08/17/18, Vol. 9 Issue 13

VIP FESTIVAL PASS TICKETS ON SALE NOW DO PRIDE BIG THIS YEAR. GIVE YOURSELF THE VIP TREATMENT AT THE FESTIVAL AND SUPPORT ATLANTA PRIDE'S YEAR-ROUND WORK. DON’T DELAY - VIP TICKET QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED AND WILL SELL OUT! VISIT ATLANTAPRIDE.ORG/VIP FOR ALL INFORMATION.

OCTOBER12-14,2018 atlantapride.org

NEWS

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

EDITORIAL

Editor: Berlin Sylvestre bsylvestre@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Katie Burkholder, Melissa Carter, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Conner Emery, Jim Farmer, Dawn Felton, Morgan Nicole Fletcher, Cemberli Grant, Elizabeth Hazzard, Ryan Lee, Joseph Miller, Allison Radomski, Jamie Roberts, Catharine Romero, Dionne Walker, Craig Washington

PRODUCTION

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

ONLINE

Digital Content Manager: Jason Rhode jrhode@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.

Join us online: facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice instagram.com/thegeorgiavoice youtube.com/user/GAVoice

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Candidate Kemp’s

Bizarre Stances on Civil Rights, Economics Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp is known for his unconventional approach to federal and state law. The Republican gubernatorial nominee for Georgia, Kemp has yet to recuse himself from his duties as Secretary of State.

As the top voting official, Kemp would oversee the very election he is hoping to win. Kemp is currently running against Stacey Abrams, the Democratic nominee.

Now it seems that Kemp is bringing his signature controversial flair to his interpretation of human rights — specifically laws which effect the dignity of LGBTQ Georgians.

In a series of words lobbed in the direction of the Roswell Rotary Club, Kemp, a Trump endorsee, told the club that if he is elected governor, he would sign any “religious freedom and restoration bill” put on his desk.

Current Governor Nathan Deal was sent two such bills during his time in office. He vetoed them both. According to a 2017 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article, Deal said: “I didn’t want there to be any confusion about where I stand on the RFRA bill. I have no desire or appetite to entertain that legislation.”

Deal added that such bills were not something that was part of his agenda, and “something [he does not] view as being beneficial to the state.”

Kemp, who aired campaign ads with him pointing a gun at a gentleman who portrayed a potential suitor to one of his daughters, said that he would support any bill which backed “religious freedom” under the United States Constitution.

NorthFulton.com quoted Kemp: “I don’t know what other provisions that may have been in [the bills Deal vetoed]. But I would support a bill that is in line with federal law. It would be simply codifying what is already in the Constitution.”

Among other rights enumerated in the Constitution, the phrase “promote the general welfare” is included in the Preamble. Although it is widely accepted that LGBTQ Americans are included in the People portion of “We the People,” it is unknown if the Secretary of State had a Constitution in front of him at the time he made that Deal-opposing statement.

The Georgia Republican Party decided to broadly endorse such a bill in August, but did not require its candidates to support such legislation. It was a curious lapse in a movement which has proclaimed its concern for religious freedom in recent years.

However, the GOP may have been made aware of the ramifications of such support from the significant corporate community in Atlanta. The businesses of Atlanta have traditionally frowned upon discriminatory legislation being codified in law. This influence was widely credited with pushing Deal to veto the religious bills during his time in office.

It is generally agreed that business interests play a significant role in the conservative politics of Georgia, among other states.

Furthermore, Georgia’s generous tax cuts on film, television, and digital entertainment make it a prime spot for the industry — one that yields an economic footprint estimated at $9.5 billion in 2017.

A Louisiana example may be instructive: Until Louisiana passed a “religious freedom” bill, the state ranked second in filming, behind California. The passage of the bill became Georgia’s windfall — the LGBTQ community and the entertainment world have been known to overlap, and until our state officials enact anti-LGBTQ legislation, the “Hollywood of the South” appears without risk of losing its moniker.

Kemp did not offer an argument in favor of giving up this income. The economic impact of Kemp, or of any possible “religious freedom” businesses, were not offered as remedies by the Secretary of State. Nor has the Kemp campaign offered any economic ideas to offset the expected loss of 25,000 entertainment jobs, should a “religious freedom” bill be signed by a theoretical Governor Kemp. Additionally, Kemp, who opposes Medicaid expansion, did not offer an argument for Georgia surrendering the future Super Bowl, the future Final Four, and a possible College Football Championship, if a proposed “Kemp Bill” goes through.

August 17, 2018 News 3

A&E

An American Comedy Story LESLIE JORDAN HITS ATLANTA WITH DEL SHORES AND ANN WALKER IN “A SORDID THREE RING CIRCUS.” Jason Rhode jrhode@thegavoice.com You already know Leslie Jordan. You’ve seen him, whether you realize it or not. The ubiquitous character actor may be famous for his small stature, but his influence looms large in popular culture. Have you seen “Will and Grace”? He played Beverly Leslie, who famously said of Megan Mullally’s Karen Walker, “I thought I smelled gin and regret.”

Perhaps you’ve seen “American Horror Story”? “The Help”? “Stark Trek: DS9”? In fact, have you seen any TV at all over the past, oh, 30 years? Then you’ve seen Leslie Jordan. Like the Johnny Cash song, he’s been everywhere, man.

Now he’s returning to Atlanta.

a huge “cultIt has following, so

they asked us to come along. And eventually they asked me to come to Atlanta. They wanted me to do a benefit.

”

was “all three of us: me, Del, and Ann.” Standing an inch below five feet, the actor, author, and man-about-town was born in 1955, in Memphis. His Southern spirit is part of his charm, which is evident, even over the phone.

His newest event, “A Sordid Three Ring Circus,” will roll into town on August 28.

The benefit for Positive Impact Health Centers will star Jordan, his longtime co-star Ann Walker, and writer Del Shores.

“We were all in this show together, ‘Sordid Lives.’ So then they did a sequel — ‘A Very Sordid Wedding,’” he tells us. “It has a huge cult following, so they asked us to come along. And eventually they asked me to come to Atlanta. They wanted me to do a benefit.”

Jordan estimates he visits “roughly 45 venues a year,” doing various shows.

Georgia Voice talked to Jordan while he was in Chattanooga, where his mother still lives.

Sitting in a diner, he said that Atlanta feels like his second home. Jordan is an ebullient, fast-talking man who dishes freely and without hesitation.

He says the Atlanta venue will be “so much fun,” but “what a time crunch!” Still, he says, “It’s gonna be the three of us.” He describes the event as “just an evening of comedy [with] three comedians — it’s a benefit.” He says he’s delighted, adding humbly, “I’m just an aging show pony!”

When asked about the show, Jordan said it

The Atlanta gig arrives at a propitious time

4 A&E August 17, 2018

for Jordan. He’s been picked up for a series.

“The crazy part is, when I signed up for it, my series got picked right up by FOX! So I got a huge TV series on FOX.” “It’s called ‘The Cool Kids,’” Jordan says.

“I’ve shot probably fourteen hours of promo.”

“The Cool Kids,” a soon-to-air sitcom, will premiere in September. It is produced by the brain trust behind the long-running comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, and Glenn Howerton, among others.

Jordan’s excitement is infectious: “Y’know they’re high on something when they send a private plane. It was for me and David Alan Grier.”

Jordan had nothing but praise for his costars: “[David] is brilliant! It’s myself, him, and Vicki Lawrence — and she’s so famous from ‘Mama’s Family.’ She started on the

‘Carol Burnett Show.’ And we’ve got Martin Mull, too! I’m working with comedic legends!” Jordan says.

He describes the premise as “The Golden Girls” on crack. “It’s four old people!” The upcoming Atlanta show deals with what it’s like winning an Emmy. “Oh my word.

That’s my whole show, just about, the whole fiasco about that.”

Jordan has nothing but good words to say about writer Del Shores. “He performs as well.

He just loves to write stuff, and act in it. He wrote about these crazy [characters] in Texas and how they lined up with his family. He’s a bigger talker than me, and I’m a big talker!”

As for actress Ann Walker, Jordan beams, “We love each other so much, we fight like cats and dogs.” He laughs. “I adore Ann. We’ve been through so much together. We have fun. She’s so good on stage, just being her. We’re just like family.” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

ASK THE DOCTOR

Do Generics Work As Well?

Are generic medications as effective as brand medications?

This is a question providers and pharmacists are regularly asked. The simple answer is yes, generic medications are as effective as the brand medications. Of course, there are a few exceptions to every rule. The FDA requires all generic medications to have the same active ingredient as the branded medication, as well as be bioequivalent, a fancy term that means it dissolves and breaks down in your body the same way. So for all intents and purposes, the medications are the same.

So what are the differences between brand and generic? Most often the differences are in what makes up the fillers, also known as excipients, in the medication. Some people may find they are sensitive to one of the fillers, such as a dye, which would make the generic option undesirable. Also, generic medications must be bioequivalent within 90% of the branded drug. For most medications, this is more than an acceptable range. However, for some medications that we classify as a narrow therapeutic medication such as Coumadin or Synthroid, your provider would want to monitor you closely while changing from brand to generic or vice versa to make sure the dose is appropriate and does not need to be changed. Overall, I highly recommend switching to generics when appropriate, as they are typically a cheaper alternative to the brand and just as effective, which can keep you both physically and financially healthy.

Jason Nash, PharmD, AAHIVP AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy

I am a transgender man and I’ve never had penetrative sex with a non-trans man. Do I really still need to get pap smears?

YES! Regardless of gender identity or sexual behavior, if an individual has specific body parts or organs intact, then routine cancer screenings based on risk factors or symptoms should proceed regardless of hormone use. For men who still have a uterus, routine cervical-cancer screenings should start at age 21. Based on current guidelines, between the ages of 21–29, a pap should be completed every three years without HPV screening, while ages 30–65 years should have co-testing every five years. Routine breast-cancer screening with mammography should be completed based on guidelines if top surgery has not been completed. If you have had top surgery, remember there is still some retained mammary tissue, so doing chest wall exams may be helpful, as well as notifying your provider if you feel any strange or new bumps or masses. Routine screenings based on current recommendations also applies to any transidentified women. Mammograms should begin at age 50 regardless of breast-augmentation surgery or lack thereof. Prostate exams and screenings should still be performed annually, even in women who have had vaginoplasties.

For both groups, if individuals are HIV infected and/or have obvious rectal condyloma, then additional anal-cancer screenings should occur via anal paps or high-resolution anoscopy.

Colonoscopies should start at age 50 or earlier based on individual risks and family history.

Jewel Sawyer, PA-C, MSHS NCCPA, Certified by the AAHIVM AbsoluteCARE Medical Center & Pharmacy

protecting our hearts can’t wait one more second.

Everyone in Atlanta has the right to breathe smoke-free air.

We need your help to ensure their rights are protected.

LEARN MORE

www.smokefreeatl.org @sftal

Ask The Doctor is a monthly health column where the experts at AbsoluteCARE answer your pressing medical questions. Have a question you want answered? Email it to askthedoctor@thegavoice.com!

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

August 17, 2018 Health 5

LGBTQ NONPROFITS

We Get By with

a Little Help From Out Friends EXPLORING ATL’S NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY If any community knows what it’s like to rely on one another in tough times, it’s the LGBTQ community. For this issue, we decided to take a healthy look into our local nonprofits not only to show support for their causes and tip our hats to their hard work, but to provide an easily digestible guide to those who may be in need of their services.

LOST-N-FOUND YOUTH For many young people finding the courage to be themselves, authenticity comes at a big price — the loss of their family relationships and, often, their homes.

Some of our youth’s coming-out experiences turn into living nightmares, leaving them with nowhere to go but the streets. But, in 2011, three men set out on a mission to change that for local LGBTQ youth who 6 LGBTQ Nonprofits August 17, 2018

found themselves suddenly homeless.

Founder and former executive director of Lost-n-Found Youth, Rick Westbrook, along with Art Izzard and Paul Swicord, created the foundation after they were turned away by local shelters and other youth programs when they requested help and placement for LGBTQ youth. For the trio, it was a problem that needed to be addressed immediately to keep queer, homeless youth off the streets.

The Atlanta-based nonprofit was started with support from the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to create the privately funded emergency shelter. The task seemed overwhelming, but the organization was determined to change the fate of queer youth who found themselves on the streets during some of the city’s devastating weather

conditions and/or unable to find meaningful work without proper documentation.

According to the organization’s website, they provide the following services to youth in need: emergency and transitional housing; 24/7 phone, texts, and email response; emergency clothing and food for youth on the street; mental-health evaluations and counseling; referrals to HIV/STD testing; health and dental services; assistance for lost or stolen birth certificates, driver’s licenses, or state ID cards; referrals for GED training/testing and other education resources; and resume writing/ editing and interview skills training.

Lost-N-Found is on a mission to create a home with a family-like environment for young ones who have been abandoned by their own families. They support youth 13–25 years old through its Youth Center, and provide transitional housing for youth 18–25 years old.

The agency has made a name for itself as it

continues to grow and expand programs to support their overall mission. They provide hope that, despite their current circumstances, the youth still have a chance for a positive future. On the streets, it’s only natural for one’s survival instincts to kick in to protect themselves. Unfortunately, those young people become vulnerable and will often turn to theft, panhandling, prostitution, or drugs to survive. In an effort to prevent the youth from turning to those options, the organization’s street outreach team of volunteers are active in the streets trying to find and offer assistance to the homeless youth.

Through the outreach program, Lost-NFound provides referral services and procures and deliver blankets, tents, clothing, food, and water. A pre-intake interview is conducted before any youth is invited or transported to the Lost-N-Found Youth house or other helpful agencies for support.

The mission and purpose of the nonprofit continues to grow, with the agency itself www.thegeorgiavoice.com

LGBTQ NONPROFITS sharing the growing pains. This summer, Westbrook resigned, leaving the door open for Audrey Krumbach, formerly of local nonprofit Living Room, who is now the organization’s interim executive director.

Like Westbrook and Lost-N-Found’s creators, Krumbach is determined to carry out the original mission of providing hope to queer, homeless youth.

As more men became diagnosed, a deep and unabiding fear spread as people lay dying of a disease with no known cure. It was a crisis that needed to be addressed, so AID Atlanta formed in 1982 by Graham Burton and its first Executive Director Caitlin Ryan.

The agency was formed at a time when fear of the disease created a hysteria among people afraid that they too could contract it by simply touching someone affected.

So much misinformation was spread about the disease. Some factions even called HIV/ AIDS a “punishment for being gay.”

Krumbach will lead the organization through the 2018–2021 strategic plan. Plans are to continue growing its services by adding more transitional housing sites, expanding drop-in center hours, and maximizing educational engagement with the community in order to meet the growing need. The overall goal is to increase funding and visibility, and to develop an efficient and effective infrastructure to better serve the youth.

The public can help support Lost-N-Found in a number of ways. One of the easiest may be to support one of the two LostN-Found Youth Thrift and Consignment stores. Donations of clothing and various items are accepted, and the general public is encouraged to shop at their locations in Atlanta and Norcross.

If you’d like to volunteer, you must commit to six months and attend a volunteer orientation session. Volunteers must pay a $20 fee and pass a background check before working with Lost-N-Found Youth. Volunteer orientation meetings are conducted on the second Thursday of each month at 7pm and the second Saturday from 2pm to 3:30pm at 2585 Chantilly Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30324.

GEORGIA EQUALITY Who hasn’t seen the all-familiar blue sticker with a white equal sign adorning the backs of car windows around Georgia?

The simple logo is the trademark of Georgia Equality, our state’s political advocacy organization. The organization’s mission is to advance fairness, safety, and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities — and their allies! — throughout the state.

Georgia Equality continually works to help pass pro-equality legislation and get fairminded officials elected. Georgia Equality is made up of two organizations — Georgia www.thegeorgiavoice.com

In the face of such negativity and bleakness, AID Atlanta’s founding members were on a mission to provide support and hope. They wasted no time reaching out to those hit hardest — black and latino communities.

Equality, Inc. and the Equality Foundation of Georgia. Both have the common goal of advocating for our community.

Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham began his advocacy work when he was a college student working with LGBTQ and AIDS issues. He uses those early experiences and legislative advocacy campaign work in his current role. Georgia Equality continues to work on issues that plague members of the LGBTQ community such as safe schools, nondiscrimination policies, community safety, parental rights, marriage and relationships, HIV advocacy, and trans advocacy.

While helping the average citizen who may face a number of issues because of their sexual orientation, Georgia Equality also endorses political candidates who have an inclusive agenda. In one of the biggest political campaigns this year, Georgia Equality recently announced that they are endorsing Stacey Abrams, the Democratic candidate for governor.

Part of Georgia Equality’s mission is educating the LGBTQ community about political candidates while keeping the community aware of legislation that may directly affect us, both negatively and positively. By making the community aware of important and impactful legislation in our houses of government, members are encouraged to contact local officials to voice their opinions and concerns

and ultimately help the powers that be make the right decisions. Through the Equality Foundation of Georgia, the agency conducts voter registration and educational activities, provides information to decision makers, and works to organize and mobilize LGBTQ residents and allies to advance equality in urban, suburban, and rural communities across the state.

A watchdog for all things taking place under the golden dome, Georgia Equality’s goal is to keep We The People informed. People can sign up to receive the organization’s Action Alerts, which consist of breaking news of upcoming bills that may soon be voted on. These alerts will also include requests for people to send emails, make phone calls, or to meet face-to-face for direct communication with elected officials. You can sign up to receive emails and alerts on the Georgia Equality website. The group can also be followed on Facebook and Twitter.

Along with the bumper sticker, you can get involved by making monetary donations.

Another way to get involved is through volunteering. Volunteers can help out in the office, events, on certain campaigns, voter registration, phone banking, or public speaking.

AID ATLANTA In the early 1980s, AIDS/HIV was making a deadly mark in the gay, male community throughout the US. Atlanta was no exception.

Today, AID Atlanta’s services have remained active throughout the years and grown to become one of the most comprehensive AIDS-service organizations in the Southeast.

The organization’s website reports that they offer HIV/AIDS prevention and care services, including (but not limited to) primary care, HIV/STD screening, PrEP, community HIV prevention programs, linkage services, case management, and a statewide information hotline.

The nonprofit’s mission remains the same — to reduce new HIV infections and improve the quality of life for its members and the community by breaking barriers and building community. Education is a key to maintaining the vision of AID Atlanta. By becoming more visible and known around the city, the goal is to get people tested and provided with care as quick as possible. In an effort to meet the needs, they are launching an impressive initiative to expand their behavioral health and case-management services and add an onsite 340B and retain pharmacy.

The overall goal is to “transform lives every day,” and AID Atlanta continues to be active in high-risk communities through their HIV outreach and education programs. The organization takes a hands-on approach by not only working with people who need their services but by also providing emotional support to those affected.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 8 August 17, 2018 LGBTQ Nonprofits 7

LGBTQ NONPROFITS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 The services provided by AID Atlanta are individualized to a client’s needs. In order to receive services provided by the organization, one will need to provide proof of HIV status, live in the agency’s 20-county EMA (eligible metropolitan area), and have a gross annual income less than 300 percent of the federal poverty level. A photo ID is not required.

The volunteer-driven organization relies heavily on donations and contributions.

One of the organization’s biggest community events and fundraisers is the AIDS Walk & 5K Run. This year, the 28th annual walk/run will be held at Piedmont Park on October 21.

Participants in the AIDS Walk & 5K Run will raise money for the organization’s seven participating local HIV/AIDS programs.

This year’s goal is to raise $750,000.

LIVING ROOM Living Room is the state’s largest facilitator of emergency and transitional housing for people living with HIV/AIDS. According to the organization’s website, Living Room is Atlanta’s centralized intake and housing information and referral agency, able to assist more than 1,500 individuals each year and make an important difference in their lives.

Sister Mary Jane Lubinski founded the organization in 1995 as part of Trinity Community Ministries to assist people living with HIV/AIDS find stable, affordable housing. It became a 501c3 organization four years later. For Sister Mary Jane, housing was not just an essential part of helping people to maintain human dignity, but as foundation of effective treatment of HIV. Sister Mary Jane’s Living Room has, over the years, made itself one of the go-to places for low-income people living with HIV/ AIDS who have fallen on hard times due to health. Living Room is one avenue to help find affordable housing so that living on the streets isn’t their only option.

The agency provides subsidized supportive housing, housing referrals, and housingrelated emergency assistance. The programs and services are tailored to meet the diverse needs and situations of their clients.

8 LGBTQ Nonprofits August 17, 2018

More than 90 percent of their clients are defined as extremely low income, so finding and maintaining affordable housing is essential to preventing homelessness. The group serves the 29-county Atlanta area and rural Northwest Georgia area around Rome and Dalton.

They have over eight programs they believe will help to end homelessness for people living with HIV/AIDS. The programs consist of emergency lodging, supportive housing, tenant-based rental assistance, special needs housing assistance, permanent housing placement, short-term rent/ mortgage utility assistance, recuperative care, and housing counseling. Living Room relies on donations and volunteers to help fulfill their mission. Living Room uses 85¢ of every dollar donated on those services. Of the remaining, 9¢ covers rent, technology, phone, and internet service, office supplies, staff benefits (including health insurance), printing, board development, and administrative staff salaries.

Donations they receive are continually used to one day end the problem of homelessness for people with HIV/AIDS. THE HEALTH INITIATIVE Dennie Doucher founded The Health Initiative as The Atlanta Lesbian Cancer Initiative in 1996. Doucher and her friends were motivated to create the organization after they experienced homophobia and lack of support for partners and caregivers when they sought healthcare. ALCI provided support groups for lesbians and set their sights on educating the medical community

on how to cater to their lesbian patients.

Doucher died of breast cancer two years after the organization’s founding. Since her death, the organization has awarded the Dennie Doucher Healing Angel Award to people who have dedicated time to bettering the healthcare experiences of LGBTQ people. Past Healing Angels include Charis Books and More and Decatur Women’s Sports League founder Anne “Sarge” Barr. The award recipients are honored at the organization’s annual Garden Party, which also serves as a fundraiser.

In 2004, The Atlanta Lesbian Cancer Initiative became the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative to address other health and wellness issues that affect lesbians. The organization changed its name one more time to The Health Initiative in 2011 and expanded its focus to include the healthcare needs of every member of Atlanta’s LGBTQ community. The organization established their health fund in 2008 to assist uninsured and underinsured LGBTQ people. Those in need of aid can apply for funding online during certain dates each month. The Health Initiative also partners with local medical clinics to make referrals for LGBTQ-friendly healthcare. Their partners include Grady Health System, Center For Black Women’s Wellness, Metropolitan Counseling Services, AbsoluteCARE Atlanta, and Planned Parenthood of Georgia.

The Health Initiative also provides cultural competency training for healthcare providers interested in gaining a better understanding

of the needs of LGBTQ people. The training includes information on proper LGBTQ terminology, health disparities, and how to make sure an environment is LGBTQ friendly. The trainings can be hosted onsite or in The Health Initiative’s facility.

The Health Initiative has a partnership with SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders). This program is dedicated to alleviating the challenges of aging LGBTQ people. SAGE Atlanta helps LGBTQ elders access healthcare, advocates for LGBTQ senior rights, gives elders opportunities to socialize with each other, and provides educational resources on LGBTQ aging.

The Health Initiative hosts a variety of events including healthcare screenings, town halls, and support groups. Their most recent event was a Fat Kid Dance Party, co-hosted by body-positive activist and fitness instructor Bevin Branlandingham.

NAESM National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities, Inc. is dedicated to addressing health and wellness matters relevant to black, gay men. The organization was created in 1990 by Rudolph H. Carn, Madam Edna Brown, and Mae Gratis Reed during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The organization’s original focus centered squarely on education through workshops CONTINUES ON PAGE 10 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

.org

Donations Save Lives!

BENEFITING

For free pick-up, call 877-2-PICK-IT-UP 1858 Chesire Bridge Rd

LGBTQ NONPROFITS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 and meetings, but they shifted their focus to include HIV testing as technological advancements in treatment progressed.

NAESM considers love to be their most important value. The organization’s motto — We Love You, Love Yourself, Be Healthy — was created to assure the targeted population that NAESM cares, vows to be a support system, and ultimately helps individuals live healthier lives.

NAESM connects people to healthcare services related to HIV/AIDS, while also giving free STD testing for HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis without appointments. NAESM also provides free mental-health counseling for uninsured HIV-positive people and their loved ones, and housing assistance via their Gerald’s House program. Gerald’s House helps with permanent housing placement, short-term funding for bills and rent/ mortgage, and rental location assistance.

NAESM host an annual conference dedicated to presenting research and strategies for the fight against HIV/AIDS and to promote wellness among black, gay men. Next year’s conference is scheduled for January 17–19 in Arlington, Virginia. The conference was started in 2001 and is typically hosted in a city with a high population of queer men affected by HIV/AIDS. During the conference, NAESM hosts a Build-A-Brother track. The track takes 20 “Young Black Men who have Sex with Men (YBMSM)” from the South and spends four days immersing them in courses that prepare them to work on fighting the HIV/ AIDS epidemic and other health issues that affect YBMSM. Their training includes information on personal branding, social marketing, new developments in HIV/AIDS treatment, and grant writing. During the track, the young men are asked to pitch ideas and create a presentation to be exhibited on the last day of the conference.

NAESM’s dedication to mentorship extends outside of the confines of a yearly conference.

Their nSPIRE Mentorship Program pairs newly diagnosed, HIV-positive young, black gay men, ages 16–29 with mentors to help them navigate poz life. The goal of the program

is to promote viral suppression, and mentors are to model a health lifestyle for their mentees.

Times-Herald. “In a positive way, in a negative way, talk about the issues that are brought up.”

The organization opened their community center, Da Cribb, on August 7. Da Crib serves as an extension of their services and hosts special events in a place where the community can hang out and kiki. NAESM is also hosting a Spirit Week to coincide with Atlanta Black Pride.

Out Front has lived up to that vision. In March 2017, the company found itself in a swarm of controversy because of their production of “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told.” The idea of LGBTQ folks being included in the Bible stories ruffled more than a few feathers and resulted in a stream of harassment. It got so bad Atlanta Police and Homeland Security had to get involved.

OUT FRONT THEATRE Paul Conroy founded Out Front Theatre Company in 2016, because he believed LGBTQ stories were missing from Atlanta’s theater scene. Fresh out of graduate school, Conroy studied theater in other cities and noticed some of them were LGBTQ-centered.

“I thought, ‘Atlanta has a theater community that focuses on African-American work, one that focuses on women’s works, even with that focuses on Irish work. But we didn’t have anything for a queer audience.’ It was around the time that marriage had become legal in all 50 states,” he tells Georgia Voice.

“They don’t approve with what they feel is the unfair representation of the Christian faith. They’ve been calling us vile and disgusting and we should be ashamed and we’re going to hell and all of that standard stuff. Every time I open my email, I have 100 new messages,” Conroy said at the time.

Still, the show must go on and it did. The controversy has not deterred Out Front.

The company’s first production, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The Musical,” debuted in October 2016. “Priscilla” was a show about a group of drag queens who take a cross-country roadtrip. Conroy’s vision for the company is not outwardly political, but he wants to make his audience think.

Out Front’s current season started on August 13 and goes all the way to March 2019. The season will feature a diverse array of plays including The Ethel Merman Disco Christmas Spectacular and the Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winner “I Am My Own Wife.” On September 22, Out Front will host “The Rainbow Ball,” a fundraiser that promises a “decadent” dinner, live performances, and “more sparkle than any mirrorball imaginable!”

“I want people to leave the theater and talk about the show,” Conroy told The Newnan

Out Front offers season tickets that include reserved seats, invitations to special events, and

10 LGBTQ Nonprofits August 17, 2018

flexibility to change show times and dates. The company also sells theater plaques via their Have A Seat campaign for patrons interested in immortalizing themselves or anyone else.

OUT ON FILM Now in its 31st year, Out On Film — Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival — is looking forward to a busy fall season, with its regular festival and an appearance by noted writer Armistead Maupin over Labor Day weekend. Maupin, who wrote the “Tales of the City” novels, is working on a new version of the series for Netflix.

Established in 1987, Out On Film has grown into one of the largest LGBTQ film festivals in the country. Jim Farmer has been with the organization since 2008 and is celebrating his 10th anniversary as the organization’s festival director and executive director. In addition to a team of volunteers, the festival has a part-time staffer as well, Justice Obiaya.

One of the things the organization has worked on over the last decade is branding and consistency — keeping the event the same date every year, beginning on the last Thursday of September. “There was a time when Out On Film bounced around a lot from month to month,” says Craig Hardesty, Out On Film’s board chair. “With so much going on in Atlanta, we feel it’s important to have it the same time every year.” Another added element is making the organization’s programming year round. In 2018 alone, Out On Film has sponsored or co-sponsored showings of “Love, Simon,” “Raising Zoey,” www.thegeorgiavoice.com

LGBTQ NONPROFITS and “The Wound,” and worked with the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival on screenings.

As well as grants from Turner, the Georgia Council for the Arts and Fulton County Arts Council have kept the festival on solid ground. In addition, brisk ticket sales have helped. Last year’s four screenings of “A Sordid Wedding” with Del Shores, Ann Walker, and Emerson Collins sold out quickly and attracted 1,400 patrons.

This year’s film festival takes places September 27–October 7 and runs 11 days, with more than 125 films spread out over three venues. Some of the films scheduled include “Every Act of Life,” about prolific playwright Terrence McNally, the man behind such plays and musicals as “Love!

Valour! Compassion!”, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” and scores more; “Wild Nights With Emily,” in which Molly Shannon plays Emily Dickinson in a film about the little-known sides of the writer, such as her relationship with another woman; and an encore of “Man Made,” Atlanta director T. Cooper’s documentary about the Trans Fitcon in Atlanta and four trans bodybuilders getting ready for it. This year’s full schedule will be announced on August 27.

LAMBDA LEGAL Lambda Legal is the first non-profit organization dedicated to securing LGBTQ rights via the courtroom. The organization was founded in 1973 and their non-profit status itself was their first battle. Founder Bill Thom actually applied to establish Lambda Legal as a non-profit a year prior, but was met with resistance from judges in New York’s legal system who thought the organization’s mission was “neither benevolent nor charitable.” With pro bono help, Thom took the issue to New York’s highest court and secured the organization’s first victory.

Lambda Legal went on to be involved in some of the most high-profile cases in LGBTQ history. One of their earliest cases, Gay Student Organization v. Bonner, resulted in the University of Hampshire allowing LGBTQ student activities on campus.

Lambda Legal is also responsible for the first legal victory in favor of people with HIV/AIDS. They represented Dr. Joseph www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Sonnabend, who was being evicted from his office building because he was one of few doctors in the 1980s willing to treat patients infected with HIV/AIDS. Lambda Legal fought the eviction and despite appeals from the building’s co-op, he was able to remain in the building and treat his patients. Lambda Legal also fought for damages related to the death of Brandon Teena, the subject of the film “Boys Don’t Cry,” and argued in cases that resulted in the federal strikedown of sodomy laws.

In 2009, Lambda Legal won a case that resulted in Iowa’s Supreme Court declaring the state’s same-sex marriage ban unconstitutional. The organization was co-counsel of one of the cases involved in Obergefell v. Hodges, which led to the legalization of same-sex marriage across the country.

They are currently also involved in an amicus brief related to an appeal for Charles Rhines, a gay man currently on South Dakota’s death row. They believe some of the jurors advocated for the death penalty because they “knew that he was a homosexual and thought he shouldn’t be able to spend his life with men in prison,” as its male population may make it enjoyable. Despite the bias, the judge proceeded with the trial.

Lambda Legal is also involved in two cases related to securing rights for transgender people in the workplace. One case is for Jennifer Fletcher, a state employee who

wants to use her insurance to cover expenses related to her transition. The other, EEOC v. RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes, involves Aimee Stephens, who claims she was fired from her job because of her gender identity.

In an admirable display of transparency, Lambda Legal maintains a list of open and past court cases on their website.

POSITIVE IMPACT Living up to its name, Positive Impact Health Centers is a substantial provider of affordable HIV care.

For more than 25 years, this Atlanta nonprofit has connected persons living with the virus to one of the city’s most robust offerings of affordable medical, psychiatric, and social services, all with one simple goal: providing client-centered care for the HIV community to have a life worth loving.

Working from locations in Duluth and Decatur, the nonprofit provides basic needs such as HIV and STI testing, to more specialized care such as nutritional support and help finding housing. Best of all, grant funding allows them to offer most services on a sliding-scale basis.

They service some 30 counties, with patients coming from all over for care, according to COO Joey Helton. Indeed, the organization has increasingly solidified funding to serve a community which, unfortunately, continues to grow rapidly in Georgia.

The Atlanta metro area has long been a leader in the nation in HIV infections, an unfortunate fact attributed largely to rising infections among queer men of color.

The group has shown no signs of slowing down in its commitment to serving the community. Last November, leaders expanded to a sweeping 25,000 sq. ft. facility in downtown Decatur. The move, a big change from their long-standing Midtown location, put them closer to where many of their clients lived and gave them room for a pharmacy, several exam rooms, and counseling spaces. The new facility features a private entrance and service area that allows clients living with HIV to maintain their privacy when seeking treatment.

But Positive Impact’s role in the community doesn’t end at its front door. The group is involved in a number of community events and fundraisers, sponsoring an AIDS Walk team and hosting a comedy-show fundraiser this month. What they’re best known for, however, remains providing a nest of services that reaches far beyond basic testing, be it help finding a meal or a place to stay.

ATLANTA PRIDE We’re all familiar with the huge floats traipsing through midtown each fall, club music blasting and queer-friendly chants filling the air. But when the streamers are put CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

August 17, 2018 LGBTQ Nonprofits 11

LGBTQ NONPROFITS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 away and the glitter swept up, what more is there to the organization responsible for one of the oldest LGBTQ parades in the nation?

A lot! The rollicking parade may indeed be its annual highlight, but this 501(c)(3) comprised of LGBTQ and allied community leaders is dedicated to advancing unity, visibility, and self-esteem in the rainbow community 365 days a year.

They do it by hosting mini Pride celebrations, game nights, book discussions, and more to get queer folks active and interacting with their community beyond the October celebration.

To be clear, the Pride festival and parade — now in its 48th year — is no small undertaking. After all, the event draws 300,000+ LGBTQ men, women, and allies to the city, pumping millions into the city each fall.

But times are changing, and organizers are broadening their focus to address evolving community needs. Originally, offerings were centered solely on the Pride celebration, but the 43-member committee recognizes that LGBTQ men and women are evolving, their needs and interests becoming more sophisticated and diverse.

The group has responded with a multi-year strategy that focuses on ways to expand.

Goals include creating formal partnerships with organizations serving LGBTQ people of color and programming catering to the aging. It’s all in a day’s work for the Atlanta Pride Committee. Who knew it was so much more than one big party!

PFLAG They’re the rainbow-decked moms and dads at the front of the Pride parade and the friendly faces handing out pamphlets to fellow parents grappling with a newly out son or daughter. They’re PFLAG, a decadesold group that brings families together.

Founded as Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the D.C.-based groups outlines its mission as providing a supportive channel for families journeying toward accepting their queer loved one. Their bigger goal, according to the group, is changing attitudes toward

gays and lesbians one parent at a time.

The grassroots organization — the largest of its kind — has ~200,000 members meeting in some 500 communities from Alaska to Alabama. That includes the Atlanta chapter, as well as regional chapters in areas like Marietta and Macon.

JERUSALEM HOUSE The year was 1988 and the term HIV had only relatively recently dropped, like a bomb, into the American vocabulary. In Atlanta, later to become ground zero for the epidemic, city leaders were awestruck at how the virus (and later AIDS) could destroy not just bodies but entire lives.

PFLAG’s formula for more inclusive families involves equal parts community outreach and one-on-one attention via support groups that meet monthly. In Atlanta, that means queer men and women, allies, and other supporters meet on first Mondays and third Sundays to form a circle and discuss current topics, which can range from how to reconcile religion with gay identity to coping with a high schooler coming out.

PFLAG doesn’t begin and end with monthly meetings, however. The Atlanta chapter is also involved in hosting gala dinners, speaking at businesses on LGBTQ issues, and making high-profile appearances.

They decided to take a stand and Jerusalem House was born.

At the national level, the group is an active voice speaking out on issues like family equality and partnering with corporations like Johnson & Johnson to lend a voice to LGBTQ concerns.

For its efforts, the high-profile program has earned a variety of awards, including a Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award from Emory University in 2018, and four Wells Fargo outstanding nonprofit awards between 2011 and 2016.

Back home in Atlanta, PFLAG is making a difference in the lives of everyday parents, like Jennifer Slipakoff. She joined the group in 2014 after her elementary-school aged child came out as trans. “For me,” she tells us, “it’s just a place where people get it.”

12 LGBTQ Nonprofits August 17, 2018

Thirty years later, the non-denominational facility is the city’s oldest and largest provider of permanent housing for low-income and homeless people impacted by HIV and AIDS. They operate under the mantra that “housing is healthcare,” a simple view that having a roof over one’s head can give someone the stability and peace of mind to take better care of themselves and thrive.

The organization provides everything from efficiency apartments to substance-abuse counseling and tutoring for children.

It’s leaps and bounds from where the organization started. Back in 1988, things like PrEP were a fantasy. A coalition of Atlanta’s business, religious, civic, and medical community leaders banded together

to create a living facility for those being left homeless by AIDS. They named the facility after Jerusalem — “dwelling of peace” — and envisioned a place where people could simply die with dignity.

The original facility had room for just five homeless persons living with AIDS. Before long, fundraising allowed them to expand the program, annexing the original house and creating 23 efficiency apartments. Three decades later, advances in medication mean most individuals with HIV/AIDS can live long and healthy lives. But the unique threat homelessness poses to those living with HIV/AIDS is still very real. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on any given night in 2017, more than 10,000 people living with HIV/ AIDS were sleeping on the street.

In Atlanta at least, Jerusalem House is helping change that. Over the years, the program has evolved to include a Family Program, with apartments for families on a campus, and the Scattered Site programs, with hundreds of apartments scattered in complexes across metro Atlanta. The group also offers housing subsidies through its New Horizons program.

After all of these years, the Jerusalem House’s core mission remains the same — to help men and women living with HIV/AIDS find a place of solace. Only now instead of helping them die with dignity, Jerusalem House helps them live with pride. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

August 17, 2018 Ads 13

BACK TO SCHOOL

On Being An Older Student Morgan Fletcher As a non-traditional student, here are a few items I wish I’d known before I hopped back in.

YOUR PROFESSORS ARE HERE FOR YOU This is one of those pieces of advice that every nerd who runs freshmen orientation will tell you and I whole heartedly urge you to take it into consideration. Your professors are here for you! Yes, you will have some grizzled professor that just got tenure, who may or may not give two flips about what you whippersnappers are doing, but 99% of the time you will have professors who genuinely care about your success.

Remember, you are taking this class to learn the basics. These people have spent years (years!) of their lives learning and dissecting 16 Back to School August 17, 2018

the subject. Listen to them. Go to office hours. Take notes. And put your phone down! No professor is going to tell you that your question is stupid, or that you should give up and drop the class while you can still get a refund. They will do everything within their abilities to help you. When in doubt, keep asking questions.

THERE’S MONEY ON THE TABLE So many students forgo scholarships because they feel intimidated. I’m here to tell you: They’re worth it. Most colleges have writing centers dedicated specifically to scholarship essays. You have a story worth telling and that story can make you some serious money.

Thousands of dollars are reserved for first generation-, non-traditional-, minority-, and LGBTQ students and more. Your student loans will haunt you for years to come,

so take advantage of what’s on offer.

bill, meaning you’re really paying attention.

JEEZ, I’M OLD. GOOD. This is for fellow non-traditional students: I’m here to tell you that it’s very different and sometimes a little lonely. Whether you’re entering as a freshman or returning after an extended absence, it’s different as an adult. While your classmates are bonding over being away from home, you are scheduling classes around work. There will be moments when you feel like you should be riding into class on a Hoveround, and you’re tired because your kid was up all night.

To contrast, there are times when your life experience will help you better understand the course material than the youngins sitting next to you. You’re the one who deeply knows this experience is invaluable to your future, and you’re likely the one footing the

TIME FLIES When you feel like your syllabus is mocking you and you just don’t believe you will ever be able to get the work done, I want you to remember that you are smart and fully capable of doing this. Four years will, at times, feel insurmountable. Thing is, it’ll pass faster than you can ask in a loud, scandalized tone, “How much for that textbook?!” Before you know it, you’re walking across that stage brandishing a diploma. Just remember in your darkest of nights, eyes deep in reading, ready to chuck it all in and give up: Donald Trump has a degree. You got this.

“Every year, many, many stupid people graduate from college. And if they can do it, so can you” — John Green www.thegeorgiavoice.com

BACK TO SCHOOL

Five Reasons

Going Back to School is “So Dope, Bro” Aidan Ivory Edwards It’s a sweet time to be a 27-year-old college student. I’m wandering around campus with friends a decade younger than I am, meaning I was in fifth grade when they were born!

They look up to me. It’s interesting getting asked to buy them beer, I suppose, and although “age ain’t nothin’ but a number,” cops don’t think so — at least when it comes to alcohol and the likes. Besides, the idea of being like my step-dad Todd makes want to fall down a well like Samara from “The Ring.” Alas, here are five tongue-in-cheek reasons why coming back to school each semester is dope.

I’VE BUILT UP STEAM The first day back onto campus is a fog — not so much from the six toaster strudels I ate, but from the gnarly second-hand inhalation from the vapers. Those devices are from the future, bro. All the newest vape kings and queens share their vegan www.thegeorgiavoice.com

poppy-seed-flavored vapor in the nonsmoking areas, which includes the walkway in front of the children’s daycare center. No one stops them. Not even the top security guards on Segways. My buddy Chad thinks they’re “mad safe.” (The jury is still out on that, Chad.) Still, with devices that look like RoboCop’s arm, confiscated hard drives, or a real cigarette, it’s worth the risk!

Vape me, bro!

BOOK ’EM! I’m happy to supplement my professors’ paydays by purchasing books they’ve authored — especially, when it’s a required text on the syllabus they’ve created. I don’t feel robbed in any way. I especially love when I’m asked to purchase the 7th edition, which has been updated from the 6th edition with two whole sentences in a footnote.

Imagine the academic maze I’d have to navigate without the fresh, $275 version!

(Real question: Are they all marketing grads?

Robber barons, perhaps?)

INDIE MUSIC LIVE, ALL DAY & NIGHT I know that I’m going to love a class when I see a bright young prodigy sitting on the table with their feet on the chair, strumming the uke. Self-proclaimed artists are the height of intellects, which explains why they rarely go to class. Their cover of a Fetty Wap song reassures me that the end isn’t near.

Apocalypse now? Apocalypse never when they make the introduction of philosophy class weep tears from trap-queen heaven.

FINANCIAL AID NEEDS MORE AID I go hype-beast when there’s a two-day wait in the financial aid office. It’s nice that they keep their phone lines busy. I get it. They all know I don’t have anywhere to be. I quit my job to be able to book with them. I bring my Bananas in Pajamas sleeping bag, two cans of Spam, a two liter of Tab, a television, and a VHS player with Sinbad’s “Shazaam” stuck in it because I put petroleum jelly in it. (Or does that movie exist only in my imagination? Google the conspiracy theory

— it’s a real thing.) At any rate, financial aid boggles the mind almost as much as finding evidence that “Shazaam” ever existed.

SIDEWALK BALK There’s no sidewalk etiquette on college campuses. It’s the best. When someone is texting while walking and bumps into me, I blush. It’s the only affection I get from any living being (other than from my cat after I give him chicken of the sea). When someone is walking like a slug on the sidewalk, I don’t want to pour salt on them and watch them disintegrate. I’m happy that their college experience is full of leisurely walks and an existence solely based on themselves — that’s how elections are won. And when a stranger bumps into me and wants to throw down?

“POP OFF, BRO!” It’s everything to me.

I couldn’t imagine life without a long rap sheet of felonies for sidewalk World Star moments.

Happy School Daze!

August 17, 2018 Back to School 17

A SORDID THREE RING

starring Leslie Jordan, Del Shores, and Ann Walker

Saturday, August 25, 2018 VIP Reception: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

•

Show 8:00 p.m.

Centerstage, 1374 West Peachtree St, NW Atlanta, GA 30309

Purchase tickets online: centerstage-atlanta.com

18 Ads August 17, 2018

A BENEFIT FOR

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

BACK TO SCHOOL

Senior Citizens NOT Discounted A NEW PROGRAM AT GSU ALLOWS TUITION-FREE EDUCATION FOR SENIORS WHO NEVER GOT A CHANCE AT EDUCATION. Elizabeth Hazzard Due to the age of technology we live in, school systems have progressed into a more efficient state than that of previous years. With the development of programs such as online classes, the element of convenience has been integrated into the education experience worldwide. And as the disbursement of financial aid funds has increased over the years, more and more impoverished students are able to gain access to a quality education as well.

As millennials, we have it so well in this new age that we tend to forget the struggles that www.thegeorgiavoice.com

generations before us had to endure just to receive an education, the sacrifices that were made in the past in order to carve out vibrant futures for upcoming generations.

Veterans who chose war over scholarship, the impoverished who had no choice but to work instead of going to school, African Americans who were fed hatred instead of knowledge, the physically disabled who simply could not make the daily trips to school, and the young parents who chose their toddlers over tuition.

For these folks, however, it’s not too late.

Now, there is a promising program at Georgia State University that aims to give

these individuals, many who are now senior citizens, a second chance at secondary education.

GSU-62 is a college program that allows senior citizens, aged 62 and older, to either resume, continue, or begin a college education free of tuition! The requirements for entry are fairly simple and include being accepted into GSU, providing proof of identification, verification of citizenship, and submission of former school transcripts (if applicable). The tuition waiver itself is granted on a space-available basis (first come, first serve) but once one is accepted into the program, working toward a college degree will offer both diversity and convenience as students are able to select their classes from a wide range of subjects and are given the option to take online classes as well. One unique aspect of this

program is that it allows students to take classes either for credit or audit, meaning that students can choose between taking classes for the purpose of earning a degree or taking a class simply for fun and/or interest in the subject. Students are able to complete their degree at their own pace and are given the freedom to choose their own educational pathway.

While many may feel it’s too late in their lives to go back to school, this program encourages those who have made such sacrifices to now indulge in the learning they were unable to experience. As the hassle of tuition is eliminated, going back to school is transformed into a carefree action of scholarship. If you are a senior citizen who is interested, reach out to Georgia State University! Dreams are not meant to be retired, and ambition never ages.

August 17, 2018 Back to School 19

ACTING OUT

Chloe Grace Moretz Tackles Gay Conversion Therapy Jim Farmer With her quirky, break-through lesbian comedy “Appropriate Behavior” (which she wrote, directed, and starred in four years ago), Desiree Akhavan gave notice that she was a force to be reckoned with. She’s now directing a strong version of “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” based on the Emily M. Danforth young adult novel and starring Decatur’s Chloe Grace Moretz.

It opens in the ATL this weekend.

The winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize earlier in 2018, “Miseducation” takes place in 1993, when Cameron (Moretz) is found in the back of her car with girlfriend Coley (Quinn Shephard) on prom night.

Ironically, the two are found by their prom dates. Cameron is sent to God’s Promise, a conversion therapy center, by her aghast parents. The counselors there use all sorts of methods to “de-gay” their house full of children. It’s run by Lydia Marsh (Jennifer Ehle) and her brother, Reverend Rick (John Gallagher Jr.). Marsh lets the students know that their feelings are really temptations from the devil, and that prayer can “save” them. The reverend likes to tell the new enrollees how he was “changed” from the SSA (same sex attraction) that used to feel.

It’s not a place Cameron feels comfortable.

What she finds, though, are a number of other young people she can confide in and get close to. Out actress Sasha Lane, seen earlier this season in “Hearts Beat Loud,” plays Jane and Forrest Goodluck is Adam Red Eagle, a Navajo Two-spirit. They are both at God’s Promises for family reasons. Cameron’s roommate is Erin (Emily Skeggs), who is very enthusiastic but is clearly dealing with inner demons of her own. Some of the young people seem to want change, but others seem comfortable in who they are, and scoff at what the leaders of the house are trying to get them to do.

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is not a campy movie — it takes its subject 20 Columnists August 17, 2018

matter very seriously. Given the theme, it would seem to be a harrowing journey, but in the hands of Akhavan, it’s not. Sure, there are some sad sequences and a moment of tragedy for one of the kids, but it’s not an overtly dour drama or a PSA for acceptance.

Akhavan has been quoted as saying she wanted to make a John Hughes comedy.

That’s not really the case here. The film isn’t in the John Hughes vein — it doesn’t lend itself to light and frothy material — but it’s nonetheless an even keeled, levelheaded piece of work. One of the most commendable aspects about Akhavan’s movie is its ensemble cast. Ehle is frightening as the counselor of the house, yet she’s not a caricature. Lane, Skeggs, and newcomer Goodluck are also quite persuasive.

Yet this is Moretz’s movie. For someone as

DETAILS

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” Opens August 17 Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

young as she is, Moretz has been around a very long time and this is easily one of her best, most quiet performances. A lot of her work is about observing her surroundings and then beginning to feel comfortable about who she is. This is being regarded as the indie version “conversion therapy movie” with the big-budget “Boy Erased” coming out the fall and dealing with similar material. How that movie deals with the territory remains to be seen, but “Miseducation” handles it all with warmth and compassion. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

EATING MY WORDS

It’s All Going To Kale Cliff Bostock

Our attitudes toward many foods are strongly affected by memory. Your mother fed you SpaghettiOs on Sunday afternoons while she let you wear her jewelry, for example, and you still crave the stuff. Perhaps you used to go with friends to the old Shoney’s on Piedmont several nights a week after attending AA meetings.

That’s a positive memory, but perhaps you also recall asking a staff member to identify the vividly green vegetation that lined the gigantic, dirt-cheap salad bar. “It’s kale,” she said. “You’re not supposed to eat it. It’s bitter.

It’s just background and it will make you shit.”

I defied her and took a nibble. She was so right.

Now, kale is basically the star of all superfoods.

No matter how artfully chefs try to disguise its flavor, it still tastes like feet to me, as comedian Jim Gaffigan says. So you’ll understand that it was huge when I intentionally entered the door of Kale Me Crazy, a franchise operation that has been growing like crazy in the last few years. The latest to open is in my neighborhood,

Grant Park (519 Memorial Dr., 404-343-2547, KaleMeCrazy.net). It’s bright and sparsely furnished. The walls are white-washed brick painted with clever sayings like, “Don’t kale my vibe.” (But that’s exactly what kale does!) I sat at the bar while a pretty constant flow of customers came in, mainly to buy juices, which are coldpressed on the premises.

The menu is surprisingly lengthy. Besides the juices, there are smoothies, salads, wraps, and a few random items like avocado toast and a “wild-caught tuna” poke bowl. I have to say it, but one thing impressed me hugely: The mainly green smoothies aren’t made with the usual cow’s milk and yogurt. I’ve been literally going to gyms since I was five years old, but didn’t get diagnosed as lactose-intolerant until my 20s, so those “health bars” inside gyms made me sick as hell. Kale Me Crazy uses truly dairy-free “milks” made from coconut, almonds, and hemp. That’s much more tolerable for people like me. Then again, such smoothies typically depend on additives for high protein, which is what you want after the

gym. Kale Me Crazy offers several with nuts and the mysteriously named vegan protein.

Of the composed dishes, I’ve only tried the “deluxe” acai bowl. Acai berries, from a SouthAmerican palm tree, are super-trendy because their nutritional content supposedly amounts to “purple gold.” My bowl included the berries, apparently ground up with coconut milk, blueberries, cashews, and bananas.

That icy puree was topped with (gluten-free) granola and everything from sliced almonds and bananas to hemp seed and goji berries.

Strangely, even the wide variety of ingredients didn’t seem to bring a lot of contrasting texture or flavor, which was mainly tart.

I also tried a bottled, 2-oz. “shot” of a juice blend called Painkiller. It contains raw honey, lime, turmeric, and its cousin ginger. It was so overwhelmingly bitter and stinging that, after one tiny taste, I took the remaining

home, where it sits in my refrigerator, glowing like a little thermonuclear weapon for a dollhouse. I couldn’t find a nutritional analysis. As it happens, I take curcumin, the effective anti-inflammatory extracted from turmeric, daily. If Painkiller blend is not the extract and does not include necessary ingredients to make it absorbable, its $4.50 cost is about marketing and placebo effects.

I avoided spending $145 for a three-day “cleanse package” of juices. I did pick up a few juice blends during a second visit and predictably ordered only the (delicious) fruit-based ones. In fact, when I got home, I realized something staggering – I had spent about $30 at Kale Me Krazy and avoided a single taste of kale! You can too.

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

DINING GUIDE TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT: JBRAMS@THEGAVOICE.COM

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

August 17, 2018 Columnists 21

BEST BETS Our Guide to the Best LGBTQ Events in Atlanta for August 17-30 myths and stereotypes. Narrated by Ruby Dee, the documentary revisits some of television’s most popular stars and shows.

3pm Auburn Avenue Research Library

FRIDAY, AUGUST 17

The acclaimed “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” — directed by Desiree Akhavan, starring Decatur’s Chloe Grace Moretz, and winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance — opens in Atlanta today at the Midtown Art Cinema with various showtimes.

MONDAY, AUGUST 20

Gay Georgia (GAGA) is organizing a rally in support of LGBTQ-owned/gay friendly venues at City Hall. Organizers want the city to know that our legacy is important to not only our community, but to the city. Tourism and neighborhoods flourish when diversity is part of the fabric of Georgia.

12pm City Hall

Don’t miss Halcyon live tonight at Eddie’s Attic, 7 pm.

Serenbe Playhouse and out director Brian Clowdus present the musical “Titanic” and will actually sink a ship each night. Running now through August 19.

8pm WUSSY returns to The Heretic for a poptastic sugar sweet taste of Juicy Fruits featuring The Vixen from season 10 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Wear your most colorful and bold neon pops of color for the dance floor and photo booth. The event is hosted by Taejah Thomas with shows by Dotte Comm, Orchid, Royal Tee, Taejah Thomas, Taylor Alxndr, Ellisorous Rex, Evah Destruction, and The Vixen.

10pm–3am Heretic Atlanta

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Join Charis in welcoming local author M. Jackson to kick off the news series of local author spotlights. Jackson is the author of the “Speechless” series, an omnibus of poetry featuring the already published “Speechless: #Uneasy Thoughts” and “Speechless: #NostalgicBliss” and two more upcoming books. Besides reading, Jackson will meet and greet patrons.

2–3 pm

22 Best Bets August 17, 2018

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Deep South is proud to welcome Manu Miran to Atlanta for the first time 10pm–3am The Music Room Charis Books and More The 3rd and 4th place play-off teams — the Rays and the Shocks — square off today at 5pm as part of an Atlanta Rollergirls double-header, with the 1st and 2nd place teams — the Stix and the Demons — playing against each other for the league championship.

7:30pm Yaarab Shrine Center TEN Atlanta will once again transform from a crowded dance club into a cozy NYC Cabaret for consecutive Wednesday nights tonight with Boys Night “OUT” on Broadway, a one-hour musical and comedy revue written by Broadway veteran performer Robert Ray. 7pm and 9 pm TEN Atlanta Deep South is proud to welcome Manu

TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 Miran to Atlanta for the first time. The event is hosted by Kiki Slaytana, Faielle Stocco, Josephine Figueroa, Alli Royce Soble, Danyale Taylor, Rocky The Mermaid, Orion, Paege Turner, Cody, Pure Joy. Kenneth Figueroa, Brian Pollard, and Bryan Lee. 10pm–3am The Music Room

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets today.

2:30–4pm Atlanta International School The Baton Foundation, Inc., in partnership with the Auburn Avenue Research Library, will host a film screening about primetime television and race in the United States.

“Color Adjustment” traces 40 years of race relations through the lens of primetime entertainment, scrutinizing television’s racial

Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals (MAAP) hosts its Connecting Lunch Networking Lunch today.

11:45am-1am Ri Ra Irish Pub

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22

Don’t miss Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo tonight, joined by some drag royalty.

8:30pm The Hideaway Atlanta

THURSDAY, AUGUST 23

Meak Productions’ National Black LGBT Division presents the seventh anniversary installment of History of Black Atlanta/ Black Pride Press Conference Series, featuring the 1st Gentleman of HBGA, Sir’Akeem Gionnie Black, and Black Pride organizers.

7–10 pm Location TBD

CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

650 NORTH AVENUE NE, SUITE 201, ATLANTA, GA 30308 PONCE CITY MARKET | CITYWINERY.COM | 404.WINERY1

Urban Wine Country HOST YOUR WEDDING IN

STORAGE SPECIALS •Free Truck Rental with Move-In •12 Month Price Guarantee •24-Hour Access •Heated & Cooled Units •Security System •Clean, Well-Lit Facility •Loading Dock 726 Ponce de Leon PL NE Atlanta, GA, 30306

404-913-8977

We sell boxes & packing supplies!

1 Month Free First Month Free

New Customers. Select Units. Expires 6/30/2019

25% Off

Boxes & Packing Supplies www.morningstarstorage.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Offer Never Expires.

Start your journey by contacting

AtlantaEvents@CityWinery.com or call 404-WINERY1 August 17, 2018 Ads 23

BEST BETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 Do you want to read books by amazing black women writers? Do you want to discuss works from a black feminist perspective in a feminist bookstore? Then the Black Feminist Book Club is for you. This month’s book is “Welcome to Lagos” by Chibundu Onuzo.

7–9 pm Charis Books and More Sing along to “Summer Nights” and “Greased Lightning” at the Grease Sing-A-Long, in honor of the 40th anniversary of the film.

7:30pm Fox Theatre

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24–AUGUST 25

Southern Fried Queer Pride is proud to present the return of WEAVESTOCK. An all-blackdrag stage production and extravaganza, WEAVESTOCK: Haus Party is a scripted drag celebration of black nightlife. Throughout the night, the company of performers celebrate iconic party black music from every decade, from the past century from jazz to trap, from synth pop to 90s R&B, including choreographed live drag performances, live music, and screening scenes of the SFQP sponsored film “WEAVESTOCK: Haus Party.”

7:30pm tonight and tomorrow Out Front Theatre Company

FRIDAY, AUGUST 24

The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) hosts its August Fourth Friday Networking Night, hosted by IHG. Come network and unwind with LGBTQ business owners, corporate partners, and supporters.

5:30–7:30 pm Location TBD Out of Box Theatre opens the play “Bat-Hamlet.” What if Shakespeare had conceived the melancholy Dane as a costumed crime fighter? Bat-Hamlet tells the tale of a Dark Knight that emerges from betwixt the pages of Shakespeare to exact revenge on his murderous uncle, King Jester.

Once resolved to avenge beloved King Police Commissioner Gordrick’s death, Hamlet dons the persona of Bat-Hamlet, a flashier and much cooler version of his brooding youth.

8 pm Out of Box Theatre Every Friday at midnight, it’s time to slip on

24 Best Bets August 17, 2018

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30

Also opening today and bringing the masses to town is DragonCon, now in its 32nd year as the universe’s biggest multi-genre conference.

Marriott Marquis those fishnets and makeup for the greatest live troupe in the city, Lips Down On Dixie, Inc., for a righteous party in front of the big screen for “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”

Midnight Plaza Atlanta

month. Each show will be jam-packed with improvisation, live sketch comedy, stand-up comedy, puppetry, and drag performances.

11 pm.

The Village Theater

SATURDAY, AUGUST 25

The High Museum of Art has opened the major touring exhibition “Outliers and American Vanguard Art.” The show brings together more than 250 diverse works by more than 80 trained and untrained artists.

Running through September 30, 12–5 pm

“A Sordid Three Ring Circus” is a benefit for Positive Impact Health Centers starring Emmy Award-winning actor Leslie Jordan of “Will and Grace,” Del Shores of “Sordid Lives,” and actress Ann Walker, known also for “Sordid Lives.”

8 pm Center Stage - The Loft - Vinyl Aurora Theatre’s excellent version of the musical “Newsies,” adapted by Harvey Fierstein, continues tonight.

8pm, running through September 2 Join Charis Books and More in celebrating the fourth issue in Sinister Wisdom’s series covering lesbian-feminist activism in the late 20th-century South, focusing on lesbian gathering places and ways they created community while continuing activism. Sinister Wisdom 109: Hot Spots explores the Southern spaces where lesbians gathered and organized during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Writers from this issue include Rose Norman, Gail Reeder, Drea FireWalker, and B. Leaf Cronewt (Mary Ann Hopper) who will share excerpts from their work. Lorraine Fontana will read excerpts from a piece by Pam Edwards.

7:30-9 pm Come see The Queeriety Variety Show on the last Saturday of every

SUNDAY, AUGUST 26

MONDAY, AUGUST 27

The Panther Levi/Leather meeting is tonight from 7 pm–3am at the Atlanta Eagle.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 28

Thad Stevens hosts Karaoke Night at My Sister’s Room, with all sorts of drink and food specials.

9pm-2am

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29

Enjoy free pool tonight and beats by rotating DJs at Bulldogs, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30

One of the biggest events of the year, Atlanta Black Gay Pride starts today and lasts through Monday, bringing thousands to town.

Various venues.

Also opening today and bringing the masses to town is DragonCon, now in its 32nd year as the universe’s biggest multigenre conference.

Marriott Marquis

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

Mr. Carter Hits the Field Melissa Carter There comes a time in all our lives when things begin to get consistently complicated. I always assumed that time hit around puberty and the introduction of unrequited love, but have since realized it emerges during a child’s first introduction to sports.

My son is now three years old, and in Atlanta that means Mr. Carter can play in more developed organized sporting activities. He did participate in soccer at age two, but that small league was only about learning how to run and kick a ball without falling, and no actual games were involved.

He began playing soccer again last month, but this time his more developed body can participate in some practice drills with a competition to follow. It was that first game against an opposing team that made him question all he had ever been taught before. It also forced his other mother, Katie Jo, and I to think on our feet so he could intellectually and emotionally make it through the game.

In toddler soccer practice, every child has a ball to work with. You learn how to ignore the instinct to use your hands to handle the ball, and how to effectively kick the ball so that it moves at some distance down the field. You also learn to understand that the goal is the, well, goal and you kick the ball into the one the coach and all the parents keep pointing to. I didn’t think to explain to him the concept of one ball during competition, and apparently neither did anyone else because that simple change in the structure of play was the catalyst of a very public protest in the middle of the field.

Mr. Carter did what he was told during the game and followed his fellow athletes down the field as the biggest kid on his team kept scoring goals. But then he got the ball and began to kick it at a steady pace, only to find another kid run in front of him and take it as his own. I could tell that frustrated my son, but the blood only began to simmer until it happened again and another goal was scored

by someone else with his ball.

That’s when he stopped in the middle of the field as everyone else gathered around the winning goal and screamed, “That … is … not … very … nice!”

Sharing. All he has ever known is sharing.

He gets constantly reminded of it in my home, Katie’s house, his grandmothers’ houses, with his aunt, uncles, and cousins.

His school makes sure he shares whatever comes into his possession. Yet on the soccer field, somehow all of a sudden, it is no longer OK to share, and he’s the one who is getting scolded for protesting this simple rule that until now had been cardinal law.

It’s funny how the things that confuse or hurt us the most, no matter what age you are, come back to a violation of that same concept … sharing. Sharing of love, of property or of peace. But we adapt, and soon Mr. Carter will too. However, I can’t help but think how nice it would be to stand still and simply scream my son’s words of protest, reminding everyone to stop for a minute and think about what game we’re playing and if we all understand the rules.

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

26 Columnists August 17, 2018 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

Introducing Old Friends to the Present Me Ryan Lee

reassure them things turned out OK.

There were no “reunion show” antics at my 20-year high-school reunion, except when I was talking with one of the people I most anticipated seeing and observed how so many of our former classmates looked exactly as they did back then.

Being connected via social media mitigates the impact of not having seen each other in 20 years, but being in the company of my old classmates was more invigorating than I anticipated. Adulthood teaches you how frequently the people in your life can be erased by death, addiction, or the daily grind, and it was inspiring to see children I once knew as adults I admire.

“Exactly?” my friend asked with shade I recognized from our teenage years. “I don’t know about that. I think I look good, but I don’t look ‘exactly’ like I did in high school.”

I might not have been at the reunion, or a member of Kenwood Academy’s class of ‘98 (Go Broncos!), without the type of brutal realness my friend apparently hadn’t lost in the two decades since we graduated. We met in sophomore English, where I was one of the class clowns and she was someone who hated humor, laughter, and most other expressions of goodwill.

She was beautiful and focused on academics, and her fashion sense was surpassed only by her surliness. We constantly bickered in class, which is why I didn’t mind how she treated me after the midpoint of sophomore year, when I was still showing up at school every day but not attending a single class.

While most people greeted me in the hallways with a worried smile or by playfully shaking their head, my English-period nemesis never missed an opportunity to call me a dropout and a “fucking fool.” Her words didn’t sting until I read the note she wrote in my yearbook, which was filled with an angry kindness that pierced me deeper than any admonishment or consequence I received.

Redeeming myself in her eyes became one of the quiet motivations I used when I re-enrolled the next year and worked to undo the damage of my truancy. Despite graduating, my high-school years would’ve given many peers and teachers every reason to worry about my future, and I looked forward to the reunion as an opportunity to www.thegeorgiavoice.com

It also lifted my spirits to be in my high school for the first time since last century, and to see signage on the guidance-counseling office designating it a safe space for LGBTQ students, even though Kenwood had openly LGBTQ students in the ’90s, if not earlier. A couple of alumni attended the reunion with their samesex partners, and when a photo of our classmate who transitioned from male to female appeared during a slideshow presentation, the crowd let out a collective “ahhhhh” that was distinct from the “awwwws” generated by other pictures.

Our sigh seemed to recognize how far the world has come since high school, how early we were exposed to culture changes that are now mainstream debates across the country, and how although it might have been imperfect, there is no shame in how the class of ’98 accepted and adjusted to our classmate’s transition (in the senior notables, she was voted “Most Unique”).

770-321-3433

snappyservices.com Snappy Makes Homes Happy!

$75 OFF

ANY SERVICE CALL, NEW & EXISTING CUSTOMERS

•Heating •Attic Insulation •Cooling •Plumbing •Electrical •Energy Audits

The reunion was the first time I’ve seen most of my classmates since coming out, and just as I wanted to reassure some that my youthful delinquency didn’t doom my growth, it was important for me to show my classmates that despite the militant and flamboyant homosexuality I bombard them with in social-media posts, the totality of the person I am corresponds with who they knew when we were younger. The affection I enjoyed throughout the reunion made me remember how terrified I was that being gay would cost me whatever popularity and friendships I had in high school, and this weekend made those fears feel all the more fucking foolish.

August 17, 2018 Columnists 27

AUGUST 25 – MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM AUGUST 26 – MERCEDES-BENZ STADIUM

GREAT SEATS AT LIVENATION.COM