04/15/16, Vol. 7 Issue 4

New Odefsey速 is now available

Actual Size (15.4 mm x 7.3 mm)

One small pill contains rilpivirine, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF).

Ask your healthcare provider if ODEFSEY is right for you.

To learn more visit ODEFSEY.com

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

4/7/16 3:27 PM

Brief Summary of Patient Information about ODEFSEY ODEFSEY (oh-DEF-see) (emtricitabine, rilpivirine and tenofovir alafenamide) tablets Important: Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with ODEFSEY. There may be new information about ODEFSEY. This information is only a summary and does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is the most Important Information I should know about ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY can cause serious side effects, including: • Build-up of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis may happen in some people who take ODEFSEY or similar 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 • Severe liver problems. Severe liver problems may happen in people who take ODEFSEY. In some cases, these liver problems can lead to death. Your liver may become large and you may develop fat in your liver. 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 – nausea – pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking ODEFSEY or a similar medicine for a long time.

• Worsening of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. ODEFSEY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and take ODEFSEY, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking ODEFSEY. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

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

– Do not stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking to your healthcare provider.

– If you stop taking ODEFSEY, 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 ODEFSEY.

OdefseyB_GeorgiaVoice_10x10.5.indd 3-4

What Is ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY is a prescription medicine that is used to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older: • who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past and have an amount of HIV-1 in their blood (“viral load”) that is no more than 100,000 copies/mL, or • to replace their current HIV-1 medicines in people who have been on the same HIV-1 medicines for at least 6 months, have a viral load that is less than 50 copies/mL, and have never failed past HIV-1 treatment.

It is not known if ODEFSEY is safe and effective in children under 12 years of age or who weigh less than 77 lb (35 kg).

When used to treat HIV-1 infection, ODEFSEY may help: • Reduce the amount of HIV-1 in your blood. This is called “viral load”.

• Increase the number of CD4+ (T) cells in your blood that help fight off other infections.

Reducing the amount of HIV-1 and increasing the CD4+ (T) cells in your blood may help improve your immune system. This may reduce your risk of death or getting infections that can happen when your immune system is weak (opportunistic infections).

ODEFSEY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. You must keep taking HIV-1 medicines 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 re-use 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.

Who should not take ODEFSEY? Do not take ODEFSEY if you also take a medicine that contains: • carbamazepine (Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®, Tegretol®, Tegretol-XR®, Teril®) • dexamethasone (Ozurdex®, Maxidex®, Decadron®, BaycadronTM) • dexlansoprazole (Dexilant ®) • esomeprazole (Nexium®, Vimovo®) • lansoprazole (Prevacid®) • omeprazole (Prilosec®, Zegerid®) • oxcarbazepine (Trileptal®) • pantoprazole sodium (Protonix®) • phenobarbital (Luminal®) • phenytoin (Dilantin®, Dilantin-125®, Phenytek®) • rabeprazole (Aciphex®) • rifampin (Rifadin®, Rifamate®, Rifater ®, Rimactane®) • rifapentine (Priftin®) • the herb St. John’s wort or a product that contains St. John’s wort

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking ODEFSEY? Before taking ODEFSEY, tell your healthcare provider if you: • have liver problems including hepatitis B or C virus infection • have kidney and bone problems • have had depression or suicidal thoughts • have any other medical conditions • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ODEFSEY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking ODEFSEY.

Pregnancy registry: there is a pregnancy registry for women who take HIV-1 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.

• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take ODEFSEY. – You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

– At least one of the medicines in ODEFSEY can pass to your baby in your breast milk.

It is not known if the other medicines in ODEFSEY 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 over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Some medicines may interact with ODEFSEY. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

• You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with ODEFSEY. • Do not start a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take ODEFSEY with other medicines.

How should I take ODEFSEY? • Take ODEFSEY exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to take it. ODEFSEY is

taken by itself (not with other HIV-1 medicines) to treat HIV-1 infection.

• Take ODEFSEY 1 time each day with a meal.

• Do not change your dose or stop taking ODEFSEY without first talking with your

healthcare provider. Stay under a healthcare provider’s care when taking ODEFSEY.

• Do not miss a dose of ODEFSEY. • If you take too much ODEFSEY, call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest

hospital emergency room right away.

• When your ODEFSEY supply starts to run low, get more from your healthcare provider

or pharmacy. This is very important because the amount of virus in your blood may increase if the medicine is stopped for even a short time. The virus may develop resistance to ODEFSEY and become harder to treat.

What are the possible side effects of ODEFSEY? ODEFSEY may cause serious side effects, including: • See “What is the most important information I should know about ODEFSEY?” • Severe skin rash and allergic reactions. Skin rash is a common side effect of ODEFSEY. Rash can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you get a rash. In some cases, rash and allergic reaction may need to be treated in a hospital.

If you get a rash with any of the following symptoms, stop taking ODEFSEY and call your healthcare provider right away: – fever – skin blisters – mouth sores – redness or swelling of the eyes (conjunctivitis) – swelling of the face, lips, mouth or throat – trouble breathing or swallowing – pain on the right side of the stomach (abdominal) area – dark “tea-colored” urine

• Depression or mood changes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have

any of the following symptoms: – feel sad or hopeless – feel anxious or restless – have thoughts of hurting yourself (suicide) or have tried to hurt yourself • Change in liver enzymes. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection or who have certain liver enzyme changes may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening liver problems during treatment with ODEFSEY. Liver problems can also happen during treatment with ODEFSEY in people without a history of liver disease. Your healthcare provider may need to do tests to check your liver enzymes before and during treatment with ODEFSEY. • 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.

• 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 ODEFSEY. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking ODEFSEY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

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

The most common side effects of rilpivirine, one of the medicines in ODEFSEY, are depression, trouble sleeping (insomnia), and headache.

The most common side effect of emtricitabine and tenofovir alafenamide, two of the medicines in ODEFSEY, is nausea.

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 ODEFSEY. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

This Brief Summary summarizes the most important information about ODEFSEY. If you would like more information, talk with your healthcare provider. You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for information about ODEFSEY that is written for health professionals.

For more information, call 1-800-445-3235 or go to www.ODEFSEY.com.

Keep ODEFSEY and all medicines out of reach of children.

Issued: March 2016

ODEFSEY, the ODEFSEY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and GSI are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. ODEC0005 03/16

4/7/16 3:27 PM

GEORGIANEWS

Officials investigate treatment of Georgia’s LGBT prisoners Investigation follows transgender inmate’s high profile federal lawsuit

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com The U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, has opened up an investigation into the Georgia Department of Corrections’ (GDC) treatment of LGBT prisoners. The investigation follows the high profile case of former inmate Ashley Diamond, a transgender woman who filed a federal lawsuit against the GDC last year alleging she had been denied medical treatment for gender dysphoria and had been sexually assaulted by other inmates.

Diamond’s case attracted international attention, including a court filing in support of her by the Justice Department and public outcry. Diamond, who was represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), was granted early release last August and the parties reached an undisclosed financial settlement in February of this year.

In the wake of Diamond’s lawsuit, the GDC also rescinded its “freeze frame” policy that prevented many transgender inmates from receiving hormone therapy, adopted a sexual assault prevention policy that’s more in line with federal standards and started training prison staffers on the health and safety needs of transgender inmates.

The Justice Department investigation is believed to be the first of theirs ever to focus on LGBT prisoners. And while the U.S. Attorney’s Office wouldn’t draw a link between Diamond’s case and the investigation, it appears to be one more domino to fall after that incident.

“While our lawsuit has done an important part of the work of making conditions in Georgia safer for prisoners, the Department of Justice is going in behind us with a focus specifically on safety and housing issues with respect to that community, and sexual victimization risk,” said Chinyere Ezie, Diamond’s attorney at the SPLC. Allegations of abuse reached ‘critical mass’ John Horn, U.S. Attorney for the North6 News April 15, 2016

Ashley Diamond was released early from prison last August after filing a federal lawsuit against the Georgia Department of Corrections. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

“What we can say is that we have received some complaints relating to allegations of abuse in Georgia prisons. When we reach critical mass, we decide to open up an investigation.”

— John Horn, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia ern District of Georgia, tells Georgia Voice that the investigation is being conducted jointly by their office and the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department.

“Essentially we’re looking at potential violations of the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act (CRIPA), which deals with the constitutional rights of prisoners in institutions like prisons,” said Horn, who couldn’t go into specifics of the investigation but added, “What we can say is that we have received some complaints relating to allegations of abuse in Georgia prisons. When we reach critical mass, we decide to open up an investigation.”

The investigation is currently in the fact-find-

ing stage (i.e. fairly early) and there is no timetable on how long it will take to complete.

“The good news is the GDC has been extremely cooperative and receptive to the investigation so far and we’re working closely together to conduct the investigation quickly and thoroughly,” Horn said.

Diamond: ‘Transgender people are normal, real people’ One of the SPLC’s court filings during Diamond’s case shined a light on the treatment of LGBT prisoners in Georgia. It included handwritten statements from transgender prisoners echoing similar treatment that Diamond went through, including de-

nial of medical treatment and repeated sexual assault by fellow inmates.

“We are all afraid and need help from the courts to help make the D.O.C. be more helpful to our serious medical needs and safety. We can’t fight alone. Please step in,” one reads. “Sadness, depression and hopelessness takes me to very dark and sad and sometimes suicidal places. Ashley Diamond and a few others share the same pain,” reads another.

Diamond, who landed in prison initially for a probation violation stemming from a nonviolent offense, is back home in Rome and adjusting to post-prison life. She says it’s hard to consider herself satisfied with the outcome of her case, considering what she went through.

“That’s a difficult question for me because when you go through something like that, I don’t think you can ever be satisfied no matter what the result was,” Diamond told Georgia Voice. “I am happy that changes have been made for my people. I’m so elated that the SPLC stood up and came to bat. Chinyere was a great attorney. I try to spend my time focusing on that and not the negative, like the last four years.”

She says she’s soliciting LGBT and civil rights organizations for work and has been doing advocacy work and motivational speaking. She’s also writing a book about her experience with plans for a release next summer. It’s all part of what she says is her goal to get healthy, stay focused and concentrate on what she calls her mission.

“The mission is to ensure that transgender people are treated equally and not as some fad. I’m kind of concerned. I was really elated about some of the changes. You know, Caitlyn Jenner had a show. I thought it was going in a good direction with the transgender community, but in some ways I also feel like it’s also been made a joke. I think that the best way for us to get this out there is to put it all out there. I want to be one of those people who leads by example. So I just want to let people know that transgender people are normal, real people who have real issues and problems but deserve a place in society.”

Georgia Voice will follow up with any developments in the Justice Department and U.S. Attorney’s Office investigation. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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GEORGIANEWS

Georgia LGBTs helping fight ‘religious freedom’ bills around South Lambda Legal, SONG members spread out as bills pile up

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com On the morning of March 28, when Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed House Bill 757, the controversial anti-LGBT so-called “religious freedom” bill, it was the end of the latest chapter of a local fight against such legislation.

But the work continued for local LGBT activists and organizations fighting similar bills in other states across the South.

Case in point was the announcement that same day by Lambda Legal that they along with several other organizations were filing a lawsuit on behalf of three plaintiffs challenging North Carolina’s anti-LGBT law, House Bill 2. The lead attorney on the case? None other than Atlanta’s own Tara Borelli.

HB 2 took effect immediately after North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed it into law on March 23 following a special session of the state legislature earlier that day. Among other things, it prohibits municipalities from enacting nondiscrimination laws that aren’t covered by statewide nondiscrimination laws (wiping out a number of nondiscrimination ordinances across the state that included protections for the LGBT community) and requires transgender people to use the bathrooms that match the gender marker on their birth certificate.

“HB 2 is an extraordinarily targeted and discriminatory law,” Borelli told Georgia Voice. “It was rammed through a special legislative session through a host of unusual and irregular procedural circumstances.”

That’s one point Lambda Legal, along with the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina and Equality North Carolina, will make with their suit since the speed at which a law is rushed through has been a factor in prior cases such as this. They’re also claiming that the law violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the U.S. Constitution and violates Title IX laws.

Governor’s move a ‘band-aid of an executive order’ On April 12, facing mounting pressure from the public and the business communi-

SONG’s Micky Bradford (center with bullhorn) helps lead a protest against HB 2 on March 24 outside of Gov. Pat McCrory’s mansion. (Photo via Facebook)

“It’s hard to put into words how painful and terrifying this kind of requirement is for transgender people in the state, including some of the plaintiffs we represent.”

—Lambda Legal’s Tara Borelli, lead attorney in the lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s House Bill 2, talking about the requirement that transgender people use the bathrooms that match their gender marker ty in particular, McCrory issued an executive action expanding the state employee policy to cover sexual orientation and gender identity, but among other things it still left in the part of the bill that forces transgender people to use the restroom that matches their gender marker—which is very difficult to change.

“It’s hard to put into words how painful and terrifying this kind of requirement is for transgender people in the state, including some of the plaintiffs we represent,” Borelli said.

Lambda Legal staff attorney Kyle Palazzolo called the move a “band-aid of an executive order.”

The suit is in the preliminary stages right now but Borelli says they are racing to prepare to ask the court to prohibit the law by judicial order.

“HB 2 is hurtful and demeaning. I just want to go to work and live my life. This law puts me in the terrible position of either going into the women’s room where I clearly don’t belong or breaking the law,” said plaintiff Joaquín Carcaño in a statement. “But this is about more than restrooms, this is about my job, my community, and my ability to get safely through my day and be productive like everyone else in North Carolina.”

From the courts to the streets While Lambda Legal and other groups fight HB 2 in the courts, locals from queer liberation group Southerners On New Ground (SONG) are taking to the streets.

Local trans woman Micky Bradford, a regional organizer for SONG, has been on the ground in North Carolina as part of the growing opposition to the bill.

“We’ve mobilized a lot of the folks in our base in North Carolina. We’ve worked in coalition with the groups who are black and brown LGBTQ-led on the ground in North Carolina, and we’ve been lending a lot of legal advice through our collaboration with the Transgender Law Center,” Bradford told Georgia Voice.

Bradford also gained notice for something that had social media buzzing for days.

Video emerged of her helping lead a recent protest against the bill in front of the governor’s mansion in Raleigh, and as a pounding drumbeat began, Bradford put aside her bullhorn and began voguing right in front of a line of police officers.

“It was a moment where I was tired after being one of the many folks holding down that direct action and protecting the folks who risked arrest. But also making sure the crowd there was guided in chants and guided in our mission. It was the end of things, we had just gotten folks out of the street and back onto the sidewalk,” Bradford said. “I was really tired and folks from the Black Lives Matter Queer and Trans People of Color Coalition were drumming and I was really feeling the beat and I felt like in this moment, I’m just gonna have fun with my folks.

We know this backlash falls the heaviest on black and brown queer and trans people and I was just feeling being with my people in that moment and that’s what comes out when you get with your folks.”

Next up is a day of action planned for April 25, when the North Carolina legislature is scheduled to come back into their regular session.

Bradford and SONG are also pitching in to help fight anti-LGBT “religious freedom” bills in Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“And if something pops up in Georgia again,” Bradford said, “Uhh Lord.”

8 News April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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“Hey HIV —— understand this —— we’re living together but I give the orders.”

Ashley - Atlanta, GA Living with HIV since 2006.

Being in the military prepared me for a lot of things, but not my HIV diagnosis. I found it difficult to take medication every day.

Fortunately, with the help of my doctor at the VA, taking my medicine is just another part of my morning routine, brush my teeth, wash my face, and take my meds. By sticking to my medication, doctor visits and support groups, I stay healthy and happy. As a support group leader, now I’m helping others to get into their own routine.

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NEWSBRIEFS Community rallies to celebrate veto of anti-gay Georgia ‘religious freedom’ bill Over 300 people gathered in Liberty Plaza next door to the Georgia Capitol on April 5 to celebrate Gov. Nathan Deal’s veto of the anti-LGBT House Bill 757 and call for LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination protections.

“Today is a good day in our state and today is especially a good day for those of us who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender,” said Jeff Graham, leader of Georgia Equality and LGBT rights coalition Georgia Unites Against Discrimination, who hosted the rally. “It is a good day because thankfully Gov. Deal showed the leadership and the conviction to say no to harmful legislation that would have opened the doors and could have been used as a license to discriminate against many Georgians, but very specifically those of us in the LGBT community.”

Speakers not only celebrated the governor’s veto of HB 757 but warned of similar legislation returning next year and called on the state to enact comprehensive anti-discrimination laws.

Former state Rep. Simone Bell, who is now southern regional director for Lambda Legal, noted the prevalence of similar legislation across the South and the unique circumstances at play in the region. Her comments were all the more notable since, almost at the same time Bell was speaking, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant was tweeting that he had signed that state’s anti-LGBT “religious freedom” legislation into law.

Several state legislators came out for the rally, including Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates), Rep. Keisha Waites (D-Atlanta), Rep. Park Cannon (D-Atlanta)—the only three openly LGBT state legislators—and ally Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta). And Josh Noblitt, Rafer Johnson and Bob Gibeling—three of the openly gay candidates running for the legislature this year—were also spotted in the audience.

Atlanta mayor bans city travel to North Carolina over anti-LGBT law Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced on April 5 that he is banning travel to North Carolina for city employees after passage of a law there that excludes the LGBT community from anti-discrimination protections

Over 300 people gathered to celebrate Gov. Deal’s veto of HB 757 on April 5 at Liberty Plaza. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

and keeps cities and counties from enacting their own anti-discrimination policies.

“As a result of Governor Pat McCrory’s decision to sign discriminatory and unnecessary legislation into law, effective today I am directing all City departments to stop non-essential, publicly-funded employee travel to the State of North Carolina,” Mayor Reed said in a statement. “I extend my support to Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts, who worked to enhance protections for the city’s LGBT population, as well as to the LGBT residents of North Carolina. Every person, regardless of their gender, gender expression or sexuality is a valued member of our community.”

Mayor Reed is the latest to enact such a ban following similar moves by city leaders in Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle, San Francisco and New York, and by governors in Washington, New York, Connecticut and Minnesota.

Atlanta hosts LGBT media conference Atlanta was the host city earlier this month for the spring conference of the National Gay Media Association (NGMA), a coalition of twelve legacy LGBT media companies from across the country. Publish-

ers from each of the following media outlets gathered for the two-day event at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.

Bay Area Reporter (San Francisco) Bay Windows (Boston) Dallas Voice (Dallas) Gay City News (New York City) Georgia Voice (Atlanta) Philadelphia Gay News (Philadelphia) The Pride L.A. (Los Angeles) South Florida Gay News (Ft. Lauderdale) Washington Blade (Washington, D.C.) Watermark (Orlando/Tampa Bay) Windy City Times (Chicago) Between the Lines (Detroit) is a NGMA member but was not in attendance.

Organizers said they were relieved that Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed House Bill 757, the controversial anti-LGBT legislation that would have done significant harm to the community. Otherwise, there were conversations about moving the event out of the state.

The National Gay Media Association will meet again in Palm Springs, California in August and the conference will coincide with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce Business Expo.

12 News April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Outspoken PO Box 77401 • Atlanta, GA 30357 P: 404-815-6941; F: 404-963-6365

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14 Outspoken April 15, 2016

“Design isn’t just what we do for a living, it’s what we do on our weekends. So this show is perfect. We get to have all the fun and the homeowner gets rescued from a money pit that is consuming them. They’re lost.

We’re not. We know where to save, where to spend, where to shop … it’s what we love most.”

— Interior designer Nate Berkus in a press release for “Married to Design: Nate & Jeremiah,” his new show with husband Jeremiah on TLC. (Apr. 5/ Screencap Image)

“The sexual revolution is blind to its own rage and hate. It has no capacity for reason. It has no ability to see its own hypocrisy or discern its hopeless future. It just forces itself on others regardless of cost or consequence.”

— Anti-gay North Carolina conservatives and rejected HGTV hosts David and Jason Benham in a column for World Net Daily.

(Apr. 3/Screencap Image)

“Dear graduates of 20-whatever-year-it-is when I come down there, you just graduated from a shady school that has the name of a shady state. That tried to pass a shady law. I think you need to come out of the bars and go and vote in these primaries and these elections and get these terrorists out of office because you are literally — your inactivity, your inability to protect human beings is killing us. So, put Beyoncé on pause as devastating as that would be and march into these primaries and help save our country. That is what I would say.”

—Actor and UGA graduate Tituss Burgess speaking on Georgia’s HB 757 on “The Late Show.” (April 7/Screencap Image) www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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IN THE MARGINS Creepoftheweek

By Ashleigh Atwell

La’Porsha Renae’s comments exemplify passive queer/transphobia Ashleigh Atwell is a queer lesbian writer and organizer born and raised in Atlanta, GA.

Outlasting Michael Brown’s anti-LGBT agenda

By D’ANNE WITKOWSKI

“Sadly, several straight people have made similar comments in what I think is supposed to be some form of an olive branch. They tell me they love me even though they disagree with my ‘lifestyle.’

They say even though I’m ‘like that’ I deserve respect. They might as well have called me a dyke because it still stings.”

Although I haven’t watched “American Idol” consistently since Fantasia Barrino won, I knew who La’Porsha Renae was.

“Idol” just wrapped up its last season and by now you know she was runner-up to winner Trent Harmon, a disappointment to millions of people across the country. The rising diva with the powerful voice sang her way into hearts across the country, including LGBTQ hearts…y’all know how much we love a diva, honey. Well, that came to a screeching halt when Renae made the following comment when asked about the anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom bill” recently signed by Gov. Phil Bryant in her native Mississippi: “I am one of the people who don’t really agree with that lifestyle. I wasn’t brought up that way. It wasn’t how I was raised. But I do have a lot of friends and a lot of people that I love dearly who are gay and homosexual and they’re such sweet, nice people. We should just respect each other’s differences and opinions and move on.”

Girl, bye.

Sadly, several straight people have made similar comments in what I think is supposed to be some form of an olive branch.

They tell me they love me even though they disagree with my ‘lifestyle.’ They say even though I’m ‘like that’ I deserve respect. They might as well have called me a dyke because it still stings. If you put a pretty bow on a turd, it will still be a turd. Throwing in a line about respect and coexisting doesn’t excuse the fact that she came out as a homophobe. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

When a loved one tells me they love me or respect me in spite of my sexuality, it hurts because whom I love and lay with is a major facet of my life. Those comments, regardless of the qualifiers, tell me I’m a disappointment.

Additionally, using religion as justification adds another layer to the same. While I am decidedly agnostic, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t influenced by southern Black Christian culture as a native Georgia Peach.

Despite not having a clue who or what sits in the clouds, there are times where I still feel ashamed. I am more than comfortable with my sexuality, but internalized Christianity tells me I’m a deviant and not worthy of blessings from a God that is supposed to love unconditionally. It’s confusing, hurtful and I’m sick of it.

To straight people, these comments don’t mean much. For LGBTQ folks, they’re a matter of life and death. It’s easy for Renae to say we should move on after straight people express their so-called opinion, because in the long run, her straightness shields her to an extent. She doesn’t have to worry about being kicked out of an establishment or having scalding water poured over her body because she showed affection to her beloved.

My LGBTQ siblings, we have to continue to call straight people out when they do or say something that insults our very existence.

Renae might not have meant any harm but harm was done and now she must face the music.

Backlash. That’s what we’re seeing here in the flurry of anti-LGBT (and heavy on the T) legislation that’s been proposed and passed across the nation (or, in the case of Georgia, vetoed. Thank you, Gov. Deal).

North Carolina just passed one of the harshest anti-LGBT laws in the country. It all started when Charlotte, one of the state’s more civilized cities, passed an anti-discrimination law that included protections for LGBT people.

And rather than let something so terrible happen in their state, North Carolina lawmakers held a special session so they could bang out a sweeping law that banned all cities from enacting any laws that would dare to protect LGBT people.

They made sure to put particular emphasis on making sure that transgender students can’t go to the bathroom. Or, more specifically, can’t use the bathroom at school that matches their gender identity. You know, because trans students just have too many rights.

The business community has come out in strong opposition to the law. This law’s passage,

in spite of what corporate America wanted, highlights the fissure going on in the GOP between the probusiness and proJesus Republicans, two factions that used to be basically one in the same.

Michael Brown Michael Brown, author of “Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is Really Going and How to Turn the Tide,” sees these companies as just a bunch of schoolyard bullies trying to steal the Christian kids’ lunch money so that they can go spend it on sex-change operations or something.

“It is time for Christians and all people of conscience to say: ‘Enough is enough with your bullying,’” Brown writes on CharismaNews.com.

It would be karmic justice if people like Brown, who are so concerned about the “threat” of trans people being allowed to use bathrooms, never get to take a shit in private again.

April 15, 2016 Outspoken 15

CATCHING UP WITH …

Disability activist

Eleanor Smith

Decatur resident has made historic gains in disability rights

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Quite often, you’ll find that LGBT activists have their hands in not just LGBT rights but other movements as well—women’s rights, immigrant rights, Black Lives Matter, Trans Lives Matter, etc. One that doesn’t get talked about often enough is the disability rights movement, and one of the longtime national leaders is a lesbian who has lived in the metro Atlanta area for over 40 years.

Eleanor Smith contracted a severe case of polio when she was just three years old, in 1946, and has been in a wheelchair ever since. The concept of “disability rights” wasn’t around when she was growing up, or even well into her adulthood. But after attending her first disability rights protest in San Francisco in the early ’80s, she was hooked.

She founded Concrete Change; a national disability rights organization, in 1986 and, using the term “visitability,” was able to help make historic changes for those living with disabilities both here in Atlanta and across the country. Smith retired three years ago but the passion for disability rights remains as strong as ever at age 73.

Eleanor, tell me about the spark that turned you from someone who is disabled to someone who is a disability activist.

Even though I had a job at the time that was disability-related, my head didn’t turn around to think about disability as an actual oppression as opposed to something that made my life very difficult. At that time the national group [ADAPT] was working on the issue of public transportation because you could not get on the bus if you were in a wheelchair. So the movement chose the issue of getting a lift on every new bus. So I got involved in that movement.

I went to my first disability rights protest in San Francisco. While trying to work

“Everybody needs to realize that the way houses are going up is discriminatory and it can be different. Every argument against it is false.”

—Eleanor Smith legislatively, we also worked at the civil disobedience level like all the great movements work—the gay rights movement, the black rights movement. I was just blown away at the power and the wonder of it.

When I came back to Atlanta, I had my own personal brainstorm, which was to have a zerostep entrance on every new house. You can’t go back and fix every old house but you could start building every new house with access, which was a completely revolutionary idea.

The only thing in peoples’ minds was if somebody gets disabled, then you try to scrape up the money to widen their bathroom door and put a ramp on. It really created a system where a lot of [disabled] people couldn’t visit their friends or their close relatives, or couldn’t find a house to live in themselves. I founded Concrete Change in 1986 and that piece I took up to do became our mantra and our work. And that’s what I took on for the next 30 years.

What’s Atlanta’s record been as far as access for the disabled?

Certainly Atlanta has to follow the Americans with Disabilities Act. Whenever a new curb is laid, there’s a new curb cut. A wonderful thing on housing is that because of a lot of work on the part of the disability rights movement, the Fair Housing Act forces every new unit in a new apartment building to have basic access—wide doors and a few other features.

In terms of Atlanta itself being ahead of the curve on housing, in 1989 we were able

Disability activist Eleanor Smith founded Concrete Change, a national disability rights group, in 1986. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

Details

Concrete Change www.concretechange.com

it in other cities. So that Atlanta model, which was passed in 1992, was basically the first law in the country that covered some privately-owned houses and required them to have access.

to get Habitat For Humanity Atlanta to start building every new house with access. Habitat Atlanta was the first Habitat affiliate in the world to build houses deliberately with access for people who had no disability. It was a thrill to drive down Woodruff Avenue and see those first Habitat houses [with access].

Out of that, we were able to make a city law requiring zero-step entrances and wide doors in new houses. And the wonderful then-City Councilwoman by the name of Myrtle Davis, who had a daughter who was a quadriplegic, she carried our bill for us. And it covered a lot of houses. Many hundreds of houses went up under that law.

For years it was enforced and then under [Mayor] Bill Campbell, we realized it was not going on anymore. That part fell apart, but what was cool was that it became kind of known throughout the country and others worked on

What’s the next big disability rights challenge to tackle?

The next challenge not just for the organization but for everybody out there is to realize that a new house should be built with basic access, which is one entrance with no steps and wide enough bathroom doors—32 inches minimum. It’s not a question of whether it’s cheap and beautiful—that has been demonstrated through the tens of thousands of houses that have gone up.

Everybody needs to realize that the way houses are going up is discriminatory and it can be different. Every argument against it is false. There’s all types of arguments from people, but you can’t argue with the tens of thousands of houses that have gone up. The disability rights movement is an amazing movement and it’s one that a lot of people don’t even realize is a movement.

16 Community April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

METRO ATLANTA LIVING

Colony Square undergoing massive ‘reimagining’ Midtown mixed-use development turning into walkable, open-air space

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com If you’ve ever been to the food court at Colony Square after 5 p.m. on weeknights or anytime during the weekend, you wouldn’t be surprised to see tumbleweed blowing by.

The place is a ghost town, standing in stark contrast to normal workday hours when the place is bustling.

Well you’re about to see major changes at the bustling intersection of 14th Street and Peachtree Street as developers plan to rip the roof off the retail core of the property and connect it to the street, transforming it into a walkable, open-air space.

It’s one of many changes in store at Colony Square—one of which is already in place as those who’ve driven or walked by there in the last few weeks can attest.

Ownership change sparks makeover The makeover’s roots can be traced back to last December, when Houston-based Lionstone Investments and North American Properties (NAP) acquired the longstanding mixed-used property. Lionstone might not ring any bells but NAP should—they’re behind the turnaround of Atlantic Station and the development of Avalon in Alpharetta.

“Over the decades, the Midtown neighborhood around Colony Square flourished while the iconic building became sleepy and tired,” said Mark Toro, managing partner of NAP, in a statement. “On July 4, 2018, the 50th anniversary of Colony Square’s groundbreaking, we will celebrate the grand opening of the reimagined Colony Square. We will engage with the city, with the street and with pedestrians, and it will fundamentally change the experience of living and working in Midtown Atlanta.”

In the meantime, new restaurants and shops will continue to be added to the space, but the developers are seeking feedback from the public first by asking them to share ideas for Colony Square with the hashtag #ReimagineCS. Some plans in the works include the showing of holiday movies on an outdoor screen

Colony Square developers unveiled the 8-foot tall MIDTOWN letters in the plaza on the day of the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

(Photo by Rafterman Photography)

(a nod to Georgia’s growing film industry) and a partnership with Midtown Alliance to “adopt” the nearby Arts District Plaza, where events will be staged for Colony Square tenants and the Midtown community.

Toro added, “As with our other mixed-use projects, we will curate the right tenant mix, layer in resort-inspired hospitality and exceptional experiences, to significantly and positively impact the value of the development.

Our first step is to listen to the community stakeholders and guests as they are integral to the transformation. We look forward to premiering Colony Square – the Sequel.”

MIDTOWN sign unveiled The first sign (literally) of change at Colony Square debuted on March 12, as colorful 8-foot tall letters spelling “MIDTOWN” were unveiled in the plaza at the first annual Luck of Colony Square event, timed to occur after the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade streamed by.

Guests also sampled bites and drinks from new Colony Square restaurants 5Church (which moved into the spot formerly occupied

by Shout) and Establishment (which moved from its previous location in Buckhead).

“Because of Colony Square’s central location,

it was a perfect opportunity to launch a new holiday celebration for the Midtown community after the parade,” said Liz Gillespie, vice president of marketing at NAP, in a statement.

Transportation options to open up NAP also announced the creation of a fulltime “mobility concierge” at Colony Square to work with tenants, guests and the Midtown community to identify transportation and mobility solutions and incentivize their use. The installation of TransitScreens providing real-time transportation options is in store as well. The move makes sense considering the property has the highest pedestrian count in Atlanta outside of Georgia Tech’s campus.

“We are a nexus of bike lanes, streets, sidewalks and transit,” said Toro, who says he often walks to work. “On any given day, you are bound to see several Ubers waiting in Colony Square’s roundabout. The mobility concierge will readily help the community utilize these transportation alternatives in order to make Midtown a more mobile community and give our tenants, guests and residents a better quality of life.”

Such initiatives appeal to millennials, who rank transit access as an important factor (according to a recent poll by the Urban

Details

Colony Square Details Constructed in the late 1960s Southeast’s first mixed-used development Two towers totaling 719,402 sq. ft., 162,953 sq. ft. of retail space, with residential condos and a 467-room hotel Grand opening of “reimagined” Colony Square: July 4, 2018 Land Institute) and who make up approximately half of Midtown’s residents according to the Midtown Alliance.

“Walkability, bikability and accessibility to public transit are huge motivators for the new generation of office workers and intown residents,” said Shannon Powell, executive vice president and COO of Midtown Alliance in a statement. “NAP’s unique mobility initiative will make Colony Square and the greater Midtown community a better place to work, live and spend time. Their mobility concierge will work hand-in-hand with our team at Midtown Transportation to heighten awareness of options.”

18 Metro Atlanta Living April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

METRO ATLANTA LIVING

Old Fourth Ward: A rising phoenix Once associated with illegal activity, this Atlanta neighborhood is experiencing a resurgence

By SHANNON HAMES, Realtor® Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward (O4W) hasn’t always been known as a trendy, cool place to live.

Despite having some of Atlanta’s best “cultural” institutions, including the boyhood home of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, the O4W fell into disrepair in the 1960s. It has often been associated with crime, prostitution, homelessness and crumbling infrastructure.

In the last 10 years, however, O4W has not only seen a resurgence in development, but property values are now at an all-time high. Because of the close proximity to pricey Midtown condos and Atlanta’s gorgeous Piedmont Park, there was a shift to start cleaning up O4W and renovate existing buildings to attract new businesses and development.

The Square at Glen Iris in Old Fourth Ward. (Courtesy photo)

One of the star players of the resurgence of O4W was the development of the Atlanta BeltLine, which began as an idea in a joint master’s thesis paper for Georgia Tech graduate student Ryan Gravel’s Architecture and City Planning degree. He wrote it in 1999 with the idea to use the abandoned railroad corridors that surrounded the city and transform them into a 22-mile transit greenway that will add light-rail transit, parks and multi-use trails throughout 45 historic neighborhoods.

The idea was to generate economic growth, encourage environmental responsibility and improve the quality of life for residents in these neighborhoods. The eastern border of O4W is the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail that one can see as a pedestrian bridge going over Ponce de Leon Avenue at the new Ponce City Market, a mixed use development that now occupies the old Sears & Roebuck department store building. Today, it houses retail shops, office space, entertainment, restau-

rants, and a food hall with small vendors, boutiques and even residential units.

Housing development in O4W is steadily growing and sales are brisk. Some developers have taken small plots of land and used them to build small townhouses with 4-6 units. One such unit, a 3-bedroom, 3.5 bath townhouse at 616 Angier Avenue, sold last month in two days for $415,000 by my boss Justin Ziegler, president and associate broker of Common Ground Real Estate.

Low inventory and high demand are bringing multiple offers and bidding wars.

For the buyers, trying to get in the neighborhood can be a difficult road.

“I have made an offer within two hours of something going on the market and offered 20 percent higher than the asking price and still lost,” said buyer Michelle Parker. “I keep losing to all cash buyers who don’t have contingencies. I feel like the values are rising even as I speak. I’m almost priced out of it.

I’m going to have to start looking at other options. It’s a shame because I want to be near all of my favorite gay things.”

West End attracts millenials

The once prominent ‘gayborhoods’ are taking a backseat to other needs

By SHANNON HAMES, Realtor®

West End is a name that, in the past, would put many homebuyers off because of its past reputation for crime, unemployment and plummeting property values. Today, West End is enjoying some of the fruit of the labors that community leaders have put into turning the community around. Named 2015 Curbed Cup Neighborhood Champion by Curbed Atlanta and “hottest neighborhood in Atlanta of 2016” by Redfin, historic West End is quickly becoming one of Atlanta’s most sought-after and desirable neighborhoods for young professionals as well as families.

What caused this turnaround? One of the factors that seem to have brought this historic neighborhood into a full resurrection of its former glory days is what has been doing the www.thegeorgiavoice.com

same to all parts of Atlanta that it touches – the Atlanta BeltLine.

The Atlanta BeltLine’s purpose is to generate economic growth in the areas that it runs through, encourage environmental responsibility (it will feature electric streetcars that will connect these neighborhoods) and improve the overall health and quality of life for residents.

The Westside Trail is a three-mile long combination of multi-use trail and linear greenspace, currently under construction.

The segment of trail is slated to be finished in 2017 and will occupy the old rail corridor from University Avenue in Adair Park north to Lena Avenue at Washington Park, directly through West End. West End also lends itself to exclusivity by being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Because it needs to maintain its historical appearance, no new construction or altering can be done without the permission of the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. As a result of these regulations, West

End has maintained the consistent look and feel of its early origins (established in 1868) and ornate Victoria charm.

Jason Turner, a 27-year-old buyer looking exclusively in West End, said that he and his boyfriend wanted to look in a place that wasn’t an already established “gayborhood” because they didn’t want to isolate themselves.

“We understand that gayborhoods had to exist back in the day because it made them (LGBT) feel safe to be surrounded by others who were like them. My boyfriend and I don’t struggle with acceptance from straight people the way that some older people have.

We want to be in an area that has walkability, affordability, and recreation. Millennials here are very accepting and we want to live among other young professionals, gay or straight. Sexuality just isn’t a primary reason for us to choose a neighborhood to live in.”

For many buyers, the allure of West End is to be able to buy a beautiful, historic home at an affordable price and be able to grow

Sky Lofts is one of several properties in West End to provide Midtown amenities at a fraction of the cost. (Photo by Darian Aaron)

into it if a family might be in their future.

“We may want to be fathers one day” said Jason. “West End has family-friendly appeal without being gentrified. We want our future kids to grow up in a diverse, culturally and historically rich area where they won’t feel alienated because they have two daddies.

West End is perfect for that reason.”

April 15, 2016 Metro Atlanta Living 19

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Top 5 Atlanta real estate trends

If you’re wondering what’s trending in Atlanta real estate, sometimes all you need to do is take a step out your front door or a quick ride around the block. But here’s a closer look at both what’s happening now throughout the city and what to keep an eye out for coming soon.

1. Multifamily is mushrooming in Midtown As population and rental demand increases in town due both to the post-recession market and the trend of people choosing to live in cities, multifamily construction has boomed in recent years. Most of these developments are rentals, as millennials do not place as high of a priority on home ownership as baby boomers and other generations.

2. OTP-style suburban mixed-use developments making their way ITP With a growing intown population comes demand for everyday goods such as food, hardware and convenient quick service or fast food dining options. Is the traditional big-box anchored strip mall featuring WalMart, Kroger and Home Depot the way to do it? Developer Jeff Fuqua certainly thinks so, while the pushback he has been met with in different neighborhoods indicates that his idea of what the city needs is not agreed upon by the whole community. In contrast, projects such as Ponce City Market and the forthcoming Atlanta Dairies and Larkin on Memorial projects are more oriented toward walkability, helping neighborhoods’ economies by encouraging and welcoming small www.thegeorgiavoice.com

What Now Atlanta founder breaks it down for you

By CALEB J. SPIVAK business and overall efficiency in transportation by encouraging bicycling and walking.

3. Move over, Starbucks.

Film studios set for every Atlanta street corner As Georgia’s tax credit, first passed in 2005 and then beefed up in 2008 by the General Assembly, continues to lure the film and television industries from Hollywood to Atlanta (“Yallywood”), developers are acting quick to build multi-use studios. Jim Jacoby, among several others, has plans to revitalize underutilized, sprawling developments like the OSF compound off Jimmy Carter Boulevard and I-75 into mammoth film studios. Jacoby’s Atlanta Media Campus boasts one of the largest blue and green screens in the world. But while Atlanta catches up in building studios and training crews and acting talent, production companies like Crazy Legs Productions, the producer of shows like “Your Worst Nightmare” and “Swamp Murders” on Investigation Discovery, are taking up shop in worndown, would-otherwise-be-unrented office space. As for the Atlanta Media Campus, the space in its current, un-redeveloped state has already been home to projects like “The Hunger Games,” “Fast And Furious,” and “The Fifth Wave” Film and television production companies are desperate for space.

4. Can Atlantans “Walk It Out”?

How exactly does a city like Atlanta, whose environment and infrastructure largely encourages motor vehicle use, encourage people to walk to where they need to go? Ryan

Ponce City Market is one of several new Midtown properties that encourages residents to trade driving for walking shoes. (Photo by Rob Boeger)

Gravel’s visionary Atlanta BeltLine project is doing an excellent job connecting the city’s neighborhoods, making it easy for residents to safely walk from one place to another. Not only does the project encourage walkability, but it has sparked many new development projects along the linear park to give people more places to walk to in the first place.

5. Developers see new opportunities in old warehouses While Atlanta has been notorious in the past few decades for tearing down historic buildings to erect parking decks, parking lots, blandly designed residential projects and strip malls that don’t make for efficient neighborhood fabric, several developers have done an excellent job with adaptive reuse projects that have instead repurposed existing warehouses.

Jamestown’s redeveloping of Ponce City Market as well as White Provisions District has helped create vibrant, walkable developments in already existing buildings with strong bones that should not go to waste. You may have heard that most buildings aren’t “built like they used to be,” which is largely true, and also the reason why old buildings should be embraced and redeveloped instead of razed to erect lower-quality buildings.

Caleb J. Spivak is the founder of What Now Atlanta, the city’s leading news source for restaurant, retail, and multifamily openings and closings. What Now Atlanta is consistently named “Best of ” by Creative Loafing, Atlanta Magazine, and Jezebel Magazine for their ability to dish on what’s moving and shaking in Atlanta’s businesses.

April 15, 2016 Metro Atlanta Living 25

METRO ATLANTA LIVING

WORK

IT!

Caroline Boyd Designs: Unconventional architecture

By DARIAN AARON daaron@thegavoice.com If given a choice between the mundane and unconventional, transgender architect Caroline Boyd will choose unconventional every single time. As the CEO of Caroline Boyd Designs, a residential architecture firm servicing metro Atlanta, north Georgia and the North Carolina mountains, her design aesthetic and approach to new or remodeled homes cannot be confined.

The phrase “Be True To Yourself ” is placed prominently on the front page of her website and provides potential clients the first inkling that a Boyd design experience is not only rooted in form and functionality but also truth. She shows up to work armed with over two decades of experience from two separate firms—HLP Architects and Harrison Design Associates—prior to launching her own company, a master’s degree in architecture from Georgia Tech and a recent transition that has allowed her to flourish both personally and professionally.

Georgia Voice caught up with Boyd to learn more about the woman who can only be described as fearless and unconventional in her approach to life and design.

Tell us about your approach to designing homes.

The main things that I do is try to match and support the client’s lifestyle; make it a reflection of who they are. I like to get to know the client as well as I can in a short period of time. As far as my aesthetic, it’s usually what they ask for. And that can be a trap because sometimes words are limiting. If someone says, ‘Oh, I like craftsman style.’ Then all of a sudden you’re handed a vocabulary for certain things that every craftsman’s gotta have. I would love to do some [homes]

“It’s important that I know how they want the house to feel.

Do you want it to feel informal, rustic, or comfortable? It’s about finding the effect you’re going after.”

—Caroline Boyd that are wildly different and unique but I haven’t done that up until this point. I love a lot of things that are unconventional but so far no one has asked for it. (Laughs) You specialize in new home design as well as remodels. Do you have a preference?

They both have their advantages and disadvantages. The remodel has the advantage that you know what you’re relating to so you want to make it a composition that works— one that looks like it was always there. With something new, it’s kinda like stepping out into a wide-open field and you can go in any direction you want, which is great if you want something that’s unconventional. But on the other hand, you can spend a lot of time figuring out the direction because everything is possible.

Has your transition presented any challenges in terms of dealing with old or new clients?

The clients have been really good actually. There may have been some jobs that I didn’t get because maybe they were a little nervous or something. I’m getting closer and closer to being passable as time goes on. Of course, initially they may have been a little jarred. It’s been great. It’s been almost no negative reaction.

Caroline Boyd Designs specializes in residential architecture, new designs and home remodels. (Photo by Jennifer Tracy)

Details

Caroline Boyd Designs 1049 Country Lane NE Atlanta, GA 30324-4500 404-963-8688 www.carolineboyddesigns.com You began transitioning quite recently, right?

The decision is very recent. It was the end of August 2013 when I started going out dressed in public. Since then, I guess it was about two years ago when I first started working as Caroline. I’ve actually only been on hormones for a month. So I’m actually very new in my transition.

Your chosen name is Caroline. Does that name have any significance to you?

It was a name that actually came to me in a dream a long time ago. The therapist that I was seeing at the time in the late ’80s said that that represented the feminine part of me. It came from the word caring and that’s what was missing at the time.

Is there anything potential clients need to know to get the design or remodel process with your firm started?

They don’t necessarily need to know too much because I try to walk them through it. On my new website I’ll be showing unconventional forms of architecture that I’m attracted to. The reason for me doing that is to educate people. I don’t think people know some of the options that are available. It’s important that I know how they want the house to feel. Do you want it to feel informal, rustic, or comfortable? It’s about finding the effect you’re going after.

26 Metro Atlanta Living April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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Avoiding first time home buying mistakes 7 mistakes to avoid on your way to achieving the American Dream

By MERCEDES M. PASQUALETTI Spring is in the air and “For Sale” signs are multiplying faster than rabbits in an open field. It is the time of year when the housing market in Atlanta heats up. Are you thinking about buying your first home? Here are several things to think about before you start the process: 1. Do not find the home of your dreams without getting qualified for a loan first.

Obtaining a home loan is not as easy as it used to be. You will need to find a good lender and submit an application in order to get pre-qualified for a loan. This will tell you how much you can afford so you look at homes in the right price range.

2. Do not borrow too much money even if you are qualified. Some lenders will allow you to borrow up to 45 percent of your total gross income for a home loan. Because they use the gross income and not the income you actually take home in your paycheck, borrowing up to the max may strap your cash flow every month. You do not want to be house poor.

3. Make sure you get information on the price of things like homeowner’s insurance, property taxes and any homeowner’s

association fees. These things all add to your payment and need to be factored into the monthly expense.

4. Owning a home is expensive. It is ideal for you to have at least three months of payments available in savings so when a repair issue comes up, you have the funds to make the repair. There is no landlord who will step in and fix things once you buy, so be prepared.

5. Having a mortgage and property taxes may allow you to itemize on your tax returns.

Now that you own, make sure to keep track of things like your charitable contributions, ad valorem on your car, and state taxes paid.

If you have enough to itemize, you will want to make sure to take full advantage of the available deductions. If you do not have a tax accountant, now may be the time to hire one who is able to assist you with tax planning.

6. If your significant other is not able to be on the loan, think about the possible ramifications of putting their name on title before you add them. If they are on the title to the home, they own half of it just like you. However, they are not on the hook for the liability of the mortgage. If they leave or

things end, you will owe the entire loan balance, but they own half the asset. It is wise to have a written agreement about what happens in the event of a breakup. Not that you will...but things happen.

7. Be flexible throughout the process.

Home buying can be very stressful. There are many variables that come into play and you will need to be patient as you work through the home buying process. Learn as much as you can about how the process works and who is involved in each transaction before you start so you are aware of the steps and requirements and feel comfortable

with the process. A good realtor and a good loan officer should be able to give you the steps and inform you on what to expect each step of the way.

Now that you are aware of what to think about before you buy, remember to make an informed decision, be ready with a pre-qualification and relax throughout the process.

The end result is home ownership and nothing feels better than owning your own home.

Mercedes M Pasqualetti is Tax Manager at HLM Financial Group located at 160 Clairmont Avenue, Suite 360 in Decatur, GA 30030. www.hlmonestop.com

28 Metro Atlanta Living April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

April 15, 2016 Ads 29

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LGBT

EW

S REV T I R

ALAN CUMMING IS IN GOOD COMPANY Broadway and recording artist on sappy songs, bisexuality and his proudest moments

By CHRIS AZZOPARDI As a child, Alan Cumming cried as his older brother sang “Danny Boy” to him from across the bedroom they shared.

“He would do it to make me cry,” Cumming says, recalling his reaction to the Irish staple. “It’s just the emotion of the song. I’m Scottish, so the ‘pipes’ are kind of a direct route to my tear ducts.”

“Danny Boy” was the first song to break the singer-actor into pieces - but it wouldn’t be the last. There’d be Annie Lennox’s “Why” and Adele’s “Someone Like You” and Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes,” all of which are among the tear-inducing tunes on the performer’s latest release, “Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs: Live at the Cafe Carlyle.”

And when Cumming cries, it’s no act. Those are real tears. After all, this is not Broadway, where the actor has appeared in a mélange of shows including “Macbeth” and “Cabaret,” for which he won a Tony.

Nor is this “The Good Wife” (he plays Eli Gold on the CBS show, which wraps in May). It’s also not “Spy Kids” or “The Smurfs” or his U.S. film debut, 1997’s “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.”

On that Carlyle stage, Cumming is only one person: himself.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 31 30 A&E April 15, 2016

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

ALAN CUMMING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 30 How do you explain your appreciation for music that makes you cry?

For me it’s about connecting personally.

These songs are songs that have things in them that I can really understand. I feel my singing them makes people listen to them in a different way, maybe. But, really, they’re all songs that I felt compelled to sing because I connect to them in an emotional way.

Your résumé is expansive. When a gay guy stops you on the street, which career endeavor of yours are they most likely to compliment you on?

It’s very difficult to tell nowadays – it really is. You know, some mention the “Romy and Michele” thing. But now it’s really hard to tell. It may be my book (“Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir”); it’s a variety of things. With lesbians, I know it’s always gonna be “The L Word.”

As a bisexual person yourself, you’re known for being outspoken on bisexuality and gender fluidity. How do you explain bisexuality to people who still don’t get it?

I’m not here to change people’s minds about whether they believe in bisexuality. All I’m saying is that I think my sexuality and most people’s sexuality is gray. And yeah, I like cock. I love cock. But I also feel that I have an attraction to women. I’ve never lost it, actually. I’ve always been attracted to both sexes, and whether I act on it or not is not anyone’s business, really. I’m not going to close myself off to the possibility of experience just because society says we must stick within these rigid boundaries. I find it really self-hating that the gay community, which has been so bullied, are especially the ones who might be chiding people about their bisexuality. I think, let everyone be who they are.

It seems particularly galling that that would be coming from a fellow LGBT person. I really do believe people today, especially young people, have a much more fluid idea about sexuality and gender, and I should think we’re in a really great place with the youth of today. It’s people who are a bit older who are still struggling with it.

Reflecting on your early days as an activist: Why was it so important for you to start speaking out on LGBT issues?

I have a voice. I have a platform. I have www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Alan Cumming won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical as the Emcee in ‘Cabaret’ in 1998.

(Photos by Steve Vaccariell)

“I’ve always been attracted to both sexes, and whether I act on it or not is not anyone’s business, really.

I’m not going to close myself off to the possibility of experience just because society says we must stick within these rigid boundaries.”

THIS WEEKEND ONLY!

—Alan Cumming

a great life. I have a really great life, and I live the way I want to live. I am the person I want to be, and I feel like it’s my duty to take care of people who don’t have those opportunities. I have a personal connection to people who have been prejudiced against who are gay or bisexual or transgender. I’m Scottish and I grew up with fairness and justice. Where I come from, it’s very important that we adhere to making sure that everyone is looking after each other. So, it’s partly my genetic makeup (laughs), but also in the privileged position that I am in, I feel it’s my duty to give back and help other people along. Being an artist is understanding other people and wanting to reach and connect with other people, so helping other people is absolutely a part of that. When there’s injustice and persecution, I can’t really live in a society with that going on and not do something about it.

Sponsored by

April 15 - 17, 2016 Music based on Franz Schubert Live with Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs

atlantaballet.com | 1.800.982.2787

Alessa Rogers. Photo by Charlie McCullers. Costume design by Anne Armit.

Groups of 10+ call 404.873.5811 x207

April 15, 2016 A&E 31

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

Gay director Laprise on diversity in new Cirque du Soleil show ‘Kurios’

䄀吀䰀䄀一吀䄀ᤠ匀 䘀䤀刀匀吀 唀刀䈀䄀一 圀䤀一䔀刀夀Ⰰ 䤀一吀䤀䴀䄀吀䔀 䴀唀匀䤀䌀 嘀䔀一唀䔀Ⰰ 刀䔀匀吀䄀唀刀䄀一吀Ⰰ ☀ 倀刀䤀嘀䄀吀䔀 䔀嘀䔀一吀 匀倀䄀䌀䔀

⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀

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䄀一䤀 䐀䤀䘀刀䄀一䌀伀 䨀唀䰀夀 ㈀

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䴀䄀䌀夀 䜀刀䄀夀

䨀唀䰀夀 ㄀㠀 ☀ ㄀㤀

⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀⸀

䈀伀伀䬀 夀伀唀刀 倀刀䤀嘀䄀吀䔀 䔀嘀䔀一吀 吀伀䐀䄀夀℀

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䌀䤀吀夀圀䤀一䔀刀夀⸀䌀伀䴀⼀䄀吀䰀䄀一吀䄀

Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Kurios’ runs through May 8 at The Grand Chapiteau at Atlantic Station. (Publicity photo)

Michael Laprise worked for nine years in different roles in the theater, but for the last 16 years he has found a comfy home with Cirque du Soleil. The openly gay writer and director of Cirque’s new production “Kurios,” currently playing in the ATL, is something of a departure for the company.

The 35th Cirque production, “Kurios” premiered in 2014 and has been called the strongest Cirque show in years. Laprise wanted to have characters that people could relate to.

“I wanted to have props - real chairs, tables.

I also wanted to bring the audience closer to the cast. Little things like that,” said Laprise.

He was precise in his direction but also wanted to be receptive to ideas from his cast.

“It’s a personal show for the artists. I celebrate who they are,” he said.

Laprise is aware that Cirque has a strong LGBT following and is proud of that. “We have nice looking guys onstage,” he laughs.

“But I also think it’s because we have such great diversity, a great feeling of needing each other.

In our shows it is okay to be different. It’s okay to have hair like that, to be a clown; it’s okay to be that size. We are all in it together.”

A vital element in the show is a breathtaking moment that didn’t involve acrobats. One is “Comic Act,” in which a young man invites a girl to his apartment – and she has to face his cat and other animals, all played by the same actor.

Yet the show has its patented acrobatics as well.

Although he loves all the acts, one he is partial to – and one that was immensely challenging on a number of levels - is “Acro Net.” In it, artists leap into the air using a very wide

Details ‘Kurios’

Through May 8 The Grand Chapiteau at Atlantic Station, Atlanta, GA 30363 www.cirquedusoleil.com net, and are caught and then flipped back up.

The act is kind of a metaphor. “It really speaks about the values of the show,” said Laprise.

“With each other’s help, we can help someone go higher than he could ever go by himself. It’s important to be there for each other.”

The first time Laprise saw Cirque was as a teen with his father. He heard the show’s music and went closer to examine where it was coming from. At that time, Cirque was a smaller company with little security. He was able to lift the canvas and what he saw brought him to tears.

“I was from a small town, where everyone was white, middle class, wearing the same shoes. There were no blacks, no Asians, and it was very boring.” He saw all sorts of people and realized that it was possible to be in a world that celebrates diversity.

There is a rainbow reference in “Kurios” specifically speaking to the LGBT community. He joked about that to his cast and crew.

“By the way guys, when we hit Moscow in a few years, this will still be in the show.”

Laprise visits every city where “Kurios” plays, sometimes more than once. He had a great time in Atlanta on opening night and is looking forward to coming back again to celebrate the show’s second anniversary. “I love Atlanta,” he said. “I really love the vibe down there.”

32 A&E April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Indulging in BoccaLupo’s tasty Italian-American menu Inman Park has become one of the city’s prime destinations for good dining, exploding recently with the gigantic food hall of the Krog Street Market. I’ve sampled most restaurants in the neighborhood, but my favorite remains BoccaLupo (753 Edgewood Ave., 404-577-2332).

Bruce Logue, an Atlanta native with a chef’s experience unlike anyone else in town, opened it about three years ago. He worked, for example, at Mario Batali’s renowned Babbo in New York. Eventually, he returned to Atlanta as opening chef of La Pietra Cucina on Peachtree. It was my favorite restaurant in the city. I lunched there with friends nearly every Friday for several years. Logue left the restaurant after a couple of years to open BoccaLupo.

What’s the big deal about the cuisine here?

Logue, like Batali, cooks an amazing version of Italian-American food. No, I’m not talking fancy Chef Boyardee. His pastas and entrees are made in strictly Italian manner, but the other ingredients often vary widely from the classics. There’s a very good reason for that and it’s why Italian-American cooking emerged in New York years ago. Namely: Immigrant chefs couldn’t always find the super-fresh, classic ingredients required in Italy, so they began experimenting with more accessible, sometimes unconventional ingredients. Logue takes that to a new level – a down-home Southern level and an international level.

An example of his playfulness with pastas (primi) is the 20-yolk tagliatelle, slick with butter, studded with wild mushrooms, and, for some tangy contrast, Tuscan kale kimchi. How about a Vietnamese-inspired banh mi (sandwich) made with bruschetta, roasted pork, chicken liver, and Italian-American relish? One dish that always stands out in my memory is the extruded spaghetti turned black and velvety by squid ink tossed with shrimp, hot Calabrese sausage and scallions or chiles. Goose-liver ravioli? If the day’s ingredients please you, do not miss the completely unique risotto. It’s not made with the classic Italian rice. It’s made with prestigious Carolina Gold “rice grits.”

Of course, before you put away a plate of www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Black spaghetti, hot calabrese sausage, red shrimp, scallions (Courtesy photo)

pasta, you should share a few antipasti with your tablemates. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed a pig’s foot with rice, beans and arugula; various cured meats; lamb tongue; perfect grilled octopus; and asparagus with a duck egg and parmigiano.

Substantial entrees (secondi) I’ve ordered include grilled quail; sweetbreads and grilled branzino with spring radishes, olives, and lemon oregano. Honestly, though, I usually limit myself to pasta and antipasti. There’s also a tasting menu, which can be ordered by the table, and you will likely find Logue’s most interesting current creations there. The two times I’ve ordered it with a friend, we added, at the server’s recommendation, a plate of pasta. Please understand that BoccaLupo’s menu changes regularly, so some of the dishes I’ve mentioned may not be available. But I promise anything you order will please you.

Be warned that the dining room only seats 40, although there is a patio that adds about 20 seats. In other words, don’t even try to eat here without a reservation. Be warned too that BoccaLupo is not cheap. Of course, you don’t have to order four courses. But get dessert.

You really need, if it’s available, poppy-seed meringue with grapefruit and lime cream.

Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a longtime Atlanta food critic and former psychotherapist who now practices life coaching for creative types; 404-518-4415.

April 15, 2016 Columnists 33

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LGBT

Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for April 15-28 DJ Rob Reum returns to Jungle Atlanta for the Glow Party, www.jungleatl.com

TA N A L T A

SUNDAY, APRIL 17

DJ Ivan Gomez spins for the late night crowd at 3 a.m. at Xion Atlanta, www.facebook.com/events/ 1715888951990433/

EVENTS

Today is Sunday Fund Day: A Fundraiser for the Lost-N-Found Youth GED Program. LNF Academy is a project created by Georgia State social work graduate students in partnership with Lost-N-Found Youth that focuses on empowering youth, meeting their needs, and supporting them to reach their education goals in a safe and LGBTQ-friendly space. A $10 donation will help pay for books, materials, and will help pay for LGBTQ at-risk and homeless youth to take and pass their GED. 2 p.m., F.R.O.G.S, www.frogsmidtown.com Aurora Theatre presents Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,” with a final performance today at 2:30 p.m. www.auroratheatre.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Funny lady Kathy Griffin brings her Like a Boss tour to the Atlanta Symphony, 8 p.m., www.atlantasymphony.org (Publicity photo)

FRIDAY, APRIL 15

Broadway’s “Dreamgirls” cast member Terry Burrell stars in “Ethel,” a one-woman show about legendary Ethel Waters, tonight at 7:30 p.m., running through May 1 at the Alliance Theatre, www.alliancetheatre.org The infamous Charlie Brown hosts Glitz and Glam tonight (and tomorrow) at Lips Atlanta, www.atldragshow.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Destiny Brooks and Shavonna Brooks host Femme Fatales, 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com (Publicity photo)

34 Best Bets April 15, 2016

Redheads are all the rage at Ginger Appreciation Night, 6 p.m. – 1 a.m., Woofs Atlanta, www.woofsatlanta.com

Ever fantasized about having your car washed by your favorite go-go boy, drag queen, or Atlanta sister? Join the Suds & Suds Car Wash and Beer Bust with the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to support disABILITY LINK. For only $10 you can have your car washed and for $5 more you can enjoy a Southern cookout. The event begins at 1 p.m. at BJ Roosters and Heretic, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd., Atlanta, GA, 30324

Dust off your dancing shoes! The season’s swankiest event returns as The MetroGnomes Stage Band presents Spring Swing! This year’s event will start with free swing dance lessons from Down South Swing at 7 p.m. Live music begins at 8 p.m. The program will include the best music from the swing and big band eras along with some pop and funk tunes to keep the evening rocking. There will be appetizers and desserts, plus the bar staff at the Hudson Grille Midtown will keep attendees well-hydrated during the evening.

7 – 11 p.m., 942 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309

The Mr. HSL (Hotlantasoftball) Contest tonight benefits the sports group as well as Lost-N-Found Youth and AID Atlanta, 5 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com

If it’s 9 p.m. at BJ Roosters, hot boys will be on the bar, bartenders will be pouring strong drinks, and DJ Tommy will be spinning fun tunes, 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd., Atlanta, GA 30324

SATURDAY, APRIL 16

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

The Atlanta Rollergirls stage a double feature game today, 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308

The PFLAG support group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people and their parents and family meets tonight from 2:30 – 4 p.m. at the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta. 1730 Northeast Expressway NE Atlanta, GA 30329 Passion for Paws presents the annual Canines & Cocktails Big Deck event benefiting Leader Dogs for the Blind and Angels Among Us Pet Rescue.

A $10 donation gets you a complimentary cocktail and swag. DJ Zach Falls will keep attendees dancing all afternoon. The event features an auction and amazing raffles plus adoptable dogs. 3 – 7 p.m., Henry’s Midtown, www.henrysatl.com Don’t miss the Miss Gay Georgia USofA & Miss Gay Georgia USofA at Large pageant, 7:30 p.m., Jungle Atlanta, www.jungleatl.com Regina Simms hosts the New Faces contest tonight at 9 p.m., Friends on Ponce, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

MONDAY, APRIL 18

Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender, and aspiring allies.

Charis provides a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues. Whether silently

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBT EVENT

Submit your LGBT event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com or aloud, please come ready to consider your own gender in a transient world. This is a project of the Feminist Outlawz and is co-sponsored by Charis Circle’s Strong Families, Whole Children, 7 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 19

Art It Out Therapy Center is now offering an Expressive Art Therapy Group for LGBTQ Teens on Tuesdays. Through art, the group will explore self-identity, coping with stress, intimate and parental relationships, and coming out. 7 p.m., 255 Village Parkway (in Paper Mill Village), Suite 580, Marietta, GA 30067 J’s Lounge is the home for Rainbow Tuesdays, with Dymond Onasis and Nicole Paige Brooks leading the fun and DJ Destin providing house music, 1995 Windy Hill Road #1, Smyrna, GA 30080

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20

100 local participating restaurants participate in the 24th Dining Out For Life, www.openhandatlanta.com The new Cirque du Soleil show “Kurios” has opened at Atlantic Station, with several openly gay performers, with an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, running through May 8, www.cirquedusoleil.com Come enjoy hump day specials and karaoke at the newly reopened Cockpit, 465 Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

THURSDAY, APRIL 21

SAGE Atlanta hosts a social hour at 10 a.m., followed by a program/meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.org Join Transgender Law Center and Southerners on New Ground for an evening of community building, meal sharing and entertainment at the Garden Party and Open House from 4 – 8 p.m. at their new office space at 580 Holderness St SW, Atlanta, GA 30310. To RSVP, visit bit.ly/TLCatSONGOpenHouse Mark your calendars for an evening of networking. Join the Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals (MAAP) and Gayborhood tonight and spend the evening connecting with Metro Atlanta professionals and business owners. Enjoy

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

a complimentary drink sponsored by Gayborhood while expanding your professional network. 6-8 p.m., Steel Restaurant & Lounge, 950 West Peachtree St. NW #255, Atlanta, GA 30309 Saint Mark United Methodist Church presents “Godspell” at the McDowell Fine Arts Center tonight through Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m. and also on Sunday, April 24 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased: www.brownpapertickets.com/ event/2522648 The Pretty Girl Hideout Thursdays is tonight, hosted by Mook Dahost, Soul Bar at Pal’s Lounge, 254 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.traxxgirls.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 – SUNDAY, APRIL 24

Join the second annual Atlanta Bear Pride for a big weekend of events and entertainment, featuring bears, cubs, otters, chubs, chasers and friends from around the globe. The host hotel is the La Quinta Inn Atlanta. More details and schedule of events coming soon to www.AtlantaBearPride.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) holds its Fourth Friday Networking night from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Einstein’s, hosted by AARP, www.einsteinsatlanta.com

SATURDAY, APRIL 23

Deep South presents the Bears in Space event, with DJs Chris Bowen and Victor Rodriguez, 10 p.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.facebook.com/ events/1687404504848408/ ?active_tab=highlights Edie Cheezburger hosts Glitter Bomb at 11 p.m., Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

SUNDAY, APRIL 24

Politics, sex, religion, loss, and beauty – all of the topics that you can’t talk about over dinner but can at a museum – are open for discussion in “Art AIDS America,” an exhibition that reveals for the first time how the AIDS crisis forever changed American art. Its stop at Kennesaw State University’s Zuckerman Museum of Art is the only Southern stop on its national tour, through

FRIDAY, APRIL 22

Atlanta Lyric Theatre has opened a version of “Dreamgirls,” directed by the openly gay Ricardo Aponte, running through April 24 with an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, www.atlantalyrictheatre.com (Publicity photo) May 22, zuckerman.kennesaw.edu.

MONDAY, APRIL 25

Enjoy beer specials all night long at The Hideaway, www.atlantahideaway.com

TUESDAY, APRIL 26

DJ Kaye G spins at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA, 30308

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

Do you want to read books by amazing black women writers? Do you want to discuss works from a black feminist perspective(s)? Do you want to do all of this in an awesome gem of a feminist book store? Then the Black Feminist Book Club is for you! Charis Circle board cochair Susana Morris will be the facilitator of this group. This is a Charis Circle from margin to center literary event and the suggested donation is $5. 7 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

Georgia (CHGA) and the homeless youth it serves. The fifth annual A Night of Broadway Stars will be held tonight hosted by renowned composer and lyricist, Neil Berg. 6 p.m., The Buckhead Theatre, www.thebuckheadtheatre.com Googie Uterhardt plays Hollywood queen Bette Davis in “Me and Jezebel,” opening tonight at 8 p.m. and running through May 15 at ART Station, www.artstation.org Thursdays are Trivia and Game Night at My Sister’s Room, with bingo, beer pong, darts and billiards, www.mysistersroom.com

SOLUTION TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 39

Wednesdays are Warp Zone night, beginning at 7 p.m., followed by the Pig Dance Blackout party with DJ Stan Jackson at 10 p.m., Heretic Atlanta, www.hereticatlanta.com

THURSDAY, APRIL 28

Performers from some of the best known productions on Broadway will appear at a benefit supporting Covenant House

April 15, 2016 Best Bets 35

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

New address, new neighbors, new headache?

Spring is in the air, and as the flowers bloom and the pollen brings a tear to your eye, there’s something else on your mind… moving. That’s because you’re coming out of the winter blues with a need to change your surroundings and you’ve likely heard that spring is a great time to buy a new home.

The decision to change addresses can bring the excitement of changing décor, planting flowers, or replacing outdated garage doors. Something you may fail to consider in your move, however, is what the new neighbors are going to be like. Before you make any offers, here are some cautionary tales of those who found out about their neighbors after the point of no return.

Emergency officials in Germany were called to check out a suspected gas leak. The fire department evacuated an apartment block after being alerted to the smell of gas by a resident. They then searched for the source and traced it to a fridge in the apartment of the woman who had alerted authorities. Ends up it wasn’t plugged in and was full of rotting food. Residents were allowed back into their apartments after half an hour.

Gina Briggs was in her Florida apartment when she heard a gardener outside using a leaf blower to get some grass clippings off the sidewalk. Seems the sound of the leaf blower pushed her too far. So she grabbed her gun, stormed outside and pointed the gun in the gardener’s face, and told him he was making too much noise.

The gardener took off running, hid behind his truck, and called the cops. Gina was arrested.

Also in Florida, police got a 911 call from a guy who heard his neighbors attacking each other. A cop arrived on the scene expecting a domestic disturbance. Instead they found the couple having sex on their living room floor. Since they didn’t have air conditioning, they’d left their windows open. No one was arrested but the cop says he suggested they keep the noise down.

A tornado tore through Tennessee and

“The decision to change addresses can bring the excitement of changing décor, planting flowers, or replacing outdated garage doors. Something you may fail to consider in your move, however, is what the new neighbors are going to be like.” damaged several homes, including a place that belongs to Jerrod Christian. In the process of ripping through his house, the tornado flung a bunch of Jerrod’s stuff onto his lawn, including a bunch of stuff he’d stolen from his neighbors. So when neighbors went over to see if they could help him out, they were shocked to see their stuff on his lawn.

They called the cops and Jerrod was arrested.

In Hephzibah, Georgia what started out as an argument between two neighbors quickly escalated into a much larger fight in the middle of the street. At least 20 people were involved in the brawl, including people running out with bats. The fight ended when an 18-year-old got seriously injured.

Just something to think about as you drive around looking for “For Sale” signs.

Maybe it’s a good idea to check out who else lives in your new neighborhood before sending out that change of address form.

These stories are part of Melissa’s “Can O Crazy” segment, weekday mornings on the “Tad & Melissa” show on B98.5.

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

36 Columnists April 15, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE

Georgians learning to live in an ‘endless spring’ One of the only traits of spring that I enjoy is the onset of later daytime. I’m not a fan of daylight savings itself, the way it scrambles our circadian rhythm, but I appreciate not feeling like the day is virtually over when I leave work.

Otherwise, I can’t stand spring, for some popular reasons, such as having my sinuses assaulted by pollen, and for more personal annoyances that others consider profane, like the simultaneous blooming of dogs as everyone takes their pet outside to enjoy nice weather.

Many dog owners assume their canine’s cuteness excuses them from exercising basic manners such as not letting their dog (and specifically their dog’s leash) take up three-quarters of a sidewalk, or assuming everyone they pass is comfortable being panhandled for affection.

But the most annoying part of spring has to be the bipolar weather – both daily and throughout the season: leaving for work wearing a sweater because it’s 30 degrees, then being drenched in perspiration by 80-degree afternoon heat; hopefully packing away your winter coat once the warm spells become routine in mid-March, then having to pull it out almost every weekend until May. It’s hard to appreciate 8 p.m. daylight when it’s 45 degrees outside, but at least the shorter nights promise the coming of extended warmth.

There was a nippy breeze blowing through downtown Atlanta April 5, when hundreds of LGBT Georgians and allies rallied outside the state Capitol to thank Gov. Nathan Deal for vetoing the so-called “religious freedom” bill a few days earlier. The mood among the crowd was celebratory but vigilant, as everyone attending expects “religious freedom” legislation to re-surface next year, beginning the fight anew.

While the governor’s veto received much attention locally and nationally, there’s been little recognition that this is the third consecutive year when religion was pitted against LGBT rights in Georgia, and the third consecutive victory for the latter. Sure, the trend is more reflective of the shrewd leadership of those leadwww.thegeorgiavoice.com

“Yet, success is worth celebrating, especially when it’s counterintuitive as ‘Gays’ establishing a winning streak vs. ‘God’ on what’s considered his home turf. We are years away from full security and equality for LGBT Georgians, but I wonder if we might have entered an endless spring.” ing the fight against these proposals – harnessing the influence of big business, most notably Hollywood, and parlaying the woes of other states facing backlash – rather than a softening of conservative antipathy toward a group they have marginalized for decades.

Yet, success is worth celebrating, especially when it’s counterintuitive as “Gays” establishing a winning streak vs. “God” on what’s considered his home turf. We are years away from full security and equality for LGBT Georgians, but I wonder if we might have entered an endless spring.

There will likely always remain stubborn sputtering from a fading winter, but our current season is marked by stretches of warmer temperatures and blooming hopes. The light claims more of each day, and the night becomes less daunting as the length of darkness shortens.

An endless spring may be the best LGBT Georgians – or LGBT Americans – can hope for, as, despite the advancements in human and civil rights throughout U.S. history, no other marginalized group has ever been able to stow away their winter coats for good. The blizzards we have endured have been brutal – from being forced to live in the closet, to being portrayed as a threat to the American family, from being considered an abomination against God to being deemed unworthy of empathy, understanding or even existence – but it’s hard not to feel like the harshest weather has passed.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

April 15, 2016 Columnists 37

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