02/06/15, Vol. 5 Issue 24

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE OF GA VOICE

02.06.15

THE GEORGIA VOICE

PO Box 77401 | Atlanta, GA 30357 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com

Deputy Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com

NEWS

6 | News briefs 8 | Trans woman killed in violent shooting 9 | Lesbian couple fights for family in gay marriage lawsuit 10 | Uncovering the ‘B’ in LGBT 11 | Atlanta police say Midtown assault arrest ‘should have occurred a lot sooner’

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Cliff Bostock, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Steve Warren, Simon Williamson

BUSINESS

Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

COMMUNITY

Managing Partner: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com

12 | Catching Up … with Brandon White, 2012 hate crime victim 18 | New queer variety show celebrates who we are

Sales Executive: Anne Clarke aclarke@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group

A&E

Brandon White, victim of a gay hate crime in 2012, discusses life after the media whirlwind. Page 12

In loving memory of Mike Ritter, 1965-2014

FINE PRINT

Join us online: facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

“The budget proposes to amend the Social Security Act to ensure all lawfully married same-sex couples will be eligible to receive Social Security spousal benefits, regardless of where they live.”

—From President Obama’s $4 trillion budget proposal.

(Bloomberg Business, Feb. 2)

“There are a bunch of issues … What is appropriate? Should it be in a school, should you allow kissing? Should you allow same sex couples to have a picture of kissing?”

—Principal James Trodden of Onoway High School in Edmonton, Canada on a mural of two boys kissing that was covered up after complaints. (Pink News, Jan. 31)

19 | Gay male escorts juggle taboo profession with personal lives 20 | Theater: ‘fml’ explores lesbian teen’s high school struggles 21 | Food: New restaurant Gravy opens in gay bar Cockpit’s former space 24 – 25 | Best Bets calendar

COLUMNISTS

22 | Out In The Wild: Simon Willamson is not interested in knowing thy neighbor 26 | That’s What She Said: Melissa Carter’s bittersweet Valentine’s Day memories 27 | Sometimes ‘Y’: Ryan Lee on the route from the Super Bowl to Black Gay Pride

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OUTSPOKEN

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“When the cops walked up, they were on [Hernandez’s] side of the car, and they shot the window and they shot her. That’s when she wrecked, and that’s when the cop got hit.”

—A witness to the killing of 17-year-old Latina lesbian Jessica Hernandez by Denver police.

(The Advocate, Jan. 28)

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GA VOICE | 6

NEWS

02.06.15

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NEWSIN BRIEF GEORGIA BAPTISTS DUEL OVER ‘RELIGIOUS FREEDOM’ AT STATE CAPITOL

Georgia Baptist pastors gathered at the state Capitol on Jan. 28 to meet and greet with legislators and to discuss the controversial “religious freedom” bills being proposed that many LGBT activists say will open the door to discrimination.

At a press conference, several pastors spoke, as well as state Rep. Sam Teasley (R-Marietta), who has introduced House Bill 29, officially titled the “Preventing Government Outreach on Religious Expression Act.” Also on hand was state Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus), who says he will soon be introducing a similar bill.

McKoon and Teasley continue to argue their bills will not open the door to discrimination against LGBT people or others, despite the arguments made by Georgia LGBT lawmakers and organizations such as Georgia Equality. Georgia Baptists showed up in force to back their state lawmakers and show support for the bills, saying it is not LGBT people who face discrimination, but rather Christians themselves.

Progressive Georgia Baptist pastors held a separate press conference on Jan. 28 to reiterate their opposition to the proposed bill.

“They call it the ‘religious freedom’ bill.

They should call it the ‘religious discrimination’ bill. The ‘religious manipulation’ bill,” said Rev. Timothy McDonald III of First Iconium Church. “Because that is what it’s about to do in the state of Georgia.”

ATLANTA LGBT ACTIVIST NAMED TO LEAD NATIONAL LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS

Longtime Georgia LGBT activist Jamie Ensley has been elected the first person from the Deep South to chair the national Log Cabin Republicans.

“It’s truly one of the great honors of my life to serve as the new national chairman of the Log Cabin Republicans, and I’m equally proud to become the organization’s first chairman from the Deep South,” Ensley said in a press release.

Ensley joined the national LCR board in 2008 and has served as secretary, treasurer and vice chairperson. He’s also the president of the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans.

In 2010, Ensley testified during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” trial held in federal court in Riverside, California. That lawsuit and the actions of several LGBT groups, including the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and the American Veterans for Equal Rights, as well as many individual activists, helped convince Congress to repeal DADT in 2010.

Also in 2010, Ensley was named one of the grand marshals for Atlanta Pride’s 40th anniversary celebration. He is an Atlanta native, but was raised in the mountains of North Georgia. He holds a B.S. in Economics from Louisiana State University.

State Rep. Sam Teasley (R-Marietta) and state Sen. Josh McKoon (R-Columbus) met last month with Georgia Baptist preachers at the state Capitol to ask for support for their ‘religious freedom’ bills. (File photo)

Ensley has also served 10 years on the board of Georgia Equality and on the advisory board of the Atlanta Dogwood Festival.

In his political work in Georgia, he’s also campaign treasurer for Atlanta City Councilmember Mary Norwood, state Rep. Mike Jacobs, and Atlanta Board of Education member Cynthia Briscoe.

Ensley is the current vice president of Government Guaranteed Lending at Community and Southern Bank.

OUSTED ATLANTA FIRE CHIEF COMPARES SELF TO JESUS IN CHURCH SERMON

Ousted Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran, who was fired last month by Mayor Kasim Reed for not following city protocol after the publication of his anti-gay book, gave a sermon at a Cartersville church recently where he compared himself to Jesus Christ, Job and other biblical figures.

The news comes following recent remarks by former Atlanta mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, who said Cochran doesn’t understand the Bible, and signs that the Baptist leaders who initially sided with the former fire chief are beginning to distance themselves from him.

The Jan. 25 service at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cartersville featured a sermon

by Cochran, titled “The Blessings of Sufferings.” He described the difference between what he called “self-inflicted sufferings” and “God-induced sufferings,” calling his firing a “God-induced suffering.”

Cochran then went on to claim that God told him he was in the same company as Job, Jesus Christ and others.

After comparing himself to Job, Cochran then compared himself to Daniel in the story of Daniel and King Darius, in which others plotted to bring Daniel down, equating the 30 days King Darius made Daniel pray only to him with the 30-day suspension Mayor Reed

gave Cochran. The plotters against Daniel were thrown to the lions, Cochran said.

Cochran made a final comparison, saying, “Then he reminded me of the ultimate suffering servant, Jesus Christ, who suffered, bled and died. Rose again on the third day and because of his suffering he has the name that is above every name. God blesses always during suffering.”

Cochran also dove into the book controversy and said that sex should only be had for procreation and that it should only be between a man and a woman—a point met with a round of applause by those in attendance.

ATLANTA WOMAN KILLED BY GIRLFRIEND

Laura Bozeman, 22, was charged with murder in the killing of her girlfriend on Jan. 26 at their Auburn Glenn apartment on Boulevard Avenue. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution identified the victim as Ashley Belle, 22.

According the APD, the two women had been fighting for the previous two days.

APD spokesperson Kim Jones emailed a synopsis of the incident to the GA Voice: “On Monday, January 26, 2015, at approximately [3:30 p.m.] the Zone 6 Units requested the Homicide Unit at 49 Boulevard SE in connection with a person shot and deceased at that location.

“The preliminary on scene investigation revealed that the victim and perpetrator are domestic partners and that they had been in verbal and physical altercations for the past two days. The crime scene was consistent with a physical altercation having occurred there … Laura Bozeman … was interviewed … and she provided incriminating statements as to her involvement in the shooting death of the victim. Laura Bozeman was charged in connection with this murder and taken to the Fulton County Jail.”

Bozeman remains behind bars with no bond.

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02.06.15

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GA VOICE | 8

NEWS

02.06.15

www.theGAVoice.com

Georgia transgender woman killed in violent shooting Suspect out on $1,000 bond as mother worries about justice

on the kitchen table. There were also several bullet holes in the living room wall, according to the report.

According to Asberry, her daughter was running from her apartment and suffered a gunshot wound to her thigh and back.

Asberry said she was told James told police his daughter pulled a gun on him and then there was a scuffle resulting in the shooting.

“I don’t know what Mr. James may claim as a defense. If there is an indictment, there will be a trial,” Edwards says.

Asberry said police told her that James also told officers he is not gay and that he thought he was meeting a straight person for sex. But Asberry says her daughter had a profile on backpage.com, a popular website for prostitutes, that clearly stated she was transgender.

“The detective was telling me that he said when he got there he realized she was not a she but a he. But something sexual happened.

He’s lying,” Asberry says tearfully.

DA Edwards repeatedly told the GA Voice that because this was an ongoing investigation, he could not discuss evidence or testimony from the suspect. He did note that Georgia does have a “stand your ground” law that allows individuals to take lethal force if they feel they are in imminent danger of serious harm or death.

By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com At Thanksgiving last year, Carol Asberry picked up a video camera and asked her family what they where thankful for.

“When I got to my daughter, Keymori, she said, ‘Oh, Lord,’ and sways back her hair.

And she said she was thankful for her family and for being here—she said so many young people around her keep dying and she’s still here,” Asberry says. “She got emotional and she started to cry, but then she laughed it off and didn’t cry.”

Asberry’s daughter, transgender woman Keymori Shatoya Johnson, 24, was shot and killed while fleeing her Albany, Georgia, apartment in the early morning hours of Dec. 6.

The suspect in the shooting, 25-year-old Kuyaunnis James, was arrested hours later and booked on charges of voluntary manslaughter, involuntary manslaughter, possession of a firearm and solicitation of a prostitute.

On Jan. 6, James went before a magistrate judge in Dougherty County where the judge dropped the felony charges against him because he found no probable cause; James was released on $1,000 bond and only faces the solicitation charge, a misdemeanor.

Dougherty County District Attorney Gregory Edwards said he intends to present all the charges, including the felony manslaughter charges, to a grand jury sometime before March.

The case has received some attention in the local media and Johnson has been misgendered in local reports as well as in police documents. DA Edwards also refers to Johnson by her male birth name.

“Well, I use the given name,” he says.

“There is an issue about that and we will let the grand jury know the legal name as well as the other name he is known as.”

Edwards says he has experience trying cases with transgender victims and intends to be respectful when presenting evidence to the 23-member grand jury, a group that meets in secret and will decide whether or not to indict James in the shooting of Johnson.

“I won’t be biased in my presentation,” Edwards says. “The grand jury represents the community.”

But Asberry, who occasionally refers to

‘I CAN’T BE THIS BOY ANYMORE’

Keymori Shatoya Johnson, 24, of Albany, Georgia, was killed in a Dec. 6 shooting at her apartment. The suspect is out on $1,000 bond and the district attorney presiding over the case says he plans to present the case to the grand jury. (Photo via Facebook)

Johnson as her son, is worried the alleged shooter will not face any charges at all.

“The DA assured me he would take the case before the grand jury to get him indicted, but it is if, only if, the grand jury decides to indict. I’m just afraid because of who she was that [James] is going to get off. I’m so afraid of that,” she says.

“He got out on $1,000 bond and I had to pay $8,000 to bury my son.”

TRANS PANIC DEFENSE?

DA Edwards will not comment on the evidence in the case, but Asberry says she knows her daughter was a sex worker and believes her daughter and James knew each other and

that he knew she was transgender.

Johnson was found after 2 a.m. on Dec. 6 lying outdoors wearing a black bra and panties, according to a police report. When police arrived at the scene, officers said that Johnson, the victim, was lying outside an apartment in her complex, “screaming for help and repeatedly shouting, ‘I’m gonna die!’” The report also states a black firearm was found near Johnson.

A witness at the scene said he saw Johnson running from her apartment building, according to the police report.

When police entered Johnson’s apartment, they reported there was pornography playing on the TV and several open condom wrappers

Asberry said Johnson came out gay at 17 when she was in high school and then came out as transgender when she was 20.

“I asked her, ‘Why you want to dress like that?’ And she said, ‘I know this is hard for you and embarrassing, but I just can’t be that boy anymore,’” Asberry says.

And for four years, Johnson lived full time as a woman, Asberry says, even though it wasn’t easy, especially in South Georgia.

“She was happy. Whatever she set her mind to do, she did it. We loved her and she loved us.

I just want justice for my son. I don’t want it to be like his life didn’t matter,” she adds.

The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs based in New York is tracking the killings of trans women in the U.S., and in 2014, there were 12 known murders. Already in 2015, three trans women of color have been killed.

“2015 has started with three homicides of transgender women of color which is both tragic and overwhelming...which is especially disturbing because we did not have a homicide of a transgender woman until June in 2014,” says Sue Yacka, spokesperson for the NCAVP.

NEWS

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02.06.15

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Lesbian couple fights for family in Georgia gay marriage fight Striking down same-sex marriage ban means legal protections for children

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Beth and Krista Wurz’s paths took them all over the country before they found each other online in Georgia in 2005. They bonded over phone conversations for more than a month before agreeing to meet, and any fears or concerns were quickly allayed.

“By the time we laid eyes on each other, we were already in love from talking on the phone,” says Krista. “We just knew. I guess you get to a certain point and you meet that person and know that’s the one that’s yours forever.”

They made it (somewhat) official in 2010, marrying in a New Hampshire courthouse.

But of course, once they crossed back over the Georgia state line, that marriage license meant little, especially for their seven children. Due to the constitutional ban same-sex marriages enacted here in 2004, Krista and Beth are denied the ability to jointly adopt their children, and Krista and some of the children can’t get health coverage through Beth’s job.

So they decided to do something about it.

Last September, they joined three other couples and a widow in the fight to strike down Georgia’s same-sex marriage ban and help bring marriage equality to the state.

FACING DOWN ‘DON’T ASK DON’T TELL

Beth, 41, was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, and came out when she was 18—a fact that didn’t exactly surprise some.

“I had friends from high school who were wondering when I was going to tell them,” she says.

Her friends supported her, but she had less luck with her family, who didn’t take the news well, with some telling her she was going to hell. She got through this period thanks not only to her friends, but also to the fact that there was a Unitarian Universalist church in town that had several LGBT-friendly events.

Eventually, her family came around.

She didn’t stay in her home state much longer; she yearned for a more gay-friendly area to live. So she moved to New York City for graduate school, then back down south to Georgia for work.

Krista, 40, was born in New Jersey, but moved around often as a child due to her father’s work as an engineer, an existence she

Beth Wurz (back row left) and her wife Krista (back row center) were added as plaintiffs to Georgia’s same-sex marriage lawsuit last September. (Photo via Lambda Legal)

likens to being an Army brat. Every year or so there was another move, a new school, new friends.

“It was really hard to lose the people that you became very close to, but in the end for me I turned into a very extroverted people person and also someone who can engage people pretty well because you have to adapt to everything you walk into,” she says.

That ability to adapt came in handy when she enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, but by the tender age of 23 she found herself adapting to an entirely new situation—having a baby, getting divorced to a man she had married at a young age, and coming out. Her family was supportive, but there was the matter of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to deal with, barring service members from serving openly in the military. The law has since been struck down.

Krista was a Korean linguist who was about to start a job at the National Security

Agency, but she heard horror stories of other gay and lesbian troops being found out and discharged.

“I just could not see that happening to me.

I had a young son,” she says. “So I contacted the Service Members Legal Defense Network to see what I needed to do to protect myself.”

She drafted a letter to her commanders letting them know she was gay. They read her rights and conducted an investigation to determine, among other things, that she wasn’t simply lying to get out of the military.

She lost her security clearance. Three months later, she was discharged from the Air Force.

FINDING LOVE AND FAMILY ONLINE

Krista’s path eventually took her down to Georgia as well and, with a few clicks on a computer, a bunch of phone conversations and a fateful meeting, she and Beth began their lives together.

Both came to the equation with a child

each, but their home beckoned for more children to come.

While living in Columbus, they decided to become foster parents. They had a couple of placements that didn’t lead to adoption.

They later moved to Brunswick in 2010 so Beth could take a job as an English professor at the College of Coastal Georgia.

As they were walking out of that courthouse in New Hampshire with a marriage license in hand, their phone rang. It was DFCS in Columbus asking if they wanted to adopt three girls. When they got home, they picked the girls up. That adoption was finalized in 2011.

A few months later, they had a placement of four-month-old twins, and that adoption was finalized last July. That made seven, now ranging in age from three-anda-half to 18 years old.

“It’s never a dull moment,” Krista says.

“It’s always busy and always chaotic but you realize at a certain point, and I think it’s about four kids in, that it really can’t get that much louder or wilder. You just have to buy more food. It’s just fascinating to see each of their personalities, how they interact with each other and of course try to drive each other crazy. It’s very, very sweet.”

But due to the state’s same-sex marriage ban, only one of the two can be listed as the legal parent of any of their adopted children. Beth says second-parent adoption isn’t available in Brunswick.

“We feel very much split down the middle because we don’t all legally belong to each other as we would if we were a heterosexual married couple,” says Beth. “When you’ve been there for every milestone and runny nose, it’s very demeaning.”

The ban has also led to awkward conversations with the children, who ask when the couple’s wedding is going to be in Georgia.

“I have to tell them we’re not allowed to do that yet and the look on their faces… they’re shocked, and then they’re mad,” Krista says. “We’re just tired of it. We’re just kind of over seeing this happen. We’re like, what is happening here? Why is Georgia so far behind? We just felt like it was something we had to do.”

And if/when marriage equality comes to Georgia, they plan to make it up to the children, who were not able to attend the nuptials in New Hampshire.

“That’s always something that especially our girls are interested in,” Krista says. “When it’s finally legal, we can have a huge wedding because to them that’s really important.”

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NEWS

02.06.15

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UNCOVERING

THE ‘B’ IN LGBT Bisexuals say invisibility leads to many social, health disparities

By DYANA BAGBY dbagby@thegavoice.com When President Barack Obama uttered those three words at this year’s State of the Union address—lesbian, bisexual, and transgender—it was another milestone for LBT activists across the nation fighting for visibility in a minority world still dominated heavily by white gay men. “...That’s why we defend free speech, and advocate for political prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. We do these things not only because they’re right, but because they make us safer,” Obama said in his Jan. 20 speech.

Never before had the words “lesbian,” “bisexual” or “transgender” crossed the lips of a president giving a speech watched by so many across the nation.

“The president mentioning bisexuals in the State of the Union, it was great, a milestone. I know many bisexual activists and organizers were talking about it in the days after it happened,” says Dr. Sharif Williams, better known as Dr. Herukhuti.

Dr. Herukhuti is a 2015 Thought Leader for the Association of Black Sexologists and Clinicians and is well known for his work in bisexual activism. In 2013, he was part of the first-ever White House public policy roundtable on bisexual community issues that was co-organized by BiNet USA. “One of the things we deal with is the ways in which bisexuals are rendered invisible by gays and lesbians, i.e., bisexual invisibility,” Dr. Herukhuti tells GA Voice. “This means we are an absent presence and a present absence in the LGBT community and in organizations and services.”

For the past five years he and organizations such as BiNet USA have worked with the Obama administration to ensure data is collected specifically on bisexual people.

Initiatives and projects focusing on LGBT people typically include bisexual and often transgender people as just “add-ons,” Dr.

Herukhuti says, and so the focus and programming are really then designated only for gay men and lesbian women.

“That means those organizations are being funded to serve us but really aren’t,” he says.

“This experience of being invisibilized and biphobia has contributed to significant disparities and challenges bisexuals endure that are not being adequately addressed by mainstream LGBT organizations and leaders.”

This month, a UK study published in the Journal of Public Health shows bisexual women were: n 64 percent more likely to report eating problems than lesbians n 37 percent more likely to have deliberately harmed themselves n 26 percent more likely to report depressed feelings n 20 percent more likely to suffer from anxiety For bisexual men, the data show similar results, Dr. Herukhuti explains. “We [as bisexuals] are stereotyped as privileged groups of people, all white, wealthy, accessing hetero privilege; these are a number of fallacies,” he says.

In fact, certain studies show that those at least 40 percent of people who identify as bisexuals are people of color, poor or working class, and deal with higher cancer rates, are more likely to smoke, and endure higher incidents of domestic violence, he says.

Also, placing bisexual men into the same category as gay men when researching HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention methods continues the stigma faced by those who are bisexual.

‘BISEXUALITY IS NOT A PHASE’

“Bisexuality is not a phase and does not invite an easier way to live than a gay or lesbian person,” says Veronica Sidwell of Atlanta, a transgender bisexual woman.

“I wish people understood that bisexuality is not a phase. Bisexuals are not people who haven’t come to terms with being gay, nor are they people who are going through a cutesy experimental phase,” she says. “We’re also not

Dr. Herukhuti and Robyn Ochs, inset, are leading bisexual activists working to erase gay stigma, shame and being ‘rendered invisible’ by lesbians and gay men for who they are. (Courtesy photos)

necessarily promiscuous.”

Raised in Macon, Georgia, Sidwell says she acknowledged her bisexuality as a teen while living in a fairly conservative city.

“I understood it much earlier, but I didn’t come to terms with it until then,” she says.

And while she comes from a religious and conservative family, she says they have been supportive of her.

The main issue Sidwell says she faces as an openly bisexual person is the common assumption that she must want to be in a polyamorous relationship.

“Perhaps there is some assumption that if someone is bisexual, they just can’t live without having regular sexual relations with both sexes, and therefore they’d be a perfect candidate for an open relationship. This may be true for some people, but it’s certainly not true in my case,” she says.

“Like every other issue in life, it’s best to just leave your assumptions at the front door,” she adds.

‘GETTING BI’

For Robyn Ochs of Boston, a national bisexual activist and editor of Bi Woman Quarterly, “coming out” as bi when she was young presented its own challenges.

“I came out pre-internet, during the dark ages, in an environment filled with silence and a tremendous amount of shame,” she says.

Ochs is editor of “Getting Bi: Voices of Bisexuals Around the World” and the co-editor, with Dr. Herukhuti, of the new anthology “RECOGNIZE: The Voices of Bisexual Men.” She kept her identity secret for five years, fearful that if she told anyone she would be rejected. Then one day a work colleague opened

up to her to say she was bisexual. Ochs said she nearly exploded, saying, “So am I!” On May 17, 2004, Ochs married her partner, Peg, in Massachusetts, becoming one of the first couples married when same-sex marriage became legal. However, she and her wife were identified as a lesbian couple in the photo caption—rather than a same-sex, or same-gender, couple.

“One of the things that happens for bisexuals is that we are too often overlooked. When someone doesn’t know me and meets me with my wife, they read us as a lesbian couple.

When people see a mixed-gender couple they see heterosexuals. Bisexuals are rarely seen as bisexual,” she says.

How does Ochs define bisexuality?

“I call myself bisexual because I acknowledge that I have in myself the potential to be attracted—romantically and/or sexually—to people of more than one sex and/or gender, not necessarily at the same time, not necessarily in the same way, and not necessarily to the same degree,” she says.

It is important to advocate on behalf of bisexuals and their specific needs, Dr. Herukhuti stresses.

“The data suggests bisexuals are in an ongoing process of identity maintenance, which is different than gays and lesbians. We can be secure in our bisexual identity but the world bases our identity on who we are with at any one time,” he says.

“The society demands either or, choose a side, you are with us or against us ways of being from people. For those of us who don’t fit into that binary there is a lot of hostility, frustration, and anger ... it makes being comfortable in one’s own skin a revolutionary act.”

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ATL police say gay hate crime arrest ‘should have occurred a lot sooner’ Need for police LGBT advisory board reexamined

“The tipster who called Crime Stoppers and accurately identified both men—the driver and the attacker—also told the police that the driver owned the attacker’s cell phone and paid his cell phone bill each month. There is plenty of evidence to show the two men knew each other, including sharing an address. Once again the APD has used seemingly routine challenges in this investigation as an excuse to quit. We deserve better than this.”

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com The Atlanta Police Department says that they should have solved last March’s violent assault on a Midtown gay couple much sooner and they are “not necessarily satisfied” with their handling of hate crimes against the LGBT community in 2014. However, there are no plans to pursue charges against the driver of the car in the Midtown assault who sources say lied to police about whether he knew the suspect.

APD investigators are also looking into reconvening the department’s LGBT advisory board and have revised the number of LGBT hate crimes that occurred in 2014.

The Midtown assault occurred March 7, 2014, when the couple walked to the intersection of 11th and Juniper Streets in front of LGBT favorite restaurant Joe’s On Juniper. The suspect jumped out of a car that he was a passenger in and called the couple, who were holding hands, “faggots,” then punched one of the men in the back of the head and pushed him into oncoming traffic.

A car swerved into another lane and avoided the victim, who escaped major injuries.

On Jan. 15, following a months-long GA Voice investigation into the incident and an ensuing tip via an APD Crime Stoppers report, police arrested suspect Diego Ernesto Ramirez, 23, and charged him with “battery substantial physical harm.” Ramirez is out on bond and awaits a court date to face the charge.

“In actuality, it should have occurred a lot sooner,” Atlanta Police Department Assistant Chief Shawn Jones tells the GA Voice of the arrest. “The investigator was under the impression that they had exhausted all available leads at the time. It was only after having more conversations that we decided Crime Stoppers was another opportunity to identify the individual who committed the crime.”

However, many in the community are asking whether the driver of the car should face charges as well.

VICTIM’S PARTNER CALLS THIS THE DEPARTMENT’S ‘EXCUSE TO QUIT’

Atlanta police say they interviewed the driver of the car last year and that the driver claimed he did not know the suspect, who

—Bryan Long, partner of the victim in last March’s violent assault in Midtown

Bryan Long, partner of the victim in last March’s violent assault in Midtown, says the Atlanta police have created an “excuse to quit.” (File photo)

was riding in the car with him. However, several sources tell the GA Voice that not only did the male driver know the suspect, but they were in an on-again, off-again relationship. But APD’s Jones says there are no plans to re-interview him.

“At this time, we’re not planning on reaching back out to him,” Jones says. “You may have more information. What we’re being told is the two met at a club and they had just met. We can’t prove anything more on that.”

Bryan Long, the victim’s partner and executive director of progressive group Better Georgia, who was there during the attack, calls this the department’s “excuse to quit.”

“The tipster who called Crime Stoppers and accurately identified both men—the driver and the attacker—also told the police that the driver owned the attacker’s cell phone and paid his cell phone bill each month,” he tells the GA Voice. “There is plenty of evidence to show the two men knew each other, including sharing an address. Once again the APD has used seemingly routine challenges in this investigation as an excuse to quit. We deserve better than this.”

Gay Atlanta attorney Christine Koe-

hler, who advised hate crime victim Brandon White after his well-publicized 2012 assault, says that if reliable sources are coming forward to say that the driver knew the suspect, it makes a strong case for “obstruction of justice” or “making a false statement to a police officer” charges against the driver.

“I’m surprised the APD has been so handsoff about the driver, especially if his dishonesty delayed the arrest,” she says. “If the APD is going to tell us they take these matters seriously, I think they have to do a much better job of charging everyone involved.”

NUMBER OF 2014 LGBT HATE CRIMES REVISED; LGBT ADVISORY BOARD MIGHT RECONVENE

The APD originally reported that 12 hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity had been committed in 2014, but Jones now says that figure has been revised to seven incidents.

“What happens is when a crime occurs, if the officer believes it’s bias related, the officer is making that determination based on their limited knowledge of the law. So they check that box,” Jones says.

Following Standard Operating Procedure, the department’s LGBT liaison unit reviews the hate crime classification and, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, checks the details of the crime to evaluate whether it meets the federal guidelines of a hate crime.

Some crimes are found not to meet the guidelines, and this is why the number of 2014 LGBT hate crimes was revised down from 12 to seven.

Jones says he is “not necessarily satisfied” with the fact that only two of those seven LGBT hate crimes have been solved, and that the department is working on better coordination between the LGBT liaison unit and the rest of the force to make sure the unit is notified immediately when such a crime occurs.

Jones says LGBT liaison unit officers Eric King and Courtney Murphy are on call 24 hours a day via their cell phones and that the two have been taking part in daily roll calls to improve communication with other officers.

Jones also said he is talking to Chief George Turner about reconvening the department’s LGBT advisory board in the wake of the handling of the hate crimes and ongoing discussions over the department’s interactions with the transgender community. Mayor Kasim Reed formed the board in 2010 in the fallout of the Atlanta Eagle raid.

“Maybe we meet annually or quarterly or every six months,” Jones says. “The main thing is making sure we have a pulse on what’s happening in the community. I will have that conversation with Chief Turner and something should be coming out.”

Diego Ernesto Ramirez was arrested on Jan. 15 in the March 7, 2014 attack on a gay couple in Midtown. (File photo)

GA VOICE | 12

COMMUNITY

02.06.15

www.theGAVoice.com

Catching Up ... with

Brandon White

2012 hate crime victim moves on, gets ‘back to being Brandon’

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com One Saturday afternoon in February 2012, Brandon White was hungry, so the 20-yearold walked into a corner store in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Atlanta to grab a bite to eat. Little did he know what was waiting for him outside: three members of the Jack City street gang ready to ambush him, and a fourth man holding a cell phone camera.

When he emerged from the store, they attacked. They punched and stomped on him, threw a tire at him, and yelled “No faggots in Jack City!” By the following Monday, the cell phone video of the incident had gone viral, and by Wednesday he was addressing the media in a packed press conference and the circus was underway.

White’s attackers were later caught and convicted, with two of the men convicted in the first case in Georgia to charge a violation of the sexual-orientation section of the federal hate crimes law. They remain in prison, scheduled for release in early 2017.

After his attackers were locked up and the cameras went away, it was time for White to pick up the pieces after that random Saturday afternoon. White, now 23 and a lead sales consultant for Comcast living in Alpharetta, spoke with the GA Voice about the aftermath of that day.

So Brandon, the attack happens, the video goes viral and you find yourself in the middle of a media frenzy within a few days. What was that experience like, now that you’ve had time to reflect on it?

It was kind of crazy. You know, you never think that there’s such a community that’s behind you that’s willing to see everything through and see justice is served. I never even reported the incident to the police. The video was found over the weekend and my cousin called me crying, saying, “Brandon, you’re all over TV.” I was like, are you serious?

So I end up going to my other cousin’s house and they had it on the news. I was devastated.

Then I heard that the police were looking for me to see if was true. That’s how I ended up meeting Greg [Smith, executive director of the HIV Intervention Project]. They were the first people to contact me and wanted to know my story. He was very there for me. He wanted to make sure everything was okay.

There was a brief time after the incident where the group Change Atlanta called into question whether you knew your attackers or not, and they also alleged you threatened to expose your attackers for being on the down low. The group was later proven wrong. What was it like to be called out like that?

It was kind of sad because it’s like, none of them were trying to get to really know me, to know my character. They just wanted to push the issue. I didn’t know if it was because we didn’t agree with everything when it came to interviews. Then they were going behind what they were saying and reaching out to the [assailants]. I was kind of devastated because one minute they’re quote unquote “my supporters” and then they’re against me.

I’m learning to forgive. All that’s behind me. I spoke to Terik Jackson [member of Change Atlanta] and he apologized to me, which was very noble of him.

What was it like looking your attackers in the eye and testifying against them in court?

While they were there, I kind of had a mental block where I didn’t pay them much attention. It was like, I really didn’t want to deal with it. I just wanted to tell what happened and get it over with and move on.

So the incident happens, the media circus, the trial and sentencing. Then it all goes quiet. What was it like when all that went away?

Once everything finally died down, it was kind of sort of getting my life back. You get back

Brandon White stands outside the store where he was attacked three years ago by assailants who shouted anti-gay slurs at him. This was the first time he had been back to the site since the incident. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

to being Brandon. But at the same time, after going through something so strenuous, you’ll never be the same person. Not in a bad way, but in a good way. You want to make sure you make the necessary changes so you’re not put in that predicament again. I’m learning.

Even to this day people will see me in my job and be like, “I know you from somewhere. You’re the guy from the news right?” It’s still kind of in their minds. People don’t forget about you.

Have you been back to the location of the incident?

I don’t go to that area. It’s just for comfort reasons. Since that time I have gotten a permit to carry so I do now carry. I don’t promote violence but for safety reasons I am registered to carry.

Have you received any threats from anyone from the attackers’ gang?

Everyone pretty much left me alone. I don’t know if the guys even really know

who I am still to this day.

Have you seen the video of the incident?

I haven’t. Other than when it’s been played on the news.

After the attack, there was a renewed push for passing a hate crime law in Georgia that didn’t go anywhere. How do you feel that we’re still one of only five states without such a law?

It really shows where peoples’ attention is focused. The LGBT community really isn’t a major priority so it really does make you wonder who are the people we’re really voting for. Are they really on our side or just trying to get a vote out of us?

What would you say to your attackers if you saw them again?

I wouldn’t have much to say. What is there to say? I guess I’d want to know why, if that makes sense.

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What is STRIBILD? STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. It combines 4 medicines into 1 pill to be taken once a day with food. STRIBILD is a complete single-tablet regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses you must keep taking STRIBILD. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids.

Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects: • Build-up of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual (not normal) muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold especially in your arms and legs, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and fatty (steatosis). Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice), dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored bowel movements (stools), loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach pain.

• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and stop taking STRIBILD, your hepatitis may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health. STRIBILD is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you: • Take a medicine that contains: alfuzosin, dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, methylergonovine, cisapride, lovastatin, simvastatin, pimozide, sildenafil when used for lung problems (Revatio®), triazolam, oral midazolam, rifampin or the herb St. John’s wort.

• For a list of brand names for these medicines, please see the Brief Summary on the following pages.

• Take any other medicines to treat HIV-1 infection, or the medicine adefovir (Hepsera®).

What are the other possible side effects of STRIBILD? Serious side effects of STRIBILD may also include: • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do regular blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with STRIBILD. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD. • Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

• Changes in your immune system.

Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking STRIBILD. The most common side effects of STRIBILD include nausea and diarrhea.

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? • All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

• All the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Do not start any new medicines while taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider.

• If you take hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc).

• If you take antacids. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD. • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. • If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed.

HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. Also, some medicines in STRIBILD can pass into breast milk, and it is not known if this can harm the baby.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Brief Summary of full Prescribing Information with important warnings on the following pages.

STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used as a complete single-tablet regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

I started my personal revolution Talk to your healthcare provider about starting treatment.

STRIBILD is a complete HIV-1 treatment in 1 pill, once a day.

Ask if it’s right for you.

Patient Information STRIBILD® (STRY-bild) (elvitegravir 150 mg/cobicistat 150 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg) tablets Brief summary of full Prescribing Information. For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Patient Information.

What is STRIBILD? • STRIBILD is a prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before. STRIBILD is a complete regimen and should not be used with other HIV-1 medicines.

• STRIBILD does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. You must stay on continuous HIV-1 therapy to control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses.

• Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others. Do not share or reuse needles, injection equipment, or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them. Do not have sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom to lower the chance of sexual contact with semen, vaginal secretions, or blood.

What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD? STRIBILD can cause serious side effects, including: 1. Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis can happen in some people who take STRIBILD or similar (nucleoside analogs) medicines. Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Lactic acidosis can be hard to identify early, because the symptoms could seem like symptoms of other health problems. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms which could be signs of lactic acidosis: • feel very weak or tired • have unusual (not normal) muscle pain • have trouble breathing • have stomach pain with nausea or vomiting • feel cold, especially in your arms and legs • feel dizzy or lightheaded • have a fast or irregular heartbeat 2. Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems can happen in people who take STRIBILD. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Call your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms of liver problems: • your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice) • dark “tea-colored” urine • light-colored bowel movements (stools) • loss of appetite for several days or longer • nausea • stomach pain You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking STRIBILD for a long time.

3. Worsening of Hepatitis B infection. If you have hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and take STRIBILD, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking STRIBILD. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

• Do not run out of STRIBILD. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your STRIBILD is all gone

• Do not stop taking STRIBILD without first talking to your healthcare provider • If you stop taking STRIBILD, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your HBV infection. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking STRIBILD Who should not take STRIBILD? Do not take STRIBILD if you also take a medicine that contains: • adefovir (Hepsera®) • alfuzosin hydrochloride (Uroxatral®) • cisapride (Propulsid®, Propulsid Quicksolv®) • ergot-containing medicines, including: dihydroergotamine mesylate (D.H.E. 45®, Migranal®), ergotamine tartrate (Cafergot®, Migergot®, Ergostat®, Medihaler Ergotamine®, Wigraine®, Wigrettes®), and methylergonovine maleate (Ergotrate®, Methergine®) • lovastatin (Advicor®, Altoprev®, Mevacor®) • oral midazolam • pimozide (Orap®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater®, Rimactane®) • sildenafil (Revatio®), when used for treating lung problems • simvastatin (Simcor®, Vytorin®, Zocor®) • triazolam (Halcion®) • the herb St. John’s wort Do not take STRIBILD if you also take any other HIV-1 medicines, including: • Other medicines that contain tenofovir (Atripla®, Complera®, Viread®, Truvada®) • Other medicines that contain emtricitabine, lamivudine, or ritonavir (Atripla®, Combivir®, Complera®, Emtriva®, Epivir® or Epivir-HBV®, Epzicom®, Kaletra®, Norvir®, Trizivir®, Truvada®) STRIBILD is not for use in people who are less than 18 years old.

What are the possible side effects of STRIBILD? STRIBILD may cause the following serious side effects: • See “What is the most important information I should know about STRIBILD?” • New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys before you start and while you are taking STRIBILD. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking STRIBILD if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

• Bone problems can happen in some people who take STRIBILD. Bone problems include bone pain, softening or thinning (which may lead to fractures). Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your bones.

• Changes in body fat can happen in people who take HIV-1 medicine.

These changes may include increased amount of fat in the upper back and neck (“buffalo hump”), breast, and around the middle of your body (trunk). Loss of fat from the legs, arms and face may also happen. The exact cause and long-term health effects of these conditions are not known.

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having any new symptoms after starting your HIV-1 medicine.

The most common side effects of STRIBILD include: • Nausea • Diarrhea Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

• These are not all the possible side effects of STRIBILD. For more information, ask your healthcare provider.

• Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking STRIBILD? Tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including: • If you have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis B infection • If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if STRIBILD can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking STRIBILD. - There is a pregnancy registry for women who take antiviral medicines during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk with your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry.

• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take STRIBILD. - You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

- Two of the medicines in STRIBILD can pass to your baby in your breast milk. It is not known if the other medicines in STRIBILD can pass into your breast milk.

- Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements: • STRIBILD may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how STRIBILD works.

• Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you take any of the following medicines: - Hormone-based birth control (pills, patches, rings, shots, etc) - Antacid medicines that contain aluminum, magnesium hydroxide, or calcium carbonate. Take antacids at least 2 hours before or after you take STRIBILD - Medicines to treat depression, organ transplant rejection, or high blood pressure - amiodarone (Cordarone®, Pacerone®) - atorvastatin (Lipitor®, Caduet®) - bepridil hydrochloride (Vascor®, Bepadin®) - bosentan (Tracleer®) - buspirone - carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®) - clarithromycin (Biaxin®, Prevpac®) - clonazepam (Klonopin®) - clorazepate (Gen-xene®, Tranxene®) - colchicine (Colcrys®) - medicines that contain dexamethasone - diazepam (Valium®)

- digoxin (Lanoxin®) - disopyramide (Norpace®) - estazolam - ethosuximide (Zarontin®) - flecainide (Tambocor®) - flurazepam - fluticasone (Flovent®, Flonase®, Flovent® Diskus®, Flovent® HFA, Veramyst®) - itraconazole (Sporanox®) - ketoconazole (Nizoral®) - lidocaine (Xylocaine®) - mexiletine - oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) - perphenazine - phenobarbital (Luminal®) - phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®) - propafenone (Rythmol®) - quinidine (Neudexta®) - rifabutin (Mycobutin®) - rifapentine (Priftin®) - risperidone (Risperdal®, Risperdal Consta®) - salmeterol (Serevent®) or salmeterol when taken in combination with fluticasone (Advair Diskus®, Advair HFA®) - sildenafil (Viagra®), tadalafil (Cialis®) or vardenafil (Levitra®, Staxyn®), for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). If you get dizzy or faint (low blood pressure), have vision changes or have an erection that last longer than 4 hours, call your healthcare provider or get medical help right away.

- tadalafil (Adcirca®), for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension - telithromycin (Ketek®) - thioridazine - voriconazole (Vfend®) - warfarin (Coumadin®, Jantoven®) - zolpidem (Ambien®, Edlular®, Intermezzo®, Zolpimist®) Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. Do not start any new medicines while you are taking STRIBILD without first talking with your healthcare provider.

Keep STRIBILD and all medicines out of reach of children.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about STRIBILD. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can also ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about STRIBILD that is written for health professionals, or call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.STRIBILD.com.

Issued: October 2013

COMPLERA, EMTRIVA, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, HEPSERA, STRIBILD, the STRIBILD Logo, TRUVADA, and VIREAD are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. ATRIPLA is a trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb & Gilead Sciences, LLC. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2014 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. STBC0111 10/14

GA VOICE | 18

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

02.06.15

www.theGAVoice.com

QUEERS

‘IDENTIFIED’

New variety show celebrates who we are

Amber Bradshaw and Corian Ellisor are joining forces to bring ‘Identified: A Queer Variety Show’ to 7 Stages later this month.

(Photos by Liliana Bakhtiari)

By JIM FARMER

third Thursday of every month, and has a new show at Burkhart’s every other Sunday.

She is a lesbian. He is a gay man. They are joining forces for an unprecedented event, a queer variety show. Amber Bradshaw and Corian Ellisor’s “Identified” debuts later this month at 7 Stages.

Bradshaw had never met Ellisor until a few years ago. A long-time theater artist born in Atlanta who moved away to go to school and then to France, Bradshaw relocated back to the area in 2003. When she did, she jumped right back into theater.

“I did an internship with Actor’s Express and then a few years with Synchronicity Performance Group,” she says. After a threeyear break to focus on a family business, Bradshaw got heavily involved again in 2010.

“I’ve done more in the last year and a half than I’ve done in 10 years,” she says.

Besides working in puppetry and dance, she is very much into multimedia work.

She has also directed a number of staged readings and worked with playwrights to develop their work. Two pieces she helped co-create, “Time to Eat the Dogs” and “Learning to Fly,” were part of Atlanta’s Center for Puppetry Arts’ annual Xperimental Puppetry Theater production.

Bradshaw had always admired the work of choreographer Ellisor, staged around town. After seeing one of his productions, “It Takes a Village,” a few years ago, she made

DETAILS ‘Identified: A Queer Variety Show’

Feb. 26–28 7 Stages Backstage Theatre 1105 Euclid Avenue N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307 http://tinyurl.com/q6pofyl

it a priority to reach out to him. The two hit it off and vowed to work together.

“He has been doing a lot of choreography in town for quite a while,” she says.

“He started doing his own work. The show I saw was a dance piece but it had a lot of theater in it. He seemed to grasp the telling of his story better than other choreographers I had run across. After the show I approached him and told him I thought he was brilliant. Later I asked if he wanted to have coffee.”

Originally from Houston, Ellisor, who has a musical theater background, moved here six years ago to be part of the Core Performance Company dance troupe in Decatur. He left a few years ago to pursue other things.

“I found myself wanting to do more,” he says, including incorporating music and performance art into his work. He is also a drag performer; Ellisor’s drag persona is Ellisorus Rex, which is also the name of his company. He coordinates drag shows for Mary’s Atlanta on the first Saturday and

‘IDENTIFIED’ A MIXED-MEDIA PIECE

It took about eight months after that initial contact before Bradshaw and Ellisor sat and talked shop. But it was worth the wait.

“I knew he was very focused and that he liked thinking outside the box,” says Bradshaw. “I knew there would be lots to learn from him. What he does is his art; he brings incredible ideas to what he does.”

Both artists share certain sentiments.

“We both felt a little at odds in our art world,” says Bradshaw. “Sometimes it was hard to connect to people who did the same thing.

It’s hard to work with theater people and I think he feels the same way with dance people. Most of that is usually about yourself.

We spent a lot of time talking about what we wanted to do and why.

“One of our issues is people judging us by the way we look instead of for who we are—the way people perceive us versus the way we are. That is very universal. I am blonde with blue eyes and people may think, she is innocent, she is angelic.

When people meet me they are surprised.

That is not who I am. I am strong and I am edgy. I don’t mess around. Corian is a black man. The perception is that he will be scary, when he wouldn’t hurt a fly. When he started talking about those

things, we said, ‘Let’s be who we are.’”

Hence, “Identified” was hatched.

Ellisor, named by Creative Loafing as one of the “20 People to Watch in 2013,” liked the idea of doing a piece that felt personal to both of them. “We talked about our principles,” Ellisor says. “We decided to just go for it. This piece is very specific to the people we are. It’s coming from a genuine place.”

“Identified” is a mixed-media piece that will combine dance, burlesque, theater and drag, “all interspersed together,” says Ellisor. For the most part, it’s just him and Bradshaw performing.

He thinks staging a queer variety show here is vital. “Queer culture is becoming the new gay culture,” he says. “Gay or lesbian is a little too limiting for what our LGBTQ culture is. There is so much more and you get that more specifically when you say ‘queer.’ This deals very much with sexuality and gender.”

The show’s message, he feels, is something anyone can relate to. “It’s about finding identity, the love in yourself,” he says.

“At the end, even if there has been a lot of hurt and pain, it makes you who you are. At the end we may all have hurts and pain and joy, and that is the same.”

The ultimate goal, “once we get the kinks worked out,” is to take this to other theaters, Ellisor says. He expects a strong LGBT crowd to come to the local event, but would love to see a crossover mainstream audience as well.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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MAN FOR RENT

02.06.15

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Gay male escorts juggle taboo profession with personal lives

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Jack Gunther, 21, was getting off of his bike in a Whole Foods parking lot one day when an older man in a Cadillac pulled up and asked if he had a minute. Gunther walked over and the man told him he’d like to take him on a date, then maybe take him home afterward.

“I was like, ‘No thanks,’ and I started to turn away when he said, ‘I’ll pay you for your time,’” Gunther says. “And I stopped in my tracks and said, ‘What does that mean?’”

It meant what Gunther thought it meant.

The two later went out, had sex, and the man paid him for his services. Soon after that, Jack Gunther (who uses that as his stage name) started go-go dancing, then stripping, then escorting. Now five years later, at age 26, he’s escorting full-time. He’s just one of hundreds of gay male escorts across the city of Atlanta who advertise their services on websites like Rentboy, Men4RentNow and Rentmen.

The profiles resemble ones you’ll find on dating and hookup apps like Jack’d and Grindr, with risqué pictures and stats, with one notable addition: price. Hourly, overnight and weekend rates are typically listed. Some even include links to the escorts’ Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr accounts where potential clients can find out more about them.

MOST CLIENTS ARE MEN MARRIED TO WOMEN

Jayden McLane (who uses that as his professional name), a 22-year-old from Conyers, started escorting two years ago after being told about it by a friend’s boyfriend who had been escorting for nearly 20 years.

He says he’s always had an open mind about sex, and that the experience was “weird” at first, then grew easier.

“Now it’s just a breeze,” he says. “It’s really easy money.”

However, McLane and Gunther say escorting isn’t always about sex. Sometimes their clients just want companionship for a night on the town.

Male escort Jayden McLane doesn’t worry too much about his safety, but has left situations where the client made him feel uncomfortable. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

“There’s married men that just want to talk to someone about feelings they’re having,” says McLane, whose clients are mostly in their mid-40s or older. “It’s just a whole other world.”

Gunther also says most of his clients are married to women and are in town on business, but that he sometimes gets gay clients who are closer to his age.

ESCORTING AFFECTS LOVE LIVES

Neither McLane nor Gunther worries too much about his safety, saying they go with their gut when getting to know a client.

“I go by how I feel when I speak to a person,” McLane says. “It goes off my vibes. I’ve left a few situations because it hasn’t been the most comfortable environment. So far I’ve been a pretty good judge of character.”

Gunther concurs, saying, “Especially when I was beginning this work, I just talked myself down from all that [concern about safety] and instead used my intuition and trusted people. I find that my clients are great guys who just basically want to have a good time.”

Neither is currently in a relationship, and Gunther says the job has taken a toll on his love life. He says he’s always been sex positive and considers himself a “sex worker activist,” but that he’s been burnt too many times to continue to be an open book about it.

“I used to go into dating with an open dialogue around escorting. That filtered out men who thought they could handle it, then a few months down the road it got to be too much for them to handle,” he says. “As I’ve gotten older,

my life is as private as ever and we all have a few secrets we can keep for a little while.”

He doesn’t plan to tell any future dates about his escorting unless the relationship gets serious.

HOW LONG CAN THEY KEEP ESCORTING?

Neither will go into details about how much they make or how often clients hire them, but both say they live comfortably. McLane’s hourly rate is $150 and Gunther’s is $250.

“I don’t have many worries, I can put it that way,” McLane says, laughing.

But realistically, how long can they keep doing it?

McLane says there is too much gameplaying in the dating scene, so he sees himself doing it only for a few more years.

“I’m not fully established yet,” he says. “I can make myself a little bit more happy.”

Gunther says as long as he stays fit, he can see himself escorting into his 40s.

“I’ve got no rush,” he says, but adds, “At the same time, it’s hard and I’m beginning to think impossible for me to find a boyfriend or a lover. I’d like to get out of it soon but I don’t really have a game plan there.”

And while the growing exposure of sites like Rentboy and others helps escorts pick up more clients, there are downsides.

“The public eye is turned toward it more,” Gunther says. “It’s great on one hand but on the other hand sometimes I feel like I walk into a bar and people know who I am and they’re like, ‘Oh there’s that hooker,’” he says with a laugh.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

02.06.15

THEATER BY JIM FARMER

clarity looking at identity. She has been inspired by lots of different artists. It’s not just a straightforward, linear show. It’s fun to see how it continues to go. Sarah has been present in the process, working with us. She is coming down for preview night and the opening weekend.

A tale of survival ‘fml’ explores lesbian teen’s high school struggles Inspired by Georgia native Carson McCullers’ iconic novel, “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter,” the new play “fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life” presented by 7 Stages draws parallels with that famous work. In it, a lesbian teenager learns how to survive her high school years and appreciate who she really is. It’s directed by Heidi S. Howard, the theater’s artistic director, and written by out playwright Sarah Gubbins.

We caught up with Howard recently to ask about “fml.”

How did this show wind up at 7 Stages?

Sarah was commissioned by Steppenwolf (Theatre Company in Chicago) to create this show in 2012. She knew she was wanting to write about a young lesbian struggling with her identity, learning how to fit in, using art to express herself. I came across the script and fell in love with it. I was identifying with the lesbian journey of coming out, my

DETAILS “fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life” Through Feb. 22 7 Stages 1105 Euclid Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30307 www.7stages.org

history and what it felt like. There are lots of really great gay boy things out there and I was looking for something that lent itself to a woman’s journey as well as dealing with young people. My Youth Creates ensemble program focuses on coming-out stories, not always LGBTQ stories but coming into one’s identity and embracing that truth to finding their voices. These young people go through this identity crisis and deal with judgement and others being mean to people.

Tell us about the young girl’s journey.

A girl, Jo, in a Catholic high school avoids being noticed. She suffers from hate crimes, and is the victim of bullying.

A new teacher embraces her and offers her support through the process of creating a

www.theGAVoice.com

Jo, played by Renita James, is a victim of a gay bashing in the play ‘fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life,’ now playing at 7 Stages. (Courtesy photo)

graphic novel to express her story through art. The young girl knows she is a lesbian but doesn’t talk about it. Her best friend is a gay boy. They both know. In school, she doesn’t feel accepted. She feels alone. The two of them are starting to figure out they are closer friends.

What’s it like working with Sarah?

I just really like her courage and her

Tell us about some of the events surrounding the production.

We’ve been working on this since September. We presented some scenes from the show at the Decatur Book Festival. We also received the NEA Big Read Grant which allowed us to hire a teaching artist to go into schools and read “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” and have students create artistic responses to it using visual art, poetry, singing, dance, performance from these young people. We will be reading some of those on the 14th. It’s been wonderful to work with the young people and allow them to say “Hey, I’m different.”

We were at Pride with free books. We’ve been doing a book club at the Decatur library. On Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2 p.m. we are doing “The Art of Activism.” It’s a continuation of the queer panel we did last May with Sean Dorsey looking at bullying. We’ll have a panel discussion and some breakout panels. It’s a full day. And in conjunction with (French-language theater) Théâtre du Rêve, we are presenting the play “Jane, the Fox and Me,” which deals with bullying for little ones.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

02.06.15

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Eating my words BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

All aboard the new Gravy train New restaurant opens in gay bar Cockpit’s former space Remember the Cockpit? No, you probably don’t. The gay bar, which closed in November after three years, was in Grant Park, not a mile from my home, but light years from the Midtown scene. The sleazy name was a jokey pun, although the targeted customers really were the kind of bros who hang out on Scruff. Of course, it’s hard for a bar to live up to the prolific hotness of online cruising, even though it’s 98 percent fantasy. As we all know, reality never lives up to fantasy.

But I digress. A new restaurant has opened in the Cockpit space. Gravy (465 Boulevard, 404-343-2450, www.facebook.com/ gravyatlanta) is a sleaze-less Southern-style

restaurant and pub. The dining room centerpiece remains Cockpit’s large bar, with tables placed along the rather narrow space on one side and an open space in the rear.

There are pub tables by the front window.

When the weather warms up, a patio will considerably enlarge the space.

The restaurant had a fitful start, opening on Dec. 20 and then closing soon after because of “kitchen problems.” Then it reopened a week or so later. I visited about a week after that with two friends and we had a good meal. Mysteriously, we also smelled a blast of very strong cologne every now and then throughout our meal. We could not target the source. Perhaps the place is haunted by a twink who was banished from Cockpit.

The menu is short, at least for now. Starters, mostly meant for two, often blend sweet and savory flavors typical of Southern cooking. For example, we ordered one of Medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and pecans

Gravy offers up bacon wrapped dates with goat cheese, almonds, and a Dijon bourbon glaze. (Photo via Facebook)

drizzled with a bourbon sauce. Despite a dash of Dijon mustard in the sauce, it was sweet enough to serve as a dessert.

Barbecued turkey ribs—totally new to me— were glazed in a slightly piquant barbecue sauce and served over strongly peppery arugula. Fried oysters, perfectly crispy and topped with a bit of Vidalia onion relish, were served with fat white beans in a vinegary sauce.

Entrees are super-filling and, like the starters, dabble in the sweet and savory. My huge piece of pork tenderloin, pink and juicy, was served over sweet-potato puree and

topped with compote of dried fruit, including apricots, cranberries and apples. I grew tired of fruity pork dishes many years ago, but the tang of dried fruit tempers cloying sweetness.

Shrimp and grits with Tasso gravy and spicy sausage exemplify the Low-Country classic. Our final entrée: pan-roasted red snapper. I loved it, but not so much the blood-orange glaze. Blood orange has become as ubiquitous as, um, blood.

We were way too full to deal with desserts. The restaurant offers an assortment of cakes provided by an outside bakery.

The scene? Mainly gay when we visited, but it’s bound to attract plenty of my metrosexual neighbors. Problems? The usual just-opened ones. The service was bumpy, but the servers were hot. I admit I was very surprised when I learned a restaurant was opening in the Cockpit space, because the kitchen is so tiny. It’s fairly amazing that it turns out dishes as smoothly as it does, but our starters did arrive sequentially and the entrees were not uniformly hot.

Don’t let that discourage you. I’m already planning a return visit. I do suggest making reservations. It’s a smallish space and will fill rapidly once word gets around.

Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a long-time Atlanta food critic and former psychotherapist who now specializes in collaborative life coaching (404-518-4415).

GA VOICE | 22

COLUMNISTS

02.06.15

www.theGAVoice.com

OUTINTHEWILD Know thy neighbor?

Not interested, thanks Once every couple of weeks or so we get together with our friends, another gay couple that lives out here on Lake Jackson.

Generally, we drink as much wine as is humanly possible until the first person passes out, signalling that it is time to go home and write the following day off.

During our most recent instance of this particular pastime, one half of the other couple mentioned to me that he would be surprised if his neighbors knew they were gay.

This resonated with me strongly and I was immediately glad he said it, as I have gone out of my way to avoid any sort of contact with

the people who live in our immediate vicinity.

To be fair, our immediate vicinity, in this deserted part of the nation, is sparsely populated, and none of our neighbors live close enough to permit bumping into us anyway.

For those of us in somewhat vulnerable communities outside the protection of a mayor who justifiably fires bigoted fire chiefs, we have a bias toward avoiding trouble, as opposed to seeking it.

Here in “real” America, although we have yet to experience any sort of anti-gay prejudice, we are careful about how we conduct ourselves.

Preventing trouble is key, as we’re not awfully

Simon Williamson lives with his federally-recognized spouse in the wild yonder of Newton County. You can follow him on Twitter: @simonwillo.

confident of being able to deal with any nonsense post-incident. And sadly, avoiding the hell out of the neighbors forms a part of that.

We live in a very private home—surrounded by trees—and we tend not to do “gay” things in the garden, such as play volleyball in our usual uniform (Andrew Christians) or fuck men. We did not take cookies around when new neighbors moved in across the street, and we have not made the slightest effort to get to know anyone who lives around us.

It may sound absurd, but we live in a part

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of the state where churches outnumber people, the gay community is invisible, and where if someone did try to screw with us, the police (assuming they gave a shit) are likely more than 15 minutes away. The only real shortterm protection we have is in our own house (an alarm system, baseball bats strategically left around the place, and the ability to insult people scathingly), and we’re considering learning how to use a gun properly.

Although little has happened to cause such paranoia, we do live in the congressional district that sent Jody Hice to Congress and the county that sent an evangelical to the commission.

Ipso facto, we’re in the territory of people who, according to a Better Georgia 2013 poll, form part of the 17 percent of Georgians who think their employer should be able to discriminate based on sexual orientation and the 39 percent who believe gay relationships should receive no legal recognition whatsoever. In fact, Hice signs dotted the landscape in the most recent election (so did one that said “NUNN=OBAMACARE,” for which I was very appreciative).

Maybe it sounds like we live in a place in which it is more difficult to be gay than necessary, and there’s some truth in that. But, like a vaccine, we can easily prevent trouble, and perfectly enjoy living out in the bushes at the same time. We just avoid contact with the neighbors, which, to be fair, is what I longed for when we lived in the city anyway.

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02.06.15

Event spotlight

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02.06.15-02.19.15

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bout Tell us aBT event your LGays to submit your

ow There are tw inclusion in our online r fo t n event ve e T LGB ubmit your S . rs a d n le ail and print ca eGAVoice.com or e-m h .t w . w info to w AVoice.com ditor@theG details to e

THURSDAY, FEB. 5 – SATURDAY, FEB. 7

SCAD’s aTVfest runs through Saturday honoring the best in TV, with special guests including Terrence Howard from “Empire,” Mindy Kaling from “The Mindy Project” and many cast members of the gay-themed “How to Get Away With Murder,” www.atvfest.com

FRIDAY, FEB. 6 It’s Pump Friday with DJ Stan Jackson, with no cover tonight, 10 p.m., Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com (Photo via Facebook)

FRIDAY, FEB. 6

Marietta PFLAG will hold a lunch event at Schlotsky’s in Woodstock followed by bowling at AMF Woodstock Lanes. Email rogerbell2@gmail.com for more information, http://tinyurl.com/kslb4cm The Trans Health Initiative of the Feminist Women’s Health Center will facilitate a Trans 101 workshop, 5 p.m., in the Women’s Center located in Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Academic Center, http://tinyurl.com/poxpk4k From gay filmmakers (and couple) Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glazer comes “Still Alice,” an Alzheimer’s drama generating Oscar buzz for Julianne Moore, opening today at the Midtown Art Cinema, www.landmarktheatres.com Jerry Seinfield cracks jokes at the Fox Theatre, 7:30 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org

FRIDAY, FEB. 7 DJ/Producer Alex Acosta whips up the crowd at Jungle, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com (Photo via Facebook)

The Atlanta Ballet opens its “Romeo et Juliette” at the Cobb Energy Centre, 8 p.m., “www.cobbenergycentre.com Traxx Ladies Lounge 2.0 Fridays is tonight at My Sister’s Room. Doors open at 9 p.m. with a dance party and shows until 3 a.m., www.mysistersroom.com Get down with all the boys in town at the Boys Room Video Dance Party, 10 p.m., Mary’s Atlanta, www.marysatlanta.com The Deadly Vixens Drag Show kicks off at 11 p.m. with DJ Bill Berdeaux, Blake’s on the Park, www. blakesonthepark.com

SATURDAY, FEB. 7 FRIDAY, FEB. 7 Gurlfrandz presents “Heartbroken” at Mary’s starring Ella/saurus/REX, Brigitte Bidet, Lavonia Elberton, Cayenne Rouge, Hydrangea Heath, and special guest Jaye Lish, 10:30 p.m., marysatlanta.com (Photo via Facebook)

Strike! Come help HRC Atlanta raise even more money at the Bow Tie Bowl, Midtown Bowl, from 3 – 5 p.m. To register, visit www.hrc.org/bowtiebowl Potluck Panels Piano & Prideswag is a community-building evening of food, fellowship, Pride School update, and a silent auction and raffle, 5-8 p.m., St. Mark United Methodist Church, www.facebook.com/prideschoolgeorgia

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre brings its high-kicking style, tonight through Feb. 15, Fox Theatre, 8 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org (Photo by Andrew Eccles)

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!

Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events.

Enjoy some great food and company at the Lesbian 50+ Potluck and Social. Attendees are asked to prepare and bring a dish. 6 – 8 p.m., Phillip Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.com

Sarah Gubbins, featuring a lesbian teenage as the lead character, running through Feb. 22 with an 8 o’clock performance tonight, 7 Stages, www.7stages.org

South Georgia Pride in Valdosta co-sponsors a Rainbow Mixer to celebrate “Standing on the Side of Love,” Unitarian Universal Church, 951 E Park Ave., Valdosta, GA, 31602, from 7-11 p.m., http://tinyurl.com/kbzzyuk

Hotlanta Softball Talons bar night at the Atlanta Eagle, 10 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

Out director Heidi Howard directs “fml: how Carson McCullers saved my life” by playwright

SUNDAY, FEB. 8

The Sisters of Sequin – led by Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce – host Gospel Brunch, with a meal (and a Bloody Mary or mimosa) at 1 p.m. and a drag show at 1:30 p.m., Lips Atlanta,

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LGBT fave Francine Reed brings some gospel sounds to Eddie’s Attic, 7 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

MONDAY, FEB. 9

TUESDAY, FEB. 17

The Atlanta Zine Library, Atlanta Zine Fest, and Charis are partnering to form a zinester writer’s group geared at 11-19-year-olds. This is a Charis Circle Whole Children, Strong Families Program. The suggested donation is $5 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. New members always welcome. Supplies provided. $5 suggested donation, 5 – 6:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

Making Space: A Community Writing Group for Activists, Healers, and Every Day Heroes is a writing group for those who work, move or spend time serving others through human service and community professions. This is Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program. The suggested donation is $10, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

Trans Tuesdays at My Sister’s Room features $5 Smirnoff drinks, $3 drink specials and $2 tacos. All proceeds go to the FTM Foundation. Doors open at 6 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com

The venerable Stars of the Century take the stage for one of Atlanta’s longest running and most respected drag shows. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. and the show begins at 11:30 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com

The world premiere musical “Tuck Everlasting,” directed by out Tony winner Casey Nicholaw and running through Feb. 22, has a performance today at 7:30 p.m., www.alliancetheatre.com

THURSDAY, FEB. 12-SUNDAY, FEB. 15

Join candidates from across the Southeast as they compete to represent the regional title of Mr and Ms SECC Leather and SECC Bootblack, Parliament House Orlando, email PresidentSECC@gmail.com for more information, www.parliamenthouse.com

THURSDAY, FEB. 12

SAGE Atlanta hosts a social and games hour at 10 a.m., followed by a general meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.com It’s Jazz and Blues night at Mixx Atlanta, www.mixxatlanta.com Atlanta Pride and Touching Up Our Roots presents “Our Founding Valentines: Celebrating Our Pioneers” from 7 – 9 p.m. at No Mas! Cantina and Hacienda, www.facebook.com/TouchingUpOurRoots Thursdays are busy at Friends on Ponce with Ladies Night; Texas Hold ‘Em begins at 8 p.m. and host Regina takes over at 10 p.m., www.friendsonponce-atl.com Charis welcomes Ravi Howard with his newest

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The gay-themed “The Farewell Party” screens tonight at 8 p.m. at the UA Tara as part of the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, running through Feb. 19, www.ajff.org

The new Monday Mingle is an opportunity to network with other LGBT professionals in the area, with drink specials, a buffet, raffle prizes and mixing and mingling, 5:30 – 8 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 11

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Trans and Friends: a Project of the Feminist Outlawz is a youth focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender, and aspiring allies. This is a project of the Feminist Outlawz. This event is co-sponsored by Charis Circle’s Strong Families, Whole Children Program. There is no suggested donation for youth participants of this program but adults and allies may make a donation.

7 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

G’s Midtown is the home for Sunday Karaoke from 6:30 – 11:30 p.m., www.facebook.com/GsMidtown

Get your act ready—it’s Open Mic night at Blake’s, 9:30 p.m., www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

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MONDAY, FEB. 16

www.lipsatl.com Cantoni hosts Love on the Rocks, a fundraiser for Joining Hearts, from 6 – 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.joininghearts.com

TUESDAY, FEB. 10

02.06.15

MONDAY, FEB. 16

Harry Connick, Jr. croons some of his hits and those of others at the Cobb Energy Centre, 7:30 p.m., www.cobbenergycentre.com (Publicity photo) book, “Driving the King,” a novel that explores race and class in 1950s America, witnessed through the experiences of Nat King Cole and his driver, Nat Weary. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Event and the suggested donation is $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

It’s Friday the 13th — Unlucky in Love night — with DJ Mike Pope at the Heretic and no cover, 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com

Goth Night: St. Valentine’s Massacre Edition takes over Mary’s, 8:30 p.m., marysatlanta.com

Edie Cheezburger presents the most unique drag show in Atlanta, and the Other Girls will leave you gasping with laughter and surprise. Admission is just $5, Jungle, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com

Phoenix of “Rupaul’s Drag Race” hosts Dancefloor Divas at Burkharts at 11:30 p.m., www.burkharts.com

FRIDAY, FEB. 13 AND SATURDAY, FEB. 14

Conductor Michael Krajewski and singer/ songwriter Tony DeSare have created a special night of music made just for the romantics of the world. Bring your special someone to the hear arrangements of the most romantic songs to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend, 8 p.m. both nights, Atlanta Symphony, www.atlantasymphony.org

FRIDAY, FEB. 13

The Alliance Theatre unveils the dance/AIDS drama “The C.A. Lyons Project,” 8 p.m., www.alliancetheatre.com

Friday night is Papi’s South Beach night, featuring monster margaritas, mojitos and twisters, 10 p.m., www.lasmargaritasmidtown.com

SATURDAY, FEB. 14

Heretic holds a Valentine’s Shindig from 8 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., with no cover and a late night dance at 12:30 a.m., www.hereticatlanta.com Synergy with Monica van Pelt is every Saturday at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SUNDAY, FEB. 15

Martin Frey returns to Xion to whip up an early morning crowd, 3 a.m., Xion Atlanta, www.cariocaproductions.com High Energy Sunday begins at 3 p.m. with DJ Bill Berdeux followed by Cellblock Sunday at 8 p.m. with LaTeasha, Blake’s on the Park, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

Join Charis in welcoming Ai-Jen Poo, director of the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance, as she presents her book “The Age of Dignity.” Poo has been organizing immigrant women workers since 1996. In 2000 she co-founded Domestic Workers United, the New York organization that spearheaded the successful passage of the state’s historic Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2010. This is a Charis Circle Urban Sustainability and Wellness Event and the suggested donation is $5 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. 7 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 18

Join the Atlanta Gay Chamber of Commerce tonight for a workshop on “Tools to Help You Market Your Business,” presented by Cox Communication. More program details and a location TBD, www.atlantagaychamber.org The witches of Oz sing “Defying Gravity” and more in the musical “Wicked,“ opening tonight and running through March 8, 7:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, www.foxtheatre.org

THURSDAY, FEB. 19

Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals (MAAP, formerly AEN) hosts its Third Thursday networking event tonight. Details TBD, www.maapatl.org Join the HRC Atlanta Gala Dinner & Auction Committee for the second Pre-Dinner Reception for the 2015 Gala. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres and drink specials from 7 – 9 p.m. Never been to the Gala Dinner & Auction? This is the perfect time to get the inside scoop on this year’s dinner and purchase your tickets. One Midtown Kitchen, www.onemidtownkitchen.com

GA VOICE | 26

02.06.15

COLUMNISTS

www.theGAVoice.com

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID Cards & candy Bittersweet V-Day memories I’m not a big fan of Valentine’s Day. I know that sounds very holier-than-thou, and I do appreciate Cupid and the possibility of everlasting love. But regardless of how old I get, I’m afraid the negative images the Ghost of Valentine’s Day Past has to show me are branded on my symmetrical paper heart.

Let’s begin with the torturous tradition of exchanging valentines in the classroom. My fellow Brown Elementary School students and I would spend the first few weeks of February with our safety scissors, construction paper, and glue, crafting a pocket-like device that we taped to the fronts of our desks.

Then, near or on the 14th, we would break open those packaged assortments of small cards and bring them to school to place in our colorful creations.

Back then it was not required to provide a valentine for every student in class, so you quickly figured out who was the most popular kid in school. And it was not me. I did get a Minnie Mouse or Hello Kitty card from my friends, but no boys gave this shy girl a valentine. I found myself envious of the pretty girls whose paper pockets overflowed, since at the time that kind of thing mattered to me.

My fifth grade February started off on a good note. I had a friend named Doug who I went to church with, but we never “went together.” That year I realized he wanted to take our relationship to the holding-hands level when he rode his bike to my house to give me a heart-shaped box of chocolates. I was so flattered; that had never happened to me before.

I was also too young to understand why I was more excited by the chocolates than Doug. These bon bons came with no description of their flavors, so I made the decision to try every single one in a single sitting. I might be able to get away with that today, but my nine-year-old stomach couldn’t take it. The next thing I remembered was Mom cleaning up my vomit while I watched “Carol Burnett” through the washcloth on my head.

Doug and I never did hold hands.

Melissa Carter is one of the Morning Show hosts on B98.5. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post. She is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and one of the few in the country.

Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter

In junior high school the practice of bringing cards and candy to classmates was replaced with the grand gesture of ordering flowers for your loved ones. Those flowers were not delivered to individual classrooms; instead, the main office made a schoolwide announcement to the girls who needed to come pick up their delivered bouquets.

The alphabetical list blared through the speakers, and the Cs quickly came and went without a Carter being mentioned. If I was desperate enough I could have asked my parents to send me flowers just so my name would be called, but that would have upgraded my relationship status from lonely to pathetic.

Of course, by that time I’d finally realized I didn’t want the boys’ attention, and understood why I had never really done anything to get it. From then on my Valentine’s Day experiences were far more enjoyable, and I had many opportunities to receive cards, candy, and flowers from women. But there’s something about those initial years of rejection that stick with you, and knowing what it’s like to be overlooked.

I may start the tradition of sending myself a valentine every year, but address it to my five-year-old self who first experienced the judgment that she’s not as special as the person beside her. Referencing puzzles she once put together, I’ll tell her that every piece is indeed special and extremely important. She should view those little classmates as the edge pieces that get put together first, and realize that she is simply the final one to get her chance to shine. Once that happens, the whole picture will come into focus.

COLUMNISTS

www.theGAVoice.com

02.06.15

GA VOICE

|

SOMETIMES'Y' Halfway holidays The route from Super Bowl XLIX to Black Gay Pride I’ve spent several Christmases by myself, and those were jolly occasions compared to the gloom that hit me mid-Sunday when I realized I didn’t have plans for the Super Bowl. I wound up watching the game alone at home, which felt like I was counting down the new year with Ryan Seacrest and Kathy Griffin: comfortable, but uncomfortably subdued.

It’s time we go ahead and recognize Super Bowl Sunday as a national holiday.

It’s as American as the Fourth of July, and like Christmas, “the reason for the season” is often an afterthought during the Super Bowl, with as many people interested in the commercials and halftime show as the game itself. The day has developed the social expectations that we seem to enjoy with our holidays: a time to be with friends, or to develop curiously intense bonds with strangers who are cheering for the same team that none of you care about that much.

For the past dozen years, Super Bowl Sunday has fallen in February, which has a low threshold for ratifying a holiday. It baffles me how the Information Age has yet to destroy Groundhog Day, like I’m going to trust Punxsutawney Phil over Siri or Yahoo!

Answers.

My confusion over Groundhog Day has always been multilayered. I never know which way I’m supposed to be cheering in regard to it seeing its shadow, and I’ve never known how I’m supposed to feel about six weeks of whatever. My co-worker tells me that six more weeks of winter is bad, although I’m sure my family in Chicago would rejoice at the thought of cold weather being gone by mid-March.

But this is a holiday. This rodent-based, geographically inconsistent, meteorological absurdity comes marked on every calendar, and certain towns celebrate with parades or ceremonies, groundhog-themed barbecues and beauty pageants.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

I doubt there’s much overlap in the communities that go all-out for Groundhog Day and those that light up during Mardi Gras, another one of February’s halfway holidays. They’re different interpretations of peek-a-boo.

Of course, the most synthetic holiday of February is Valentine’s Day. February 14 barely trails December 25 when it comes to inducing societal angst—pressure to get the right gift, and to not be alone.

I’m grateful to consider Valentine’s Day as good as any day to be single. I don’t harbor the antipathy that the day triggers in some unpartnered people, and I don’t feel that the cultural celebration of love repudiates my traveling solo.

This is a holiday, because enough people celebrate it to make it significant.

And enough people celebrate the anniversary of Stonewall that LGBT Pride is emerging as the nation’s most energetic halfway holiday in June. It’s unfortunate that Pride celebrations are pressured to be more than a good time. I suspect those who complain about Pride being about nothing but parties and sex are the same people who give apples to trick-or-treaters.

Atlanta doesn’t have Pride in June, but the city has turned an otherwise sleepy Labor Day into one of the prime holidays for black gay men across the country. And just as an army of bitter single people arise each year to oppose V-Day, there’s an annual parade of haters who are convinced that the entire concept of Black Gay Pride is racist and divisive.

If they stretched their field of vision, they might see that people find endless reasons for fellowship, and to revel, and to break up the days and weeks that drift past in huge chunks. You don’t have to be a football fan to go to a Super Bowl party, or Mexican to do tequila shots on Cinco de Mayo—and just because I’m not Catholic doesn’t mean I can’t earn beads on Fat Tuesday.

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