in Kansas I could get DQ\ZKHUH LQ PLQV RU OHVV +HUH LW LV GUDVWLFDOO\ GLIIHUHQW 3OXV Âż QGLQJ my way around has been an interesting challenge. Thank God for GPS.â€? Jeff Tordiff moved to Nashville from Oxford, Mississippi (where he had moved from Little Rock, Arkansas). “I was taking a break from ZRUNLQJ WR WU\ DQG Âż QG D MRE WKDW , ZDV WUXO\ SDVVLRQDWH DERXW ´ KH explained of his time in Oxford. It was Nashville’s fruitful job market that brought him here. “I ended up moving to Nashville,â€? he explained, “because I was offered an RSSRUWXQLW\ WR ZRUN LQ D Âż HOG , ZDV SDVVLRQDWH DERXW DQG GLGQÂśW ZDQW WR pass up the opportunity.â€? Jeff was very familiar with Nashville before moving here though. “I absolutely would have considered Nashville a desirable city to live in before I moved here. I had been here several times in college for Pride,â€? he said, “and I loved the diversity the city provided.â€? Living here has only enhanced that opinion. “Nashville is growing every day, and all kinds of new things are happening here. I truly think that Nashville could be the new it-place to live.â€? After living here for over a year, Jeff still appreciates that Nashville has the charm of a smaller Southern city but the amenities of a large city. “My favorite thing to do in Nashville is to catch the shows that come through: there is always something happening here.â€? But like Brandon, KH SRLQWHG WR WUDIÂż F DQG WKH ODFN RI D UHDO SXEOLF WUDQVSRUWDWLRQ V\VWHP as the city’s major drawback. Quinton Walker lived in Atlanta, Georgia, where he served as a school administrator for two different institutions, for almost twelve years before moving to Nashville. While still living in Atlanta, Quinton EHJDQ KLV GRFWRUDO ZRUN DW 9DQGHUELOW DQG ZKHQ KH Âż QLVKHG KLV SURJUDP
PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS & GETTY IMAGES
Back in February, U.S. News & World Report released its annual “Best Places to Liveâ€? list, which ranks the United States’ 100 most populous cities based on metrics like “affordability, job prospects and quality of life.â€? Nashville scored the number 13 spot, a meteoric rise over its 22nd SODFH LQ WKDW FRQÂż UPHG WKH FLW\ÂśV VWDU LV VWLOO RQ WKH ULVH 1DVKYLOOHÂśV SURÂż OH RQ U.S. News describes Nashville as “home to a community Âż HUFHO\ GULYHQ E\ D GHVLUH WR FUHDWH ´ DQG SURYLGHV D PRUH LQ GHSWK ORRN at how the city was ranked. Any such ranking is, of course, subject to dispute, but overall Nashville fares well when compared to peer cities, beating out Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dallas, Texas. Still Nashville has its downsides from certain perspectives. Despite its increasing cultural relevance DQG SRZHUKRXVH WHFK DQG KHDOWKFDUH LQGXVWULHV DV ZHOO DV LWV Âż UPO\ Democratic leanings, Nashville is a blue hub in a sea of red, and each year Tennessee’s supermajority Republican legislators seem intent on competing for “Most anti-LGBT.â€? Here at O&AN, this made us wonder how Nashville’s “livabilityâ€? rating translates for its LGBT citizens, in particular the thousands who move to the city each year because of its ever-increasing reputation and job prospects. :KHQ /*%7 WUDQVSODQWV DUULYH H[SHFWLQJ WR Âż QG D EXVWOLQJ JURZLQJ PHWURSROLV KRZ GR WKH\ Âż QG WKH FLW\ ZKLFK QRW WRR ORQJ DJR was barely more than a large town? What drew them here, and did they Âż QG 1DVKYLOOH WR EH D FRRO RDVLV RI SURPLVH D GLVDSSRLQWLQJ PLUDJH or just an enigma? I asked a few recent transplants to provide some feedback about their experiences of our emerging “it city.â€?. Cover model Brandon Ybarra is the most recent transplant we spoke with, having just moved to Nashville in the last month. He came here from Wichita, Kansas, where he was a manager for Target, and was GHÂż QLWHO\ GUDZQ E\ 1DVKYLOOHÂśV UHSXWDWLRQ DV D KLS XS DQG FRPLQJ FLW\ “Long story short,â€? Brandon said, “I moved because Kansas just didn’t have what I needed. It had no culture, not much of an art scene, and a lot of closed minds.â€? So far, he has found what he’s looking for in his new city. “Nashville is everything I’ve been looking for, a melting pot of everything I love: music, art, people, and night life,â€? he said. When asked about his favorite places in Nashville, though, he was hard pressed to answer, explaining, “Yes, I am overwhelmed by Nashville after being here for only a few weeks.â€?
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1 5 Y E A R S O F LG B T N E WS
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S CityLights
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71 luxury urban condos overlooking Downtown with amenities including pool deck, sky lounge, fitness center, onsite restaurant & bar, concierge. From $659,900
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82 flats – studio, one bedroom, one bedroom + den/study, and two bedroom – from 750 sq ft to 1,100 sq ft with amenities including pool, dog run, clubroom, and outdoor grilling areas. O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M APRIL 2017 From $187,900
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‘regular’ at any of the places in Germantown. It’s a work in progress.â€? But perspective is everything. For 4XLQWRQ WUDIÂżF ZDV RQH RI 1DVKYLOOHÂśV SRVLWLYH DWWULEXWHV &RPLQJ IURP WUDIÂżF VQDUOHG $WODQWD KH KDV IRXQG 1DVKYLOOH WUDIÂżF WR EH D UHOLHI Âł,ÂśP ORYLQJ WKH UHODWLYH ODFN RI WUDIÂżF and ease of moving around the city.â€? So while Quinton can see the immediate appeal that Nashville would hold for others, he could not echo Jeff and Brandon’s unequivocal DIÂżUPDWLRQ RI WKH FLW\ÂśV DSSHDO Âł7KH VL]H RI the city felt small and the lack of diversity in 1 Austin, TX the city seemed to be a concern, as did the lack 2 Denver, CO of a robust gay community like the one I had come to know and appreciate in Atlanta.â€? 3 San Jose, CA Again, perspective: Quinton’s Atlanta 4 Washington, DC has one of the country’s most robust LGBT 5 Fayetteville, AR communities. For Brandon, who was from a much more repressed Wichita, Nashville 6 Seattle, WA seemed like an LGBT oasis. 7 Raleigh/Durham, NC “Being LGBT in Kansas was something 8 Boston, MA I felt I had to hide,â€? Brandon said. “Even being 100% out of the closet, I still didn’t feel 9 Des Moines, IA comfortable enough in my own skin. And I 10 Salt Lake City, UT didn’t feel like I really had a place I could go 11 Colorado Spings, CO to be around more LGBT people. Nashville makes me feel like I can truly be myself. I feel 12 Boise, ID like I could walk down the street holding my boyfriend’s hand and not have to worry so 13 Nashville, TN much.â€? Jeff also said that one of the pros of living in Nashville was “that there is such a large community here, and the city is truly and began looking at job opportunities, it was embracing of the LGBT community. We have Nashville that held the best offer. protections and security here to rival many “Ultimately, I began looking for a job other large cities.â€? and Nashville chose me,â€? Quinton said, “as I Brandon admitted, he’s still exploring the was invited to become the Head of the High gay community in Nashville but so far he likes School at University School of Nashville. It’s what he’s found. “I’ve been to Church Street a fantastic community and I couldn’t say no.â€? and experienced Tribe and Play and couldn’t Unlike Jeff and Brandon, however, be happier with my time there. Everyone Quinton, was not entirely sure Nashville was was so welcoming and friendly. Southern D JRRG ÂżW Âł, ZDV D ELW KHVLWDQW DERXW PDNLQJ hospitality really is a thing, and it’s something the move here,â€? he added, “given the size of the I hope to spread.â€? city and my preconceptions around Nashville “I have yet to face many challenges being being a southern city.â€? gay in Nashville,â€? Brandon added. “Like I There is much Quinton appreciates said, coming from Kansas I don’t see it being about Nashville though. “I love the distinctive a problem here. But I’m still single, so maybe neighborhoods that Nashville has to offer. when I start dating more and I am in public Each one has its own vibe and feel—exploring more with my partner, I will see how the city those places has been nice. I enjoy that the responds.â€? Jeff sees community cohesiveness as a city’s food and drink scene is bustling,â€? he said. “Given my work, I don’t have a great deal big challenge facing the LGBT community of time to really get out and explore too much... in Nashville. “Even though there is such a When I do get the time, I love exploring the large community and a wide variety of bars food and music scene, and trying to become a and groups, there isn’t a lot of coordination
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O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
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between them,â€? he said, and that can make it hard to connect with groups as a newcomer and encourages in-group behavior. Quinton’s experience is very different IURP %UDQGRQÂśV DQG UHĂ€HFWV -HIIÂśV REVHUYDWLRQ After “several months, many things that I thought about Nashville have proven to be true,â€? Quinton said. “Though I know that the city is growing, it has its challenges. It’s been tough to break into the gay community, beyond the social scene along Church Street. Being in my mid-30s, I looked forward to having other opportunities to plug into Nashville and have \HW WR UHDOO\ ÂżQG WKHP ´ Racial issues in Nashville also impact Quinton’s experience of both the city and it’s LGBT scene. “I think race has been a VLJQLÂżFDQW IDFWRU LQ P\ GLIÂżFXOWLHV ZLWK adjusting to LGBT Nashville. I’m not sure how much of that can be attributed to the South versus Nashville proper, but it’s been a noticeable thing for me.â€? “Thus far, [Nashville’s LGBT community] feels pretty segregated, at least in the social spaces anyway. And that segregation is along racial and generational lines. Perhaps as an LGBT person of color, I’m more use to it, or at least looking for it, but, it’s EHHQ LQWHUHVWLQJ QRW VHHLQJ RU ÂżQGLQJ D YLEUDQW queer community of color.â€? Âł,ÂśP ÂżQGLQJ WKDW JX\V LQ 1DVKYLOOH DUH reluctant to reach out and make connections with new people,â€? he added. “I’ve also been asked on numerous occasions why I’d leave Atlanta as if it seems to the mecca of gay life in the South. As Nashville’s star continues to rise, it will increasingly attract newcomers, including or maybe even especially LGBT newcomers. For some, especially those from other parts of the Bible belt, it may prove to be a welcoming, DIÂżUPLQJ SODFH FRQGXFLYH WR WKHLU /*%7 identities, and thus warrant the status of one of the best places “for usâ€? to live. %XW IRU WKRVH RI XV ZKR ÂżQG 1DVKYLOOH and its LGBT community, unconditionally welcoming, the challenge is in recognizing when, where and how it isn’t welcoming to others, and to open our arms, doors, and communities to those who don’t feel like they have a place here. Otherwise we’re just a BibleEHOW WRZQ GUDSHG IRU VKRZ ZLWK D UDLQERZ Ă€DJ holding out a promise we can’t deliver. Do you believe in Nashville? Have you been let down by Nashville? Do you have a newcomer’s tale to tell? Reach out to editor@ outandaboutnashville.com to share it!
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Greenways Contribute to Nashville’s Livability BY JAMES GRADY
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O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
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here is no question that Nashville is booming: its skyline LV DV GHÂżQHG E\ LWV FRXQWOHVV FUDQHV DV LW LV E\ LWV LFRQLF buildings. With nearly a hundred people a day moving to the Nashville metropolitan area, the face of the city, OLWHUDOO\ DQG ÂżJXUDWLYHO\ LV FKDQJLQJ As neighborhoods undergo continuous development, Nashville has struggled to maintain its charm and hold onto exactly what has made it such a livable city to begin with. Part of that identity is as a city with VLJQLÂżFDQW QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV DW RXU GRRUVWHS Protecting and preserving those resources, as well as ensuring access to them by citizens, has proven essential to maintaining Nashville’s status and quality of life. Nashville’s greenways initiative has increasingly been a part of that mission. According to Greenways for Nashville’s website, in 1991, thenMayor Phil Bredeson and the Metro Council “created the Greenways Commission as a division of Metro Parks to plan and develop a greenway system of trails and open spaces throughout Davidson County. Members of the Commission and Nashville citizens established Greenways for Nashville (GfN) in 1994 to give the general public a way to support development of the greenways system.â€? Mark Deutschmann, who is on the Greenways Commission and is also president of the Board of Directors of GfN, said, “The Greenways &RPPLVVLRQ LV DSSRLQWHG E\ WKH 0D\RUÂśV 2IÂżFH DQG ORRNV WR PDNH
coming to their neighborhood, they will gain value.â€? More and more, that means every neighborhood in Nashville will see gains. “We’ve now got somewhere in the range of 85 miles of paved greenways and 212 miles of paved, primitive and park trails,â€? Deutschmann said, “so we are increasing the number of accessible miles in the greenways system.â€? “Over the next few years, the big plan is to create a full loop around the city—a twentyÂżYH PLOH ORRS WKDW ZLOO FUHDWH DQ DPD]LQJ bike ride but also access neighborhoods that don’t have any access to date,â€? Deutschmann explained. “One of the most visible recent successes is the creation of a section that connects from Charlotte Pike all the way over PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS & GETTY IMAGES
UHFRPPHQGDWLRQV WR WKH 0D\RUÂśV 2IÂżFH DQG the Metro Council about which greenways should be prioritized, how much money is needed in the budget, which land needs to be protected, so we’re always looking at strategic acquisitions and where we should be laying down the next miles given budget constraints.â€? According to Deutschmann, “GfN takes that information after the city starts making its choices, and we get out and promote that to the community.â€? GfN supports the Greenways Commission by assisting in securing funding for and encouraging community interaction with the development of the greenways. Their PLVVLRQ DOVR LQFOXGHV D VLJQLÂżFDQW RXWUHDFK component, educating citizens about the greenways system and offering ways for everyone to get involved. “We’ve had a goal for the last twenty years, since greenways were started, of getting greenways as close to every neighborhood in Nashville as possible,â€? Deutschmann said. Originally the goal was to put greenways within two miles of every neighborhood in Nashville. Gradually, though, the goals have become more ambitious. Deutschmann added, “the current goal, particularly in the urban areas, is for every neighborhood to be within half a mile of a trailhead. We are really increasing penetration as the greenways build out, adding more miles to the system and looking to access neighborhoods.â€? *UHHQZD\V KDYH SOD\HG D VLJQLÂżFDQW UROH LQ 1DVKYLOOHÂśV ULVH Âł, have to believe that the greenways, and the emerging system, has really impacted Nashville’s reputation as an ‘it city’—it really helps make us an attractive city.â€? Deutschmann, who is also founder of Village Real Estate, observes that greenways also serve to make neighborhoods more desirable. “We ÂżQG WKDW SHRSOH DUH ORRNLQJ IRU ZDONDELOLW\ VR EHLQJ FORVH WR HLWKHU D greenway or a walkable neighborhood commercial district adds value, because people would rather be close to something that’s theirs, so that they can say, ‘This is my greenway, this is my coffee shop, this is my joint that I like to go hang out at.’ If people discover that a greenway is
WR )UDQNOLQ 5RDG 7KH ÂżUVW VHFWLRQ KDV EHHQ VWDNHG RXW DQG LV UHDG\ IRU a ribbon cutting. We also got funding in last year’s metro budget for a section that will take you from 12 South over to Franklin Road.â€? Greenways depend not only on the support of the government however—the success of Nashville’s greenways also depends on community support. “GfN is a member-driven organization. Individuals can lend their support and we also have corporate memberships available. We’re doing some major fundraising for the I-440 greenway. We’re currently raising a million dollars and are WDONLQJ WR PDMRU FRUSRUDWLRQV WR ÂżOO WKH JDSV ´ But there are also other ways to support a greener Nashville. “We do things like weed wrangles and creek cleanups to, so that’s another way people can get involved,â€? Deutschmann added.
For more information on Nashville’s greenways, visit GfN’s site at greenwaysfornashville.org and Metro government’s site at @OUTANDABOUTNASH 1 5 www.nashville.gov. Y E A R S O F LG B T N E WS
NASHVILLE’S GRIZZLIES
CELEBRATE 11 YEARS AT BACHELOR AUCTION MIKE KIGGINS
On a chilly Saturday almost eleven years ago, seven guys booted XS DQG EHJDQ WKH SUDFWLFH RI D ÀHGJOLQJ JD\ UXJE\ WHDP²WKH\ included Ben Marks, Adam Ross, Doug Sladen, Chris Sanders, Daryl Woods, Richard Benoit, and Stan Schklar (who at 55 is still playing despite various broken bones, among other injuries). At 7ULEH DIWHU WKDW ¿UVW SUDFWLFH WKH\ FKRVH WKH WHDPœV QDPH EDVHG on where they’d initially found their shared interest in rugby (Bear411)—the lack of grizzly bears in Tennessee be damned. )ODVK IRUZDUG WR œV 3ULGH IHVWLYDO ZKLFK LV ZKHQ , ¿UVW spoke to John Purdom, who would become another long-time player and long-time assistant coach. After that, I decided to attend the next Tuesday night practice. From the little I knew about rugby’s VSHFL¿FV LW VHHPHG OLNHG LW PLJKW EH ERWK D QLFH KREE\ DQG D QLFH workout. I Awas and someone OUT N D Aright, BOUTN A S Has VIL L E .CO M who APRILgrew 2017 up playing soccer 26
and wrestling from middle school through high school, it felt great tackling a much bigger guy everyone else probably thought I never could. And as much as it pushed me, I know it pushed the rest of this nascent group of ruggers. What we had in enthusiasm, though, we lacked in practical knowledge. A month later, three players from the Atlanta Bucks drove XS DQG FRQGXFWHG D ERRW FDPS +RZHYHU LW ZDV RXU ÂżUVW IXOO WLPH coach, Shannon Bustillos, who would begin to whip the team into shape. “Warrior Princess,â€? as she was called, agreed to coach the team when, after one practice, all present knelt and asked if she’d be our full-time coach. She agreed. With thirteen years of playing experience and six years of coaching experience at the time, she brought a wealth of knowledge, drive, and encouragement to our rag-tag group, some of whom had never before played a contact sport. Bustillos stayed with us through the spring 2007 season,
EAT OUT FOR A GOOD CAUSE! Tuesday April 18, 2017
EGG-Stravaganza annual easter adoption
Thousands of people from all over Nashville will choose their favorite participating restaurant and dine out for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner, and a percentage of their bill will be donated by the restaurant to benefit Nashville CARES and the fight against HIV/AIDS. For a list of participating restaurants visit: www.DININGOUTFORLIFE/NASHVILLE.com PRESENTED BY:
The Dorothy Cate & Thomas F. Frist Foundation
FROM THURSDAY, APRIL 6th THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 21st PICK AN EGG FROM THE EASTER BASKET TO FIND YOUR SPECIAL ADOPTION DISCOUNT. TEDDY’S WAGON MOBILE ADOPTIONS:
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APRIL 29th Subaru Share the Love Event Downtown Subaru
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when she was offered a job at Marquette University that she couldn’t pass up. Following the vacuum Bustillos left, several players— including myself, Purdom, David Glasgow, Doug Sladen, and Mike Wright—decided we could coach ourselves. Three of us even traveled to a weekend coaching clinic in Memphis. However, to quote Purdom, “This was a disaster.â€? As the clichĂŠ goes: there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Salvaging us from that melee, David Glasgow became our GHGLFDWHG FRDFK IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH LQ 7KDW VXPPHU D FRQWLQJHQW RI *UL]]OLHV Ă€HZ WR 'XEOLQ ,UHODQG WR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ WKH IRXUWK %LQJKDP &XS 6LQFH ZH ZHUH XQDEOH WR EULQJ D IXOO WHDP RI ÂżIWHHQ players, we were merged with the World Barbarians, coached by Gustavo Ventura, and ended up winning the Plate division. In spring 2009, Toby Florek, who’d played for a local club formerly known as the Nashville Outlaws, took over coaching duties. He stayed on until September 2009, when Glasgow resumed duties as head coach. Glasgow would remain with us through many high and low points until January 2014, when Jimmy Arredondo, after serving as assistant coach for a couple seasons, took over the whistle and clipboard. Arredondo would lead the Grizzlies to their ÂżUVW ZLQQLQJ VHDVRQ LQ IDOO DQG KH KDV EHHQ SLYRWDO LQ PDNLQJ the team more competitive and consistent. Since our showing in Dublin, the Grizzlies have represented Nashville in the biennial Bingham Cup in Minneapolis, Manchester (England), and Sydney (Australia), as well as here at home. In addition to this major international tournament, the team has frequented the Dallas Diablos’ Hell Fest, Muddy York’s Beaver %RZO 6HDWWOH 4XDNHÂśV ÂżQDO UXQQLQJ RI 0DJQLWXGH WKH 4XHHQ &LW\ Crown, our own Music City Cup, and the occasional Jugg Fest in Pigeon Forge with our sister team, the Charlotte Royals. Over the years, with the indispensable assistance of Richard Kennedy, the team attained its 501(c)(3) status, and players and supporters have participated in charitable work with Habitat for Humanity and Nashville CARES, among many others. Last, this year we started volunteering at Launchpad, a resource for homeless LGBTQ youth, with Nashville CARES. We also brought the Red Dress Run (which is now more of a stroll) to town. It is our biggest fundraising event of the year. The dresses at the Pub-Run-Crawl range from the unnecessarily sequined number Joe Clark has worn (at least twice—tsk, tsk), to matronly numbers for the shy, g-strings and angel wings for the shameless with phenomenal “attributes,â€? to more basic off-theUDFN QXPEHUV IURP 7DUJHW RU 5RVV 7KH ÂżUVW FRXSOH RI \HDUV WKLV HYHQW WRRN SODFH LQ +LOOVERUR 9LOODJH DQG 6RXWK EHQHÂżWWLQJ 7KH Belcourt Theatre. Since then, it has moved over to the East Side and KDV EHQHÂżWWHG WKH )ULHQGV RI 6KHOE\ 3DUN DQG 1DVKYLOOH &$5(6
PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS & GETTY IMAGES
*In rugby, cleats are called “boots.â€? If you’re ever at a Third Half— the post-game party where both teams drink and sing songs— and someone has to “shoot the bootâ€? for messing up a song, try not to gag as that unlucky soul has to chug a boot ďŹ lled with the back-wash beer from other players’ cups.
I wound up playing on the team from June 2006 through May 2013, and I came out of my hobbling “retirementâ€? to play in the 2016 Bingham Cup hosted by the Grizzlies here in Nashville, which PDUNHG WKH ÂżUVW WLPH WKH WRXUQDPHQW KDG KDSSHQHG LQ WKH $PHULFDQ Southeast. Because both the Grizzlies and rugby inspire a special brand of loyalty, I’m not the only person who laced my boots back up. Through this team I’ve made friends whom I can sincerely call “brothers,â€? and I’ve met people from all over this country and the world. Not surprisingly, our team’s motto is Tecum Fratre, which is Latin for “With You, Brother,â€? and “With youâ€? is what Mark Bingham would always say to let his teammates know he was there to accept a pass once they got into trouble. Better still, I can say ZLWK DEVROXWH FRQÂżGHQFH WKDW , NQRZ ZKDW ,ÂśYH H[SHULHQFHG LV WKH rule, not the exception. To sum up this rather brief history of the Nashville Grizzlies, rugby can bring out the best in everyone, allowing space on the SLWFK L H WKH ÂżHOG IRU SHRSOH RI DOO JHQGHUV DOO RULHQWDWLRQV DOO body types, and all skill levels. This might be one of the reasons why rugby is the fastest growing sport in the nation. And while I’ve seen people severely injured and carted off in ambulances, and while this sport can be brutal, bloody, and bruising, I’m sure those who have played and those who still play for the Nashville Grizzlies ZRXOGQÂśW H[FKDQJH WKH RFFDVLRQDOO\ Ă€DUHG WHPSHUV WKH ORQJ ODVWLQJ friendships, and the easy camaraderie for the world.
UPCOMING EVENT: April 7th, 7:30 PM, @ PLAY Dance Bar A Bachelor Auction & 11 Years of Grizzlies Rugby Celebration • $10 at door includes some catered food. • Silent auction will end at 9PM. • Bachelor auction begins soon after. • All Proceeds will go towards the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby FC & Tennessee Equality Project. • Music provided by HeyDay Revival. @OUTANDABOUTNASH
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the RAINBOW
JULIE CHASE
I just can’t do it anymore. Not after that inauguration speech. Not after that reaction by the so-called Republican moderates. Not DIWHU WKDW ÂżUVW PRQWK , KDYH EDLOHG , SXW LQ P\ application to do volunteer work for the other side soon after and was not struck by lightning as a result. My conscience is now clear and P\ SDQWV DUH QRW RQ ÂżUH I no longer call myself a Republican: Rockefeller, Fiscally Conservative, or otherwise. I grew up with Rockefeller Republicans. My grandfather ran Richard Nixon’s 1972 reelection effort in Western Pennsylvania. The Rockefeller Republicans were “progressiveâ€? 5HSXEOLFDQV WRGD\ÂśV ÂżVFDO FRQVHUYDWLYHV are a descendant of that brand. It was more of an identity than a real political movement. Frankly, we were very “liberalâ€? conservatives who wanted social progress without shaking things up too fast. That caused the Civil War, according to lore, requiring many of our kind to head south and attempt reconstruction. It worked about as well as it did in Iraq. In all honesty, I knew that going back into LGBTQI world might result in this action. The tea-bagger types in the party are quite nuts and wish to return this country to 1950. I had always thought that if the guano hit the fan for real, at least Soulmate and I would be on the right side this time, instead of hiding in the suburban closet. I really didn’t expect all this though. Hillary was supposed to win... and my (our) transition was supposed to be relatively stress-free. Out and changed just got a wee bit scary...ok, really scary. Now we understand the fear that comes with openly aligning with The Tribe. Those of us “lib-consâ€? who hail from White Anglo-Saxon Protestant backgrounds are not the only ones who think our culture and politics to be superior to everyone else’s—we’re just the most open and friendly about it. We will do anything, and I do mean DQ\WKLQJ WR ÂżJKW RSSUHVVLRQ DQG ELJRWU\ HYHQ at the cost of our own lives. It’s a challenge,
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the right thing to do, crushes a stereotype, and makes us feel good all at the same time. We love surprising the bad guys and good guys both, for a culture steeped in knighthood and conquest does have its good side on occasion. That’s how we roll. Just don’t tell us we actually have to identify with other groups. That concept freezes most of us in our tracks, and good social-climbing waspy types just don’t do that. It’s unseemly and smacks being considered minority-ish. Not that there’s anything wrong ZLWK WKDW PLQG \RX :H MXVW XPPPPP But I am no longer that. I have not LGHQWL¿HG LQ VXFK PDQQHU IRU QHDUO\ WKLUW\ years now. And even back in the day, I primarily did so to please my family. I admit that the process of identifying as reasonably Jewish and coming out (again) has made its mark. I can no longer identify with the political culture of my childhood, just as I can no longer identify with my prior church denomination, my alma mater, and heterosexual America. I have successfully left all that and no longer feel longing or shame over it. Our community’s shared blessing and ¿JKW IRU IUHHGRP RYHU WKH SULRU WKUHH GHFDGHV has changed me. I am now forced to look into the mirror each morning and see these breasts I have grown and contemplate the woman I am becoming. , KDYH QRW RSHQO\ LGHQWL¿HG DV DQ\ sort of female until very recently...and only because I have been made to understand that I need to own it, setting an example for my teenage daughter, who will grow up in the Trump era with all its potential for bigotry and misogyny. I cannot truthfully say that P\ ¿VFDO FRQVHUYDWLVP ZLOO HYHU FKDQJH though. It most likely won’t, but no one may rightly assume that I was ever a shill for the conservative right anymore. I never was, and never could be. I now take a real stand, the one Soulmate and many others took long before I got here. The opposition may soon identify me as one of those liberal-progressive lesbian types. Slightly inaccurate, but I really won’t mind
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ILLUSTRATION: MELISSA GAY
OVER
that...I mostly resemble that remark. I have always liked the so-called liberal progressives. I got married to one. Her character and passion IRU VRFLDO MXVWLFH KDV QHYHU IDLOHG WR LQĂ€XHQFH mine, no matter how hard I tried to run from it. The Fiscal Conservatives still believe in the necessity of trying to counter the right-wing from within their own political movement. My life experiences have made it easy for me to take my exit, but this approach will not be as logical for other tortured political souls. Just as our own community attempts to welcome all family and allies, the progressives should be welcoming of those who just cannot identify with “that partyâ€? anymore, taking them in as-is and hoping for the best. The rebirth of openly public bigotry and misogyny will make more than a few conservatives of all stripes think hard about where they stand. Some may gain the courage to leave as a result. I feel so much better for having done so.
Julie Chase is the pen name for a local 40-something trans woman. A graduate of The University of the South at Sewanee, VKH ORYHV EXWWHUĂ€LHV VWURQJ ZRPHQ DQG WKH Austrian School of Economics.
2015
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PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS
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PHOTOS: CODY STALLINGS
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Be mellow. Be responsible.
So I know you judge pageants because you have judge me numerous times. How many do you think you have judged? Oh, wow, over 50 for sure. What do you think about the new generation of queens? 7KH\ GR QRW UHVSHFW WKH DUW IRUP 7KH\ GRQÂśW They have no idea of the history of drag.
A KIKI WITH PAIGE TURNER | @PaigeTurner01
+RO\ 8QWXFNHG %UDFH \RXUVHOYHV IRONV EHFDXVH ZH KDYH D OHJHQG LQ WKH KRXVH 7KLV PRQWK we got to kiki with none other than Trinity Monroe. She has been a huge staple in the drag community for a decade. She’s a very talented comedy queen but don’t think that it limits her. She FDQ GDQFH WKH KRXVH GRZQ ,I \RX GRQÂśW NQRZ WKLV ODG\ WKHQ VKDPH RQ \RX 6LW EDFN DQG HQMR\ as we get all the “tâ€? on this Nashville legend. When did you start doing drag? I started doing drag on May 23, 1993. It all started because I was at a show and not very impressed. I opened my big mouth and said, Âł, FDQ GR EHWWHU ´ :HOO WKH\ KHOG PH WR WKDW and invited me back the following week as a spotlight performer. I got there, and they sat me down and painted me. I literally had to go straight to the stage because it had taken so long. Do you have a drag mother? Yes, I do, her name is Lexi Versace Sinclair. We became great friends, and she would loan me costumes and such in the beginning of my career. Do you make your own costumes? Yes, I do. A friend of mine back in the day named Scott did drag as well, and he made all KLV RXWÂż WV DQG KH WDXJKW PH WR PDNH PLQH When did you come to Nashville? , FDPH WR 1DVKYLOOH LQ , ZDV WHUULÂż HG WKH Âż UVW WLPH , ZHQW WR SHUIRUP KHUH , GLG D talent night at The Chute. Like I said, I was very scared and did not know what to expect. The girls were so loving and welcoming. They helped me and offered advice. You could tell there was real love and a sisterhood. What’s your biggest accomplishment in your drag career?
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My biggest accomplishment is being my own persona. I try to be nothing else but me. How many pageants have you won? I have won 3. Pageants aren’t really my thing though. I would rather prepare and dress a contestant. I get more out of that. What title would you love to win? I would love to win Miss Gay America. It is the true female impersonator pageant. So if you’re competing in a pageant and another competitor tried to throw you off, what do you do? I really don’t pay attention to the other girls to be honest. I am there to compete and I have a team there to support me and keep me focused. What is the shadiest thing you’ve seen another queen do? Oh, in the pageant world I have seen a lot of VKDG\ WKLQJV , KDYH VHHQ JLUOV SDW DQRWKHU queen on the back and wish them luck as they are wiping glue down the back of their gown. I have even seen people crush light bulbs or glass in someone’s powder. In pageants, it was war, very dog eat dog. Do you have any haters? Oh, of course, who doesn’t? If you don’t like PH OHDYH ,ÂśP JHWWLQJ SDLG WR EH KHUH :H already got your money. I’m just like f**k ‘em.
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What is the best advice you could give a new queen? Learn to use your ears and not your mouth. What is one thing about drag today the really differs from when you started? Girl we could never paint at home. Times were very different. We had to walk down a dark alley to the entrance. We always had to leave in pairs, because back then people weren’t as accepting as they are now. You really had to worry about your safety. What would you say is different about drag today compared to the years before? There is no comradery, it used to be a sisterhood but that is not there anymore. They form cliques not a sisterhood. What is your biggest pet peeve with other queens? Not knowing the words to your song.
Who would you say is Nashville’s best drag performer? Brooklyn Hytes. Her stage persona is what it needs to be. She is an entertainer and is always doing something different. If you were trapped on an island and had to be stuck with one queen, dead or alive, who would you choose? 7KDW¶V HDV\ , ZRXOG ZDQW %LDQFD 3DLJH EHFDXVH QR PDWWHU ZKDW WKH situation I would be guaranteed a good time.
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y g ! o t l I o d l k o r H a o n T e S v a H a n n o G You’re
DISCLAIMER: Amy Sulam is a comic, and not everyone thinks she’s as funny as she does. We condone nothing she says, particularly not if you decide to take the following seriously. It should not be taken as such.
AMY SULAM | @Amysulam
Did I miss something? Are we caught in Groundhog Day? Why are we having discussions from years ago again? , KRQHVWO\ ¿QG WKLV FRPLFDO DQG frightening. We are back to the bathroom bills. Did Trump literally set us back 50 years? Look I don’t know about you but I’ve had it. If where transgender people pee is really gonna be an issue again, I’m gonna start pissing in the streets. There’s so much wrong in so many directions. Why are straight people so worried about trans people going to the bathroom? I’ll tell you. Because they can’t ban gays and lesbians from public bathrooms, but this small tweak allows them to be bigots. Believe me, if they could ban all of us from public toilets they would. I’ve never seen a transgender woman in the ladies’ room and felt fearful. Do sexual predators hide in bathrooms and wait for victims, sure. It happens. They’re usually straight though. Like the sex offender who hid in a park bathroom and attempted to assault a runner on March 12th in Washington state. She kicked his butt. I digress. If you’ve never advocated for victims’ rights or showed up to support rape victims or petitioned lawmakers for stricter sentencing for sexually based offenses, please stop pretending you all of a sudden give a shit. I don’t see a ton of straight women freaking out in support of the bathroom bill. I see straight men doing it. You know the same demographic that gives us the majority of sex offenders and hate crime perpetrators? Transgender women are more likely to be assaulted or even killed than other LGBT community members. And now people want to accuse them of being predators and threaten to KDUP WKHP EHFDXVH RI ZKHUH WKH\ SHH" 5HDOO\" , WKLQN ,œOO MXVW VWDUW SHHLQJ RQ ELJRWV +H\ $W least they’d have proof I’m a girl: problem solved.
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Here’s the other thing, I’ve seen stories where butch looking women have been thrown out of public bathrooms for “looking like a guy.� I swear straight people just don’t want us peeing in public bathrooms. It’s like they can’t make up their minds. If you look like a guy and have a vagina but try to go to the ladies’ room, security could detain you. If you gender identify as female, some feeble-minded ass hat could accost you leaving the bathroom. This is legislating bigotry. In a delicious twist of fate, the legislator who wanted to pass the “don’t say gay� bill was caught having an affair with his cousin. So, cousin-f***ing in Tennessee is a okay as long
They aren’t the bullies, they’re the bullied. My ex-girlfriend is a transgender woman. We are still friends, and there is no ill will between us. I trust her implicitly with my kids, and we aren’t even together anymore. She’s a much more adultier adult than I am. If I’m in the ladies’ room and see a transgender man who is forced to pee in there by law, I’m not gonna be happy because the law is BS. I’ve never clutched my pearls in fear when seeing transgender people so I don’t really understand this hysteria. Then again I’m not a no-count, Bible-thumping, cousin f***er. Gays and lesbians have been going to gender assigned bathrooms with people who are in their f***able demographic since forever. If the conservatives’ fears were founded, we’d have been banging straight people in public bathrooms forever. The idea that someone is a sexual predator because they’re transgender is just stupid. But, if you’re banging your cousin, I’m guessing you’re not a genius. If you’re backing a cousin-banger, again I’m assuming you’re why
Did Trump literally set us back 50 years? they are cis and the relationship is heterosexual? And we’re the sexual deviants? Mmmmmkay. I kind of want to just start walking into men’s rooms, piss in the stalls, and then walk out pointing at penises and laughing on my way. That wouldn’t help our cause, but I’d enjoy it. I honestly get pissed with these bathroom bills because they are based on the unfounded idea that, because a person is transgender, they are a predator. I have the pleasure of knowing many transgender people. They have been on the receiving end of bigotry since they came out.
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coffee cups are labeled hot. When did we let the idiocracy take over? At this point if Trump tells foreign leaders, “Go away, I’m baiting,â€? I’ll register no shock. We can’t let the knuckle draggers win. We need to YRWH WKHP RXW RI RIÂżFH RU WHOO WKHP WKH\ FDQ have cousin wives if we can bathroom equality. Life is all about compromise, right? We live in a time of alternative facts and neo-Nazis. We have to be smart and not sink to their level, but I seriously want to R. Kelly them sometimes.
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