06/08/18, Vol. 9 Issue 8

Brian had his HIV under control with medication. But smoking with HIV caused him to have serious health problems, including a stroke, a blood clot in his lungs and surgery on an artery in his neck. Smoking makes living with HIV much worse. You can quit.

CALL 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

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HIV alone didn’t cause the clogged artery in my neck.

Smoking with HIV did.

Brian, age 45, California

GEORGIA NEWS

The Thief of Self ALZHEIMER’S DIAGNOSES ARE ON THE RISE, TOUCHING MORE PEOPLE’S LIVES BY THE DAY — INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, MOST OF WHOM LIVE ALONE. SO WHO ARE WE TO TURN TO IN SUPPORT? A LOCAL MAN AIMS TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.

Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Granny Pearl shuffled into the living room with unfocused eyes and mouth agape, startling me. I was a teenager visiting a friend’s house for the first time, and I had no idea we weren’t alone. The wiry-haired woman, naked from the waist down, carried an old, red purse and turned to me.

“Where’s my Mama?” she asked, her voice a quiver of panic. Given her state of undress and the fact that she seemed much too old to have a living mother, I knew something was terribly wrong. She didn’t even seem to acknowledge that I was a stranger in her house. She turned away from me and continued to shuffle in a tight circle. I was completely unable to speak, hoping my friend would return from the kitchen and alleviate the old woman’s anxiety.

He came back in short order and his normally friendly visage changed to one of anger once he saw his great-grandmother out of her room. Just a teen himself, he screamed, “Granny Pearl, your mother’s dead! How many times do I have to tell you that?” He then grabbed her arm and lead her away, far www.thegeorgiavoice.com

too roughly for her brittle frame. She tried to make out words as she was pulled back into her room, but they came out a garbled mess. I wanted to cry. She was frightened, and so was I — not at her, of course, but at my friend’s cruel reaction to what was clearly a very sick, elderly woman.

“She’s got old-timer’s,” he explained, a common play on Alzheimer’s, a disease that withers away at one’s mind, one’s very memories and ability to live a normal, independent life. Then he smirked, “She’s annoying as hell.”

1994. That was the last time we hung out. *** Present day: Sometimes, Steve Caster’s mother thinks he’s her dad. On other occasions, he’s her husband or brother. He is patient with her, and understands that it’s not something she can help. Though he feeds her and cares for her as one might a child, he counts the little blessings, like a brief moment of clarity, when some of the fog that clouds her very sense of self fades for a moment, and she is able to see

him as her son again — and how, in turn, he can talk to his mother once more.

The 54-year-old Alpharetta resident lives with his 53-year-old partner of 11 years, Joel Feuer, along with both of their mothers, who are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Steve’s mother is 93; Joel’s mother, 79. In a single house, they tackle the ups and downs as they come, able to roll with the punches.

Joel echoes the earlier sentiment. “Sometimes [my mother] thinks I am her cousin,” he tells Georgia Voice. “Or she thinks I’m my dad.

Only every now and then am I her son.”

Dealing with degenerative disease is something Steve has undergone with his own father, something his dedicated Joel witnessed alongside him for many years. So when the news came that Steve’s mother was faltering under a sickness of her own, Joel didn’t hesitate to let Steve know it was okay to bring his mother into their home for care. Through another twist of misfortune, Joel’s own mother began her own battle with Alzheimer’s.

So, around six years ago, the pair was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to purchase

a home with a master bedroom on the main floor for their mothers, and a master bedroom upstairs for themselves.

“I don’t know how we get so lucky that such great options appear before us when they are needed most,” Joe says, thankful. “[Joel] already knew I would be asking him at some point, because it was the natural next step to take when she could no longer live alone,” Steve says. As Joel had recently lost his own father, he knew more than most that assisted living wasn’t the best option. Speaking of his own mother, Joel says, “I know if she eats, how much she eats and drinks, if she has used the bathroom. Plus, I don’t have the added stress of trying to get to the assisted-living facility in time for meals — that was another thing: If, after about 30 minutes, the residents didn’t eat their food, they would just take it away. Also, some of the CNAs seemed a bit rough.”

“With Alzheimer’s, we had no way to know what was happening when we were not with her, which was not that much,” replies Steve. “Even with a visit every day, CONTINUES ON PAGE 4 June 8, 2018 News 3

GEORGIA NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 there are countless hours of not knowing what’s happening, and she isn’t even able to tell us. “We brought her home and now, [Joel’s mother] and my mom share a large master bedroom. We installed a hospital curtain for privacy as needed. They are doing fine together. I imagine it works especially well since both are quite far into their Alzheimer’s journey.”

Neither of their mothers, once very active in both mind and body, are able to walk now. Wheelchair-bound, the ladies rely on the care of their sons, caregivers, five-days-aweek hospice help, and a generous sister who lets the gentleman take a break each Sunday.

“Once the caregivers leave, I give my mom one more dose of medicine around 7pm, and then change her around 10:30pm before I go to bed,” Joel says. “She is then fine until the morning.”

Seeing the neurocognitive degeneration in their mothers is literally robbing the pair of two women that mean the very most.

Recalls Steve: “[My mother and I] used to have great conversations, walks through our neighborhood, puzzle making, meals, and shopping together. She was an avid reader and enjoyed her book time. We laughed often and enjoyed every minute of our time together.

We enjoyed music and piano playing. We’ve been the best of friends my whole life.”

Now, though, books are a thing of the past.

In fact, it was her waning ability to read that helped tip off Steve’s family that something had gone awry.

“We noticed she kept the same books out,” he says. “Eventually, she stopped reading because she couldn’t remember the last chapter at all.

After starting at the beginning repeatedly, she finally just stopped reading altogether.”

Also worrying was the fact that she became forgetful and would repeat the same questions over and over, often even forgetting where she was going when she was behind the wheel.

Joel’s mother lead a full life until Alzheimer’s stripped her of everything she’d built with her family.

2018 ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE FACTS AND FIGURES ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE IS THE

6

TH leading cause of death in the United States

16.1 MILLION AMERICANS provide unpaid care for people with Alzheimer’s or other dementias

These caregivers provided an estimated

18.4 BILLION HOURS of care valued at over

$232 BILLION

11%

TRILLION

in medical and care costs

IN 2018, Alzheimer’s and other dementias will cost the nation

$277 BILLION

BY 2050, these costs could rise as high as

5.7

MILLION Americans are living with Alzheimer’s

while deaths from Alzheimer’s disease have increased

123% seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia

$7.9

$1.1 TRILLION

Between 2000 and 2015 deaths from heart disease have decreased

1 IN 3

EARLY AND ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS COULD SAVE UP TO

BY 2050, this number is projected to rise to nearly

14

EVERY 65 SECONDS someone in the United States develops the disease

MILLION

It kills more than breast cancer and prostate cancer

COMBINED

CONTINUES ON PAGE 6 4 News June 8, 2018

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

In adults with HIV on ART who have diarrhea not caused by an infection IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.

What Is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART. Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).

Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:

Tired of planning your life around diarrhea?

Enough is Enough Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.

Mytesi (crofelemer): • Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV • Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract • Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies • Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest What is Mytesi?

Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Important Safety Information Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).

Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant?

• Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant • There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi • This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed A Nursing Mother?

• It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk • If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi • Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age? • Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age • Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you

What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines?

If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.

What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi?

For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.

Rx Only Manufactured by Patheon, Inc. for Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. San Francisco, CA 94105 Copyright © Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

For Copay Savings Card and Patient Assistance, see Mytesi.com

Mytesi comes from the Croton lechleri tree harvested in South America.

Please see complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com.

NP-390-14

• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection) • Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs) • Cough • Flatulence (gas) • Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down) For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.

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.

RELIEF, PURE AND SIMPLE

GEORGIA NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 “My mother helped my dad at his dental practice,” he says. “She would do some chair-side assisting and office management. “She was also a homemaker and took care of the household by cooking, cleaning, and taking care of me and my sister.” Now, though, Joel says she can’t even stand on her own, and has trouble remembering who exactly the man who calls her Mother is.

Joseph Gardeno*, 65, of Atlanta, has a similar story: “When my wife was diagnosed, she demanded that I keep it hidden from the family. She kept asking me if it were really true, as though she both believed it, but refused to believe it. At some point, the family began to see what she was going through, and almost simultaneously, she stopped caring about them knowing [about her diagnosis]. She didn’t want everyone to know — just them.”

His eyes turn downward. “I’ll be honest: I went through a period of absolute and complete rage that the woman I loved, the woman I married was disappearing before my very eyes. It made me question my faith.” But Joseph says the anger didn’t last forever. “It went away over time — I just had to accept reality and deal with what was coming. Still, I sit and think sometimes, ‘We can never have that vacation to Australia together; I can never again expect a Christmas or anniversary present from her, because she no longer remembers things like that.”

Joseph and his wife were floored by the news, as both are in their mid to late sixties. “She’s having trouble putting words together. Already.

But like I said, you learn to live with it.” *** Don Terry, an out, gay man living in Alpharetta, is helping the Alzheimer’s Association — a national organization — start an LGBTQ Alzheimer’s support group here in Atlanta.

Don, 52, is currently working as a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association after undergoing training in February. Additionally, he gives group presentations to companies who either work with individuals living with dementia and/ or Alzheimer’s, or those who have a vested interest in the subject. When I ask him about the “and/or” portion of his “Alzheimer’s and/or dementia” statement, he says that Alzheimer’s 6 News June 8, 2018

falls on the dementia scale.

Dementia is an umbrella term for a set of symptoms that include impaired thinking and issues of memory. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, yet there are many nuances, complexities, and misconceptions surrounding Alzheimer’s and dementia. In Don’s training, he learned that two types of dementia can occur simultaneously, known as mixed dementia.

As many as half the people with Alzheimer’s disease may have mixed dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Don says some of her living habits were questionable, affecting her welfare and making her overall safety a concern.

In his mother’s early stages of vascular dementia, she had a fairly good quality of life, though her short-term memory was impacted. “She was really good at keeping a list of her medications, but that began to be problematic for her,” he says. “She’d forget to write something down, and her judgment ability began to decline. She just … wasn’t making good choices.”

pass in such a fashion, coupled with the knowledge that most LGBTQ seniors are living alone lead him to the Alzheimer’s Association. I ask him if the growing numbers of Alzheimer’s diagnoses and the idea that so many LGBTQ people are alone might mean we have a new community crisis on our hands.

“That’s exactly right,” he says emphatically.

“The older generation lived in a time when being out was less acceptable, and some of these LGBTQ seniors are going back into the closet … internalizing their homophobia.”

His tone changes; it’s more somber now.

“There’s currently nothing like it in the state of Georgia,” he tells Georgia Voice. “When I was growing up, I’d never even heard of Alzheimer’s, let alone dementia, and it’s so prevalent now!”

In 1996, at the age of 71, Don’s mother suffered a brain aneurysm resulting in a condition known as vascular dementia, in which the afflicted experiences a sharp decline in thinking skills caused by blocked or reduced blood flow to the brain. “It really impacted, among other things, her short-term memory, and it was something she lived with throughout the remainder of her life. In her case, once she recovered from the aneurysm, she was able to live indepently for some years. At around 80, there were some concerns about certain life choices she was making.”

“She ended up going into a dementia ward at a local senior-care facility,” he says. “She remained there for the rest of her life.”

He is reminded of sad moments that drove home how sick she was. “If I went to see her, say, on a Tuesday, I’d call her the next day and she’d say something like, ‘Don, I haven’t seen you in awhile!’ It was heartbreaking. This was my Mom, someone I loved … and you feel this tremendous sense of helplessness. While you can support and love in other ways, there’s nothing you can do that’s going to bring back her cognitive abilities as they once were.”

He pauses. “It’s a thief of self.”

His personal struggle in seeing his mother

The topic of questionable care of the elderly in assisted-living homes returns.

“There are stories about the bullying going on in senior-care nursing homes, and part of the targets of that bullying are LGBTQ individuals. These are individuals who may not have a relationship with family members, who may be estranged from them, who may not be out to their family, and [are] facing other barriers to care, simply because of their sexuality.”

And who can advocate for these people, when there’s no one there to check on them? This is something Don takes to heart, hence the support group he’s aiming to launch soon.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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GEORGIA NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Back to Don and his efforts to create a support group for the LGBTQ community: “I think what’s really important as I’m learning more about the subject of elder care for the community, and as someone new to the Atlanta region, [is that] I see a lot of assisted-living housing facilities going up as I drive around. It’s almost like a boom,” he says. “I have a genuine concern that the staff of these facilities are maybe not as in-theknow, so I think cultural competency training is really important, not only for these new centers, but for all of these centers, generally speaking. This impacts not only the LGBTQ community, but Atlanta as the proverbial melting pot. Having that cultural competency training is so vital.” As one who leads talks on the issue, he is certainly one to reach out to, should any of these facilities feel the need.

He speaks of a 2010 documentary by Stu Maddux called “Gen Silent,” the subjects of which are LGBTQ Bostonians who have to hide their sexuality in order to survive the discriminatory world of long-term housing and healthcare.

“One of the salient points [of the documentary] is that most older individuals live with someone, whether that be family or friends, or in assisted-living nursing homes, but two-thirds of LGBTQ individuals live alone, so there’s a real disparity there.” He speaks with conviction. “What we’re doing at the Alzheimer’s Association is crucial in providing some support.”

That’s precisely why Don is spearheading the attempt to get an LGBTQ Alzheimer’s support group started in the area. He says he’s looking for a place where those who need the support can meet, but beseeches the help of the Greater Atlanta community in this endeavor.

“It’s been a bit of a slow start,” Don admits, though he says he’s hopeful for a new place he’s been eyeing. “It’s just a matter of getting the word out and having folks come in. I don’t have any experience to draw from, but there’s a national organization called SAGE that could be an important and useful ally with this LGBTQ caregiver support group.”

He thinks there’s a great chance at intersectionality. “I understand [SAGE has] their own support group — not necessarily concerned with dementia and Alzheimer’s — so I wonder what can become of that.” *** Like Joseph, the aforementioned gentleman who is losing his wife to Alzheimer’s, Steve knows the feeling of watching a onceconversational loved one lose the ability to communicate, but also knows being thankful for what’s there. “[My mother] isn’t able to speak very much, but sometimes she will get a few words out, and amazingly those words often make sense,” he says. “There are also days when only gibberish comes out. The truly wonderful part is that she 8 News June 8, 2018

knows much of what is going on around her.

She has conversations with herself [which] is beneficial, as she always has the right answers.

Sometimes her words make sense, other times not to us — but I’m convinced she knows exactly what she is saying.”

Even more heartening is when she laughs at a joke her son tells, or answers his questions in “mmhmm” or simply, miraculously, “yes.”

Steve adds: “Mom is happy most of the time.”

“In the past, my dad had moments of clarity, and it was wonderful to have [him close, to] experience that clarity with him,” Joel agrees.

Mitch Mitchell, an out gay man from Macon, watched his father succumb to the disease. For him and his mother, it wasn’t as bad as other Alzheimer’s cases they’d heard of.

“We honestly really lucked out with my dad,” he tells Georgia Voice. “He’d forget what he had just eaten, but he was kind of always like that. He never forgot our names or faces. Sometimes he wouldn’t know where he was or how he got there.”

Even the end was not as bad as they’d anticipated. “Mom and I were holding his hands when he died. He just said he was happy and felt safe when he passed,” Mitch

says. “I think we got really lucky.”

Though Don certainly doesn’t think the upand-coming support group is the panacea to alleviating the devastation of Alzheimer’s and/ or dementia, he thinks it’s an opportunity for some desperately needed support.

*** So is it best, given a choice, to keep the stricken at home for the final stage of their lives? According to Steve, absolutely.

“It’s difficult, yes,” he says, “but our moms still know us. And on most days, they know we are the important family [members who are] always there for them.”

To the devoted couple, assisted living was out of the question. “They are keenly aware of so much around them; it’s just that they aren’t able to converse about it,” Steve says. “We have to read their minds to provide the best care we can. While home care or assistedliving care comes with huge challenges and sacrifice, the rewards are hugely wonderful!

Every case is unique. But the loved one with Alzheimer’s is still in there. And with love and luck, we still see that every day. How frightening it would be for them if they felt all alone with a mind that wouldn’t function as it used to function. I can’t imagine not having our moms with us. They took great care of us and loved us our entire lives — it feels only right that we return that love and kindness in any way we can.”

Would that we all had such loving people in our lives.

“I think there’s a lot of time, money, and resources that are going toward finding out more about this disease. Whether there’s a cure on the horizon, I don’t know, but at the very least, there will be opportunities to diagnose it much sooner and find greater methods of treatment so the symptoms aren’t as horrific.”

His words words are both difficult and hopeful.

He feels the support group is something that, with just an extra push from our community, could actually happen — and soon.

“This is an opportune time to have this support group,” he reiterates. “It’s something that’s very much needed.”

Don urges all inquiries about the LGBTQ caregivers support group to reach out directly to the Alzheimer’s Association’s via the Georgia Chapter at Alz.org, or by calling 404-728-1181.

The Georgia Voice would like to thank our brave interviewees for speaking so candidly about a deeply emotional subject. It is our genuine hope that their words find a way to the right people, so support and resources may open up for those experiencing the thief of self. *Name changed to protect privacy www.thegeorgiavoice.com

HIV

TREATMENT

WORKS

“ Hear this, HIV: I’m going to take care of me so I can take care of those I love.”

Angie - Loganville, GA Living with HIV since 1995.

I break into dance whenever the mood and music move me. I won’t let my HIV rob me of anything in life. I know that staying in care and on treatment helps me to be the best mother, wife, and HIV prevention educator I can be. I tell other HIV-positive women: All the fear that you have can be overcome. Every day I wash down my pills with a prayer. I’ll continue to do so until my dying day—and HIV will not be the cause of it.

Get in care. Stay in care. Live well. cdc.gov/HIVTreatmentWorks

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

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

EDITORIAL

Editor: Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Deputy Editor: Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Lamarana Diallo, Dallas A. Duncan, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Conner Emery, Jim Farmer, Morgan Nicole Fletcher, Elizabeth Hazzard, Ryan Lee, Joseph Miller, Jamie Roberts, Catharine Romero

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

BUSINESS

Managing Partner/Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

SALES

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com Sales Executive: Jim Brams jbrams@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

FINE PRINT

All material in Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of Georgia Voice. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers and cartoonists published herein is neither inferred nor implied.

The appearance of names or pictorial representation does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.

We also do not accept responsibility for claims made by advertisers.

Unsolicited editorial material is accepted by Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject, or edit any submission. Guidelines for freelance contributors are available upon request.

A single copy of Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from Georgia Voice office only. Call for rates. If you are unable to reach a convenient free distribution point, you may receive a 26-issue mailed subscription for $60 per year. Checks or credit card orders can be sent to Tim Boyd, tboyd@thegavoice.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. Georgia Voice is published every other Friday by The Georgia Voice, LLC. Individual subscriptions are $60 per year for 26 issues. Postage paid at Atlanta, GA, and additional mailing offices.

The editorial positions of Georgia Voice are expressed in editorials and in editor’s notes. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Georgia Voice and its staff.

To submit a letter or commentary: Letters should be fewer than 400 words and commentary, for web or print, should be fewer than 750 words. Submissions may be edited for content and length, and must include a name, address, and phone number for verification. Email submissions to editor@thegavoice. com or mail to the address above.

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10 Editorial June 8, 2018

An Editor Seeks An Answer Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com

In the last issue’s editorial entitled “A Little Too Laid Back,” I shared a mostly upbeat tale about busting my ankle stepping off a curb. I didn’t get into too much detail because, all in all, it’s not the most interesting thing in the world to do, right?

Thing is, what happened the following week churned up many questions in me that I hope make some of you go, “Oh, I know why that happened! Let me hammer out an email for Berlin.” Or even, “This is ridiculous. Let me hammer out an email for Berlin.” Or perhaps, “Boring! I’m turning the page now.” Either way, I’m putting it out there.

When the lady at Spalding Regional Medical Center handed me a quote for the x-rays recommended to me by an urgent care place up the road (that didn’t have an on-site radiologist that day), the quote was something around $1,100. Jeez! Because I don’t have insurance, however, there was an adjustment made, a discount of $800 or so, meaning I’d “only” owe $300 for the job. I hobbled back to the car on crutches and sat there, staring at the discount

and growing angrier by the second.

“You mean to tell me that if I were an insurance company, I’d get slapped with a gigantic bill for something the hospital can charge a few hundred bucks for?” I asked my wife, who was equally baffled and irritated that we’d waited that long for this crappy news. Did I need the x-rays? Damn right I did! I wanted to know what was wrong with my foot. Do I continue to rest it or do I need a cast, and how long should I tell my boss I’ll be laid up?

We hauled ass back to the urgent care place (where we’d just dropped $200 and two hours of waiting for a goofy foot-squeeze and referral to the hospital radiologist), and they sent me to a cheaper imaging place. Another $100 and another two-hour wait later, I had some x-rays done. Long story boring, it’s a really bad sprain.

Here’s the thing: Insurance is prohibitively expensive for lots of us hard-working Americans. My job might seem glamorous on paper, and don’t get me wrong: It’s the absolute shit. But I’m still very much a blue-collar worker who can’t afford to pay my monthly obligations (bills, food, animal

care, car insurance, etc.) and fork over the insane amount it takes to cover what medical whoopsies might happen here and there. So … would that have anything to do with the fact that medical providers gouge the bloody hell out of insurance companies over something they could charge a fraction of the price for, while still making money? How does a bill go from $1,100 to $300 with the embarrassed whisper of, “I don’t have insurance”?

I’m the type who tries to figure out where to steer my frustrations before I actually do so. I never want to get upset with someone, be it a person or an institution, before I know I’m legitimized. So before I go off, does anyone out there know why this may be? I’m reaching out to any medical-billing or insurance-minded folks who might know the answer. Perhaps this would make an insanely important story.

At any rate, I’ll be better soon. I count that blessing. In the meantime, my email is up there. Send me your thoughts and let’s get this party started.

Cheers from your bedridden buddy at Georgia Voice, Berlin. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

GUEST EDITORIAL

A Second Chance at My First Real Life Joseph Miller In my last column, I talked about how I got married (to a woman), had two wonderful sons, then eventually found myself divorced. I have to say, it has the makings of a screenplay. But now, I’m faced with the reality of moving on with my life. What do I do? How do I even do it?

I’m 54. That’s not young. However, I feel like I’m in my late 20s or early 30s.

My desires and interests exist in that age group, but I’m made wiser by experience.

I’m beyond the video games and late-night beer-fests. I want more — something real, something that will last.

I’m afraid of dating. I haven’t dated since 1985. For the math-impaired, that’s 33 years. That’s a freaking long time. I don’t even know how it’s done any more. In my 20s, I would think nothing about going to a bar, having a few drinks, rubbing up against some folks [girls, at the time … trying to prove to everyone that I wasn’t gay], and driving home or to another party. But now?

Now, things are different. I won’t take a sip without a designated driver.

I’m much more cautious, much more serious, but at the same time, much more free and playful. It’s a peculiar place to be.

It can be confusing at times. Well, almost all the time. It’s almost like being 54 and in middle school again.

But I’m afraid.

I’m afraid of time. Time has done a number on me. I’m not as young as I want to be.

I’m not as thin as I want to be. I’m not as muscular as I want to be. I can go on and on.

But, I must work with what I have.

I see myself dating much younger guys, yet I’m attracted to all ages. I feel in my heart so much younger than I appear. For Christ’s sake, I’m half a century old.

Because I’m just now coming out, I want all

the adventure, yet I want all the protection and security. I want to be forceful and in charge, but I want to be tender and loving.

I feel like I’m in charge of my life, but at the same time, I feel like a basket case.

churchy friends [and estranged friends] back home, I know my Saviour loves me and only desires the best for me. I don’t feel that He’s turned his back on me. Because, I certainly have not lost my love for Him.

I watch movies and see two young guys falling in love, and I want that. I watched a movie tonight about a guy who rescues his friend from a marriage that would have been doomed from the start. How I wished some friend had stopped me at the altar.

Still, I gained two wonderful sons from that experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I will continue to grow into my new self. I will learn more about who I am and where I belong. I will continue to pursue my acting and film career and see where that takes me.

I have a wealth of experiences to draw upon when I’m acting. I’ve gone through the stages of love, entrapment, loss of loved ones, lifeending grief, life-ending illness, finding myself, and starting over. I can display practically any emotion or background experience you can throw on me.

And when I watch these movies and try to put myself in their place, I just see a weird, old, creepy guy. I’m afraid that’s how younger folks see gay men my age. We’re just old … creepy … guys. But, we have feelings. We have a heart. We have desires and passions, just like the younger folk.

So what do I do? I just live each day knowing that the best is yet to come. Contrary to my

As far as love? I just don’t know. I’m not actively seeking. But, if the right guy comes along, I will throw all of my being into making it work. I’m 100 percent in, or 100 percent out.

I don’t function any other way.

12 Editorial June 8, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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June 8, 2018 Ads 13

STONEWALL

l l a w e n o t S

y r o t s r e H is

14 Stonewall June 8, 2018

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STONEWALL

AS WE REMEMBER THE STONEWALL REBELLION, LET’S ACKNOWLEDGE THE LADIES WHO MADE IT HAPPEN. Jamie Roberts Almost fifty years after those several days that the patrons of the Stonewall Inn decided they’re not taking any more of the NYPD’s shit, one would think the account of what happened inside and outside the Stonewall Inn that late June of ’69 would be settled.

Unfortunately, the facts of the event have been and still are up for grabs, a controversy that predates our present moment of debate over “fake news.”

This trend, sometimes referred to as the “whitewashing” of Stonewall, reached a new apex in the last 15 years, beginning with a book by David Carter, “Stonewall: The Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution.” David did a lot of research about Stonewall, but wasn’t himself an eyewitness. His book made controversial claims, seemingly contradicted by some of his own research, that the riot was mostly started by white kids.

Opposite page: Marsha P. Johnson (left) and Sylvia Rivera (right), co-founders of the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) at the Christopher Street Liberation Day Gay Pride Parade, New York City, June 24, 1973. (Screengrab via Trans Oral History Project: Miss Major on Stonewall). Above: Rita Mae Brown (Screengab via PBS). Left: Miss Major Griffin-Gracy (Screengrab via Major)

Then along came a 2015 film, “Stonewall,” directed by Roland Emmerich and written

by Jon Robin Baitz. It centers around its protagonist, portrayed by a white, conventionally attractive man. Mark Segal, another eyewitness of the raid and an early member of the Gay Liberation Front, after seeing the film, said that it gets the entire story wrong and completely mischaracterized the events of the evening, erasing women, sex workers, and trans folks. In addition, he says the film’s emphasis on the death of Judy Garland was fabricated.

Inn was unfolding, the crowd of bar patrons and onlookers cheered when “the campier transvestites” were brought out of the bar by the police and that the bolder “drag gays” began taunting the police detectives. They also witnessed a very masculine lesbian who struggled with the cops as she was being led to the police car after being hit with a club. She twice escaped the car, and yelled out to the onlookers, “Why don’t you guys do something!”, which many onlookers said turned the crowd against the police.

Grillo also described how the next night, a Saturday, “Friday night’s intractable crowd returned,” while “disapproving, conservative gays” looked on.

Considering some the early accounts collected by individuals like Dick Leitsch, executive director of the early gay advocacy group the Mattachine Society, and Rudy Grillo, author of “Out of the Closet and into the Streets,” it was clear that as the raid of the Stonewall

Eyewitness accounts also include Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, a noted trans activist who was there the first night of the rebellion with her trans friends from uptown. She put Sylvia Rivera and Martha P. Johnson, founders of Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries

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(S.T.A.R) at the scene in the several days of riots that followed the original raid. In the weeks that followed, reacting to cops who began hassling lesbians on the street, a coalition was formed that included the Gay Liberation Front, Gay Activists Alliance, and the Radical Lesbians. They began public demonstrations near Times Square in August of that year, and the record makes it clear that the entire LGBTQ spectrum was fully engaged, radicalized, and mobilized in the first days following the Stonewall Rebellion.

It’s unfortunate that in the years that followed, a trend emerged, witnessed by Miss Major and other activists from the period, like Rita Mae Brown, writer and co-founder for Lavender Menace. That trend includes the legacy of Stonewall being co-opted by white, gay men who minimize or completely omit the legacy of women and gender nonconforming people, especially black, latinx, and other people of color who were present.

Miss Major, for her part, explains this phenomenon as “white people [thinking] they own the world.” She further states: “They feel that if they were there, even across the street, cheering you on,” [that they think they were the] “reason you were there, because they feel like they have dominion over everything.”

Brown, for her part, witnessed the riots that followed the raid and told an interviewer in 1974 that for the lesbian community, Stonewall had lost its regard as a “unifying symbol” and had lost its significance to the lesbian community because the movement, by that time, had become defined by gay men.

Now that the original participants in the Stonewall raid, riots, and subsequent movements are either dead or advancing in age, it is vitally important, now more than ever, that we not fall for alternative facts about the event that’s become our rite of summer.

June 8, 2018 Stonewall 15

STONEWALL

The Evil & The Triumphant of the

Stonewall Riots

SCREENGRAB VIA THE LEGACY OF THE STONEWALL RIOTS

IN 1969, A GROUP OF PEOPLE WENT TO THE STONEWALL INN TO BE THEMSELVES, DRINK, AND DANCE IN SAFETY. NONE OF THE PARTYGOERS COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT AS THEY HEADED OUT FOR FUN ONE FATEFUL NIGHT, THE FIGHT FOR LGBTQ RIGHTS WOULD COME OUT OF THE SHADOWS AND INTO THE STREETS. Morgan Fletcher, Intern June is National Pride Month. Why? Is it because the weather is good, school is out, and summer is always a great time for a party?

Nope. Think bigger: On June 28th, 1969, the fight for LGBTQ rights exploded in the early hours of the morning at the Stonewall Inn on the famous Christopher Street in New York City. This event was the catalyst for gay-rights organizations to mobilize and begin their fight for equal rights.

The 1950s and 60s were, in many ways, a dark time for our country. The Civil Rights movement was fully underway, and the infamous McCarthy hearings held America in an invisible prison of paranoia, shame, and secrecy. Most Americans know of these hearings as a witch hunt for communists, but these hearings included anyone and anything that could be deemed “un-American.” Among the suspected communists and anarchists, homosexuals were noted and tracked by the FBI and 16 Stonewall June 8, 2018

State Department. Senator Clyde R. Hoey, a Democrat from North Carolina, stated that, “It is generally believed that those who engage in overt acts of perversion lack the emotional stability of normal persons,” and that [government agencies], “are in complete agreement that sex perverts in government constitute security risks.”

In the wake of the Orlando Pulse massacre in 2016, many spoke out that gay bars are still one of the only places that the LGBTQ community can gather without fear of judgment. In 1969, however, police raids were commonplace using laws against gay people. Anti-sodomy laws and genderedclothing laws, among others, legislated against what was deemed indecency.

The Stonewall Inn was founded in 1966 by the Genovese crime family. Though the bar did not have proper licensure, police were paid to stay away and for informants to notify the owners in the event of a planned raid. The morning of June 28th,

that warning did not come. Police raided the bar and proceeded to arrest all patrons.

In these raids, police would line up those inside, check for proper identification, and arrest those who did not have ID or were crossdressing. Drag queens and women not wearing at least three pieces of “feminine” clothing were the first hauled off to jail. That night, so many patrons were waiting outside to be transported to jail, that a large crowd of roughly 150 people formed. Tensions flared finally breaking out into full-blown violence.

The crowd quickly grew to an estimated 600 people and the police were outnumbered.

For approximately four hours, the riot continued. In the end, 13 people were arrested and four police officers were injured.

The next night, hundreds of gay people, tourists, and, residents of Christopher Street gathered at the Stonewall Inn. Riots again broke out between 2am and 4am.

These events were what sparked the movement and the event known as Pride. Six months following the riots, activists started three

magazines: Gay, Come Out!, and Gay Power.

These publications brought the community together, and in December of 1969, the Gay Activists Alliance was founded. One year to the day on June 28th, 1970, the first Pride celebrations were held in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Atlanta followed in 1971 with its own Pride parade.

It is easy to see the progress in same-sex marriage, the repeal of anti-sodomy laws, and an increase in the visibility of our community.

But I implore you, 49 years after Stonewall, to remember those who merely wanted to dance and be themselves for a night. Those who unknowingly, with their own blood, sweat, tears, and bravery, initiated a battle that we continue to fight today. We can look back and be grateful that our lives are easier than those who rioted that night thanks to their sacrifice.

But I also would remind you that history repeats itself if people don’t stay vigilant.

So remember: Pride is not just a parade — it’s our legacy. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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We do it because we want to encourage more people to test for HIV. We need young people to stand up and make their health a priority.

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SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Must-See LGBT TWO NEW FILMS — BOTH INDEPENDENT RELEASES — DEALING WITH GENDER AND LGBTQ ISSUES OPEN SOON IN THE ATL, ONE A DRAMA AND THE OTHER SOMETHING OF A FEMINIST SATIRE. Jim Farmer Daniel Pearle’s play “A Kid Like Jake” has made the regional rounds (including Out Front Theatre Company last year) and has now been turned into a film, adapted by Pearle and directed by Silas Howard, who is trans himself.

academies, despite excellent grades. When a preschool director and friend (Octavia Spencer) suggests what Jake is going through may be more than a phase, it creates a bit of a crisis, especially for Alex. Greg seems okay with accepting Jake no matter what, but Alex is resistant to the ideas of labels — or even having Jake see a therapist.

Claire Danes and Jim Parsons are Alex and Greg Wheeler, the Brooklyn-based parents of a 4-year-old. Greg is a therapist and Alex is a former lawyer now content to be a mother. Their son Jake (Leo James Davis) is more interested in fairy tales and dressing up as Disney characters than playing with toy cars or other male-centric activities. He’s also been involved in some minor altercations and has scared off some prestigious pre-school

The focus here is not really on Jake but on the parents and the circle of people around them, including Ann Dowd as Alex’s overbearing mother, and Priyanka Chopra as a friend. Spencer’s character is a lesbian without children and the film has a wonderful sequence in which she and Alex argue. Some scenes are really raw, such as a night out with friends that turns sour, and a subsequent argument between husband and wife.

18 Summer Arts Preview June 8, 2018

DETAILS

“The Misandrists” Opens June 15 Plaza Atlanta “A Kid Like Jake” Opens June 15 TBD theater(s)

“I’ve never once seen you throw a ball with him,” Alex shouts out mid-fight. Danes is terrific, making her character bitter and unfiltered, even as she wants the best for her child. Parsons holds his own with her and the entire ensemble clicks. “A Kid Like Jake” works well as a film and, at fewer than 90 minutes, doesn’t overstay its welcome.

From Bruce LaBruce comes the new “The Misandrists.” It’s not quite as out there as some of the noted bad-boy director’s other films, but it can be a bit shocking. Women have formed the Female Liberation Army, a radical terrorist group, in Germany —

referred to as Gerwomany here — in 1999.

Volker (Til Schindler), a man being chased by the law, is found by two young women — Isolde (Kita Updike) and Hilde (Olivia Kundisch), who are lovers — and he is hidden away from the others, since the their country house has a no-male rule.

The house is run by Big Mother (Susanne Sachsse) — who believes that lesbian sex can lead to world domination — and is made of up four teachers and eight young women, almost all of whom have some kind of secret or backstory.

This can be a campy movie: A cop comes to the house looking for Volker but Big Mother, defiantly putting on a nun’s habit, won’t let him in. At times “The Misandrists” feels like more of an idea than a fully developed work. The ending, too, seems a little soft, but it’s nonetheless full of distinctive touches, including a last shot that is pure LaBruce. For the open-minded, it’s worth checking out. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Gay Love & Hip Hop

IT’S BEEN AN INTERESTING COMING-OUT PARTY FOR ATLANTA HIP-HOP TALENT ILOVEMAKONNEN. Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com iLoveMakonnen, an Atlanta original, is legally known as Makonnen Sheran (and sometimes “Makonnen Danny Morris”).

Sheran, 29, was born in 1989, when the Berlin Wall came down. Of course, as our readers know, some walls stayed up. And some barriers have lasted longer than others.

While the LGBTQ community has made strides in numerous fields, the hip-hop world has always seemed especially resistant to the progressive wave spreading across the entertainment industry. But thanks to Sheran, and others like him, there’s a possibility the tide may be turning.

On January 20 of last year, Makonnen Sheran came out online as gay. What made Sheran’s debut different — what makes it worth writing about a year later — is that his coming out took place in the rap world.

Sheran was well known, but he didn’t have Frank Ocean’s cachet to protect him. Still, that didn’t stop him from living his truth.

Sheran famously Tweeted: “As a fashion icon, I can’t tell u about everybody else’s closet, I can only tell u about mine, and it’s time I’ve come out.” Then he added: “And since y’all love breaking news, here’s some old news to break, I’m gay. And now I’ve told u about my life, maybe u can go life yours.”

A later post on Instagram bore the caption: “Thank you for letting me be myself.” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Although there’d been rumors about Sheran’s sexuality in several interviews, the January reveal was the first full-volume confirmation. As Billboard reported, “The Atlanta rapper’s social media feeds have been mostly filled with love and support.”

With the exception of the group Migos, whose initial comments were ambivalent, most of Sheran’s contemporaries were either supportive or indifferent.

When asked later about why he chose that moment — January 2017 — to come out, Sheran simply said, “I don’t even know. It’s just me and my life. I’m living. I’m 27. The world is changing, right?” He mentioned Trump’s inauguration as an odd synchronicity: “[He] was about make his big announcement.” So why shouldn’t Sheran beat him to the punch?

Everyone already knew, he said, “so it’s like, I might as well go ahead and make my little announcement to the world so I can move on with my life. I said whatever I said in my tweet, and then I moved on with it. Here goes America, let me focus on that!”

Although he was born in L.A. (and now resides in Portland), Sheran relocated to the Peach City when he was 13, which might explain why he’s usually referred to as an Atlanta act, an Atlanta hip-hop star — an Atlanta everything, really.

How Sheran traveled from Atlanta to the rest of the world is the stuff of news items and full-length features, but we’ll rehash the story. The world discovered Sheran courtesy of Drake (whom you may have heard of ).

Sheran released a certifiable hit, “Tuesday,” and that would’ve been enough to get him remembered. But what sealed the deal was Drake’s touch. The Canadian superstar remixed the tune, thereby assuring iLoveMakonnen a place in the buzz.

worth mentioning in these pages. Commenters have described hip-hop’s catalog as being rife with homophobia. Who can deny it? But it’s just as true that every year since 2000 has seen growth and acceptance for LGBTQ performers and activists.

The Drake boost happened in 2014. Sheran had been performing for seven years by then, but it’s been a long, steady climb upward for Sheran ever since. First on OVO Sound, now on Warner Bros., Sheran has created the kind of rock-solid career every new artist dreams of.

Indeed, Sheran has shared musical space with Key!, Father, and his close friend, the muchmourned, bisexual Lil Peep. He recently partnered up on a track with Rae Sremmurd titled “Love.” The song was produced by Mike Will Made-It and Travis Barker.

There’s even a subgenre of gay hip hop: “queer hip-hop” or “homo-hop,” featuring artists who engage with the culture and life of LGBTQ America. You can probably name some of these artists off the top of your head: Frank Ocean, Azealia Banks, Cazwell, and Big Freedia come to mind.

That’s the most important lesson from the coming out of iLoveMakonnen: He’s still making music, still involved. He’s not going anywhere; he stood up and was counted.

Can any performer do more? In hip-hop, as in LGBTQ politics, sounds come and go.

But it’s the Atlanta connection, and the truth of his coming out, that makes iLoveMakonnen

Liberation will always be the message.

June 8, 2018 Summer Arts Preview 19

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BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults.

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.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about BIKTARVY? BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects: } Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking BIKTARVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take BIKTARVY? Do not take BIKTARVY if you take: } dofetilide } rifampin } any other medicines to treat HIV-1

What are the other possible side effects of BIKTARVY? Serious side effects of BIKTARVY may also include: } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare 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, light-colored 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 (5%), and headache (5%). Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking BIKTARVY? } All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection. } All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements. BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all of your other medicines. } If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

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.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

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IMPORTANT FACTS

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(bik-TAR-vee) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. 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.

BIKTARVY can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• 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, light-colored 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 (5%), 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. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults. 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 all your medical conditions, including if you: • Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

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SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Slam Into

Poetry Elizabeth Hazzard, Intern Spoken word has become an integral part of poetry as an art form, with slam competitions dominating the scene. From small, local coffee shops to international events, its ability to resonate has rendered it a vessel by which social messages are carried across audiences and between cultures.

Beth Gylys, an English professor at Georgia State, took some time to discuss the power of spoken word and the role it can play in bringing awareness to the various acts of discrimination that effect the LGBTQ community.

As spoken word involves a verbal performance of a piece of poetry, professor Gylys calls attention to the oral history of poetry.

“Poetry was initially performed and passed along orally, so the sound of the poetry has always been a seminal part of how poetry was experienced for an audience,” she tells Georgia Voice. With a tradition rooted in oral communication, she emphasizes the importance of sound devices, such as rhyme, www.thegeorgiavoice.com

repetition, and meter — noting that these elements of spoken poetry not only improve the intricacy of verse but also allow the audience to memorize and repeat the material that is spoken to them. The intricate flow of spoken word gives it a lasting quality; enabling its often socially aware themes, such as politics and race-relations, to permeate through the audience and endure long after they’ve listened. “Poetry on the page is rich, but poetry performed is dynamic — a living and breathing experience. Poetry as performance can come to life in interesting and sometimes powerful ways,” she continues.

It is clear that spoken word has power but exactly how influential is its power? Could it actually induce social change? Dr. Gylys reveals that in some parts of the world, poetry as a socially conscious work has aided in the call for social change. She explains: “In Russia, for instance, poetry is revered.

I’ve read of people actually filling stadiums to hear Russian poetry read/performed.

In certain countries, poetry has become an important tool in causing and spurring

revolution. There have been poets jailed and even killed for their work. There’s a story of young Israeli soldiers carrying copies of Yehuda Amichai’s poems around with them on the battlefield.”

On a global scale, poetry has proven to be a potent agent of change and it being voiced only increases this potency. Since it can have such a significant role in generating social change, Dr. Gylys touched upon the role that spoken word can have in bringing awareness to the bias and hatred that is directed viciously toward members of the LGBTQ community. “Spoken word/slam poetry can voice the problem, but people who attend spoken-word events tend to already be sympathetic to these causes — not 100 percent, but a large percentage.

To really change the culture, the larger and perhaps more conservative members of our community need to become more keyed in to the ways the LGBTQ face discrimination and/or negative bias,” she observes. While spoken word resonates, she reminds us that it often does so with ears that are willing

to listen — meaning that although spoken word can open eyes and increase awareness, it can only do so if the audience allows it to first pierce their ears, then open their minds.

The art form provides a platform, a possible catalyst for revolution but it is up to the audience to do more than just hear, more than just listen; it is up to them to take these words and transform them into meaningful action, such as a fight for equal legislation.

The dynamic of spoken word is one of purpose and power, of communication and change; spoken word is a growing movement within itself. And for upcoming poets interested in entering the world of spoken word/slam poetry, Dr. Gylys advises them to “explore as many venues as possible, perform as much as you can. Get out there. The more you do it, the more known you will become and also the better you will become.” She underlines a small coffee shop and its encouraging audience — Java Monkey, one of the many places in Atlanta where one can participate in an eminent and unique form of verbal expression.

June 8, 2018 Summer Arts Preview 23

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

NEUTRINOS IN A POKE SACK

BENEATH THE FOUNDATION

Adrift with Jimmy O’Neal at

Bill Lowe Gallery Catharine Romero, Intern For the last three decades, Bill Lowe Gallery, found at the end of a cul-de-sac, showcases artists whose works transform the human heart and soul at intimate levels.

Currently on display is Jimmy O’Neal’s exhibition titled Adrift Within A Long Loving Look. The exhibition seeks to interpret the reality of the in-between and seeks to reflect the experience of a gradual movement into a state of weightlessness untethered by boundaries.

Jimmy received his BFA and MFA from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Jimmy’s “mirrored paint” technique, an innovation he created by sanding down an acrylic mirror and creating a new paint formula that would stick to the acrylic, reflects to the

viewer a distorted reality and a distorted self. The effects of mirrored paint are akin to a foggedover-bathroom mirror after a steamy shower.

His work welcomes self-reflection. The distortion created by his mirrored paint prevents the viewer from fully seeing themselves. The gold in this exhibition seems to represent the sun and the streak of blue, the sky — a possibility, given this exhibition was inspired by a hot air balloon ride. At the beginning, there are two mixed-media pieces that feature hot air balloon fabric, suggesting the beginning of the hot air balloon ride and the subsequent ride beneath the golden sun among the clouds.

Then there is Tilting at Satellites where the viewer catches glimpses of their distorted reflection peeking through gold mirrored

TILTING AT SATELLITES

paint and vibrant blues. This piece alone led me to reminisce on my current status as a recent college graduate on the cusp of adulthood. For me, this was the piece that successfully fulfilled his artistic intention.

Winding through the exhibition, there is a small canvas piece Cloud Humor. With this, the tone of the exhibit changes. The hours spent adrift in the sky are now coming to an end, and the clouds are now cotton-candy pink due to the twilight sky.

At the end of the exhibit, there is a large body of work, Beneath the Foundation, that begs the attention of the viewer. There is the figure of a woman standing in a brick tunnel holding a camera. Before, the viewer only caught glimpses of themselves, but by the end, they are completely vulnerable, exposed

LEAD LIGHT SACK RACE

to a woman taking a photo of the viewer.

Jimmy O’Neal’s exhibition takes the viewer adrift. It asks personal questions and brings them to the forefront. I was confronted with my status as an unemployed college graduate. By then end, I was facing myself, completely vulnerable but, although afraid of my distorted reflection and my uncertain future, still saw a glimpse of hope.

The exhibit takes the viewer on a ride and asks for honest, uninhibited self-reflection. In doing so, there is a renewed sense of self and purpose.

Bill Lowe Gallery’s exhibition of Adrift Within A Long Loving Look reflects the gallery’s continued promise to showcase the works of local artists reaching the viewer on an intimate level.

24 Summer Arts Preview June 8, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Busk A Move

BUSKING IS THE ART OF PERFORMING IN PUBLIC SPACES FOR TIPS. MOSTLY A BELOVED ART AND HARMLESS ENTERTAINMENT, WHY IS ATLANTA SO STRICT ABOUT KEEPING THESE ARTISTS DOWN? Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com Busking isn’t the oldest profession, but it’s likely the second or third-oldest one. The word comes from the Spanish buscar, “to seek.” Tracy Chapman and Josephine Baker began their careers as buskers. Bob Dylan and Robin Williams busked in their day.

According to 2007 survey conducted by the StreetStage Atlanta (a busking advocacy group), the majority of Atlanta buskers were between the ages of 26 to 45; half married and half single. Most groups consisted of two or three people. A quarter of Atlanta buskers were originally from the city, and 75 percent of them were native Georgians. As a group, buskers comprise all kinds of street performances: jugglers and circus skills; magic, acrobats, comics, break-dancers, and storytellers. This list leaves out the pleasing, esoteric buskings of fire-eating, contortion, drawing, and escapology, to say nothing of the venerable practices of live-statuing or snake-charming.

And, of course, busking includes musicians.

Busking, like most street arts, is widely practiced and little understood, particularly by the denizens of the pedestrian world.

With this in mind, I sought answers from the masters of the art. I specifically wanted musicians who had plied the trade in Atlanta.

Miguel Larson, of the Orlando-based act Raising Cadence, described busking in Atlanta as a great experience. “We got to play at a couple places, one being near Olympic Park and we met a lot of cool people,” he says. “The area was vast and playful. Everyone passing through were having a great time, it was a perfect time for us to play.” He recommends busking “to all musicians, dancers, artists, etc. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

You never know what your experience will entail … I believe musicians busk just for that exposure. The money is great and very generous, but we find ourselves busking for that connection with people.”

The band Breaking Glass has also busked here. The group is a dark, ragtime punk band from New York City, fronted by Joey Hilbert and Grayson Connelly. Breaking Glass has a revolving cast, Hilbert says, “but we travel the country and soon hopefully the world looking for like-minded people and a good time.” In Atlanta, they perform with a friend named Hayes Johnson, a sideshow performer. Hilbert says Little Five Points is one of their “favorite places to play, a lot of interesting people.” He describes busking in Atlanta: “The people [are] nice. We make a good amount of cash anywhere we are, because we have a very talented crew that plays ragtime and it’s music for everyone.”

“The cops were assholes,” Hilbert says, “but that goes for just about anywhere, and we do it because we have no homes and are nomadic travelers who need to make a living.

Of course, it all starts with the love of music and playing in front of an audience, but by the time you are traveling and old enough to understand that you need food to live and no one is going to buy it for you, it becomes a necessity to breathe another day.”

Hilbert says “a good deal of kids who grew up poor and travel also busk and play an instrument.” That was why “people [busked] in our group of friends. We grew up with nothing and had to travel [and] play to find a place to stay.”

A little legal research argues Hilbert’s point.

Back in 2007, according to StreetStage

Breaking Glass Atlanta, the rules were simple. Busking was legal on the city’s public property — as long as the buskers followed two simple rules: no amplification, and no singling out a particular audience (or person) for money.

That changed, thanks to Mayor Reed, Julian Bond, and then-Councilwoman Keisha Lance Bottoms. According to a 2013 Creative Loafing article, “The updated ordinance made it illegal to ask for money within 15 feet of pretty much any place where people might gather, including the entrances of public or private buildings, city parking lots, and ATMs.” They were aiming for panhandlers, and hit the musicians. The misfires weren’t long in coming.

The DIY music site Sonicbids notes: “Compared to places like New York City or Austin, the rules regarding busking are a bit stifling.” In May 2013, trombonist Eryk McDaniel was arrested by police outside Turner Field during a Braves game. And that was the second busking arrest. Before McDaniel, the police arrested a Brooklyn violinist, Juan Pablo Chavez, and (according to all reports) tossed him behind bars for six days after he played at the Five Points MARTA station.

A quick tour of the Atlanta subreddit suggests that not much has changed in five years. “Atlanta doesn’t really have a busking scene,” writes one commenter. “I wish we

had more street performers. Decatur Square has the potential to become a good scene.”

Indeed, Decatur is attempting to make an accommodations for open-air entertainers.

In March, a city commission approved a pilot program which would enable buskers to ply their skills in a list of select locations. Angie Macon of the Decatur Arts Alliance told the AJC, “We want Decatur to be alive with music.” Buskers would be required to contact the Alliance and receive a month-long permit.

Another Atlanta Redditor commented, “The only places downtown where you can kind of safely do it near lots of pedestrians without getting private security asking you to move is the sidewalk outside Peachtree Center.

Whatever security on duty will kindly tell you where the mark is, over down by the Ferris Wheel. Centennial would be a great location, but unfortunately, they’ll make you stop or kick you out the moment you start getting any onlookers.”

That’s the irrepressible fact of street performance. As long as there are onlookers, there’ll be buskers. Atlanta is no exception.

The law, the government, and many propertyowners of Atlanta apparently don’t like street musicians. But the people do — and so, as far as the streets of the city are concerned, as a singer once told us, the beat goes on.

June 8, 2018 Summer Arts Preview 25

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

The Beloved Art of Tattoos: A Conditional Stigma Aidan Ivory Edwards, Intern The art of tattooing has an ample history that’s been traced back to the Neolithic age.

According to NPR, the first viable evidence of a tattoo on skin was found in Egypt. That’s right — mummies are the O.G. tattoo trendsetters up to date. Imhotep with the ink, though!

The ignominy of tattoos began with Leviticus 19:28 within the King James Version of the Christian doctrine where it preaches, “Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you.” The markings of flesh were a sign of the abominable beast. However, religious tattoos have blossomed, throwing the beast’s mark right back at him with love.

The majority of permanent markings in history were exhibited by those of the lower class, criminal affiliated, the enslaved, and others deemed barbaric. The intimidation purposes inevitably paved the way toward its banning in eastern regions. In western 26 Summer Arts Preview June 8, 2018

society, tattooing came to practice during the Civil War when a German immigrant named Martin Hildebrandt provided soldiers with ink for identification purposes. His travels allowed him to supply ink for both the Union and the Confederate troops. His work led to the cultivation of ideas that have evolved into the collections of work we see today.

Tattoo culture has since become a form of artistic expression, gifting symbolism, remembrance, and above all, freedom. But within the movement, some misguidances sour the art form by fueling aimless animosity, violence, the promotion of racial purity, and the continuation of branding a human being as property.

America has taken upon itself to allow tattoos to become a social normative. But with tattooing no longer being the elephant in the room, it doesn’t necessarily mean the art has been subject to negative opinions inside (and outside) the workplace. Tattoos are subject to boundaries if a workplace dictates them. If we cannot sheath

them behind our clothing, an interview may be out of the question. The infamous slang term for ink in plain sight has been given the name “job cutter.” Any tattoos above the neck or on the hands are still viewed as tasteless.

The biblical verse from Leviticus still has a hand in modern-day society. An artistic choice can cause society to label someone based on their appearance. The times have certainly changed, but to what degree? To help me further explore this, I spoke with local tattoo artist Jenny Collins.

“I grew up in a strict Baptist home where tattooing was a sin,” Jenny says. “We were taught that it was the mark of the beast. Tattoos were for degenerates. Now, my parents have changed their viewpoints. They think it’s cool.”

Jenny attended graduate school for materials science engineering in Colorado. After overhearing her advisor speaking ill of tattoos, she went out of her way to hide her own. “I covered them every day. I felt like I couldn’t be

myself,” she says. The generational disparities were apparent to her in graduate school. “It’s a different school of thought.”

“Maybe our kids won’t want to have tattoos because we do,” she says sarcastically, deeply shading a center pole of a carousel design with white. “It’s not going to go anywhere any time soon,” Jenny says confidently.

Undeniably, the buzzing of an ink gun reverberates throughout the troposphere.

The droning noise from the machines fall upon an anti-inker, or someone covered in the combination of titanium, chrome, and lead. No matter whose ears the zinging reaches, it’s impossible to ignore the present stigma toward tattoos.

Jenny Collins is an artist, and tattoo artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work reflects her inspirations drawn from nature and geometry.

To view a gallery of Jenny’s artwork, visit her website at JennyTattoos.com, or reach out to her email at JennyTattoos@gmail.com. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Out & Proud LGBTQ Comic Book Characters, and the Drawn Lives of Illustrator

Reed Black O’Brian Gunn

Comic books and graphic novels have shown themselves to be profitable in both their printed and cinematic forms. Despite that, Hollywood has mostly treated the identities of queer comic book characters as hidden ones, refusing to add a single line or two that lets audiences know a character’s sexual orientation. With June being Pride month, it’s the perfect time to put these characters and their creators front and center.

Black Panther’s Okoye is in a relationship with fellow Dora Milaje warrior Ayo in the Black Panther: World of Wakanda comic series. In the recent film, Okoye is married to W’Kabi, but it seems like it would’ve been easy to pair her with Ayo; there was even a reported deleted scene of the two engaging in a flirtatious dance together.

Hellblazer’s leading man, John Constantine, has been featured in everything from a movie and two TV shows to an animated film. The working-class occult detective’s bisexuality is prominent in the comic books, but it’s also featured in two episodes of the show “Legends of Tomorrow.”

Electric Yukio and explosive Negasonic Teenage Warhead made quite the romantic pairing in the recent “Deadpool 2,” showing just how effortless it is to include queer characters in comic book movies. While the two didn’t get much screen time, both Brianna Hildebrand and Shiori Kutsuna showed themselves worthy of their very own film or mini-series.

Diana Prince/Wonder Woman hails from the all-female island of Themyscira, where lesbian relationships are as commonplace as heterosexual relationships around the world.

In Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman,” Diana develops romantic feelings for pilot Steve Trevor. In the comics, Diana is portrayed as

both bisexual and pansexual. And who could blame her, when interacting with gods and goddesses is an everyday occurrence?

One of the many great things about comic books and graphic novels is the fact that not all queer characters have superhuman abilities, flowing capes, or secret identities.

Queer readers who prefer their graphic literature without the inclusion of superheroes have plenty to choose from when looking for characters and narratives that resemble their own. E.K. Weaver’s The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal tells the tale of what happens when newly out Amal and unconventional TJ set out on a road trip together across the US, exploring their lives and their mutual attraction.

Melanie Gillman’s award-winning As the Crow Flies illustrates the life of a queer black girl named Charlie Lamonte and her summer at an all-white, female, Christian youth camp.

Gillman’s magnificent use of colored pencils depicts a story that explores religion, identity, isolation, and so much more.

O Human Star is the creation of Blue Delliquanti, an artist and illustrator who does away with the superhero tropes and centers the sci-fi story on inventor Alastair Sterling, who dies before bearing witness to his orchestrated robot revolution. Sterling is resurrected almost two decades later in an android body in a world where humans and robots live in harmony, which prompts the inventor to find his partner, Brendan, to discover what happened … and ask why the female bot Brendan is living with so closely resembles Al. While much praise is given to queer comic book characters, we cannot forget to recognize the creators who write, draw, and illustrate those characters into existence.

Reed Black is a gay illustrator based in Atlanta who has always had an interest in

art, but was attending community college when he first realized he could make a career of his passion.

“You can do it all on your own, you don’t need a big budget,” Reed tells Georgia Voice, about being attracted to drawing comics as opposed to other mediums. When creating his characters and narratives, Reed lets the story have its say, allowing the main characters to push the plot forward as their personalities develop whilst he sketches them to life.

It’s Reed’s hope that more funds will be funneled to queer creators, helping them put their stories and characters in front of readers hungry for representation. The illustrator also wants kids to see more gay relationships and blended families in comics that reflect real-world relationships and non-traditional families. It should be “incidental that they’re gay,” he notes.

It’s an undeniable fact that we’re luxuriating in a golden age when it comes to comics/ graphic novels and queer representation.

“You have something in your head that you can bring to life and share with other people; it’s like bringing a child into the world,” Reed says. With the combination of social media and the internet, creators wielding words, colors, pens, pencils, and styluses can not only share their creations with the world, but also turn a profit.

For those looking to support their fellow queer creators while exploring LGBTQ

graphic novels and comics, Reed has plenty of recommendations to offer. Shivana Sookdeo is a self-taught comic artist and illustrator with a creative range that includes comics such as the award-nominated Breath, Plucked From Heaven, publication covers, logos, zines, and storyboarding tests for “Steven Universe.”

Emily Carroll is the award-winning creator of horror comic His Face All Red. Her work has appeared in several comics anthologies, and Carroll also creates webcomics as well as graphic novels. If you’re a video game fan, you might have spotted her work in 2013’s Gone Home and The Yawhg.

Reed himself is the creator of “What a Queer Family,” a webcomic series featuring the Patel family, made up of “two gay dads, three magical adoptive children, and endless shenanigans.” His portfolio also includes commissioned illustrations, short stories, and T-shirt designs. He is represented by Alyssa Jennette of Stonesong Literary Agency.

Just like the LGBTQ community, there’s an entire rainbow of narratives to explore and discover when it comes to queer comics and comic book characters. No matter if you’re a fan of superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, or graphic autobiographies, or if you’re looking to be absolutely floored by stunning artwork, there’s plenty to sate your graphic appetites. And who knows? Maybe one day you’ll have a story or character of your very own to share with the rest of us.

28 Summer Arts Preview June 8, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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June 8, 2018 Ads 29

SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

Michele Pred, My Body My Business

Maggy Rozycki Hiltner, Untitled

Jamaal Barber, The Builder

Making Change: The Art and Craft of Activism: Museum of Design Atlanta Exhibit opens June 3

Combat Paper, Gentlemen

Craftivism is a worldwide movement that operates at the intersection of craft and activism.

Across the globe, artists and crafters armed with traditional materials like yarn, glue guns, quilt patterns, sewing needles, X-ACTO knives, and other tools are using their hands to protest social and political inequalities and injustices.

Iviva Olenick, ElizaLucasPinckney

30 Summer Arts Preview June 8, 2018

The time spent on these works shows the dedication to creating pieces that evoke emotion and promote discussion. By sharing ideas expressed through the work of their hands, these artists and crafters aim to make you think, explore, and take note.

Bonnie Peterson, Drought

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SUMMER ARTS PREVIEW

WonderRoot:

A Thriving Community Arts Organization Jamie Roberts Now in its fourteenth year of existence, WonderRoot, a nonprofit arts and services organization with a mission to unite artists and community to inspire positive social change, is stronger than ever and on the verge of a major expansion. The organization was founded in 2004 by Chris Appleton, Alex West, and Witt Wisebraum as a way to bring people together people who were disaffected by the atmosphere during the presidency of George W. Bush (a feeling shared by many in this current regime). They set out to leverage the power of public participation in art to amplify the demands made by the community.

The name “WonderRoot” was meant to capture the imaginative spirit that it takes to make change, while staying firmly fixed within the community to do the nitty-gritty stuff. WonderRoot’s space is a repurposed home on Memorial Drive between Cabbagetown and Moreland Ave. they secured in 2008, the same year they got their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The intention was for the space to be the center of a sustainable, thriving arts scene they felt Atlanta lacked, forcing talent to leave for cities with larger, more established art markets. Paying the $60/ year membership fee for joining WonderRoot www.thegeorgiavoice.com

gets you access to their facilities, including an audio recording studio, a ceramics studio, a computer lab, as well as performance and gallery space, providing space for a first gallery show, instruction to hone their craft, and a community of peers to network and inspire.

In 2011, after research showed that art schools weren’t adequately preparing graduates for how to approach galleries to get their work displayed, the organization began its Walthall Fellowship, which is their signature artist professional development fellowship. It’s a year-long program, open to twelve artists who participate in roundtables and symposia with gallery owners who advise them on how to get their careers going and sustain them. The program culminates with a group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA).

This year’s exhibit will begin July 12 and run through Sept. 8.

These days, now that there are a lot more artists staying in and producing art in Atlanta, WonderRoot is shifting its efforts to ensuring these artists have enough opportunities to sustain their careers. They’re doing this by approaching civic and social institutions to ensure they’re working with artists in sustainable and ethical ways. One example is a program with MARTA, begun

three years ago, called “En Route,” funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as Fulton County Arts and Culture, and several other donors.

A total of four murals are being installed at four MARTA Stations. The process began with gathering input from communities surrounding the stations in a series of meetings.

The first completed installation in this series is at the King Memorial MARTA Station, a mural whose concept was created by artist Fahamu Pecou. This was followed by Oakland City station, and more recently at the Ashby Station, and the Hamilton E. Holmes station.

As the organization grew, it sought to expand its physical space to accommodate the needs of the artists they’ve helped nurture who would benefit from affordable studio space. To this end, they looked down the street in their own neighborhood to the property of the former Tech High, a charter school which opened in 2004 on the eightacre campus which was previously known as the Hubert Elementary School at 1043 Memorial Drive SE. Tech High eventually had to close in 2012 due to underenrollment and failing finances.

In 2014, Atlanta Public Schools approved an agreement with WonderRoot for the

organization to take over the property, which includes 54,000 square feet of space in the school building itself, in addition to the rest of the property. Problem was, the deed to the property was still held by the City of Atlanta from when they ran the schools directly, prior to the separation of the Atlanta Independent School system from the City in 1973. After years of a very public feud between the entities over many properties still held by the City, it was one of 31 current and former properties the Atlanta City Council voted to deed to the Atlanta Independent School system on Feb. 19, 2018.

Jake Pardee, communications and development co-ordinator at WonderRoot, says they’re moving forward with the project, to be called the WonderRoot Center for Arts and Social Change in what is now a rapidly changing Memorial Drive corridor with new live/work/play developments just down the street. Once completed, they will leave their old facility completely and reopen with larger facilities including 40 to 60 new artist studios converted from old classrooms, expanding their Open Access Studio Program to allow members access to the same amenities as before, including an expanded performing arts space.

Keep up with their work at WonderRoot.org.

June 8, 2018 Summer Arts Preview 31

EATING MY WORDS

Stonewall:

From Full Guts to Glory THE STONEWALL REBELLION WAS ONE OF AT LEAST SIX REMARKABLE EVENTS IN 1969. THIS WEEK, I’M PAIRING THOSE EVENTS WITH DINING ADVICE. Cliff Bostock Let’s start with man’s first walk on the moon.

I remember sitting with my parents and girlfriend and watching this drama on TV. “If man can walk on the moon, I can fuck women,” I thought to myself. An equally fanciful, worldwide myth is that the moon is made of cheese. My favorite pig-out cheese for years has been Drunken Goat, a firm, aged chevre in a purple, wine-soaked rind. It used to be cheap and hard to find. Now it’s everywhere and expensive. Please eat it.

Next up is the release of Andy Warhol’s film, “Lonesome Cowboys.” I went to see it at Ansley Mall with my girlfriend. The Atlanta police showed up, seized the film, and ordered everyone into the parking lot. Gay cowboys remind me of barbecue. The best in the city is at B’s Cracklin (2061 Main Street). The

owner-chef raises his own heritage hogs. Pick your sauce: vinegary-mustardy Carolina-style, and not-too-sweet, tomatoey Georgia-style.

Federico Fellini’s masterpiece, “Satyricon,” was also released here in 1969. I saw it with my bynow-surely-worried girlfriend at Lenox Square.

The movie is a Freudian adaptation of the western world’s first novel, “The Satyricon,”

by Gaius (really!) Petronius. It satirizes the Greek taste for sodomy and the cult of Priapus, the god famous for his gigantic penis. The story includes an infamously weird banquet.

Fast-forward many years and I’m writing reviews of weird food as I write my doctoral dissertation on the obsession with huge dicks in pop culture. When I think of big dicks and weird food, I think of Beijing Kabobs (5090 Buford Highway). Much of the food here is very challenging taste-wise but among the least so is the skewered ox-penis. An ox has a 2.5’

Staplehouse penis. Alas, you don’t get the whole thing here; just grilled chunks of junk. If you feel cheated, get an order of lamb balls.

I remember the Stonewall Rebellion not so much from actual accounts of it, but it did stimulate long-overdue reporting about gay life in New York. I remember photographs in Life Magazine of slender men sipping cocktails in shadowy bars. I have no idea why, but the most memorable sentence from that story claimed that homosexual men are obsessed with sneakers. Since I did not relate to that, I couldn’t be gay and my girlfriend was safe.

Later, of course, I heard the story of Stonewall’s Amazon queens. I married my girlfriend. That lasted five years. My coming out was largely shepherded by drag queens in Augusta. (You learn a lot helping a queen steal ladies’ clothes from unattended laundromat machines.)

As I’ve recounted many times my mega-gay epiphany occurred at Hollywood Hots. Lily White performed the Flying Lizards’ version

of “Summertime Blues.” Suddenly, it occurred to me that being an outlaw was going to incur incredible creative freedom. When I think of Stonewall, Lily White, and sneakers, I think first of the Gallus and the Silver Grill, but they are dead. There are lots of gayish places in Midtown, but for revolutionary style without regard to sexual orientation, I have to go with Staplehouse (541 Edgewood Avenue). I can’t recount the whole story here. Just know that its cuisine is a gorgeous outcome of a broken heart. We relate, right?

Finally, 1969 was also the year of Woodstock and the Manson murders. When I think of acid rock and blood, nothing edible besides mushrooms, straight people, and rare prime rib comes to mind. I still like Highland Tap for that stuff (1026 N. Highland Avenue).

Cliff Bostock is a former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching. Contact him at 404-518-4415 or cliffbostock@gmail.com.

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32 Columnists June 8, 2018

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BEST BETS Our Guide to the Best LGBTQ Events in Atlanta for June 8-21 SATURDAY, JUNE 9

The Atlanta Opera opens their version of “Sweeney Todd,” running through June 17.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center 8pm

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

Vice President Biden is bringing his American Promise Tour, a series of conversations that will go beyond the 24-hour news cycle and 280-character arguments to connect friends and neighbors around the topics that matter most, to the ATL. Biden will discuss his New York Times bestselling memoir, “Promise Me Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose.” He will reveal the big political moments of his career, the life-altering choices he made, and the key traits that have helped him persevere through challenges. He will share how the loss of his son Beau tested his resolve, and how he is finding new purpose in a time of uncertainty. See their Facebook event for more details.

Atlanta Symphony Hall 7:30–8:30pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

Get your Scream Machine on today at

34 Best Bets June 8, 2018

Out in the Park at Six Flags Over Georgia. Enjoy a day of fun and rides with an exclusive all-you-can-eat meal at JB’s Sports Bar and Grill with unlimited beer and wine. See their Facebook event for more details.

Six Flags 10am–10pm The Atlanta Opera opens their version of “Sweeney Todd,” running through June 17.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center 8pm

with the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History, will host a screening of “The Rape of Recy Taylor” today. The film recounts the harrowing story of Recy Taylor, who bravely identified her white rapists after a brutal sexual assault, and the NAACP’s chief rape investigator, a woman named Rosa Parks, who rallied support and triggered an unprecedented outcry for justice.

This event is free and open to the public.

101 Auburn Avenue NE 3pm

The Armorettes present the Miss Barfly Pageant OTP with proceeds benefiting Living Room.

Heretic Atlanta 8pm

MONDAY, JUNE 11

SUNDAY, JUNE 10

DeWayne Morgan hosts Trivia Tuesdays at the Hideaway Atlanta

The Baton Foundation, Inc., in partnership

Play Texas Hold’Em tonight at Friends Neighborhood Bar 8:30pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 12

Beginning at 8:30pm

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13

Join President Bill Clinton for a live, wide-ranging conversation as he offers candid insights into the process and research behind the novel, as well as the timely and alarming issues it raises about our world today. VIP tickets include a signed hardcover copy of “The President is Missing,” a photo opportunity with Clinton, and reserved premium seating.

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre 7:30–9:30pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 14

SAGE Atlanta is holding another meeting today.

Phillip Rush Center Annex 10:30am–1pm, second and fourth Thursday of each month.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 35 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

BEST BETS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Darnell Moore shares stories from his book “No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America.”

Charis Books and More 7:30–9:30pm

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34 The Atlanta Dream host the Indiana Fever.

McCamish Pavillion 11:30 am

FRIDAY, JUNE 15– MONDAY, JUNE 18

Peach Party Atlanta 2018 weekend includes events at bars such as Heretic Atlanta, Xion, and District. A full line-up will be available soon. See their Facebook event for more details.

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

The drama “A Kid Like Jake” with Claire Danes and Jim Parsons also opens today.

(TBD) theaters

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

Georgia Equality’s 14th Annual Evening for Equality will draw hundreds of Georgia’s most important community leaders for the presentation of Georgia Equality’s Equality Awards.

Guests will gather for a dinner reception to celebrate the successes of the past year and contributions of several leaders in the movement to advance fairness, safety, and opportunity for Georgia’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and allied communities. See their Facebook event for more details.

Intercontinental Buckhead 6:30pm

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SUNDAY, JUNE 17

The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets today, with a featured speaker.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta 2:30–5pm

JUNE 24

MONDAY, JUNE 18

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.

Charis Books and More 7–8:30pm

TUESDAY, JUNE 19

For those non-timid types, it’s Underwear Night.

Atlanta Eagle 7:30pm

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

Join Charis Books and More for a conversation with Darnell Moore about black queer liberation, feminism, and freedom as he shares stories from his book “No Ashes in the Fire: Coming of Age Black & Free in America.” When Moore was 14, three boys from his neighborhood tried to set him on fire. They cornered him while he was walking home from school,

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CONTINUES ON PAGE 36 June 8, 2018 Best Bets 35

BEST BETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 35 harassed him because they thought he was gay, and poured a jug of gasoline on him.

He escaped, but barely. Three decades later, Moore is an award-winning writer, a leading Black Lives Matter activist, and an advocate for justice and liberation. In his book, he shares the journey taken by that scared, bullied teenager who not only survived but found his calling.

Charis Books and More 7:30–9:30pm There’s nothing like a good ol’ fashioned tea party to build community and meet others. Southern Fried Queer Pride kicks off with No Boys Allowed, a tea party social for women to discuss issues and ideas in the community, sip tea, and meet others. This is an intentional space for women. Tea and refreshments will be served. This event is 18 & up.

The Bakery Atlanta 8pm Atlanta Pride presents out comediennes Wanda Sykes and Tig Notaro tonight as part of Atlanta Pride’s Stonewall Celebrations.

Fox Theater 8pm

THURSDAY, JUNE 21

Need a lift to your spirits? Check out Sashay Away with bartender Trent and drink specials.

My Sister’s Room 7pm

UPCOMING FRIDAY, JUNE 22

The terrific, lesbian-themed “Hearts Beat Loud” shows today.

Midtown Art Cinema Various showtimes The Rise of the Rainbow Economy: 2018 AGLCC LGBT Business Summit is today, sponsored by the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The summit is a day-long seminar exploring the intersectionality of personal, professional, and social responsibility and advocacy through micro-networking, interactive panel discussions with local and national business leaders, and an overview of the state of

36 Best Bets June 8, 2018

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Out On Film and the Atlanta Pride Committee present “The Wound” for Stonewall Month.

Rush Center Annex 7pm

today’s LGBT economy.

Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta 1-8pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

Don’t miss an Atlanta Rollergirls double-header — the Glamma Rays v.

Apocalypstic and Jukes of Hazzard vs. a TBD opponent.

Yaarab Shrine Center 5pm Join ZAMI NOBLA and Charis Circle in welcoming Leona Beasley who is a writer and self-described “Southern lesbo warrior king.” Beasley writes about eccentric, funny, and often queer characters from the South.

Her debut book “Something Better than Home” is a 2018 Lambda Literary award finalist, depicting the life of a young lesbian coming of age and coming out in the 1970s South. The event will feature a reading, refreshments, and a book signing. This is a Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary event and the suggested donation is $5.

Charis Books and More 7:30–9pm

LovHer and T A S T E and Rotten Peaches and For All Humans and WUSSY have come together to throw the Unity Ball, a unifying dance party tonight with DJ Ree De La Vega.

Deep End 10pm–3am

SUNDAY, JUNE 24

DJs Neon the Glowgobear and Ron Pullman headline Drench pool party.

Register at GaaPac.com for free admission.

W Atlanta - Downtown 1pm Come get some sun, fresh air, and community at Frolic, a queer picnic and day party put on by Southern Fried Queer Pride for Southern Fried Queer Pride 2018. Bring a blanket, snacks, and a friend. SFQP will have field games for folks to play. Come early to get pops by King of Pops. There will be swimming pools, board games, barbecue, and a community mural painting going on all day and music.

The Bakery Atlanta 2–8pm

Atlanta United is holding Unity Night during its match against Portland today. The event includes a pregame tailgate party and rainbow flags with ticket purchase. The tailgating begins at noon.

Mercedes Benz Stadium 4pm gametime

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Out On Film and the Atlanta Pride Committee present “The Wound” for Stonewall Month. “The Wound” is an exploration of tradition and sexuality set amid South Africa’s Xhosa culture.

Every year, the tribe’s young men are brought to the mountains of the Eastern Cape to participate in an ancient coming-of-age ritual. Xolani, a quiet and sensitive factory worker (played by openly gay musician Nakhane Touré), is assigned to guide Kwanda, a city boy from Johannesburg sent by his father to be toughened up, through this rite of passage into manhood.

Rush Center Annex 7pm

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

ADOPTABLE PETS

Stanford

Our Fulton County Pet of the Week isn’t sure why he’s in the shelter, but he knows he’d be much happier at your house or in your lap. Meet Stanford, a handsome boy whose favorite thing in the world is to love and be loved on! In fact, if Stanford is standing beside you, he will lean into you for more affection. He’s also a gentle guy who will take treats out of your hand very carefully, and he learns fast and already knows how to sit! Stanford gets along well with other dogs, so he would make a good canine brother.

Tyga Girl

Have you ever wanted a dog with wind-swept ears? Our DeKalb County Pet of the Week has them! Meet Tyga Girl, a loving gal who’s ready to win your heart. Why should you adopt her? First, because she adores people and will worship the ground you walk on, so you’ll always have someone in your corner. Second, because she weighs about 43 lbs., so she’s the perfect medium-sized dog for almost any home. Next, her ears are crazy cute, will make you smile, and are a great conversation starter when you’re out and about with her. Tyga is so loving, and good with everyone, so dog parks could be in your future if you’d like.

And, she has good manners and will walk nicely on a leash with you. Need more reasons? Let her show you herself!

HOW TO ADOPT ME Email adoptions@dekalbanimalservices.com for more info!

Alert! During the month of June, you can take advantage of our “Pick Your Price” promotion and pay whatever you’d like for one of our lovely buddies.

The price will include a spay/neuter, microchip and vaccinations!

Ace

Ace is a 16-year-old Domestic Shorthair who is looking for the perfect retirement home. He’s good with other cats and wants to meet you!

He’s available at the Atlanta Humane Society’s Mansell Campus.

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Adrian

Meet Adrian! This curious youngster is good with other dogs, never meets a stranger, and has an infectious smile.

He’s a year old and loves to play with other dogs! He’s available for adoption at the Atlanta Humane Society’s Mansell Campus.

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

June 8, 2018 Adoptable Pets 37

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

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Melissa Carter Now that Memorial Day is behind us, we are officially into bathing suit season, and boy is that the topic of conversation among straight women these days. I specify straight women because they seem to feel more pressure to look good in beach and pool attire than lesbians. Why? Because they care what men think about them.

I was at lunch with several women the other day, a majority of them straight. The discussion turned to summer travel plans, and all trips included lounging by a body of water.

Every straight woman began to complain about how few swimsuits look good on them, and one of the women even claimed she had no intention of going to the water with her companions; she had simply given up hope of feeling good with fewer clothes on.

Then a lesbian in the group stated she just throws on some shorts and says to hell with it. Granted, lesbians are women and have been trained at a young age — like their straight counterparts — to be highly critical of their physique. However, as adults, it’s easier for us to shake off that first negative reaction to ourselves and remember we’re above that petty nonsense, and the judgment in our world is simply not the same.

However, if you try to tell a straight woman her poor self-image is based on her attempts to please a man, she’ll deny it until her final breath. I suppose that’s because straight women also want to attain a higher self-awareness and not care about that old-fashioned notion that women are supposed to be flawless and men can behave however they please.

But I think their actions are louder than their excuses.

Take boob jobs, for instance: There are plenty of them out there and the women who get them claim many reasons for the surgery, including better-fitting clothes or damage control after having children. When asked if they ultimately went under the knife for their

38 Columnists June 8, 2018

husbands or boyfriends the answer is always: “It’s not for him — it’s for me.”

Bullshit. In all my years, I have yet to meet a lesbian who has ever had breast-enhancement surgery. There are advantages to being a gay woman, and one of the biggest advantages is being with a partner who truly understands women’s bodies. There’s also the reality that lesbians don’t routinely trade our girlfriends in for younger models per se. If two women break up, one of them is just as likely to date someone her age than to dip into the younger end of the pool. But for straight women, there is a very real message that their man is only going to be truly happy and committed if the woman maintains a certain level of physical perfection. Without being perceived as “beautiful” in the eyes of the male masses, these women seem to lose their sense of worth rapidly.

The real key to beauty for straight ladies is to see it in themselves, to let go of what is wrong in the mirror and see what is right.

You’re the lead — not your man — and their attraction will likely follow you faster the more body-confident you are. Then you too can be like a lesbian, and wear whatever the hell you want and enjoy the summer.

One of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta, Melissa’s worked for B98.5 and Q100. Catch her daily on theProgressive Voices podcast “She Persisted.” Tweet her! @MelissaCarter www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

Self-Sabotage and the Art of Overcoming It Ryan Lee “You’re so full of it,” my ex-boyfriend told me after I got out the shower the day before Memorial Day. He had complimented my incoming abs, and while I was applying lotion to my body, I replied it was hard for me to notice the muscles developing.

“You know damn well you see it,” he said.

“The way you’re rubbing your chest, making sure I realize what I’m missing out on.”

I can feel positive changes in my body, but at the dawn of swimsuit season, my eyes zoom in on the parts of my torso that aren’t cooperating with my goal of looking delectable at a pool party. It’s an admittedly superficial aim, but as a soon-to-be-38year-old single gay man whose lifetime relationship goals are sex-based, remaining fuckable is an essential part of my overall well-being.

“I keep thinking that I am closer to the Ryan you envisioned,” I told my ex-boyfriend in a text message last month, before he mentioned he would soon be visiting Atlanta from New York.

We were an odd pair when we started dating in 2006: he, a highly accomplished young professional whose sense of worth was underwritten by his townhome, luxury sedan, and other acquisitions; me, a carless survivor of childhood poverty, bohemian enough to be a bit flattered when mistaken for homeless. He was open about his mission to refine me throughout our five-year relationship, but by the end he had forsaken his career, car, and home, and found zen serving smoothies at LA Fitness.

Our divergent economic values were a tension in our relationship, but the persistent struggle was my commitment to convincing my boyfriend how unloveable I was in non-materialistic ways. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

If only he knew me, I told myself, he would realize he doesn’t want to be with me.

that complement my improving physique — I know he is cheering me forward.

Any relationship would be doomed by the type of self-sabotage that is my specialty, which I imagine is not unique, but he continued to pry my secrets and insecurities out of me and never flinched. Appreciative of my quest for authenticity, he dared me to broaden it to include the person I claimed to love most.

He was a kindergarten teacher when we met, then taught a classroom of secondgrade girls the next year; those young ladies graduated high school this year, and he stayed with me while in Atlanta to surprise several of them at a celebratory brunch.

That is the type of educator he is — that type of man, lover, and friend.

Petty bickering, belated honesty, and an 800-mile relocation ended our romance, but time, endearment, and an 800-mile distance has sustained our companionship. I’m happy he’s found a partner in New York who delights and irks him while he flourishes professionally, and anytime I upgrade my life — whether visiting a barber instead of cutting my own hair, or buying new clothes

While we were shopping this weekend, he thanked me for making him a better person, for coaxing him outside his comfort zone and helping him understand how easily calmness overcomes chaos. Both of us emerged from our relationship improved and unbitter, and though we may have been miserable together, I can’t help but consider it a successful love story.

June 8, 2018 Columnists 39

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