05/06/22, Vol. 13 Issue 4

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your healthcare

 Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY”

provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

section.

 Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get

stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.

 Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis

infection.  Have any other health problems.

provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.

 Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a

serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

 Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your

healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, lightcolored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.

 The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were

diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if

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

BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not

breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter

GET MORE INFORMATION

medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.  BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your

healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

 This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY.

Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for

program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, GSI, and KEEP BEING YOU are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2022 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-0085 02/22

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#1 PRESCRIBED

HIV TREATMENT * *Source: IQVIA NPA Weekly, 04/19/2019 through 05/28/2021.

KEEP BEING YOU. Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

ONE SMALL PILL, ONCE A DAY Pill shown not actual size (15 mm x 8 mm) | Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

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georgia VOLUME 13• ISSUE 4 About the cover:

EDITORIAL

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4 EDITORIAL MAY 6, 2022

I did not spend a lot of my youth traveling.

I didn’t fly in an airplane until I was 20 (aside from a vague memory of flying to upstate New York to visit family when I was small enough to worry about having to put my baby doll on through the security scanner). I ventured beyond the east coast for the first time last year on a trip to Colorado. I went on some Spring Break trips to South Carolina beaches and North Georgia mountains with my friends in high school, but the only vacations my family took were to visit my grandparents in Daytona Beach, Florida.

This was because of finances; after the 2008 recession, my middle-class childhood morphed into a lower-class adolescence, and we couldn’t afford expensive family vacations. But because there was a free place to stay and the drive was only eight hours long, we went (and still go) to Daytona often, at least twice a year. However, every so often, this routine trip would become an exciting vacation. On special occasions, we would drive out to Orlando for the day to go to a theme park like Disney World or Universal Studios.

I can still remember how exciting I found these trips. Because I couldn’t travel to major cities or destinations overseas, my new experiences were found in theme parks. I loved the novelty, how each section of the park felt like its own little world, how much detail was put into each of the rides — even down to the waiting areas! There was just so much look at and enjoy, and for someone from Winder, Georgia, these experiences felt huge.

I have been fortunate enough to have the financial stability to be able to prioritize travel in my young adulthood. In the years

PHOTO BY ISTOCK.COM / ENNYMARTY

since my theme park days, I have been to Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Puerto Rico, and I have plans to go to overseas to Europe for the first time later this year. And I have come to realize that “proper” traveling is a much more fulfilling and expansive experience than a theme park vacation.

I recently visited my family in Florida and went back to Universal at the suggestion of my dad. The allure of the theme park has definitely worn off with time — as an adult, you’re more attuned to the hot and sticky crowds, exorbitant prices, and the cross-promotional, late-stage capitalism of it all (there’s currently a ride inspired by “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” for some reason). Even though it was less fanciful than in my youth, I still enjoyed myself. I was able to spend time with my family — something I value more as an adult than I ever did as a child — and the trip gave me the perspective of nostalgia.

Reminiscing on how much I used to enjoy theme parks reminded me of the good

fortune I now have; I can travel to places I never dreamed of as a kid, and that is something I shouldn’t ever take for granted.

To be able to travel is a gift, a privilege that, unfortunately, not everybody has access to. When we discuss travel as a means of expanding our understanding of the world that exists outside of the bounds of our hometowns, we have to also recognize that travel is expensive and time-consuming, and the most accessible place for many people to visit is a theme park.

If we value travel, we must then also value ample paid time off for all workers, as well as a more even distribution of resources that allows for everybody to have some discretionary jetsetting funds if they so desire.

I am grateful for the traveling I’ve been able to do in my adulthood, but I’m even more grateful for my humble theme park roots, as they are a reminder of my family, my childhood, and the fact that I don’t need to travel to the most exotic destinations to find joy.

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Georgia

Know the when, where, and how.

Then vote.

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It gives you the power to decide what our future looks like. But you have to be in the know to vote. Election laws and voting places can change. Thatʼs why AARP Georgia has collected all the most up-todate election information to make sure that the voices of voters 50-plus are heard on May 24. Make sure you know how to register to vote, where to vote in person, what the rules are for absentee or early voting, and all the key voting deadlines.

Get the latest voting information for Georgia at aarp.org/GAvotes

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NEWS BRIEFS Staff reports Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com

Gov. Kemp Signs Anti-LGBTQ Legislation into Law Gov. Brian Kemp has signed three antiLGBTQ bills into law.

Gov. Kemp signed HB 1084, the “Protect Students First Act’; HB 1178, the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”), and SB 226.

HB 1084 creates an athletics committee with the authority to ban transgender youth from playing on sports teams aligning with their gender identity. The bill also bans the teaching of “divisive concepts” about race in schools. During the bill signing, Gov. Kemp said the bill would “put students and parents first by putting woke politics out of the classroom and off the ball field.”

“Brian Kemp has the opportunity to emulate his fellow Republican governors in Utah and Indiana, who saw through efforts in their states to limit the access of transgender young people to sporting activities and vetoed similar discriminatory bills,” Dewayne Johnson, the Human Rights Campaign’s Georgia State Director, said in a statement. “They knew, as Gov. Kemp surely knows, that there is no basis for this legislation. The bill’s attacks on gender and race are fundamentally arbitrary and not a legitimate legal basis for discrimination.”

“Transgender kids are not creating problems by participating in school sports,” Johnson continued. “Singling them out for discriminatory treatment — preventing them from playing with their friends and enjoying the benefits of athletic activity — serves no one except those who want to fearmonger and further divide Georgians.”

HB 1178 allows parents to challenge any material taught in school, including LGBTQ content, and SB 226 would give school principals the power to ban “obscene” books from their libraries. According to NBC News, more than two dozen states — Georgia included — have banned books in the past nine months, with banned books including “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by nonbinary author Maia Kobabe, “The

6 NEWS MAY 6, 2022

Gov. Kemp Signs Anti-LGBTQ Legislation into Law. PHOTO VIA TWITTER Handmaid’s Tale,” “Under My Hijab,” and “Beloved” by Toni Morrison.

A survey from the Human Rights Campaign found that Americans overwhelmingly oppose censorship and book bans: 87 percent do not think books should be banned for discussing race or slavery, 85 percent don’t think they should be banned for political ideas you disagree with, and 83 percent don’t think they should be banned for criticizing U.S. history. Across the aisle, 71 percent of likely voters (including 66 percent of Independents and 64 percent of Republicans) believe local school boards should not have the authority to ban books from school curriculums.

Biden Names Lesbian Hispanic Immigrant Ana Reyes to Serve on Federal Judiciary President Biden has nominated Ana Reyes, an attorney at the D.C-based law firm Williams & Connolly LLP, for a seat on federal court in D.C., making her the first Hispanic woman and the first out lesbian who would ever serve on the court, the White House announced Wednesday.

Reyes was among the five picks in the latest round of judicial nominees announced by the White House, which brings the total number of announced federal judicial nominees in the Biden Administration to 95. Reyes publicly identifies as a lesbian, a White House official said.

Reyes, who immigrated to the United States as a child, has worked as an attorney at Williams & Connolly LLP since 2001 and has been partner at the law firm since 2009, according to her White House bio. Reyes served as a law clerk for Judge Amalya Kearse on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2000 to 2001, her bio says.

A Washington Post profile on Reyes in 2020 reports she was born in Uruguay and shortly after moved to Spain, before her family came to Louisville in 1979 for her father to pursue a job as a civil engineer. Much of Reyes’s work is pro bono as she represents refugee organizations and challenges anti-asylum regulations, the Post reported.

“I often wonder whether this career would have been possible if I had not had someone spend her extra time to help me learn English and not fall behind or through the cracks,” Reyes was quoted as saying in the profile.

“I would very much love to say thank you, and my life very likely wouldn’t have been possible, without you.”

Reyes obtained law degree in 2000 from Harvard Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude, and obtained her master’s degree in International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School of International Studies, with honors, in 2014.

Reyes obtained her bachelor’s degree from Transylvania University in 1996.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Abortion Decision Leak Sounds ‘Firebell’ for LGBTQ Activists for marriage equality, said Alito “leans on the distinctiveness of abortion and doesn’t necessarily go further (though we know he would like to).”

Lisa Keen Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

In an unprecedented development, a purported draft of what is believed to be the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling on abortion indicates not only that the court is poised to overturn its long-standing decisions protecting the right to abortion but that it is also laying the groundwork to overturn landmark pro-LGBTQ decisions.

“LGBTQ people should recognize that we are once again in the crosshairs and that all of our hard-won protections are under serious threat,” said Shannon Minter, legal director for the National Center for Lesbian Rights.

Nan Hunter, a veteran of many legal battles for LGBTQ equality, said the draft would almost certainly unleash “a rush by right wingers to get a challenge before the court” to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 decision which struck down state bans on marriage for same-sex couples.

The abortion decision draft, first reported by Politico.com Monday night (May 2), appears to be authentic. But it is dated February, leaving open the possibility that it is not finalized.

At least five justices must sign onto the final decision to carry the majority. Votes on some decisions in the past have changed very late in the process. Justices have sometimes voted with a majority view at first, then later changed their vote after reading the majority’s proposed decision. Also in the past, attempts to report the outcome of cases before the decisions were released have turned out to be wrong.

But most legal analysts Monday night said they believe the draft released Monday is

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Nan Hunter was more blunt: “Justice Alito badly wants to overrule Obergefell. What this opinion tells us is that he doesn’t have the votes to do so. If there were three other justices — beside him and Thomas — willing to end same-sex marriage, that would have been part of this decision.”

Pro-choice supporters stand in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2016 in Washington D.C. PHOTO BY ISTOCK.COM / JOEL CARILLET

authentic and that the leak represents a dramatic departure from the court’s efforts to avoid being influenced by political pressure.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled,” states the draft decision in Dobbs v. Jackson, referring to Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Roe, in 1973, said there is an implied right to privacy and liberty guaranteed by the Constitution that covers the right to choose an abortion. Casey, in 1992, said that states could regulate abortion once a fetus becomes viable as long as the regulations did not create an undue burden to women who seek an abortion.

In language especially troubling to LGBTQ legal activists, the draft opinion in Dobbs, apparently penned by Justice Samuel Alito, states, “The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” including the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. According to Alito, the only implicit rights the 14th Amendment due process clause protects must be “deeply rooted

in this Nation’s history and tradition” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty.”

Alito’s draft says abortion is not one of those rights and, in language reminiscent of a 1986 decision that allowed states to ban same-sex sexual relations, he notes that three-fourths of states made abortion a crime when the 14th Amendment was adopted. The opinion further echoes the Bowers v. Hardwick decision when it notes that a right to abortion was “entirely unknown in American law” before the latter part of the 20th Century.

Alito’s draft also says that abortion is “critically different” and “fundamentally different” from some other rights that have been protected by the 14th Amendment – such as intimate sexual relations, contraception, and marriage — because abortion takes the life of an “unborn human being.”

But activists were not much comforted by that distinction.

Evan Wolfson, a gay legal activist who was a key player in the legal and political battle

The apparent leaking of the draft decision has stirred almost as much controversy as the 98-page draft decision itself. The U.S. Supreme Court has a long-standing protocol of not signaling to the public how its decisions are developing. The assumed motivation behind this tradition is to prevent outside politics from putting pressure on the court’s legal analysis and reasoning. Some legal commentators Monday night were characterizing this leak as a blatant attempt to play politics with the final formulation of the court’s abortion opinion. But the pressure could have come from either side — from Alito, attempting to discourage any justice from abandoning his politically aggressive opinion, or from a pro-choice justice hoping public pressure would rattle any majority justice who was concerned about the farreaching consequences of the opinion.

“Whether or not this draft makes it into a majority opinion, and whether or not it later gets invoked in assaults on other rights, it’s already a firebell in the night,” said Evan Wolfson, saying it underscores “the importance of voting out the Republicans who have conspired, lied, and court-packed to get our country to this ugly, divisive, corrosive moment.”

MAY 6, 2022 NEWS 7

NATIONAL NEWS

Report Details U.S. Efforts to Promote LGBTQ Rights Abroad “It remains vitally important that we address the violence and discrimination faced

by LGBTQI+ persons while acknowledging the effects of the intersections of race and ethnicity, gender, disability, religion and national origin, to name a few.”

Michael K. Lavers, Washington Blade courtesy of the National LGBTQ Media Association The State Department recently released a report on the implementation of President Biden’s memo that committed the U.S. to the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad.

The report notes last June’s appointment of Jessica Stern as the special U.S. envoy for the promotion of LGBTQ rights abroad and the issuance of passports with “X” gender markers that began on April 11.

Stern on Thursday told reporters during a conference call the State Department has created the Global LGBTQI+ Inclusive Democracy and Empowerment Initiative “that seeks to ensure democracies are inclusive of LGBTQI+ persons, representative of their communities and families and responsive to their needs and concerns.” Stern also noted roughly 60 percent of Peace Corp posts have implemented “specific LGBTQI+ equity practices within their operations.”

Stern highlighted the U.S. supported the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in a resolution in support of “democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections” the U.N. General Assembly adopted last November. Stern also noted the U.S. Agency for International Development again tracks how its foreign assistance programs promote LGBTQ rights.

Chantale Wong, the U.S. director of the Asian Development Bank who is the first openly lesbian American ambassador, told the Washington Blade during an exclusive interview that she expects the U.S. government will endorse a proposed LGBTQ-specific safeguard for the ADB. Stern on Thursday noted the Department

8 NEWS MAY 6, 2022

— Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and other State Department officials help raise the Progress Pride flag over the State Department on June 25, 2021. WASHINGTON BLADE PHOTO BY MICHAEL K. LAVERS of Homeland Security has issued guidance to recognize informal same-sex marriages for the purposes of obtaining refugee or asylee status, even if they are not officially recognized by officials in countries of origin.”

The report also highlights how the Commerce, Defense, Justice, Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services have implemented the memo that Biden issued in February 2021.

“This memorandum makes clear that promoting and protecting the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons is a U.S. foreign policy priority,” said Stern. “The report outlines how U.S. government agencies engaged abroad are working to become LGBTQI+ inclusive.

It shows that many individual actions across

the U.S. government taken as a whole create institutional change and improves the daily lives of LGBTQI+ persons.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a statement echoed Stern.

“It remains vitally important that we address the violence and discrimination faced

by LGBTQI+ persons while acknowledging the effects of the intersections of race and ethnicity, gender, disability, religion and national origin, to name a few,” said Blinken.

“As the report demonstrates, the U.S. government advances these priorities by supporting efforts to end the criminalization of LGBTQI+ status and conduct, seeking to protect vulnerable LGBTQI+ refugees and

asylum seekers, providing foreign assistance to protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons and advancing non-discrimination protections, responding to human rights abuses of LGBTQI+ persons abroad, building coalitions of like-minded nations, and engaging international organizations in the fight against LGBTQI+ discrimination,” added Blinken. “Our collective efforts drive toward the goal of ending violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and sex characteristics. Equality and equity build stronger societies for all.”

USAID Administrator Samantha Power on Thursday said the memo “was a call to action based on a simple premise: That all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love.”

“Over the past year, as today’s report demonstrates, USAID has made important progress toward achieving these ambitions through a commitment to LGBTQI+ inclusive development in our policies and programs that reach millions of people around the world,” said Power.

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My Place to be Inspired Come see what makes it yours.

H I G H M U S E U M O F A R T AT L A N TA | H I G H . O R G

SUMMER TRAVEL

PRIDE JOURNEY TO

Palm Springs PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM / KAMIL ZELEZIK

Joey Amato Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

Palm Springs is my happy place. The city and the surrounding area provide me with the perfect mix of relaxation and entertainment.

Having been to Palm Springs numerous times prior to this visit, I wanted to partake in things that I have never tried before, most notably a full body massage at El Morocco Inn & Spa — but we’ll get to that later.

After checking into Triangle Inn, a lovely mid-century modern gay guesthouse just one mile from the Arenas Road district, I decided to unwind from my flight and take it easy by the pool. Everyone I encountered at the clothing-optional resort was very friendly and eager to give advice on the hottest spots to visit during my stay.

I decided to head to Cathedral City for happy hour. Before Palm Springs became the gay mecca of today, Cathedral City was the epicenter of LGBTQ culture in the desert. The area is home to an array of nightlife establishments, including The Barracks, AMP Sports Lounge and One Eleven Bar, a beautifully decorated space which, on the evening of my visit, was celebrating female voices of the ’80s. I sipped a delicious Espresso Rum-tini while grooving to music from Whitney, Madonna, and Tina.

10 SUMMER TRAVEL MAY 6, 2022

I grabbed breakfast the next morning at a cute LGBTQ-owned restaurant called Sunshine Café. I don’t normally eat a heavy breakfast, but when I saw the Banana Nut Pancakes on the menu, I knew I had to at least give them a try. The extra calories were definitely worth it.

would be wonderful. I was then asked to jump in the shower to rinse the clay off my body before the Moroccan Rain massage began.

This is a process of using a raindrop technique to apply seven different essential oils along the spine, which all aid in detoxification.

If you happen to be in town on a Sunday evening, there is no better place to be than Oscar’s for its world-famous T-Dance. The iconic party takes place every Sunday from 4 to 8pm and recently began again after an almost year-long hiatus.

Today was my Zen day in the desert, and I heard about a wonderful shop creating organic skin care products called The Body Deli. The business uses raw and organic superfoods to create their products, which range from facial moisturizers and scrubs to shampoo and conditioner. I sampled a few products while there and you can actually smell the freshness of the food they use to create the products.

The store offers a variety of travel-size skin care kits that are perfect for those out-oftowners looking to bring home some product.

Feeling refreshed, I was ready to enjoy a night on the town. I met up with my friend Brad Fuhr, who publishes the Gay Desert Guide, a one-stop spot for everything you need to know about LGBTQ culture and nightlife in the Palm Springs area. We enjoyed dinner at Trio, one of my favorite restaurants in the city.

I began my meal with the Roasted Beet Salad and then ordered the fish special, while Brad went for the Pesto Crusted Scottish Salmon served over squash and angel hair pasta.

Of course, dancing will make you hungry, so for your final meal in the desert, head to Roly China Fusion, a multilevel space which also hosts a weekly Drag Brunch on Sunday. While there, you must try the Lobster Dumplings, which are served in a delicious truffle butter broth with shiitake mushrooms and napa cabbage. It was one of the best dishes I’ve had in Palm Springs.

My next destination was El Morocco Inn & Spa, located in the town of Desert Hot Springs, known for the mineral properties in its water. I decided to indulge myself with a two-hour Moroccan Mystical Ritual, which begins with dry brushing to stimulate the lymphatic and circulatory system and promote exfoliation. My body was then covered in organic Rhassoul clay from the Atlas Mountains. As I lay on the massage table, the clay began to harden, and I felt like I was wrapped in a cocoon. At times it was a bit uncomfortable, but I knew the end result

No visit to Palm Springs would be complete without partying on Arenas Road, the LGBTQ cultural and nightlife hub of the city. Coincidentally, the owner of Hunter’s was in town (there is also a Hunter’s in Wilton Manors, Florida). Mark Hunter and I had met briefly in Florida many years ago, and we spent the evening reconnecting.

I woke up early to visit multiple public art exhibitions around the downtown area.

There are many art displays and murals around the Palm Springs Art Museum worth checking out.

Palm Springs Pride Festival is scheduled to take place this year from November 4–6.

Start making plans early as reservations at Palm Springs’ numerous guesthouses tend to sell out during this time. If you have never been to Palm Springs, I’m sure you’ll find it to be your happy place too.

To learn more, visit visitgreaterpalmsprings. com and to book your Palm Springs gaycation, visit Orbitz.com/pride.

Joey Amato is the publisher of Pride Journeys, a website dedicated to LGBTQ travel. Joey has spent over a decade in LGBTQ media and public relations.

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MAY 6, 2022 ADS 11

SUMMER TRAVEL

Amsterdam A GAY GUIDE TO

Buck Jones

Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

Depending on where (and when) you travel these days, always research to find out what restrictions are in place, since these can change daily. Since my husband and I were taking the Thalys high-speed train from Paris to Amsterdam, we had our health certification already. The inspection was done by French police at the Gare de Nord train station, and once onboard we were required to keep our face masks on.

But when we arrived in Amsterdam’s Centraal station, the sun was shining and everyone had their masks off outside. The fresh spring air and smiling faces reinvigorated us and reminded us why Amsterdam has such a special place in our collective hearts as a favorite destination.

Why Amsterdam?

Indeed, for many tourists, the very idea of Amsterdam is one of freedom. For decades people came to Amsterdam because of its reputation as the capital of tolerance with its coffeeshops (the Dutch euphemism for safe places to smoke pot/hashish), open sexuality (the Red Light district with its windows of sex workers trying to entice customers), and — for gay men — the promise of a vibrant

12 SUMMER TRAVEL MAY 6, 2022

night life of bars and clubs for whatever one’s personal predilection.

But in recent years, Amsterdam, like many cities, has suffered from its own success. Prior to COVID-19 and the “lost year” of 2020, this city of only 800,000 residents (within its city limits) welcomed nearly 20 million tourists per year. Like Venice, Barcelona, and even Prague, the city of Amsterdam has begun to rethink its approach in hosting so many tourists who flock annually via cheap airfare from budget airlines and booked apartments through Airbnb.

In February of this year, the city’s mayor came out in favor of banning tourists from using marijuana and other soft drugs that are currently legal with the hope that this might bring down the influx of foreign visitors who come to Amsterdam seeking to party and create havoc in the streets (and canals). A 2019 survey of visitors to the Red Light district showed that over half of them came expressly to smoke in the coffeeshops and a third of those said they probably would not have come to Amsterdam if there had been a ban on their consumption.

As of now, smoking in coffeeshops is still an option for tourists, but it is on the radar as a means of clamping down on the inundation the city has suffered in recent years from too many visitors.

Where the Gays Are

As for gay nightlife, the heart of the gay district has traditionally been a street between the Singel river canal and Herengracht canal called “Reguliersdwarsstraat.” If that seems like a mouthful, it is (and welcome to Holland). The origin of the name dates from the Middle Ages and refers to the monastery outside the city walls that used the “regular” vespers in their daily discipline. Now the street is synonymous with “the gay street” and is the home of several bars, restaurants, and gay-owned businesses.

Many locals fondly remember the street’s heyday, when it was filled with gay men at all hours of the day and night. It seemed like Reguliersdwarsstraat was the epicenter of gay Europe, if not the entire gay world. Many of the bars and clubs from this era, the 1980s to 2000s, were owned by a single entrepreneur, a troubled man named Sjoerd Kooistra. He built an empire of bars that dominated the street and eventually all the Netherlands, through a shady arrangement with holding companies and partnerships with major breweries. By the early 2000s, some of his bars were financially broke, but he continued to operate them using increasing credit from the beer distributors until finally, in 2010, his gay house of cards came crashing down and he committed suicide. As a result, most of Reguliersdwarsstraat became vacant and it has taken years for it to bounce back.

PHOTO BY ISTOCK.COM / VITALYEDUSH

Today, this charming street just off the famed Flower Market is again welcoming gay tourists, and on the nearby Kerkstraat, additional clubs and bars have also opened as Amsterdam is experiencing a gay renaissance.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the trendy but affordable Hoxton hotel on Herengracht in the center of the historic core of the city. Just a five-minute walk to the quaint “9 Straatjes” (literally, “nine streets”) shopping district of unique boutiques and eclectic cafés, we explored the rings of canals during our four-day stay.

A great first stop for any gay tourist should be the “Gay Kiosk” next to the towering Westerkerk church on Prinzengracht canal.

There you can ask the friendly volunteer what they recommend as to bars and places to visit based on your own interests.

Adjacent to the Westerkerk are the Anne Frank House and Museum as well as the Monument to Homosexuals, which commemorates those who have been persecuted for their homosexuality, a sober reminder that while we live in liberty, many millions of others do not.

Whether your idea of great vacation is cultural immersion in museums, beautiful architecture, great shopping, delicious cuisine, friendly and sexy locals, or just relaxing and having fun in a gay mecca, Amsterdam has it all.

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SUMMER TRAVEL

THE TRICK TO THE PERFECT GAY VACAY?

A GAY TRAVEL AGENT! Katie Burkholder A vacation is supposed to be a break, a time for rest and relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of the real world. But when it comes to planning a trip, that break can easily turn into its own stressor, weighing on your mind and eating up your time. Depending on your destination, coordinating all the moving parts involved in planning a trip — hotels, transportation, itineraries, tours, etc.

— can be a huge hassle. That’s where travel agents like Jim Anastos come in.

Anastos is an agent at Trips with George, one of the oldest gay-owned businesses in Atlanta with more than 25 years in operation.

Anastos is an LGBTQ travel expert, with 50 countries, over 20 gay cruises, and countless cities under his belt.

The big question is: Why use a travel agent when you can plan your own trip for free? If you’re passionate about planning, an expert on your destination, and have ample time and money to spend, go for it! But if you’re not — and, let’s be honest, most of us aren’t — a travel agent makes traveling more convenient, straightforward, and cost-effective, with expertise to make your trip a great one.

Agents like Anastos transform what can be up to 10 different points of contact across providers into just one, streamlining the planning process and making it easier on the client.

“If you’re booking, let’s say, an extensive trip to Europe, you’re going to be dealing with at least three — and maybe as many as six or seven — different providers: you’re going to get with an airline, a hotel, you’re going to deal with airport transfers, and then you’re going to deal with tour companies, car rentals, insurance policies,” he said.

“When you really add it up, it could be as many as ten different providers. With me, you get a single point of contact. You get one phone call, one email, and you get everything done for you. The time-saving is incredible.”

Because of their exclusive access to unpublished discounts from hotel chains and airlines, travel agents can also end up saving travelers money.

“As an agent, I can build a package for you and I can give you one total package price that includes airfare, hotels, transfers, and maybe even your tours,” Anastos said. “You

Travel agent Jim Anastos

COURTESY PHOTOS

actually don’t see a breakdown of how much of that [package price] is the airfare. That’s the intention; they don’t want you to see that, because they’re discounting. If they publish that [publicly], now they’re in trouble with their regular retail customers and people are going to say, ‘Well, how come I can’t get that fare?’ Sometimes it can save thousands; I saved one client $14,000 on some first-class airline tickets to South Africa.”

look at hotels, there’s this big, beautiful hotel resort zone,” he said. “That’s typically where people will pick [to stay]. Well, it’s like coming to Atlanta and booking a hotel next to the airport. Who wants to stay there? Nobody. But people don’t realize from looking at the websites where they’re going to be. The gay travelers really need to be staying in Zona Romantica. That’s like staying in Midtown Atlanta.”

There’s also the obvious benefit of experience; chances are, your agent has visited your destination and therefore has tips for the places to visit (and avoid), suggestions for fun things to do, and helpful hints about getting around.

As for his favorite destinations, Anastos never misses a summer in Provincetown and a winter in Puerto Vallarta and says Mediterranean cruises, particularly to the islands of Mykonos and Santorini, are the best. Other cities he loves include Sydney, Istanbul, Cairo, and Barcelona.

When hiring a travel agent with an LGBTQ focus, this expertise is even more valuable to LGBTQ clients. An agent like Anastos can offer information on the safety and comfort LGBTQ people can expect in the city, country, or even resort where they’re staying, and they have helpful insight into navigating to one’s destination and finding like-minded people.

Anastos offered the location of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as an example of how his expertise helps LGBTQ clients.

Jim Anastos vacationing with his husband.

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“Most people, when they go online and

Anastos concluded by saying that traveling the world has the ability to change mindsets about the LGBTQ community, quoting author Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views … cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

To learn more about Trips with George, visit tripswithgeorge.com.

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SUMMER TRAVEL

New York City is Ready to Dazzle Visitors Again the Michelin-rated The Musket Room serves a re-visioned world on your plate. There was no doubt that I would enjoy chef and restaurateur Mark Strausman’s new restaurant, Mark’s Off Madison, which has a warm atmosphere and incredible, flavorful comfort food.

Heather Cassell Read the full article online at thegavoice.com.

New York City felt like it was almost its bustling self again as I walked through the streets enjoying the warm spring weather during a recent trip.

Two unique restaurants that might signal a shift in the queer culinary scene in New York are Tagmo and HAGS. Both restaurants are queer-owned and -operated. They actively hire LGBTQ staff and are deeply involved in the community.

The city, like many others, is forever changed after more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, but in true New York fashion, the Big Apple is coming back. It was my second trip within six months after about a twoand-a-half-year break.

New Yorkers rolled up their sleeves (more than 80% are vaccinated), masked up, and have done pretty much everything they can to get their groove back. However, COVID-19 subvariants continue to emerge in the ongoing pandemic. Some venues are still enforcing proof of vaccination and masks.

Face coverings are still required on all public transportation until further notice and in Broadway theaters at least until May 31.

Some Broadway shows have canceled performances due to COVID-19. Other shows are still taking place. New restaurants are opening, with reservations harder to get than ever before, and new museum exhibits are opening. Big events are also coming back, like New York Pride, which returns in-person June 26 with the theme, “Unapologetically Us.”

New attractions Some of the new things to see in New York are Summit One Vanderbilt, the Moynihan Train Hall, and Little Island, the latest park near the Chelsea Piers.

Main photo: A new view of New York City from The Summit at One Vanderbilt. PHOTO BY HEATHER CASSELL; Inset: Restaurateurs chef Telly Justice, right, and sommelier Camille Lindsley, are about to open HAGS, New York’s first-ever queer fine dining restaurant. PHOTO BY HAGS 80th edition of the Whitney Museum of American Art’s “Biennial 2022: Quiet As It’s Kept,” which opened April 6. The twofloor exhibit brings together a survey of 63 American artists exploring the darkness and disruption of 2020. The show runs through September 5.

Henri Mattise lovers can take in a rare exhibit of the French artist’s early works that formed modern art at the Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition, “Mattise: The Red Studio,” which opened May 1. The show runs through September 10.

The Brooklyn Museum is also featuring “Andy Warhol: Revelation,” showing now through June 19.

Summit One Vanderbilt. is a 65,000 square foot space at the top of the 93-story office and residential building at One Vanderbilt adjacent to Grand Central Terminal.

The Brooklyn Academy of Music is featuring the DanceAfrica Festival, which celebrates its 45th anniversary through the end of this month.

It wouldn’t be New York City without the many opportunities to see art. This spring and summer visitors can catch the

Dining and drinking

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Food draws my girlfriend and me to New York

just as much as Broadway’s musicals. For this trip, I sought out restaurants that were old favorites that survived the pandemic, some that were reborn, and others that were new.

During the day we lunched at the fun, cheeky and very gay diner Cafeteria; Elmo, a Chelsea neighborhood staple; and famed chef and restaurateur David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle Bar. At night we hit the town, enjoying dishes crafted by some of New York’s finest lesbian chefs. Chef and restaurateur duo Rita Sodi and Jody Williams’ beloved Via Carota lived up to the hype. You can never go wrong with pasta, but theirs is exceptional. I also dined at the culinary couple’s newest venture, The Commerce Inn. It veers away from the chefs’ usual turf in French and Italian cuisine, exploring and modernizing American Shaker dishes that hit the mark.

Lesbian executive chef Hillary Sterling crafted a distinctive Italian menu at Ci Siamo, restaurateur Danny Meyer’s latest culinary venture. Lesbian executive chef Mary Attea at

Queer chef Surbhi Sahni is the heart behind Tagmo, an Indian restaurant that opened in Seaport, a small shopping and dining center near One World Trade Center in September 2021. Tagmo is not your average Indian restaurant. Dining there is a gastronomic adventure through India with all its diverse cuisines.

The much-anticipated HAGS is targeted to open just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, May 25. The Lower East Side restaurant aims to be the first upscale queer restaurant, according to business and life partners Telly Justice, a transgender woman, and Camille Lindsley, a queer woman.

New York’s nightlife isn’t what it used to be quite yet. My girlfriend and I enjoyed early nightcaps at Tiny’s & The Bar Upstairs in Tribeca, the historic Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, and Bar Veloce in Chelsea.

Village lesbian bar mainstays Henrietta Hudson and Cubbyhole, as well as Brooklyn’s Ginger’s Bar, all got makeovers during the pandemic and recently reopened.

The boys are back in action from Midtown to Harlem with bars and nightclubs for every stripe in the rainbow flag. Check out Midtown’s swanky The Townhouse of New York, head to the West Village’s Playhouse, or get nostalgic at New York’s oldest gay bar Julius’ and the historic Stonewall Inn. Head uptown to Harlem for the last remaining Black-owned gay bar, Alibi Lounge.

MAY 6, 2022 SUMMER TRAVEL 15

SUMMER TRAVEL

Summer Fashion

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MAY 6, 2022 ADS 17

SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE EMMA O’LOUGHLIN

SHIFTING THE NARRATIVE ON QUEER BOOK CONTENT:

Spotlight on ‘Song of Achilles’ MAIN: ISTOCK.COM / RUDALL30; INSET: COVER TO MADELINE MILLER’S “SONG OF ACHILLES”

Emma O’Loughlin Looking to travel this summer, but you’re on a budget? Immerse yourself in a story! Head over to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of “Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller. This retelling of the Trojan War follows the story of the well-known hero Achilles, told from the perspective of his sworn companion Patroclus. It is a tender whirlwind that one is swept into with the first lines. Miller’s ability to transport her readers and immerse them in the world of ancient Greece is what really makes this book stand out, due in part to the poetic style she uses. Take this short passage: “Our mouths opened under each other, and the warmth of his sweetened throat poured into mine.

I could not think, could not do anything

18 COLUMNIST MAY 6, 2022

but drink him in, each breath as it came, the soft movement of his lips. It was a miracle … I was trembling, afraid to put him into flight. I did not know what to do, what he would like. I kissed his neck, the span of his chest, and tasted the salt. He seemed to swell beneath my touch, to ripen. He smelled like almonds and the earth. He pressed against me, crushing my lips to wine.”

When many of us start a book, we are conditioned to assume that the characters we’re reading are straight or cis unless it is explicitly stated that they’re queer. And while mainstream queer representation has been on the rise over the past few years, we need to constantly push for more inclusivity. After all, representation really does matter. It wasn’t until I was able to see more characters like me in the media I consumed that I began to feel comfortable in my sexuality as a young

queer person, and from there I began to seek out more queer content on my own.

Growing up I was an avid reader. I read everywhere and anywhere I could. I’m talking about “winning a medal for the reada-thon in seventh grade for reading over 15,000 pages” kind of reading. And yet, I can’t recall reading any books with queer characters or queer storylines. This doesn’t mean they didn’t exist at the time; they just weren’t as integrated into mainstream pop culture as they are now. Even with lists of the “top 100 books of 2021” or the “top books of the summer,” we can’t ignore the role that TikTok has played within the book community (aka BookTok). The app allows us to follow our favorite creators, but with the help of the algorithm, we’re now able to reach wider audiences, discover new authors, and connect with others about our

niche interests. Technology has allowed us to communicate with our peers about books like never before.

A favorite author of mine, Donna Tartt, has a wonderful quote about books and the power of language: “When we read a great book, we do internalize it, it becomes part of us; when we read a great book we put it down and we’re different people.”

It is imperative that we not overlook the importance of young queer people seeing themselves represented in ways that show healthy queer relationships. Relationships filled with hope and beauty; ones that don’t have to end in tragedy as previously mainstream scripted queer stories often do. This retelling of a classic story is courageous and intimate. To feel seen, to have your heart and soul held by a novel is truly a wondrous experience.

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MAY 6, 2022 ADS 19

REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN

CAROLYN MOBLEY:

HOW A LITTLE BLACK GIRL GREW INTO A LARGE PRESENCE María Helena Dolan This is the story of a little Black girl born in the segregated South who becomes a large presence in Atlanta queer history and the history of national the Metropolitan Community Church.

Carolyn Mobley was born on December 17, 1948, in the tiny town of Sanford in Central Florida, the granddaughter of a Baptist preacher.

In her own words, this is Mobley’s story: Living under segregation in a thoroughly Black community, I was only mildly aware of the sting of racism. All the churches and schools, teachers and preachers, everywhere there was the Black community.

White people were on TV — and TV was not real. They were not real until integration was struggled for.

But when Martin Luther King [Jr.] was killed, I cried. Why? I was at a predominantly white Southern Baptist college in Abilene, Texas, and the attitude was, “He got what he deserved, he was a Communist, leading them astray.” So, I was hated for wanting a better life.

I’d had feelings for girls since elementary school. I had to look up “homosexuality.”

But I had a dream about my babysitter, she would go out with a man, he would try to kiss her, I would fly in like superwoman, beat him up, scoop her up, and fly [away].

When I was 10 years old, I wanted Jesus to be in my heart and my life. And it stuck!

20 COLUMNIST MAY 6, 2022

I said I will give my life to teaching people about God. At college, I could not walk across campus in gym shorts, and there was no alcohol or cigarettes. But at graduation, I’m 21, and it’s time to see what it means to have sex.

I came out when I went home that summer.

Mom was like “Let me get you birth control, you can have sex with a man.” And I said, “I’ll have sex one time, but please, Mom …

I will never get married, I want to be with a woman, end of story.”

She was crying. I [went] into therapy for Mom: two sessions, with this Euro man. He said I’m not sick, or crazy, so I should figure out what I want and do it.

I read an article on a gay church in California — and Atlanta. 1973 was my freshman year in Seminary, at [Interdenominational Theological College]. There was a Euro man in this Black seminary. He was the Assistant Pastor in a brand new [Metropolitan Community Church] here.

I was commissioned as a Home Missionary by the Baptists in the morning and went to MCC in the afternoon! In that Missionary capacity, we were at the Anita Bryant rally [at the Georgia World Congress Center on June 11, 1978] — on the wrong side of the barricade! I said, “I won’t be caught on the wrong side again!”

One day, I was called in, and they said I was suspected of being gay, and therefore, I was fired!

But MCC becomes more important than the Black church where I cannot be openly gay.

Carolyn Mobley PHOTO VIA MCC And MCC uses inclusive language, multiple non-sexist words for “God.” And there were women as pastors.

I found the Black queer community here very closeted and hard to get into; Black gay women were afraid I’d out them! I decided to focus on MCC and the [Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance].

While trying to get info on Women and Gay Rights, I went to the ALFA house. I looked at the library books and made friends. It was a place of learning, community, and sharing info.

And I was with the Atlanta Women’s Chorus for 10 formative years — also, the Lambda Chorale.

It [all] helped me feel good about who I was, to shift from being ashamed to real pride. I became more comfortable in my skin — Black skin. But even bigger than skin and culture, everyone needs to be

accepted and understood.

I met Adrian here in Atlanta, where she’d been at Candler Theological. We had our Holy Union in 1998. I made the promise and have not been unfaithful since. We married again in 2015.

From 2006 to 2016, I served three congregations over three states, which included Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia. I had to drive for Lyft to make ends meet!

I wanted to be a founding pastor, (and was tired of being bounced state to state). We came to Breath of Life Spiritual Center MCC here in Saginaw, Michigan for that.

Carolyn has done much in her lifetime, including establishing and nourishing local and national entities. Her life attests to how an individual from unprepossessing circumstances can make historic changes in the secular and sacred realms.

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THE FRENCH CONNECTION BUCK JONES

TIPS FOR POST-GAY TRAVEL

MARAIS, PARIS PHOTO BY ISTOCK.COM / BRASILNUT1

Buck Jones Whenever I used to travel with my gay friends in our youth, the first thing we would do after plopping our bags off at whatever hotel or apartment we had booked for our stay was to look for the local gay business to get the gay guide. No, I’m not talking about an actual flesh and blood “gay guide,” but the glossy magazine that featured a shirtless beefcake on the cover, in which all the local gay bars and businesses advertised for tourists. The information on the inside was written in whatever the native language was as well as “English” (or some broken version of the Queen’s language). “Happy Ours” were sometimes noted with half-priced drinks beginning late in the afternoon, and the grammarian in our group was willing to overlook this charming attempt by the Italian café to promote their cocktails, since the payoff was inevitably a hunky bartender making sure we enjoyed ourselves.

But today we live in a mostly post-gay world.

22 COLUMNIST MAY 6, 2022

I say “mostly” because there are still places where being gay is such an event, such an abomination to the norms of society, that safe enclaves exist. However, in the vast majority of travel destinations, gays and straights mix freely and there’s little need for a gay neighborhood or gay restaurants and bars.

Here in Paris, for example, the traditional gay quarter was the Marais. When we moved here in 2006 there were well over 40 gay bars, with a significant density clustered between the Centre Pompidou and the rue Vieille du Temple. Today I can count the number of gay bars on one hand, and just last month the largest just announced it will be permanently closing following this year’s Gay Pride in June.

Yet there is no reason to despair, because in a post-gay world there is still a way to find where “we” are. The gay guides might be a relic of yesteryear, but a savvy gay traveler will still be able to sniff out where the gay boys hang out. Taking Paris again as my lesson to all y’all, while the gay Marais is fast becoming a footnote in history, the gays do still tend to congregate in and around this neighborhood

in the center of the city. Not only is it one of the loveliest, but it is also home to innumerable chic boutiques. So, hint number one, my dears: “Follow the beauty.” It might be a cliché, but gay men flock to beauty: beautiful men, beautiful scenery, beautiful clothing, beautiful Instagram-ready locales.

You name it. Going to Milano? Stay and hang out in Brera. Spending a holiday in Los Angeles? It’s going to be West Hollywood, darling. Go ahead, try it.

While tanning poolside or seaside at a gay beach is wonderful, how does one find where to “hang out” (see what I did there?) for cocktails, dinner, and … later? This brings me to rule two for the gay traveler, which is actually the same as rule one: follow the beauty, girlfriend! If you’re walking in the serpentine labyrinth of Mykonos town, you will find plenty of places that afford prime viewing pleasure. Just remember the key to successful gay tourism is to dress to impress.

Ah, but what about smaller, niche destinations such as Key West or Mykonos?

These cater to tourists (Mykonos has a permanent population of only about 10,000, but welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists each summer), and for gay tourists, there are still hotels and beaches which cater to our, um, “particular needs.” While the longest-running gay resort on Key West (the Key House) is still going strong, the Elysium in Mykonos has closed permanently. However, the iconic Jackie O’s has unveiled a massive nude, er I mean new, resort at its eponymous beach on the south side of the island.

Even in nontouristy destinations, there is a very good probability that gays will be found at whatever the coolest address is for the town. Last summer we stayed in The Dalles on the Columbia River in Oregon.

It was a super charming small town with gorgeous natural beauty, fantastic wineries to sample, and of course, the best coffee house in town was the local gay hangout (this was Oregon, remember).

So, wherever you go this summer, whether a big city, a small town, or a tourist resort, rest assured there will always be family. We are EVERYWHERE.

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presents

May 13–15, 2022

Three works that dazzle with the artistry and athleticism of ballet.

For tickets go to atlantaballet.com or call at 800-982-2787.

Groups of 10+, email groupsales@atlantaballet.com Darian Kane, Erica Alvarado. Photos by Rachel Neville. Miguel Montoya. Photo by Charlie McCullers.

Supported by: This performance is made possible by the generosity of Katherine Scott.

A&E SPOTLIGHT

Jordan Seavey’s ‘Homos, or Everyone in America’ to Debut at Out Front Theatre Seavey makes it a point that most of the play is not dedicated to this moment of violence, however. Indeed, the play is really about the ins and outs of gay relationships in a particular time in history, which is what makes it so special. The Writer and Academic meet when people used Friendster and Razor phones, continue dating through the time MySpace would fall to Facebook, and eventually split when iPhones still had home buttons. For older audiences, this will make the play feel like part of the modern world, while younger audiences may perceive “Homos” as a period piece.

Fletcher Varnson Jordan Seavey’s irreverent drama-comedy, “Homos, or Everyone in America” will make its Southeast debut at Out Front Theatre.

Chronicling the interracial relationship between two men from 2006 to 2011, Seavey’s play peers into the quotidian details of love to uncover not only the particularities of gay partnerships and the times in which they take place, but also the universal need for connection regardless of sexual identity, race, or creed.

The play’s two central characters are personalities that fans of romantic comedies should be familiar with. The Writer (to be played by Tyler Sarkis) is the classic neurotic urbanite, and the Academic (to be played by Niko Carleo) is the impassioned scholar. Even the play’s setting of New York City carries a history of romantic comedies about two people — similarly in creative professions — falling in love. But “Homos” uses the familiarity that comes with its characters and setting to create an original story. Not only does it take the typically heterosexual genre of the romantic comedy and make it gay, but it also looks at the intimate and complex details of a relationship in the context of a larger culture.

Wit-filled arguments over the use of poppers or the value of monogamy between the two lovers expose contradictions in the ways they think; their opinions morph and change over time as does mainstream America’s views of the LGBTQIA+ community, showing how being a member of both a partnership and a society has changed them as individuals. In this way, “Homos” puts a spotlight on subjects specific to gay life at the beginning of the twenty-first century, while also showing how these particularities are relatable to almost any relationship at any time.

“I have been exposed my entire life to overtly

24 A&E SPOTLIGHT MAY 6, 2022

This has made the founder of Out Front, Paul Conroy, excited to produce the play.

The cast of “Homos, or Everyone in America” PHOTO BY OUTFRONT THEATRE COMPANY / TYLER OGBURN PHOTOGRAPHY heterosexual narratives,” Seavey said of this duality in an interview with Georgia Voice.

“They are really, really baked into storytelling mediums like TV and theater. So, at my most rebellious, I’m like ‘straight people need a dose of my reality.’ But at my most caring and loving, I think I’m portraying a really real, really human relationship between two men that has so many parallels to any romantic relationship.”

of the event even disrupts the structure of the story, turning it into a fragmented narrative that compels the audience to piece together moments of a relationship where things went wrong and then where things went really wrong.

But just because “Homos” is inclusive and reminiscent of the romantic comedy genre does not mean it lacks moments of gravity.

The play is punctuated (literally) with the sorrowful dangers of being gay in America.

The aftermath of an act of homophobic violence is what begins and ends “Homos” as well as the relationship it follows. The trauma

“Sometimes I think about how we’re having conversations that ask why can’t we just have TV shows or plays or books that focus just on gay or queer joy,” he said. “But I have to say, until people stop getting beaten up, I think it’s totally worthwhile to write plays that include dissections and meditations on violence against the community.”

This blending of comic levity and weighted tragedy is an unfortunate reality for gay men that Seavey feels necessary to capture.

“We have a lot of older patrons that come, and they’re going to look at this through different lenses — no pun intended — than someone who is a lot younger,” Conroy told Georgia Voice. “The whole part about monogamy versus monotony won’t even be on their radar because they grew up in a different time. It’s wonderful that this play has diversity baked into it this way.”

Seavey describes the play’s sense of time — in reference to both its nonlinearity and its placement in the 2000s — as “impressionistic.”

Indeed, “Homos” invites all of its audience to form their own impressions and interpretations of it. In this way, Seavey places an emphasis on both “Homos” and “Everyone” in the title “Homos, or Everyone in America,” as he calls on everyone to recognize some part of themselves in a play about a loving, complicated relationship between two men.

And everyone should listen.

Homos, or Everyone in America makes its Southeast debut at Out Front Theatre on May 5 and runs through May 21.

Buy tickets at outfronttheatre.com.

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ACTING OUT JIM FARMER

‘Bootycandy’ Examines Growing Up Black and Gay, ‘Beautiful’ Celebrates Carole King Jim Farmer As theater continues to return full time, both “Bootycandy” and “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” are likely to bring in lots of local LGBTQ audience members.

Actor’s Express’s “Bootycandy,” by playwright Robert O’Hara, follows the character of Sutter and explores what it’s like growing up Black and gay in America. Vignettes bring us to the main character’s childhood home, church, bars, and motels.

The main character is a playwright trying to figure life out, says director Martin Damien Wilkins.

“You follow his coming of age, and him dealing with relationships, but it’s also a love letter to the women in his life, particularly his mother and grandmother,” Wilkins said. “I think of it really as outrageous and fun and a thoughtful commentary on not just what it means to be coming of age as a Black queer man in the era he was writing it, but what it means to be an artist trying to express yourself as who you are

and tell the stories you want to tell.”

The play has a cast of five. Damian Lockhart plays Sutter and the other four ensemble members play different characters in his life and in the vignettes. The only other male figure in the play is Sutter’s stepfather.

One of the aspects Wilkins likes about the play is that it breaks expectations: “The main character often breaks down the fourth wall.

It is a show that hopefully keeps audiences on the edge of their seat.”

Wilkins met O’Hara in 2005, and he found the play to be insightful. As a Black gay man himself, he related to it and the work stayed with him, even directing a version of it in 2017 in Charlotte, where he currently lives.

“For me, it’s one of safety, and you can see that with some of the laws being passed now, feeling you can occupy your space as your most authentic self,” he said. “Obviously there are also influences such as people who have very conservative religious views — often putting on you that God didn’t make you the way that you were.”

Part of Broadway in Atlanta’s 40th anniversary

The cast of Actor’s Express’ “Bootycandy”

PUBLICITY PHOTO

season is the jukebox musical, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical,” chronicling the career of the legendary singer/songwriter. Out actor Matt Loehr plays Don Kirshner in the show.

wrote so many of these songs for others.”

The actor was with the tour in the fall of 2019, but in spring 2020 COVID-19 shut it down.

The tour started again last fall, and he and the ensemble are excited to be back on the road.

“For her to finally basically believe in her own voice and produce ‘Tapestry’ and have it be one of the most Grammy nominated albums of all time — everyone can relate to that,” Loehr said. “Sometimes, you have to go with your gut and be yourself. You are as beautiful as you feel. It is so optimistic but realistic.”

Loehr describes Kirshner as a fun, sweet, music loving fellow.

“He is the founder of Aldon Music in the ’60s and he is responsible for getting Carole King (and others) their start,” he said. “He had dabbled briefly in singing but had a knack for hearing a hit.”

The actor felt there were similarities between him and Kirshner and that he could tap into the character pretty easily.

The production is known for its universal appeal.

Sara Sheperd stars in “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.”

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PHOTO BY JOAN MARCU

“This music is timeless,” Loehr said. “Every generation that hears it falls for it. It’s just so heartfelt and simple. I didn’t know [Carole]

The message of the show, he said, is empowerment and trusting yourself.

King herself is also known for being LGBTQ friendly and being an advocate for LGBTQ equality and a range of progressive issues.

Loehr grew up knowing he wanted to be in musical theater. Among his many credits, he was also seen in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning “The Producers.”

MORE INFO “Bootycandy” runs at Actor’s Express May 14–June 12 “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” runs May 20–22 at the Fox Theatre

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BEST BETS THE BEST LGBTQ EVENTS HAPPENING IN MAY Jim Farmer

THURSDAY, MAY 5

“Love is love” — but is navigating it any less complicated today? What does it mean to be in a committed relationship? Is monogamy just monotony? Told through interweaving glimpses into the life of an everyday couple unexpectedly confronted by a vicious crime, “Homos, or Everyone in America” is a fearless, funny, hearton-its-sleeve examination of the moments that can bring two people together — or pull them apart. 8pm, running through May 21, Out Front Theatre Company

FRIDAY, MAY 6

Adam Lambert returns for a ATL gig. 7:30pm, The Eastern It’s 2015, seventeen years after Sordid Lives and Peggy’s unfortunate death, after tripping over G.W.’s wooden legs, and life has now moved on for the residents of Winters, Texas. Based on the 2017 hit film of the same name, The Process Theatre and Onstage Atlanta’s “A Very Sordid Wedding” explores the questions, bigotry and the fallout of what happens when gay marriage comes to communities and families that are not quite ready to accept it. 8pm, running through May 29, Onstage Atlanta

SATURDAY, MAY 7

Woofs hosts a beer bust fundraiser for Lost-N-Found Youth. 2 – 5pm.

It’s the May membership meeting of Atlanta Prime Timers, with games and a potluck.

3 – 5pm, Peachtree Baptist

SUNDAY, MAY 8

Edie Cheezburger, Shawnna Brooks and more highlight the Super Sized Sunday Show.

8:30pm, Blakes on the Park

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Enjoy the company of other Liza fans in this casual screening of the iconic film “Cabaret” (1972), directed by Bob Fosse.

Starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey, this screen adaptation of the musical won eight Academy Awards and is the most awarded film in Oscars history not to win Best Picture. Out Front Theater hosts this first in a series “Come As You Are” events prior to The Atlanta Opera’s June residency and performances at Pullman Yards, including a brand-new production of “Cabaret.”

Come as you are or join in costume. Presented

by The Atlanta Opera, Out Front Theatre, & Out on Film in partnership with Atlanta Pride. 7pm,

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EVENT SPOTLIGHT SATURDAY, MAY 7

Get your credit card, fancy duds and selfie sticks out as the HRC Atlanta dinner and auction returns tonight. Stacey Abrams will be the featured speaker. This is the first local dinner since the pandemic. Tickets start at $250. 5:30pm, Hyatt Regency Atlanta (Photo via Facebook) Out Front Theatre Company

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

WUSSY returns with its monthly campy feature fantastic with the 2000 classic “Coyote Ugly” in glamorous 35mm — starring Piper Perabo, Tyra Banks, and Melanie Lynskey. 7pm, Plaza Atlanta

THURSDAY, MAY 12

Join the fun as part of Throwback Thursdays.

8pm, My Sister’s Room

SATURDAY, MAY 14

The LGBTQ-themed “Bootycandy” opens tonight at Actor’s Express. Join Sutter as he propels through a kaleidoscopic odyssey through his childhood home, church, dive bars, seedy motels, and one riotously funny phone conversation about very inappropriate baby names. One of the most acclaimed satirical comedies in decades, “Bootycandy” is an audacious series of subversive vignettes that explore what it means to grow up gay and black in America. 8pm, through June 12

SUNDAY, MAY 15

The PFLAG support group for parents

and families of LGBTQ children meets in person. 2:30 – 4pm, Spiritual Living Center

through May 22. 8pm, Fox Theatre

MONDAY, MAY 16

Taboo: The Dirty Show is hosted by Mistress of Seduction, Taejah Thomas! If you can’t handle dirty and nasty … stay home. 11:30pm, Lips Atlanta

Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues. 7 – 8pm for youth and 8 – 9pm for adults, Charis Books and More

TUESDAY, MAY 17

May 17 is the National Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, and in light of Out Front Theatre’s presentation of “Homos, Or Everyone in America” and in anticipation of The Atlanta Opera’s production of “As One” in June, the two organizations are teaming up to host a conversation on transgender, bisexual and gay representation in the arts called Community Conversation: Intersectionality, Queerness & Art. 7pm, Out Front Theatre Company

FRIDAY, MAY 20

Enjoy great music such as “You’ve Got a Friend” and “I Feel the Earth Move” at “Beautiful:The Carole King Musical,” running tonight

SATURDAY, MAY 21

SUNDAY, MAY 22

The LGBTQ+ Book Club is a group for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to read queer-themed books and books by queer authors. The aim is to have diverse thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history, and topical issues.

All are welcome to join. This month’s book is “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera.

10 – 11:30am.

WUSSY presents Bottom’s Up! Drag Brunch with Keri Colby and Louisianna Purchase. 1pm, City Winery Atlanta

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Don’t miss Chunk this holiday weekend. Tonight is a night of a thousand hot bubbas, sick music and hot gogo bears, with special guest DJ Myno (Costa Rica) and CHUNK resident THCKRTANKER. 10pm, Heretic Atlanta

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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID MELISSA CARTER

PHOTO BY ISTOCK.COM / MIKANAKA

PLAYGROUND POLITICS Melissa Carter Humans are creatures of habit, whether we realize it or not. I was reminded of this when my son asked me to talk with some of his classmates about their behavior on the playground.

He explained that Avery and Elliott (not their real names) often give him a hard time. For instance, Avery informed him once that she was a real elf and would be returning to the North Pole soon. Elliott apparently accuses Mr. Carter of cheating at games they play, even when the game was created by my son.

Apparently, I’m the final say on whether or not these children’s claims are accurate and need to come to school on the final day of class and explain to them everything they’ve gotten wrong this year. Of course, I refused the invitation, explaining that these matters were for him to take care of on his own.

As an adult, this may seem trivial and easy to discard. However, I recognize that these interactions are actually the politics of recess, and my son is learning to navigate his way in this new social world.

One element of politics is negotiation. I’m sure the way I handled Will and Brad (their real names) when I was in kindergarten is why I continue to struggle with getting what I want today. We were playing Cowboys and Indians, and I was the squaw that got captured and tied to a pole — with real rope. I tried to negotiate

30 COLUMNIST MAY 6, 2022

my release, but all I got was left behind while the two boys found another game to play. I’m not sure how long I stood there until another classmate took pity on me and untied my bonds.

Playground politics also requires one to make laws that govern the group they’re in. I bet you could name the kid on the blacktop who took it upon him or herself to pick the teams for kickball. In my class there was a guy named Jimmy (also his real name) who was always at the forefront of who gets to jump on the merry-go-round midflight or climb to the top of the monkey bars. However, you eventually learn the more people who get to have their say in these laws, the better the game for everyone.

Exercising force is sometimes necessary in politics, especially when you’ve endured loss. Yvette (yep, real) was the fastest girl in our class by far. We’d often have official races during recess, and she beat not only the girls but most of the boys too. I knew I could outpace her if I set my mind to it.

Sure enough, after months of practicing in my front yard, I faced Yvette on a hot spring day in the finals of the girls’ race and won!

My final advice for Mr. Carter was, “You happen to life; life doesn’t happen to you.

I explained he could choose to play with other kids who treated him better. He was shocked. Choice? Him? Yes! He has been in the habit of playing with this same trio and never once contemplated moving to another area of the playground. I’m not sure if he will, but at least now he’s armed with a tool that many of us take for granted: we are what we choose to surround ourselves with.

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