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OUR PAST OUR PRESENT

45

YEARS

OF PRIDE

GEORGIANEWS

Bullying, faith and freedom in South Georgia A lesbian high school student’s fight to get a gay-straight alliance in her school

The school board did not change their vote that night, but the dialogue still stung.

“We expected resistance but we did ATLANTA not expect the faith-based community to rally around it,” Beth says. “We have so many other pressing issues like the poverty rate, the teen pregnancy rate, meth labs, all these things that small Southern towns NASHVILLE face, and suddenly, this is the issue? This small group of children?”

By PATRICK SAUNDERS Shelby Hallman had had enough.

The 16-year-old student at Berrien High School in Nashville, Georgia, was tired of seeing her gay and lesbian friends pushed around and called “faggot,” “queer” and “dyke.” One of her fellow student leaders screamed in her face that he had the right to call her a faggot if he wanted to.

Instead of wilting, she sprang into action. She went home, looked online and discovered gay-straight alliances (GSA), and learned exactly what she needed to do to start one at her school so that she and her friends could get some much-needed support. She reviewed school system policy, looked up federal laws and learned that students have a right to start GSAs in public schools.

Even in deeply conservative Nashville, a tiny town of 5,000 in south Georgia.

She lined up a sponsor for the club, an English teacher at Berrien High named Nick Hodge, who didn’t hesitate to take her up on it.

“I believe in human dignity,” Hodge says. “I believe that all kids should be treated well. I believed somebody should have sponsored it and I was honored when she asked me to do it.”

She presented everything to her school principal, who gave her a “maybe” that day, but later came back and turned her down. So Shelby did what few 16-year-olds, much less a 16-year-old in her situation, would do: she called a meeting with the principal and the school superintendent. She cited the federal Equal Access Act, which requires that federally funded public schools provide equal access to extracurricular clubs.

It was enough to convince them. They put it before the school board for a vote in May, and the board, nudged along by a letter from the ACLU of Georgia highlighting the legal precedent at hand, voted to allow the club.

Shelby Hallman was moved to start the Gay-Straight Alliance after constant harassment of her and her LGBT friends. (Photo by Wenda G. Bailey)

“They need to know that queer people already exist in our community, and saying they don’t want that isn’t going to make us go away. We’re not trying to attack their faith, we’re trying to uplift harassed and bullied students.”

—Shelby Hallman

And that’s when things turned ugly in Nashville.

‘Ask yourselves, is that what you want in our community?’

When Shelby, who has been out since she was 14, told her parents about what was happening at Berrien High and why she wanted to start a GSA there, they did not stand in her way.

“What she was describing what her peers were experiencing was devastating,” says her mother, Beth. “So we supported her and told her, ‘Yeah, go ahead.’”

Once Shelby laid the groundwork that led to the all-clear by the school board in May, several local faith leaders got involved

and tried to put a stop to it.

They circulated a petition against the GSA to local residents, garnering 1,300 signatures. They got several dozen out-of-town faith leaders to sign on as well, and posted the petition in the local newspaper. Then they showed up at the school board meeting in June to make their case.

After reading the petition in front of the board, Pastor Mickey Lindsey of Flat Creek Baptist Church put up a photograph on an overhead projector. It was a picture he had found online of students at a Pride parade in California. One of the students was in drag.

“Ask yourselves, is that what you want in our community?” he said.

‘She’s become an activist.

I see that in her.’

For now, the town of Nashville waits to see what will be the fate of the GSA. Beth and Shelby Hallman cross their fingers and hope the school board doesn’t buckle in the face of enormous pressure from the faith leaders.

There’s another school board meeting scheduled for July 20. School starts on August 10. While Berrien High School principal Angie Lovein initially turned down Shelby’s proposal for the GSA, both Shelby and her mother say Lovein and school superintendent Danny Hayes have not stood in the way of the club since turning the decision over to the school board. Lovein and Hayes did not respond to a request for comment from Georgia Voice.

And while it’s taken a toll on the family, Beth doesn’t hesitate to commend Shelby’s actions.

“I think my daughter is amazing. I am so proud of the person she is,” Beth says. “She’s such a kind person, she’s always fought for the underdog. This isn’t just about the LGBTQ community for her, it’s about human rights. I want her to be a 16-year-old kid and want her to enjoy her high school experience but she’s become an activist. I see that in her.”

Shelby, who has been selected to attend the Queer Youth Leading the South action camp later this month, remains undeterred.

“It hurts my feelings that holy people would feel that way about anyone in our community, and that’s why we need to be more visible.

They need to know that queer people already exist in our community, and saying they don’t want that isn’t going to make us go away. We’re not trying to attack their faith, we’re trying to uplift harassed and bullied students.”

4 News July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

WE FOCUS ON HIV TO HELP YOU FOCUS ON

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Ask your doctor if a medicine made by Gilead is right for you.

onepillchoices.com Š 2015 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. UNBC1839 03/15

UNBC1839_MA1_GA Voice_10x10.5.indd 1

3/25/15 3:54 PM

GEORGIANEWS

Joan Garner soldiers through after breast cancer diagnosis Lesbian Fulton County commissioner has ‘very favorable prognosis’

What should be the next LGBT rights battle?

On June 26, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down same-sex marriage bans nationwide, putting an issue to rest that the vast majority of the LGBT community could rally around. But what will the community rally around now?

We asked Georgia Voice readers to weigh in on what they think the next battle should be.

By PATRICK SAUNDERS Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner reveals that she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

But Garner, the first openly gay person elected to the commission, wants to allay any fears about her health, saying she was given “a very favorable prognosis with a full recovery” when the diagnosis came in two months ago.

By all accounts Garner has not missed a beat since then, continuing to work and fulfill her duties on the commission.

“I feel that it’s something that really does not change my role at all,” she says. “I plan to attend all of my board of commissioners meetings, my staff is still 100 percent available. I am attending some meetings by phone. I don’t plan on stopping while I’m in treatment.”

Her colleague, Fulton County Commission Chairman John Eaves, spoke glowingly of how Garner has handled the situation, saying, “She’s a courageous warrior, if I can use that terminology, in terms of meeting head-on the challenges associated with fighting cancer, but at the same time not relinquishing or lessening her passion for the community. It’s a balance that she’s juggling but she’s doing a great job. She’s taking the battle head-on. She’s clearly not missed a step in terms of her obligation and her commitment to her constituents.”

‘This was something that I could not pass up’ Garner also reveals that she went straight from treatment to the June 26 rally at the Center for Civil and Human Rights to celebrate that morning’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down same-sex marriage bans nationwide.

“I’m supposed to limit how much I can be out in public because of the nature of treatment,” she says. “But this was just something that I could not pass up. Be-

Corey Lovins Atlanta, GA “Employment protections in all states.”

Garner (right, with her wife, Fulton County State Court Judge Jane Morrison) came straight from treatment to a June 26 marriage equality rally. (File photo)

BY THE NUMBERS 7,170

Estimated number of new cases of breast cancer in Georgia in 2015

234,190

Estimated number of new cases of breast cancer in the United States in 2015

Every three years

How often women in their 20s and 30s should get a clinical breast exam

Every year

How often women in their 40s and over should get a mammogram *Per the American Cancer Society

sides, my partner was marrying people.”

Garner’s partner is Fulton County State Court Judge Jane Morrison, who presided over the marriage of Emma Foulkes and Petrina Bloodworth that morning, making them the first same-sex couple in the country to marry following the Supreme Court decision.

The couple clasped hands as they stood onstage at the rally, noting that since they married in Massachusetts five years earlier, “Today in the great state of Georgia we are recognized as wife and wife.”

Hopes experience helps role as ‘health commissioner’ Garner says the diagnosis gives her a unique lens through which to address an issue important to her during her 2010 campaign and throughout her tenure—health care.

“It’s funny. I look at this like, I deemed myself the ‘health commissioner’ right? So I’m getting firsthand experience on what it’s like navigating through the medical system,” she says. “I am definitely aware of how people are treated and I hope through this experience it will also help my role moving forward as a commissioner who is focusing on the health and well-being of all citizens.”

Linda Ellis, executive director of the Health Initiative, is thankful for Garner’s favorable diagnosis. She also calls on others to take the proper precautions, noting that the Health Initiative can help people to access, and to pay for screenings.

Kari Randall Smith Atlanta, GA “TQIA+ to have same protections as LGB & what Corey said for the entire community.”

Kay Furlong Newnan, GA “ENDA for all—including transgender.”

Lynn Pasqualetti Decatur, GA “Same-sex couples (married or single) being allowed to adopt or foster children.”

Don Blair Atlanta, GA “Total equality. Workplace, housing. accommodations, you name it.”

“Joan’s story is the best of what we’d hope for anyone having to face a cancer diagnosis— to have it be discovered early, to be fully insured with access to quality medical treatment, and to be able to rely on a strong circle of support throughout the journey,” she says. “She has spent her career, both in the nonprofit and public sectors, advocating for that same level of support and care for all of us, and I am glad she’s finding it around her now. It’s my hope that we can learn from her story, that an early diagnosis saves lives. Get screened now.”

6 News July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

TOGETHER, WE MADE HISTORY.

JOIN LAMBDA LEGAL FOR THE VICTORIES STILL AHEAD.

JUNE 26 Obergefell v. Hodges 2015 United States v. Windsor 2013 Lawrence v. Texas 2003

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SAY July 10, 2015 Ads 7

NEWSBRIEFS Film production disrupts rainbow lighting at Atlanta City Hall Mayor Kasim Reed’s office made accommodations after a production crew filming at Atlanta City Hall ordered onlookers of a rainbow lighting display celebrating marriage equality to leave the premises.

The movie being filmed was “Confirmation,” an HBO production about the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. Thomas wrote in dissent to the court’s 5–4 decision on June 26 to strike down same-sex marriage bans nationwide.

The incident occurred on June 30 as Georgia Voice went to view the display that Mayor Reed’s office initiated following the Supreme Court decision. The sidewalks on all four sides of Atlanta City Hall were closed off for filming, so we went across the street to take pictures, joined by several others.

A security guard said he had been told the pictures were disrupting the film production and ordered everyone off the premises. When told the lighting display was to celebrate the Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality, the guard disputed that and claimed it was for the film production.

He also said filming would go on every night that week, which would hamper any other visitors who wanted to see the lighting display, which was scheduled to end on July 2.

When notified of the incident, the mayor’s office reconfirmed the intent of the lighting display and extended it to July 10 due to the filming.

Cruz, Huckabee to Georgia church: same-sex marriage fight not over GOP presidential contenders Ted Cruz and Mike Huckabee appeared at a Georgia megachurch on July 5 to woo the state’s evangelical voters, telling parishioners to get ready for a fight over the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Rock Springs Church in Milner, about an hour south of Atlanta, was the site of the Fifth of July celebration, where Cruz and Huckabee used words like “tragic” and “radical” to describe the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling before opening up the stage for the Charlie Daniels Band and a post-concert fireworks display.

“In this last election, 54 million evangelical Christians stayed home,” Cruz said, according to a report by the AJC. “It’s my

A film about the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas disrupted a rainbow lighting display at Atlanta City Hall. (Photo via Wikipedia, inset photo by Patrick Saunders)

hope that that marriage decision serves as a spark to start a fire that becomes a raging inferno and awakening that sweeps this country as the body of Christ rises up to defend the thousands that have built America into this great nation.”

Huckabee also decried the Supreme Court decision, saying, “The courts of man can no more suspend the definition and law of marriage that it can suspend the law of gravity. They simply don’t have that much power.”

CDC awards Atlanta organizations $15M in HIV prevention funding The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced July 1 that it will award roughly $15 million in funding over a five-year period to nine different Atlanta-area community based organizations to go towards HIV prevention efforts.

The funds will be distributed to the following organizations: • AID Atlanta (as the lead in a partnership with SisterLove Inc. and National

AIDS and Education Services for Minorities Inc. (NAESM) n Empowerment Resource Center (as the lead in a partnership with Tangu Counseling and Treatment Services) n Positive Impact Health Centers (as the lead in a partnership with SisterLove Inc.) n Recovery Consultants of Atlanta (as an individual organization) n St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services (as an individual organization) The CDC tells Georgia Voice it is still working to finalize the budgets, but that it anticipates the average annual award amount going to the lead organization for each partnership (i.e. AID Atlanta, Empowerment Resource Center and Positive Impact Health Centers) will be $735,000, and the average annual amount for individual organizations (i.e. Recovery Consultants of Atlanta and St. Joseph’s Mercy Care Services) will be $350,000. The funds are part of a $216 million pot the CDC doled out to organizations across the country for HIV prevention efforts.

8 News July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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July 10, 2015 Ads 9

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

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Interim Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Charles Stephens, Simon Williamson

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All material in the Georgia Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the 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 the Georgia Voice, but we do not take responsibility for its return. The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any submission.

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A single copy of the Georgia Voice is available from authorized distribution points. Multiple copies are available from the 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 the Georgia Voice, PO Box 77401, Atlanta, GA 30357. The 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 the 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 the 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 Outspoken July 10, 2015

“Up until now, I have totally isolated myself from the transgender community, so I have a lot of catching up to do. I feel such a responsibility to this courageous group to try to get it right and tell all sides of the story. To me, that’s always the biggest question: Am I doing it right?”

—Caityn Jenner in her first post entitled ‘The Journey Begins’ on her new weekly LGBT rights blog. (caitlynjenner.com, July 6)

“Prediction from a grown-up: Your future is going to be amazing. You will surprise yourself with what you’re capable of and the incredible things you go on to do. Find the people who love and believe in you—there will be lots of them.—H”

T here flag k owne bol in prom berla A Africa aparth a new a hat peopl prem had a heid S So rance the C

—Hillary Clinton offered support to a young gay boy whose emotional Facebook photo went viral.

(USA Today, July 5)

Ev age a by th “When Wildstorm became a DC Comics imprint, ing-o journ Midnighter became one of DC’s greatest gay out,” characters. As part of DC’s recent publishing “Invi In revamp he’s finally gotten a new solo series, a novel first in nearly a decade—and so far, Midnighter sacre whic represents one of the best portrayals of an out novel superhero in comics right now.” we ta excite —io9 on which comic book character is the best portrayal vario of a gay superhero. (io9, July 1) ed. T R www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUT IN THE WILD

By Simon Williamson

Of flags, marriage and denial Simon Williamson lives with his federally-recognized spouse in the wild yonder of Newton County. Follow him on Twitter at @simonwillo.

There is a severe absence of embarrassment here in rural Georgia over the Confederate flag kerfuffle. Like belligerent teens, current owners of the most recognizably rancid symbol in America are now flying the flag more prominently, highlighting it like Justin Timberlake did Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl tit.

A bit of background: I am a white South African whose formative years took place under apartheid. We also had a flag. And we also got a new one, because the old one stood for such a hateful generation of oppression by white people against black. Don’t forget, that white supremacist murderer in South Carolina may have had a Confederate logo on his car, but the apartheid South African flag is etched onto his jacket.

So I am not speaking from a place of ignorance when I say I am in full agreement that the Confederate flag has no place on the offi-

“We were Southern black boys desperately searching for a reflection, if not a blueprint, and through the novels of E. Lynn Harris, we thought we had discovered it.”

Every black gay man I know, around my age at least, has been significantly impacted by the novels of E. Lynn Harris. Our coming-out experience, if one can describe the journey of sexual self-awareness as “coming out,” was profoundly shaped by novels like “Invisible Life” and “Just As I Am.” In high school, we passed E. Lynn Harris’ novels back and forth among ourselves like sacred texts. “Just As I Am,” in particular, which was published 20 years ago, was the novel that most of us read. At night, when we talked on the phone, we were giddy with excitement describing our reactions to the various scenes and characters Harris depicted. Those books were magic for us.

Reading his work was, for my generation, www.thegeorgiavoice.com

cial grounds of any government in the Union, state or local. And that I think private citizens who fly it are largely morons, and I look down upon them as condescendingly as I do people who think Shia LaBeouf can act.

And so it will be regarding the people who hate on the civil institution of marriage equality. This country has seen people of the same sex marry for over 11 years now, and the deities of various religions have yet to smite the nation with any weather that hasn’t been seen before.

When I moved to the United States in late 2011, there was still fallout from New York State’s legislature allowing men to marry men and women to marry women. Although the bill had moved through the legislature six months earlier, Cardinal Timothy Dolan was still complaining like Donald Trump in economy class. Newspapers were

still debating what the effects would be. And Americans were still passing constitutional bans against marriage equality with flawless success—it was the prejudice equivalent of the S&P 500 in Obama’s America.

Merely four years later, the situation has been tipped on its head, and more than one public official who was once against gay marriage, or was too scared of the political fallout to say otherwise, is now in our boat, paddling merrily along to Cher’s greatest hits. We’ve struggled a bit with Republican officials, but as more of them breed gay children, or realize where they are in relation to the public opinion in their districts, that resistance will fall as readily as if David Hasselhoff had sung on top of it.

Although Mike Huckabee and his votaries, with their selective reading of both the Bible

“I am a white South African whose formative years took place under apartheid. We also had a flag.

And we also got a new one because the old one stood for such a hateful generation of oppression by white people against black.” and the Constitution, have made a big noise since the Supreme Court ruled, their squealing has had all the effect of a rolled-upon piglet. Public opinion will not be hauled back by bitter people without an argument that can’t reasonably be construed as having its basis in anything other than disliking gay people. This is not really the sort of thing that goes backwards (the Roberts Court’s demolition of the Voting Rights Act notwithstanding).

So while, of course, we are not out of the woods, and a third of the nation still thinks we’re just out to do to the nation’s morals what Illinois governors do to the state fiscus, there will come a time when crapping all over the civil institution of same-sex marriage makes you look like as much of an in-denial dickhead as a Confederate flag bumper sticker attached to the rear of your car.

THE ICONOCLAST

By Charles Stephens

E. Lynn Harris and black gay reflections Charles Stephens is the Director of Counter Narrative and co-editor of ‘Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call.’ the first time we encountered texts with characters that even remotely resembled us. This was before most of us had read “Just Above My Head” by James Baldwin, and we did not yet know about Joseph Beam and Essex Hemphill. We were so desperate for a reflection, any reflection, of ourselves, our world, our experiences, that we practically inhaled his words off the page. We were Southern black boys desperately searching for a reflection, if not a blueprint, and through the novels of E. Lynn Harris, we thought we had discovered it.

His work did not shout. It did not plead.

His work always had a conversational and at times confessional tone. This is why many of us would later accuse him of writing his

novels for heterosexual women, manipulating their fears and anxieties for profit.

Harris did not have the same intellectual or political tools as Beam and Hemphill.

That was never Harris’ project anyway. He did, however, grapple with similar questions: the black family, HIV, coming out, romantic love, desire, racism, faith, and loneliness.

At the same time, the pathologization of bisexual black men and the HIV stigma so prevalent in his work place him in a different category altogether.

In the years following his death, I stopped hearing about his work as much. I was surprised, if not a bit amused, to discover a few months ago that his first novel, “Invisible Life,” was being made into a musical. This

itself was like something out of an E. Lynn Harris novel. That the musical features a score

by Ashford and Simpson and the first performance was on the eve of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality only add to the very Harris-esque nature of it all.

I met E. Lynn Harris only once, very briefly, several years ago. I was maybe 16 or 17 at the time. He was speaking and doing a book signing at the Shrine of the Black Madonna over in the West End. I walked up to him, book in hand, and asked him to sign my copy of “And This Too Shall Pass.”

He looked at me and smiled. “How old are you?” he asked, seeming shocked and yet tickled that someone my age would be at his book signing.

July 10, 2015 Outspoken 11

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12 Ads July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Meet our cover pet, Ravenel!

Ravenel is one of six owner-surrender puppies who were rescued by Angels Among Us Pet Rescue just minutes before being euthanized at Whitfield County Animal Shelter in Dalton, Georgia. Just a few months old, these puppies were dropped at the shelter in various stages of viral or bacterial infections.

Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, a nonprofit, volunteer-based organization, was able to find a foster that could manage the litter of six puppies in their home. The organization is dedicated to the rescue of dogs and cats from highkill shelters in Georgia. They do not operate a facility or shelter, but rather, use a network of foster homes in the Atlanta area to temporarily

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

house the pets until they can be adopted.

Ravenel, who has a respiratory infection, is part of one puppy litter that was lucky to be rescued. Angels Rescue spends over $180,000 a month on veterinary treatment for their rescued pets.

“We typically take the hard to rescue dogs,” said Marla Olcott, a founding leader of Angels Among Us Pet Rescue. “The injured, diseased, pregnant, disabled or senior dogs that would be quickly euthanized in a shelter because of the cost of care,” she said.

Angels Among Us Pet Rescue currently has over 700 adoptable dogs in their volunteer foster system, from new puppies like

Georgia Voice’s cover pet Ravenel, a foster puppy from Angels Among Us Pet Rescue.

(Photo credit: Lisa Plummer Savas on behalf of Angels Among Us Pet Rescue)

Ravenel to house-trained, active teenage dogs and even the more sedate senior dogs.

“All sizes and breeds. I think we are the

largest pet rescue in the Southeast, but our mission is really to go out of business—’Rescue One Until There are None,’” Olcott said.

July 10, 2015 Pets 13

Snorkel

Owner: Harris Botnick Location: Midtown

Bo

Maui

Owner: Russell Ingram Location: Midtown

Owner: Terri and Stacey L’Hoste Location: Midtown

Shasta and Daisy

Jase and Bernice

Owner: Carol Sondag Location: Atlanta

Lucy and Mario Owner: Cory Loomis Location: Chamblee

Owner: Les Fisher Location: Midtown

Fido

Owner: Rob Boeger Location: Old Fourth Ward

Weasley

Owner: Jean Bartlett Location: Kennesaw

Jerry and Martha Owner: Eddie Young Location: Morningside

Lacey

Owner: Dyana Bagby Location: Sandy Springs

Gracie

Owner: Mark Dvorak Location: Atlanta

Suki and Bert Owner: Julie Wood Location: Atlanta

14 Pets July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

climate-controlled facility in Norcross earlier this year.

It helped that McVay’s husband is a raw pet food expert who consults with the company, and Boecker’s partner also works with the company by organizing events and working with retail partners, of which there are 10 so far across the country.

All-natural pet food alternatives

Bestsellers Beef & Vegetables Enhanced Formula dog food and the Dog Food Starter Box

LGBT-friendly businesses with healthier options abound in Atlanta

By PATRICK SAUNDERS The trend of healthier culinary options for consumers across the country in recent years has spread to those same consumers’ pets. Here are a few LGBT-friendly businesses right here in Georgia spreading the all-natural gospel.

Allprovide Pet Food Online and in various retail stores 678-585-1606 www.allprovide.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Allprovide Pet Food co-owners, Dennis Boecker (left) and Michael McVay (right) with Bernice, Jase, Ruby, and Blou in the Allprovide climate-controlled production facility.

(Courtesy photo)

Good friends Michael McVay and Dennis Boecker didn’t like what they saw in the processed, prepackaged pet food options on the market. So McVay, previously a chef at a health spa, created an all-natural, healthy alternative.

The Atlanta-area residents first sold their premium raw dog and cat food in the United Kingdom, then opened a $2 million

Dog City Bakery 4369 Roswell Road (Marietta) 770-971-5200 6309 1-D Roswell Road (Sandy Springs) 404-257-0052 www.mydogcity.com Marcia Lain’s first customer was her own dog Molly, and after the Boston terrier gave a “paws up” to her mom’s nutritious treats, Lain started spreading the word.

The positive feedback continued, and the first Dog City location opened in East Cobb in 2008, followed by a second location in Sandy Springs in 2013.

Customers can shop in-store or online for the various all-natural treats, made with no additives or preservatives. Dog City also

offers holistic dog and cat food as well as various boutique items and apparel.

Bestsellers Bark Bars and birthday cakes, all homemade Taj Ma Hound 707 D East Lake Dr. (Decatur) 404-377-9220 www.tajmahound.com This pet food bakery in Oakhurst has been supplying the neighborhood with gourmet dog treats since 2004. The idea came to owner Krista Aversano after seeing a lack of natural, healthy dog treats on the market. Like Dog City’s owner, she started baking them for her own dogs.

“If I’m going to eat healthy, my dog should too,” she says.

Word spread among friends and neighbors, and soon the doors opened at Taj Ma Hound. Customers enjoy the free ice cream social on Thursday evenings, with regulars and newbies alike bonding over their furry loved ones.

Bestsellers Pea-Mutt Butter cookies (voted “Best Treats” by Atlanta Magazine), Elvis Pawsley treat and Johnny Dogwalker treat

July 10, 2015 Pets 15

What you need to know about the dog flu outbreak

By ANNE CLARKE As new cases of canine influenza have appeared in Georgia, veterinarians are urging vigilance for pet owners and pet fosters.

Sneezing, coughing and runny nose should now provoke a visit to the vet, even if your dog has the typical protective vaccines like Bordetella. This is because a new strain of the virus (prevalent in the Midwest) has been found in an Atlanta area boarding facility.

What is typically referred to as “kennel cough” can become a more serious respiratory disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Since the contagious canine influenza virus can live on clothing and on table and countertop surfaces, it is important to use hand sanitizer and wash clothes.

Here’s what you need to know about canine flu, according to the CDC. What causes canine flu?

Canine flu is caused by two viruses: Influenza A H3N8 and Influenza A H3N2. Both only affect animals.

How did the virus start?

The H3N8 strain originated in horses before it crossed over to dogs. It has adapted since the first reported U.S. case in 2004 and spread among dogs, especially those housed in kennels and shelters. The H3N2 strain is an avian flu virus that’s different from its human counterpart and found mostly in Asia. In addition to dogs, it does affect cats, and was first reported in the United States (Chicago, Illinois) in April 2015. The CDC reported the virus strain in Atlanta in May 2015.

What are the symptoms?

Signs of canine flu are similar to flu in humans. The animals cough, get a runny nose, are lethargic, lose appetite and have a fever.

How is it spread?

Both the bacterial and viral causes of canine cough are spread through airborne droplets produced by sneezing and coughing. Contact with contaminated surfaces further spreads the canine flu.

Can humans get it?

No evidence has been found of transmission from dogs to people.

Is it safe to take my dog to the park?

The virus is spread among dogs, so as a precaution, dog owners should avoid contact with other dogs in parks and various types of shelters. Call your local vet, dog groomer, pet boarder or pet sitter to determine their exposure and recommendations.

Is canine flu the same as kennel cough?

Kennel cough is so named because the bacteria (Bordetella) or virus (parainfluenza or canine coronavirus), while treatable, is contagious and can spread quickly among dogs in the close quarters of a kennel or animal shelter.

Is canine flu fatal?

Yes and no. While a small percentage of dogs die, others can get severely sick when pneumonia sets in. Some dogs show no symptoms at all. In the latter cases, a veterinarian can conduct a test to detect the virus.

How is canine flu treated?

There’s no specific treatment because it’s a viral disease, but dogs can get supportive care to boost immunity. If a secondary bacterial infection is diagnosed, antibiotics can be prescribed. A vaccine is also available in the United States, but only for H3N8. It’s not known whether it can help prevent the newest strain, H3N2, which is causing the latest outbreak.

16 Pets July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Chickens, bees and everything in-between Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan’s unique Midtown family

By PATRICK SAUNDERS If Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan had those cartoon stickers on the back window of his car showing how many parents, kids and animals are in his family, they would look like this: Wan. His fiancé, Joe Bechely. Two dogs. Four chickens. And 20,000 bees.

The couple’s unique pet ownership situation began in 2009, when Wan was reading about colony collapse disorder. Drastic numbers of western honeybee colonies have been disappearing all over North America in recent years, which is important because bees are responsible for pollinating numerous agricultural crops.

“I went to a [beekeeping] class at the Botanical Gardens in January of that year and I decided I’m going to do this,” Wan says.

Unfortunately, owing to the insects’ delicate nature, the couple have only been able to keep the bees through the winter twice in six years. And it’s a sight to behold when they swarm off for good.

“You can hear it because they just start roaring, and then the whole backyard is covered with bees,” Wan says. “I’d see a big clump of them in the neighbor’s tree and at that point they’re gone. There’s nothing you can do to get them back.”

Then it’s back to buying more bees and starting the year’s process over again. But Wan says it’s worth it. Bechely’s parents are coming to town this month to harvest this year’s honey, which will be shared among various friends and family.

Four feathered friends added to the mix Wan and Bechely added chickens to the family in 2013, but disagreement ensued www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Above: Atlanta City Council Member Alex Wan holds Karen, “the drinker” of the group.

Below: Wan, Bechely and their families are going to get the yearly harvest of honey any day now. (Photos by Patrick Saunders)

over what to name them.

Bechely wanted to name them Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia after “The Golden Girls.” Wan wanted to name them Julia, Suzanne, Mary Jo and Charlene in honor of “Designing Women.” They settled on Will, Grace, Jack and Karen from “Will and Grace.” The unique personalities of each chicken made it a perfect fit.

“When they were chicks, Karen would always go to the water trough so she was always drinking, kind of like Karen,” Wan says. “Jack when he was young would stretch and pose, just like Jack would.

Grace was the timid one, they would always pick on her. And then Will’s always been the smart one.”

As far as upkeep, Wan or Bechely close up the coop at night to keep the chickens safe from predators, then open it back up in the morning. During the day it’s keeping them fed and watered, checking for eggs and of course, cleaning the poop.

All the animals in the Wan-Bechely family have learned their roles and made their spaces, with the dogs scared of the chickens and the chickens scared of the bees.

“So everybody just lives happily together.”

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Solo flight B-52’s frontwoman Kate Pierson strikes a chord with new release

By SHANNON HAMES Kate Pierson is one of the iconic voices from the B-52’s, the Athens, Georgia band that began in the late 1970s and has spanned over four decades. Pierson released her first solo album, “Guitars and Microphones,” in February of this year and is currently touring in support of it. Georgia Voice contributing writer Shannon Hames caught up with her to talk about the new album, her big gay wedding plans, her rockin’ hotel business, and her upcoming shows in Atlanta and Athens.

You released “Guitars and Microphones”—your first solo CD—this past February. Tell me about it.

It’s a bunch of songs that I wrote mostly with Sia Furler [“Chandelier”]. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I had all of this creative stuff in me but I needed help getting it out. A lot of creatives have this problem. They have this great stuff but need help getting it out into the world. Sia said she’d like to help so we flew out to L.A. and started writing songs.

Sia is a very quick writer and I had a lot of lyric ideas and song titles. I had the lyrics and song title CONTINUES ON PAGE 19 18 A&E July 10, 2015

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18 for “Mister Sister” but things changed when we started jamming and she added some of her own lyrics. Her secret sauce is to get the melody, get the hook, get the chorus and pre-chorus and put the lyrics to that. Don’t overthink it— just do it all at once.

It was so much fun and we laughed a lot.

Each song had a different third collaborator so I worried about the cohesiveness, but they came together beautifully in the end.

And it’ll be legally recognized, so congratulations!

Thanks! We actually planned the date a long time ago before we knew the Supreme Court would be ruling. We were thrilled when we heard it but I was shocked that the decision was so close [5-4]. It seems like such an obvious civil right. History will not be kind to those who opposed marriage equality.

What are you passionate about right now?

Monica and I are both passionate about gar-

dening. We’re very interested in the whole farmto-table movement. We’re interested in organic and growing your own food. Monica just planted a ton of lettuce. We’ve been eating salads. We have all kinds of squash and flowers and cherry trees. She just made a cherry pie from our trees.

She sounds like a keeper. No wonder you’re going to marry her.

She’s amazing! We’re also passionate about animal rights. We have two dogs, Athena and Zeus. I just auctioned off some of my old costumes to raise money for our

local animal shelter, the Animal Emergency Fund in Woodstock. Oh, and we’re also passionate about eating [laughs]!

Are you excited to come back to your home turf of Atlanta next week?

Yes! I’ll be at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta on July 17th and the Georgia Theatre in Athens on the 18th. It’s a homecoming for me. Atlanta is my home away from home.

Hopefully, I’ll see a lot of old friends there.

It’s going to be a great show. I hope everyone will come out and see me.

I was going to ask you next what was it like working with Sia Furler, but it sounds like you really had a great experience.

When I first met her, I didn’t know she was a singer. We were at a birthday party and we were all required to sing and she got up to sing and I thought, ‘Wow, this girl has a really great voice!’ So we became friends before I even knew who she was.

“Mister Sister” is about the struggles that people have who don’t fit gendertypical roles. I read that there was actually some controversy from the trans community. What were your thoughts about that?

Controversy always generates more interest but I didn’t expect for it to be controversial. It’s also not about a transgender person specifically but about anyone feeling betrayed by the mirror. The Huffington Post misquoted me saying ‘I hope that this becomes a trans anthem’—but they put in parentheses ‘gender’ and although I wanted to include transgender, I wasn’t specifically speaking about that. It also means a gay boy or girl—anyone who feels this way. It’s about loving yourself.

At first, I was hurt by the controversy but it started a dialogue about the transgender movement. They often don’t really have a voice and talking about this song was another way for them to be heard. It ended up being a really good thing with overwhelmingly positive feedback.

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ACTING OUT ‘Evita’ hits the stage

‘Evita’ Serenbe Playhouse The Open Air Room at Serenbe, Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 July 23 – Aug. 16 www.serenbeplayhouse.com

By JIM FARMER

Few musicals are as beloved in the LGBT community as “Evita.” The Andrew Lloyd Webber classic charting the rise and fall of Argentine political leaders Eva and Juan Peron won the 1980 Tony Award and became a movie musical starring Madonna in 1996.

We caught up with Brian Clowdus, the out artistic director of Serenbe Playhouse, who will be directing the musical at his company with assistance from out choreographer Bubba Carr, who will handle some of the dance movement.

always been interested in Eva Peron’s journey.

For the time period, it was so groundbreaking to have a female leader of that magnitude.

Georgia Voice: How did “Evita” land in your current season?

Clowdus: “Evita” was the first show I chose for the summer. It became the anchor for the season. It’s a classic rags to riches story. I have

Tell us about your personal history with the show?

I saw the movie, of course, and I saw the tour when it was at the Fox. But when I decide to direct something, I separate myself from past ma-

Tell us about your cast.

Randi Garza plays Evita. She is incredible.

When we announced “Evita,” in my head I thought we’d have to go to New York to get an Evita. But Randi came in and killed it.

We are bringing in a Broadway actor, Charlie Brady, to play Che. We also have an authentic Peron, an Argentinian opera singer.

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

Out director Brian Clowdus says audiences will feel immersed in the ‘Evita’ environment at Serenbe’s in-the-round setting. (Courtesy

terial. I don’t want to be influenced. I thought the tour was exciting, because it had a re-invented quality and I loved how full of dance it was.

Typically “Evita” is not a dance show.

What is the gay appeal?

Clearly this is a wonderful time to be a

gay American with what is happening. The wonderful thing is, Eva was a political person for her people. She fought for the underdog the same way we have to fight as underdogs. And she is just fabulous—Patti Lupone made the role so iconic because of her persona and star power.

How do you plan on giving it the Serenbe touch?

The setting is incredible. It is set outdoors, in the round. The balcony is in the middle of the audience. The audience will feel immersed into the environment. In past productions I’ve seen the character is larger than life, and it can be harder to relate. I want this “Evita” to connect with the audience. She was a real person and the audience members are her people.

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20 A&E July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Proposing marriage at Masti The Ansley Mall Starbucks, I have learned, is not the best place to propose marriage.

I was there the Friday the Supreme Court legalized voluntary imprisonment. As usual, I was waiting for my dinner pals. An attractive man was sitting across from me, ears wired to his laptop, busily typing away.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I was wondering if you and I could get married.”

He laughed. “I’m not, um, that way,” he said. “But maybe if I were ... ” “Oh,” I interrupted. “The decision allows marriage between members of the same gender. You don’t have to be gay. I could keep your parents away from your death bed.”

He laughed again and put his earphones back on as I sipped my triple macchiato, the only drink there that I like.

My friends soon arrived and we decided to go to Masti in Toco Hills Shopping Center (2945 N. Druid Hills Rd., 470236-2794, www.mastiatlanta.com). This is a relatively new spot that serves a clever fusion of Indian and American dishes without sacrificing traditional flavors.

We were seated almost immediately. The manager came by to tell us our server would be with us shortly.

“Would you like to get married?” I asked him.

“No,” he replied and ran away. Our server, female, was not interested in marrying either. By this time, my friends were scarlet.

I’ve paid two visits to the restaurant and have loved almost everything. There are plenty of traditional dishes, like masala dosa.

That’s a gigantic rice-flour pancake rolled around a curried potato filling (others are available). Pani puri is another classic—hollow, crunchy orbs that you break open and fill with a slightly spicy sauce or some tamarind water. Try the Nepali-style dumplings filled with ground chicken or vegetables. It should be obvious that there are lots of vegetarian options here.

Branch out and order the strips of okra fried in a very light batter with aromatic, exotic flavors. There are tacos made of uttapams (thick pancakes) folded over your choice of fillings like ground chicken or paneer (a fresh cheese). There are hot dog www.thegeorgiavoice.com

The okra fries at Masti have a very light batter with aromatic, exotic flavors.

(Photo by Cliff Bostock)

buns filled with kababs or paneer and burgers stuffed with masala chicken, served with not-so-good fries. Many of the dishes are flavored with the restaurant’s “Masti sauce.”

It can, at turns, taste a bit too sweet for my taste, but it’s a definite novelty.

I could go on to describe countless other dishes, including thali sampler plates and some pretty weird beverages, but it will take more than a few visits to work through the lengthy menu.

We skipped dessert at Masti—an error, according to friends—and went to the nearby Bruster’s for “real ice cream” that, frankly, doesn’t hold a candle to Morelli’s or High Road. But a huge scoop of dulce de leche hit the spot.

While there, I noticed a guy, maybe 20, eating an absolutely gigantic sundae. I asked him if he was going to eat the whole thing himself. His two female friends laughed.

Then, for the last time that night, I asked the guy if he’d like to get married. His girlfriends said, “Yes, yes, do it!” He declined but offered me a bite of the sundae.

(Cliff Bostock, PhD, is a longtime Atlanta restaurant critic and former psychotherapist now specializing in life coaching for creative types and those in so-called midlife crisis. www.cliffbostock.com.)

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“It’s perfect!”

Once upon a time, those words were music to your ears—but then you grew up. You learned that a made bed didn’t make the man, good enough generally was, and as in the new book “Bobby Wonderful” by Bob Morris, sometimes it’s better to ignore perfection and focus on a life—or lives—well-lived.

As Bob Morris watches his husband, Ira, struggle with his mother’s aging issues, Morris understands the emotions Ira’s going through. Caring for an elderly parent “has become the new normal,” Morris says, and he should know: he helped tend to his own parents at the ends of their lives.

As his mother lay dying first, Morris remembered how, when he was a child, she encouraged him to see beauty in the world around him. She loved music and was a “good mother” whose messy, painful death brought out the worst in Morris and his brother. Oh, how they fought, though her passing also showed Morris how much he truly loved and admired his older sibling.

At the funeral, Morris only wanted to talk about his mother, but “nobody seems to know how.”

Not long afterward, on a “sunny summer Monday,” Morris’ father tried to commit suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Though he’d seemed to heal well from his wife’s illness and death, at age eighty-something, he’d plunged back into the dating scene—his “quiet despair about his failing heart,” previously unnoticed, shook the Morris brothers to their cores. Things grew worse, and as their father began to desperately “hound” Morris for pills to end his life, Morris looked for ways to enhance his father’s days. But time was running out and they both knew it.

During his last hospitalization, the elder Morris told his sons that he wanted to be taken off life support. It was a wish they let him have.

“Caring for your parents is an opportunity,” says Morris. But “We have no parents now, nobody to love us in the way they did ... and we also have no worries now, no concerns for a suffering so close that it often felt

Details ‘Bobby Wonderful: An Imperfect Son Buries His Parents’

By Bob Morris Twelve, 2015 $25 192 pages

like our own.”

Some 65 million of us, says Morris, are caregivers; most are caregivers for someone over age fifty. That could be why this memoir will strike a chord for many Baby Boomers, but aside from common-bond feelings that children of aging parents will find familiar, “Bobby Wonderful” is also a love letter wrapped inside a very beautiful, moving story. Morris’ cherished memories of his parents’ good times seem to buffer the pain of loss, and that he shares those vivid personal recollections is a delight. Still, readers get real piques of irritation here, exasperation, even anger sometimes, which totally fit this memoir. I would have, in fact, been disappointed without them.

My best advice is to grab tissues before you start this book. You’ll have abundant reason to use them, especially if you’re caring for your own parents. If that’s the case, for you, “Bobby Wonderful” will live up to its title. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for July 10-23

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WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

“American Idol” winner – and bear – Lee DeWyze plays Eddie’s Attic, 9:30 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

FRIDAY, JULY 10

Charis welcomes Rev. Glenna Shepherd, whose new book, “Out on a Limb: Sermons of Risk and Revolution” is a collection of homilies that focus on liberating spirituality. Rev. Shepherd, a minister in the United Church of Christ, explores the intersections of current political and social issues and the radical messages of the prophets of Judeo-Christian scriptures.

She brings a fresh perspective to issues that often divide and alienate modern people from religion: gender, sexuality, race, immigration, marriage, and nationalism. The suggested donation is $5. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

EVENT SPOTLIGHT FRIDAY, JULY 10

Actor’s Express has just opened the classic musical “Rent,” with Freddie Ashley directing, with a show tonight at 8 p.m., running through Aug. 9, www.actorsexpress.com

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Get ready for the number one dance party every Friday night with Blue Diamond Ent and Traxx Girls. Doors open at 9 p.m., My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com

SATURDAY, JULY 11

This ain’t your granny’s tea dance! The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence present Sister’s Summer Tea

Dance, with a $10 bottomless beer bust, 4 – 7 p.m.,www.tavernaplakaatlanta.com

Strokes directly at 404/901-1099, cost: $35.00/person, www.sipsnstrokes.com

Join CHRIS Kids at the annual White Party, formerly known as Premiere Party, at Mason Fine Art from 6- 10 p.m., featuring live performances by Pandora Boxx and Courtney Act from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and music by DJ Vicki Powell, www.masonfineartandevents.com

Wake up and make joyful noise with the Sisters of Sequin at Gospel Brunch with performers Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce, 12:30 p.m. followed by a 1:30 p.m. show, Lips Atlanta, www.lipsatl.com

The Bear Night monthly meeting and bar night is tonight at the Atlanta Eagle, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m., www.atlantaeagle.com

SUNDAY, JULY 12

DJ Moose NYC gets the late night crowd jumping, 3 a.m., Xion, www.xionatlanta.com Join Atlanta Pride for a morning of family-friendly painting and awesome giveaways, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There will be live music and spoken word.

Come for fellowship and to express your creativity. Bring snacks and drinks of your choice. Please register by contacting Sips n

The Atlanta Dream take on the New York Liberty at 3 p.m., Philips Arena, www.philipsarena.com

MONDAY, JULY 13

Bring a strong set of pipes to Blue Monday Karaoke, with host Kyle Kirkland, 10:30 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

TUESDAY, JULY 14

Full house! Tuesday night is poker night at The Model T, beginning at 7 p.m., www.modeltatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15

It’s Amateur Night every Wednesday at 9 p.m. at BJ Roosters, www.bjroosters.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LGBT EVENT Submit your LGBT event for inclusion in our online and print calendars by emailing event info to editor@thegavoice.com Joining Hearts offers up its annual pool party, this year titled Dive, at Piedmont Park, with entertainer Debby Holiday and DJ Grind, 4 – 11 p.m., www.joininghearts.org Molly, Ally, Judd, Emilio and Anthony Michael are back — the classic “The Breakfast Club” screens at the Fox Theatre as part of the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival, 7:30 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org It’s two parties in one. DJ Rob Reum spins inside while DJ Daryl Cox turns up the music outside at TEN Atlanta, www.tenatlanta.com

SUNDAY, JULY 19

They’re creepy and kooky – catch “The Addams Family Musical” at a matinee today, 3 p.m., Onstage Atlanta, www.onstageatlanta.com

The Atlanta Rollergirls host a double feature home bout, at 5 and 7:30 p.m., Yaarab Shrine Center, www.yaarabshrine.net

DJ Caprice works the crowd at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.facebook.com/ bulldogsbaratlanta.com

Nicole Paige Brooks, Mychelle LaCroix DuPree and Mo’Dest Volgare host Wild Out Wednesdays at Felix’s, www.felixsatlanta.com

Regina Simms emcees the New Faces event with singers, dancers, musicians, drag kings and queens and more, 9 p.m., Friends on Ponce, www.friendsonponce-atl.com

SATURDAY, JULY 11

THURSDAY, JULY 16

SAGE Atlanta hosts a social hour and games at 10 a.m. and then a general meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.com Come out to the lesbian-owned Twisted Soul for Food Fighters Thursday. Every Thursday enjoy $5 drink specials and complimentary hors d’oeuvres at the bar, www.twistedsoulkitchenandbar.com Charis and Cliterati pair up to present an inviting and fierce open mic & reading series on the third Thursday of every month. This month’s featured performer is Keisha Reaves, author of “The Frenchman,” a modern story of love, friendship, and the lies we tell ourselves to not wind up alone. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

FRIDAY, JULY 17

The documentary “Do I Sound Gay?” opens at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema today, with director David

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Thorpe down for Q&A on Sunday, July 19, after the 7:15 p.m. screening, www.landmarktheatres.com Edie Cheezburger presents “The Other Show,” the most unique drag show in Atlanta. Admission is $5, Jungle, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com It’s Mr. Atlanta Eagle Robbie Butler’s birthday and the Eagle is having an Animal House Toga Party, with jello shots, cake, raffles and more. The proceeds will benefit The Leather Heart foundation (www.leatherheart.org) and the Mr. and Ms. Atlanta Eagle travel fund, 10 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com Divas Destiny Brooks and Shavonna Brooks host the super sexy Femme Fatale show, 11 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SATURDAY, JULY 18

Atlanta Pride will host a donation drive at the Phillip Rush Center today from 9 a.m. - noon. Please bring clothing and household items to the Rush Center Annex to donate to Lost-N-Found Youth, www.rushcenteratl.org

cal “Evita” at Serenbe Playhouse, running through Aug. 16 with an 8:30 curtain tonight, www.serenbeplayhouse.com Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo starts at 8:30 p.m., with $3 well drinks all night, then Tyler King hosts Beauty and the Beast karaoke at 11 p.m., The Hideaway, www.atlantahideaway.com

THURSDAY, JULY 23

The Hideaway hosts Ian Aber for Hot Mic comedy nights, 10 p.m., www.atlantahideaway.com Faces Lounge in Marietta’s new All Star Cabaret is every Thursday at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. with the likes of Heather Daniels and Coco Chanelle, 138 Powers Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30060

MONDAY, JULY 20

Since Mondays tend to drag on anyway, why not make the most of it? MAX’s Wine Dive, the Midtown restaurant and wine bar, has teamed up with Atlanta’s best drag queens for “Monday’s a Drag” — a viewing party from 6 – 10 p.m. each Monday featuring a classic drag movie or TV show. MAX’s is offering campy drinks and food specials. Ten percent of all food and drink sales from each week’s event will be donated to Lost-n-Found Youth. www.maxswinedive.com/atlanta-12th-street

TUESDAY, JULY 21

The all-new Latino Tuesday kicks off with DJ Karlito, Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

WEDNESDAY, JULY 22

Crazy Nights Karaoke is every Wednesday at 8 p.m. at My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com Out Brian Clowdus opens his summer musi-

EVENT SPOTLIGHT THURSDAY, JULY 16

Out director/artistic director Robert Egizio stages a version of the musical “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” at his Stage Door Players, with an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, running through August 2, www.stagedoorplayers.net

July 10, 2015 Best Bets 25

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

Farmers market food and fraud I’m getting the message: eat fresh and eat local. But when I tried to do that I was shocked at what I found.

Like you, I’ve tried to be health-conscience when it comes to food, but I became even more hyper-aware recently after watching Katie Couric’s documentary, “Fed Up.” The movie outlines how much sugar is in pretty much every food item we eat, not just desserts, and how that level of daily sugar intake is poisoning our systems. The solution? Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

And the best place to get them is at your local farmers market.

There is a small storefront near my house that sells a tiny harvest of veggies on a daily basis, and because everything is displayed in old peach baskets, I assumed it was fresh from local growers. Even the older gentleman who runs the place looks like he came straight from the farm, and since he accepts only cash or a check to bag up your goods, I assumed he was the real deal.

I felt very proud that I was being healthy and helping out Georgia farmers by buying and enjoying their goods. That is, until last week.

I entered the store square-shouldered and confident. I filled my peach baskets to the brim with tomatoes, potatoes, oranges, and plums. Everything was great until I got home and grabbed one of the plums to eat.

Rinsing it off, I noticed a sticker. With a bar code on it. From California.

My mouth literally dropped open for a moment (before I popped the fruit into it).

So if the plums I buy from this place aren’t local, how many other items did I purchase that weren’t either? And speaking of purchasing, did I end up paying more for these items than I would have at the grocery store? I vowed never to go back.

After complaining about my experience on social media, a listener sent me an article from Modern Farmer magazine regarding “farmers market fraud.” It described the ef-

“So if the plums I buy from this place aren’t local, how many other items did I purchase that weren’t either? Speaking of purchasing, did I end up paying more for these items than I would have at the grocery store? I vowed never to go back.” forts by California to curb this fraud, culminating in Governor Jerry Brown’s signature on AB 1871 last fall.

Under the new law, growers will be required to display signs on their produce with their name, county of production, and a statement that assures, “We grow what we sell.” False or misleading claims about a producer’s identity, growing region, or methods of production are a misdemeanor, punishable by fines of up to $2,500 or even imprisonment. It seems Georgia should consider passing something similar.

I used to associate food with Southern culture. A large family gathers for a Sunday afternoon dinner with dishes they spent a day, or days, preparing. The worst offense at such a feast would be to bring something you bought at a grocery store. That would be considered cheating, and lazy. The pride in having made the favorite dish could last a lifetime.

Now, after these documentaries about the food industry and my experience in my own neighborhood, my relationship with food is different. I look at food with skepticism, wondering what someone has added, transformed, or substituted in whatever it is I’m about to eat. Unlike at the Sunday gatherings, I don’t trust the cook who has prepared my pre-packaged meals, and worse yet, I no longer trust the farmer who sells me a plum.

26 Columnists July 10, 2015 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUTSIDE THE BOX

By BILL KAELIN

My furry longtime friend This week I was chatting with my boyfriend about how I was feeling stressed with this month’s Georgia Voice column. I am the prince of procrastination and was a bit behind thanks to writer’s block on this project.

Trying to be optimistic about the challenge, I looked at him and said dryly, “At least I get to write an article about our cat, Handsome.”

Shawn was shocked, replying, “You’re going to write an entire article about your cat? I’ve never even gotten an article dedicated only to me!”

My reply came without hesitation. “Yeah, but you haven’t been with me for 15 years,” I said. My statement really threw me. Fifteen years is a long time. Handsome the cat has been the most consistent relationship I have had in my adult life. I never thought I could love an animal as much as I love him.

Handsome was a tiny, homeless baby boy who pranced up to me and marked his territory by rubbing his cute little wet nose back and forth on my ankles. He had no fear, despite being a feral cat, and I immediately took him in.

Even as a kitten, I knew there was something special about my furry friend. He always had to be near, even if he only had one paw touching me. We’ve been together through everything. It was Handsome who watched the planes hit the twin towers with me. We survived the Bush years and celebrated the Obama ones together.

He stuck by me through bad boyfriends and Backstreet-style depressed hangovers, and through the openings and closings of the bars I owned during my nightclub years.

He comforted me when I lost my best friend.

Now with a successful company, a real deal boyfriend and the recent gay marriage victory, I’m happy to know Handsome is still around, purring loud and strong.

We have grown up together. He is the coolest, fattest, most laidback and social cat in the world. He will greet every person who walks through the door. He gives everyone the benefit of the doubt, but will also fuck you up if you deserve it.

I never would have imagined myself a cat person. Growing up, I always wanted a dog, www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Handsome, the ‘coolest, fattest, most laidback and social cat in the world’ according to Kaelin. (Photo courtesy Bill Kaelin)

“I never would have imagined myself a cat person. Growing up, I always wanted a dog, and thought a puppy would be one of the first things I got when I was finally on my own. Over time I realized my relationship with Handsome was exactly what I needed.” and thought a puppy would be one of the first things I got when I was finally on my own. Over time I realized my relationship with Handsome was exactly what I needed.

Unlike a dog, which is basically a lifelong baby, Handsome is like having a full-time adult roommate. Sometimes we like to hang out together; sometimes I won’t see him for hours.

Sometimes he needs lots of love and attention, other times he’ll cut me if he’s not in the mood.

If Handsome could smoke weed, he would be passing a joint with me and my friends while rocking out to his favorite tunes. It is a known fact that cats love music and respond to it like humans; toss in some catnip and it’s a party. He likes to chill out on the back patio in the sun, he gets the munchies and takes the most epic naps ever. Basically, Handsome is the feline version of me, and he reminds me every day to slow down and truly enjoy my life like I only have eight left!

July 10, 2015 Columnists 27

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