The Georgia Voice - 8/29/14, Vol. 5 Issue 13

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EDITORIAL

Editor: Dyana Bagby dbagby@thegavoice.com

IN THIS ISSUE OF GA VOICE

08.29.14

THE GEORGIA VOICE

PO Box 77401 | Atlanta, GA 30357 404-815-6941 | www.thegavoice.com

Deputy Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com

NEWS 6 | Why LGBT groups care about Ferguson.

8 | Annual confab focuses on transgender issues.

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Jim Farmer, Vandy Beth Glenn, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Steve Warren

OPINION 14 | Guest editorial: Lessons learned from Black Pride.

BUSINESS

Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com

BLACK GAY PRIDE

Managing Partner: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com

17 | Lesbian party promoters take over nightlife.

20-21| Black Gay Pride pullout calendar

Sales Manager: Marshall Graham mgraham@thegavoice.com Sales Executive: Anne Clarke aclarke@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group

National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

COMMUNITY

OUTSPOKEN

25 | Catching Up With … John Lewis.

Publicity photo

In loving memory of Mike Ritter, 1965-2014

Atlanta’s lesbian nightlife draws thousands of women to the city during Black Gay Pride. (File photo)

FRIENDS & FOES IN THEIR OWN WORDS

FINE PRINT

—A post to Instagram by Patricia Yurena after she posted a photo of her with her girlfriend, DJ Vanesa Cortes. Yurena is a two-time Miss Spain and 2013 Miss Universe runner-up. (Instagram, Aug. 22)

“Just because somebody listens to Mariah [Carey] doesn’t mean that they’re not going to kick your ass on the field. So many different shades of masculinity, and I’ve learned that ... it’s OK to be who you are.”

—Gay rugby player Fabio Castro discussing gay men’s masculinity.

(NPR, Aug. 22)

COLUMNISTS 36 | Melissa Carter no fan of gender coding.

38 | Guest columnist Cheryl Courtney-Evans says more trans visibility needed at both Atlanta Pride fests.

“We’re only here because of one person, and that’s Mr. Larry Kramer. We did this for him.”

—Director Ryan Murphy in an acceptance speech after “The Normal Heart,” based on Larry Kramer’s play, won the Emmy for best made for television movie. (New York Post, Aug. 26)

Photo by David Shankbone

Join us online: facebook.com/thegavoice twitter.com/thegavoice

“I published the picture completely spontaneously and in an impulsive manner. Thank you for all your support and most importantly that you are happy with my happiness.”

Photo via Instagram

All material in the GA Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the GA 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 GA 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.

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The editorial positions of the GA 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 GA Voice and its staff.

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A&E 27 | The Daiquiri Factory opens a new location.

28 | Theater: Topher Payne takes over ATL stages.

31 | Photos: AGLCC honors LGBT business leaders.

32-35 | Calendar

YOU DESERVE

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GA VOICE | 6

NEWS

08.29.14

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LGBT activists say Ferguson shooting hits close to home Police abuse ‘large part of our history’

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com Michael Brown was laid to rest Aug. 25, but it’s yet to be seen whether he’ll be able to rest in peace.

Brown, 18 and African American, was shot at least six times by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri. He was unarmed at the time and died as a result of the shooting.

Violence broke out as racial tensions exploded in Ferguson, leading to altercations between residents protesting the shooting and police who used military equipment to intimidate and break up the protesters.

National and local LGBT groups, including Georgia Equality, signed a letter showing support for Brown’s family and drawing parallels between the injustices perpetrated on each group.

“Community is important, no matter how you define it,” the letter stated. “We are linked to one another as neighbors, friends, and allies.

Let us proceed as such. We will be with you.”

MEMORIES OF PAST SHOOTING

For Craig Washington, the Michael Brown shooting took him right back to the 1973 shooting of an unarmed 10-year-old African-American boy named Clifford Glover in Queens, New York, by a white police officer.

Several days of riots followed the shooting.

A jury of 11 whites and one black person acquitted the officer, Thomas Shea, of murder.

Washington, prevention programs manager for AID Atlanta, was 13 at the time.

“I remember that he was a little nappy-headed boy like me who was killed for no good reason,” he told the GA Voice. “And I remember my parents warning my brother and I as little black boys growing up in the ’60s and ’70s not to run away from a police officer or argue with them because they will shoot you.”

Washington also thought of the young African-American men he works with at the Evolution Project.

“When I see incidents like what happened with Michael Brown, it reminded me of how important it was to have safe spaces for our young black gay men and our young LGBT folk, and most emphatically our young trans people, who are most frequently targeted,” he said. “It’s critical that we have safe spaces for them.”

Washington said the LGBT community should be more outspoken about the Michael Brown shooting because when inhuman-

Violence broke out for several days between police and protesters in the days following the fatal police shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri. (Photo via Creative Commons)

ities happen to certain groups, such as African-Americans or Latinos or the LGBT community, the offense is devalued as a result.

“We have to recognize as LGBT people, whether it’s oppression in terms of racism, sexism, xenophobia or others, that that is parallel to our struggle,” he said.

ABUSE OF POLICE POWER WOVEN INTO LGBT HISTORY

Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, is quick to point out that incidents like the one in Ferguson and others are the work of “bad apple cops” and that people shouldn’t condemn all law enforcement as a result.

But he said that the LGBT community in particular should have a vested interest in the Michael Brown shooting because of the abuse of police powers that is woven into our history. Whether it’s the gay bar raids of the 1950s and 1960s, the Stonewall riots, or especially incidents right in our backyard like the Atlanta Eagle raid in 2009, we should be familiar with this.

“For the most part, the LGBT community has gone beyond those days, but it is a large part of our history and is something we should not forget. We should be sensitive to other groups that have similar experiences.”

Graham echoes Washington’s sentiments about the plight of transgender women being profiled and harassed by police officers, saying the abuse of police power is “still very much an LGBT issue.”

Sharon Lettman-Hicks, executive director and CEO of the National Black Justice Coalition, agreed.

“As LGBT people and as people of color, it is vital that our communities demand justice for Michael Brown,” she said. “We must stand against all violence that has resulted in the senseless deaths of too many in our

communities. We have an obligation to demand that all life matters and to work, steadfastly, to secure justice for all marginalized people in our nation and world.”

NEXT STEPS

The question then remains, what do we do? It’s an easy answer for U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a civil rights icon and LGBT ally.

“It’s important for the community to speak up and speak out with a powerful voice because in the final analysis, we’re all in the same boat,” Lewis told the GA Voice. “When one group of people are being put down because of race or sexual orientation or religion or nationality, it tends to affect all of us really.”

Washington agrees, and adds that the community needs to show up at rallies regardless of our racial identifies.

“I went to the Moral Monday rally that the NAACP organized and I wanted to see a lot of LGBT people there and was disappointed not to,” he said. “We need to participate as LGBT people in the coalition effort.”

Washington also recommends integrating the issue of abuse of police powers into our LGBT work.

“We need to bring it home to our spaces, the spaces that are queer identified,” he said.

“So it needs to be brought up when we convene for Atlanta Pride, or Atlanta Black Pride, or when we convene for Stonewall—there are so many obvious parallels with Stonewall.”

Sharing our stories with non-LGBT people is another way to keep the issue on the front burner, he added—stories of feeling unsafe or the experience of being targeted by law enforcement, as well as the resources and support that helped the matter.

“If you allow the state to exercise that injustice, the same guns will be pulled on you,” Washington said.

A TIP ABOUT SECONDHAND

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She and her partner have to live with its effects forever. If you or someone you know wants free help to quit smoking, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW. #CDCTips

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GA VOICE | 8

NEWS

08.29.14

www.theGAVoice.com

Transgender confab combines social, educational activities ‘Friends and Family’ theme for annual Southern Comfort Conference

By VANDY BETH GLENN Transgender men and women and gender nonconforming individuals from all over the United States and beyond will head to the Crowne Plaza Hotel near Perimeter Mall for the 24th annual Southern Comfort Conference Sept. 3-7 for a gathering with its own “Southern flavor and charm.”

SCC is the largest gathering of its kind.

Last year’s event drew 744 people, according to Conference Chair JoAnn Purcell.

“There are other conferences like it, but nothing is exactly the same,” says Jamison Green, president of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and one of this year’s keynote speakers. “SCC has its unique Southern flavor and charm.”

There’s a social aspect to SCC; many attendees have not fully transitioned in their daily lives and are not out, so the event is a rare opportunity for them to be themselves, often for the first time, among others in a similar situation. In recognition of this fact, many activities are planned simply for their entertainment value; this year several bands are set to perform, and there will be karaoke and “casino night” events, as well as an outing to The Jungle on Sept. 5.

But the weekend isn’t only a social affair. Dozens of seminars are offered over the course of the weekend on topics like gender-confirming surgery and other medical concerns, makeup, spouse and partner issues, employment hazards, and activism; and there are special presentations, like this year’s screening of “Lady Valor,” a documentary film about Kristin Beck, the transgender woman and retired Navy SEAL.

TRANS CHILDREN BRING PARENTS TO SCC

Presenters for the many seminars this year include Jeff Graham of Georgia Equality; Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality; and Dr. Marci Bowers, the transgender surgeon and sometime reality television star who performs gender-performing procedures for both men and women.

Green, a transgender man, has attended SCC “at least eight times” previously. “SCC is a community gathering, a chance to see old friends, to learn something new, to enjoy a few days in a unique environment, to recharge our batteries, to express ourselves in ways we may not be able to elsewhere in our lives.”

This year’s theme is “Friends and Family.” This year parents with transgender children are attending the conference, and they

Keynote speakers for this year’s Southern Comfort Conference are Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin, transgender woman sportswriter Christina Kahrl, and Jamison Green, president of World Professional Association for Transgender Health. (Courtesy photos)

DETAILS Southern Comfort Conference Sept. 3-7 The Crowne Plaza Hotel Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road Atlanta, GA 30346 sccatl.org

will have their own program and agenda at a Sept. 6 event, “Family Day Conference,” that is parallel to but separate from the regular SCC programming. It will include educational talks by experts and entertainment for the children attending.

HRC, TRANS CONTROVERSY LINGERS?

The keynote speakers for the regular conference, in addition to Green, are transgender woman sportswriter Christina Kahrl and Chad Griffin, president of the Human Rights Campaign.

Griffin’s inclusion at SCC is noteworthy, given the problematic history of HRC’s advocacy for the transgender community. In 2007, HRC’s then-president Joe Solmonese came to SCC and pledged that HRC would not support a version of the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act that was not trans-inclusive; later that same year, when now retired U.S. Rep. Barney Frank removed transgender protections from the language of the bill, Solmonese and HRC did continue to support it.

“There’s a lot of ugly history there,” says Kahrl, one of the national baseball editors for ESPN.com and a writer for ESPN’s baseball coverage. This year will be her first appearance at SCC but recalls the worst confer-

ence being “when Joe Solmonese authored the worst tactical decision in the history of LGBT political activism in this country — but to no point, because ENDA wasn’t going to pass in 2007 whether he threw us under the bus or not.”

Green has similar feelings on the matter.

He served on an advisory board to HRC, the HRC Business Council, from 2002 to 2007. “I resigned when they supported Barney Frank’s intention to strip gender identity from the ENDA bill,” he says. “[A]s if George Bush was actually going to sign it on that basis.”

Still, both note that HRC has also been an ally to the transgender community in the past, and see reasons for optimism that it will be so again in the future.

“Today you have some really impressive trans activists working under HRC’s auspices, Kahrl says. She sees them “putting the power of HRC to work for trans folk on the state and local level. Do I want to see more of that? You betcha. Do I think Chad Griffin wants to deliver on that? I really hope so.”

For his part, Green says, “I expect there are some people who are waiting for Chad Griffin to slip up the way Joe Solmonese did back in 2007. There are people who are expecting the worst, and some people who hold onto their grudges tight. Personally, I think this is a new day, there are new people, there is a stronger commitment to transgender people and our issues from within HRC. I think it serves us as a community to extend an olive branch to HRC, and to accept their willingness to pursue a good relationship with us.

Chad Griffin was unavailable for this story. The GA Voice did contact HRC’s Director of Foundation Program Strategies, Jay Brown, a transgender man. He responded in an email message, “I’ve attended several of Southern

Comfort’s conferences and have witnessed what a transformative experience it is for so many of the attendees. We’re proud to be a sponsor of this year’s conference and I know Chad is looking forward to being a part of the event as well.”

“HRC is deeply committed to advancing transgender equality,” Brown said. “Our work includes ensuring transgender inclusive health care through our corporate efforts, advancing transgender protections in cities and states across the nation, and working to address the needs of transgender youth in adoption and foster care.”

REACHING THE ‘TRANSGENDER TIPPING POINT’

This year’s SCC will occur at a time when the public profile of transgender people has probably never been higher; the Netflix TV show “Orange Is The New Black” has been a big hit and transgender actress Laverne Cox has become a breakout star. She appeared on the June 9 cover of Time magazine with the headline “The Transgender Tipping Point.”

“There does seem to be considerably more hope, more respect, more opportunities, more access to health care and social services, but the fact is that we still have a long way to go,” Green says. “I think as younger people who are not so prejudiced about LGBT issues take over leading roles in journalism, in various businesses, even in government, we’re going to see more acceptance, but I’m not as sanguine that we’re on the downhill side of the struggle for transgender equality.”

Kahrl says, “There is so much excellence, so much talent, among us, that I’m really optimistic that we’re poised upon that tipping point, but we need to push it over collectively, together, and happily.”

GA VOICE | 14

OP-ED

08.29.14

www.theGAVoice.com

GUEST EDITORIAL

Lessons learned from Black Pride New identity emerges from weekend once immersed in activism

By CHARLES STEPHENS -

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File photo

‘I also must admit, that what I miss most about that time, which I suppose started with my experience at Black Pride, is a clear sense of the activist community. There was I think a

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Charles Stephens is the founder of The Counter Narrative Project (thecounternarrative.org) and is co-editing the forthcoming anthology ‘Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call.’

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

08.29.14

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Black girl blowouts Lesbian nightlife during Black Gay Pride and beyond is more than business

Traxx Girls throw massive lesbian parties during Atlanta Black Gay Pride, attracting thousands of women to the city seeking to catch a glimpse of some of their favorite stars. (File photo)

By STEPHANIE TOONE

T

oday, the names DJ M and Takela “TC” Corbitt are synonymous with lavish, large, and lady-filled Atlanta parties.

DJ M, real name Melissa Scott, a founder of Traxx Girls, and Corbitt, founder of Xplosion Entertainment, are pioneers in Atlanta’s lesbian nightlife. Both host parties and events throughout the Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend that bring in thousands of lesbians from across the globe interested in dancing each evening away to up-and-coming DJs, gawking at their favorite straight and gay celebrities, and partaking in festivi-

BLACK

GAY PRIDE ties that celebrate gay life.

Beyond the tens of thousands of fans they gain each Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend, the party entrepreneurs have also expanded their businesses with enrichment and fundraising activities, yearround nightlife entertainment, and sharing their unique party experiences in such cit-

ies as Los Angeles, New York and Toronto.

FILLING A VOID

Setting the trend for Atlanta’s black lesbian nightlife has not been by accident, Corbitt says.

“We are all very professional,” Corbitt says of Atlanta’s black LGBT party promoters.

“We are from corporate America, so we apply those skills to nightlife. We really pioneered the quality of Atlanta LGBT nightlife, and we didn’t do that by just throwing parties with no business acumen.”

Corbitt, a sales executive, began her foray into party promoting as a way to expand the brand of the Xplosion women’s football

team, which she formerly owned. Corbitt began hosting the Thursday hip-hop night at My Sister’s Room in 2006. The weekly events drew attention to the niche sports team but also filled the void of party promotions offered to lesbians of color.

“There was really nothing for the football players to do after their games, and we realized that meant not much to do for other African-Americans here,” Corbitt said. “Atlanta has a strong support base, so it wasn’t long before we were having parties monthly.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 Scott’s fascination with the party scene began before she was old enough to enter a club. The Baltimore native and mathematics whiz would sneak into her father’s strip club and take inventory of his liquor as a child.

Scott’s school-age curiosity led to finding her way into the deejay booth as a teenager. She began deejaying and promoting parties in Augusta, and the buzz around “DJ M” caught the attention of the founders of Traxx in 2006.

“It was just something we were working toward for the ladies, and it escalated into a large following,” Scott said. “When I started, I thought I could just keep deejaying and run the parties from the booths. That didn’t work for long.”

CAPITALIZING ON PRIDE

Scott and Avian Watson, Traxx Girls sponsorship director and publicist, set out to innovate the Atlanta Black Gay Pride party experience. They discovered ways to send out text messages to potential partygoers’ phones and email invites to stir up interest. Scott and Watson also visited Prides in Miami and New York to glean ideas on growing their parties.

Adding the likes of Nicki Minaj, Brandy and others to the weekend lineup every year had locals and national Atlanta Black Gay Pride attendants flocking to Traxx Girls parties.

“Finding celebrities that found value in the black gay dollar definitely helped,” Scott said. “It’s just innovative little things we added every year. We always looked at it as a party, but it’s still people’s money that they worked hard for. They have expectations.”

Scott and Watson exceeded expectations when they introduced the PureHeat Community Festival in 2011 at Piedmont Park.

The Traxx Girls organizers consulted with the city, brought on national sponsors and extended their reach beyond the club scene that usually dominates the Pride weekend.

“We had six weeks to make PureHeat happen the first year,” Watson said. “We had water and a deejay. That alone brought in 8,000 people to Piedmont Park in one day.

We were really able to see the ‘no’s’ turn to ‘yeses’ at that point.”

The family-centered festival, which is held on the Sunday of Atlanta Black Gay Pride, has gained sponsors like Wells Fargo, Mass Mutual Financial Group, and New York Life.

Those corporations have been clued in to the massive spending that takes place every Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend. About 50,000 people come to Atlanta for the festivities, Scott says. Each participant spends $1,000 on Pride activities and another $1,000 in the city on such things as hotels, food and more.

DETAILS Queendom Atlanta queendomatlanta.com Traxx Girls www.traxxgirls.com

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BLACK

GAY PRIDE BRANCHING OUT

The record-breaking attendance at those events goes back to the professionalism and trend-setting savvy of Atlanta party promoters, Corbitt said. Corbitt now organizes up to 50 events a year in Atlanta. This year, she is putting on the second annual Queendom, a series of events for women participating in Atlanta Black Gay Pride. In its first year, more than 4,000 people attended Xplosion Entertainment-sponsored activities. Her events feature YouTube stars, gay fashion designers and other local and national talents. Corbitt and her business partner Myah Mustafa, also known as DJ Dimples, add to the variety offered to lesbians of color.

For seven years, Mustafa, a Miami native, has hosted the Memorial Day weekend event SweetHeat for lesbians in the heart of Miami. She sought to bring some of her party promoting ideas to Atlanta with Queendom.

“I deejayed often in Atlanta and noticed there weren’t events for 21 and up,” Mustafa said. “I try to make it about the community with all the events I do. Queendom is still a baby, but it will soon be as amazing as SweetHeat.”

Despite being in its infancy, Queendom has expanded to Los Angeles, where Corbitt now lives.

Corbitt will soon be announcing plans for a Halloween party in Southwest Atlanta.

Her weekly events like IconFridays and HerShe Thursdays continue to keep the Xplosion brand relevant in Atlanta.

Having Xplosion, Traxx Girls and other party promoters putting on events catered to black lesbians in Atlanta give the variety that the community has demanded for years, Scott said.

“How would you measure your success if we had nothing to compare it to?” she said. “We watch our market trends really closely, so we know it’s important to keep the expectations high for our different markets. Our 35-year-old customer has a completely different expectation than our 20-year-old one does. We cater to those different demographics.”

Outside of the parties, Scott and Watson have utilized the Vision Community Foundation, a nonprofit created to empower healthy living, to dig deeper into the community. The nonprofit and Traxx Girls have fed homeless women, offered HIV testing, and hosted parties that collect toys for children.

“With our parties, we create an environment where people are happy. They feel free to be themselves,” Scott said. “We want to eventually have a facility for gay youth similar to the Boys and Girls Club that’s conducive to those young people feeling that level of comfortable with us. It’s all about keeping the smiles on the faces. That’s why I do this.”

DJ Dimples, who is a business partner with Takela “TC” Corbitt of Xplosion Entertainment, is working with Corbitt to mirror her successful Miami-based SweetHeat parties with the new Queendom parties over Atlanta Black Gay Pride weekend.

(Photo via Facebook)

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BLACK GAY PRIDE

08.29.14

www.theGAVoice.

24-7 PRIDE

WORLD’S LARGEST BLACK GAY PRIDE TAKES OVER ATLANTA

By PATRICK SAUNDERS Whatever your taste, Atlanta Black Gay Pride has you covered with a vendors market, panel discussions, church services, happy hours, health fairs, exercise classes, concerts, brunches and parties, parties, parties.

Plan your Pride with this two-page pullout guide and you’ll never say you ran out of things to do at this year’s annual bash. In the Life Atlanta is the nonprofit sponsor of Black Gay Pride and offers plenty of educational seminars as well as literary events and a film fest.

Details are subject to change; visit websites to confirm.

Left: Sevyn Streeter; Above: Tamar Braxton (Publicity photos) Traxx Girls Atlanta Pride Magic City Daytime Party (Hosted by Dice Dixon) 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Magic City www.traxxgirls.com

THURSDAY, AUG. 28

Queendom Welcome to Atlanta Pride 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. at 255 Tapas Lounge www.queendomatlanta.com

Traxx Girls/In the Life Atlanta Panel Discussion 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room IV) www.atlantaprideweekend.com

GA Voice hosts Traxx Girls Welcome to Pride 2014 Meet & Greet 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Livingston Restaurant & Bar www.atlantaprideweekend.com

2014 Pride Team Comedy Show 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Piedmont Ballroom) www.inthelifeatlanta.org

Rockstars Production Atlanta Black Pride Kickoff 10 p.m. at Krave www.rockstarsproduction.com

Mega Ladies Lounge (Hosted by Sevyn Streeter & MiMi Faust) 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Compound www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Stripper Takeova 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at MSR www.traxxgirls.com Wassup N ATL Kickoff Party 10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Room Service www.wassupnatl.com Queendom Kickoff Party (Hosted by The Carters) 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Suite Lounge www.queendomatlanta.com Traxx Atlanta Black Pride Kickoff 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. at XS Ultra Lounge www.traxxatlanta.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

Get’n Fit With Pride (Fitness/Zuma) 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Piedmont Ballroom) inthelifeatlanta.org

“Do I Feel as Good as I Look?”

Mental Health Workshop 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room IV) inthelifeatlanta.org “Vending With Pride” 2014 Market Place 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room II) inthelifeatlanta.org Recovery Consultants of Atlanta 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room V) inthelifeatlanta.org SunTrust Bank Financial Seminar 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room VI) inthelifeatlanta.org Fulton County Health Department 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel

(Meeting Room IV) inthelifeatlanta.org National Black Justice Coalition 2 p.m. - 3 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room V) inthelifeatlanta.org

Grown Folks Takeover 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at MSR www.atlantaprideweekend.com Queendom Russian Red All Red Affair (Hosted by Blu) 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Krave www.queendomatlanta.com

“What’s the T” Female Transgender Summit 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Piedmont Ballroom) inthelifeatlanta.org

Pride Official Block Party (Hosted by Sevyn Streeter) 10 p.m. - 4 a.m. at Museum Bar www.atlantaprideweekend.com

New York Life Insurance 2:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. at Geogian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room III) inthelifeatlanta.org

“Studs & Stilettos” Speakfire 11 p.m. - 2 a.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Piedmont Ballroom) inthelifeatlanta.org

AARP 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room VI) inthelifeatlanta.org

Traxx Atlanta Black Pride Friday Night Beats Takeover 3 a.m. - 8 a.m. at XS Ultra Lounge www.traxxatlanta.com

BLACK GAY PRIDE

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“Team Building”

by Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room III) inthelifeatlanta.org

Rockstars Production’s The Legendary Main Event 9:30 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Opera Nightclub www.rockstarsproduction.com Queendom’s All White Party (Hosted by Siya) 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Havana Club www.queendomatlanta.com

“Vending With Pride” 2014 Market Place 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room II) inthelifeatlanta.org

“Love and Dating”

by Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 a.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room V) inthelifeatlanta.org Independent Adoption Center 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room III) inthelifeatlanta.org 4th Annual LGBT Greek Meet & Greet Brunch 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Phillip Rush Center (Annex) inthelifeatlanta.org “Leaving a Legacy” by Delta Phi Epsilon 1 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room V) inthelifeatlanta.org “The Fight for Supremacy” Male Transgender Summit 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room III) inthelifeatlanta.org “Real Talk” by Center for Black Equity 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room V) inthelifeatlanta.org

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Wassup N ATL with special guest D. Woods from Danity Kane performing live Other performers include Jordan Antonia, GaDiva and Elite Noel Doors open at 9 p.m., at Jungle Atlanta www.wassupnatl.com

“Americans and HIV” Gilead Sciences Luncheon 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room IV) inthelifeatlanta.org

Ladies of Literature 2014 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel inthelifeatlanta.org

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Faith Evans performance 7:30 p.m. at Piedmont Park As part of Pure Heat Community Festival www.pureheatcommunityfestival.com

“Effective Leadership”

by Delta Phi Epsilon Fraternity 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room III) inthelifeatlanta.org

Literary Cafe 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room VI) inthelifeatlanta.org

GA VOICE

12 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Piedmont Park www.pureheatcommunityfestival.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

Health & Wellness Expo 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room II) inthelifeatlanta.org

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Above: Dice Dixon; Below right: Faith Evans (Publicity photos) Queendom’s Sex & The City Day Party 3 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Cafe Circa www.queendomatlanta.com

Wassup N ATL with special celebrity guest 9 p.m. at 714 Spring St. www.wassupnatl.com

Atlanta WETher Celebrity Block Party 3 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Opera Nightclub www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Queendom’s The Playhouse (Hosted by Knox) 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Icon Lounge www.queendomatlanta.com

“Movies with Pride” Film Festival 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room VI) inthelifeatlanta.org

Traxx Girls’ The Big Bang (Featuring performance by Tamar Braxton) 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. at Georgia Freight Depot www.atlantaprideweekend.com

Rockstars Production’s Mansion Pool & Day Party 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. at 3425 Cascade Road (Shuttles every 15 minutes from Georgian Terrace Hotel) www.rockstarsproduction.com “Boxers, Bras & Briefs” Pool Party & Fashion Show 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. at The Atrium www.inthelifeatlanta.org “Safe, Sane, and Consensual” Workshop by the Leather group Men of Onyx 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Georgia Terrace Hotel (Meeting Room VI) www.inthelifeatlanta.org Saturday Night Live (Hosted by Tamar Braxton) 10 p.m. at Club Obsessions www.rockstarsproduction.com Wassup N ATL’s pool party with sexy male dancers 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Holiday Inn Airport North, 1380 Virginia Ave., Atlanta, GA 30344 wassupnatl.com

Traxx Atlanta Mega Block Party 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. at Block of 708 Spring St. & 3rd St. www.traxxatlanta.com Wine & A Movie 11 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema www.inthelifeatlanta.org

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

ITLA/Traxx Girls Jazz Brunch & Poetry Slam 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel (Piedmont Ballroom) inthelifeatlanta.org Queendom’s Wet & Wild Manson Pool Party (Hosted by Ms. Brittany Duet) 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. at 3525 Cascade Road www.queendomatlanta.com Soulfood Poetry Slam Jazz Brunch 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel www.inthelifeatlanta.org House of Soul 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Piedmont Park www.pureheatcommunityfestival.com Pure Heat Community Festival

Celebrity Showtime Sundays (Featuring Stevie J & Joseline Hernandez) 10 p.m. - 5 a.m. at Mansion Elan www.atlantaprideweekend.com

MONDAY, SEPT. 1

Rockstars Production’s Annual Booze Crooze Party bus departs at 12 p.m. at Georgian Terrace Hotel www.rockstarsproduction.com Pretty in Pink Booze Cruise Party bus departs at 12 p.m. at all host hotels for day trip to Lake Lanier www.atlantaprideweekend.com Traxx Girls’ Some Like It Hot Pool Party 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at W Downtown www.traxxgirls.com DJ M Annual B’day Bash 10 p.m. - 12 :45 a.m. at Diamonds of Atlanta Strip Club www.traxxgirlscom Traxx Girls & Rockstars Production’s Annual All White Party 10 p.m. - 3 a.m. at Club Krave www.traxxgirls.com

www.theGAVoice.com

COMMUNITY

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Catching Up With … John Lewis LGBT ally and civil rights icon keeps fighting the good (nonviolent) fight into his eighth decade

READ MORE U.S. Rep. Lewis also speaks to the GA Voice about violence in Ferguson, the most memorable thing a president ever told him, and life after politics. Visit www.thegavoice.com to read the entire interview.

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com John Lewis was never supposed to be “John Lewis.”

He grew up, by his own admission, “dirt poor” in a small town in Alabama. He was an “earnest, not exceptional” student. He’s small.

Shy, although he seems less so nowadays to anyone who saw him dance across the stage to Pharrell’s “Happy” at this year’s Atlanta Human Rights Campaign dinner.

But none of that stopped him from becoming one of the original Freedom Riders, chairing the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and at the tender age of 23, giving a speech in front of 250,000 people on the National Mall as part of the March on Washington.

His activism came with a price. He was beaten several times, once receiving a skull fracture courtesy of the Alabama State Troopers that left him with a scar visible to this day. But he never hit back — not with his fists, anyway.

Lewis was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1981 before beginning The Streak in 1986—his election to U.S. Congress representing Georgia’s 5th Congressional District. He’s unopposed this November and is set to win the seat for the 15th straight time.

U.S. Rep. Lewis, 74, was a supporter of LGBT rights when it wasn’t popular. He continues to speak out on our issues and show up at our events.

He sat down with the GA Voice one recent Tuesday morning at his office in downtown Atlanta as news coverage of the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, played on a TV behind us. He sat upright and on the edge of his seat the entire interview, engaged but at ease, with occasional hints of his Alabama roots coming through his warm voice.

He dove into what made gay civil rights leader and March on Washington organizer Bayard Rustin so special, what the LGBT movement is missing, and touched on why there is a need for Black Gay Pride.

You met Bayard Rustin in the summer of 1959. What was he like? What kind of personality did he have?

He was very outgoing, exciting, optimistic, hopeful. Most of the time you saw him he had a long cigarette in his hand and he would have it between his fingers. Brilliant.

Smart as hell.

But no one during those meetings would say anything until we started planning the

Rep. John Lewis continues to speak out on LGBT issues as he prepares to win his 15th straight congressional election this November. (Photo by Patrick Saunders)

“When you get out and travel and see this country and see the world, it’s a beautiful place. We just have to leave it a little better than how we found it.” — John Lewis March on Washington. And when there was a debate about whether Bayard should be the chair of the March on Washington, in an open meeting there was not much discussion [of Rustin being gay] but off to the side, and not in his presence, people made the point that he had been arrested in California on what they called a “morals” charge.

Then there was a rumor that he had been a member of the Young Communists party, so there was this feeling that the Southern legislators would use this against the March on Washington.

[Rustin] was a good organizer, a good planner, just brilliant. He was very concerned about how the march would go. And one thing that I will never ever forget, a few days before the march he wanted to know whether we had enough latrines. He said, “We cannot have any disorganized pissing on the mall.”

And everybody thought that was so funny.

And he was such a key figure in the march …

If it hadn’t been for him, there wouldn’t have been a march.

What’s the importance of an event like Black Gay Pride? Some people question the need for having a separate Pride.

I think maybe there’s a feeling in the black

gay community that they will get lost or not become as visible. Maybe they just want to show or demonstrate that there are gay individuals in the African-American community and there’s a need to get together. But each year I see more and more African-American men and women attending functions, in the parade, attending dinners and other little functions of the gay community.

I think we all have to recognize the fact, as we do in the larger community, that it doesn’t matter whether you’re black or white, Latino or Asian American or Native American, we’re all in the same boat and we got to look out for each other. That’s where I think America is moving. I really believe this. I may be crazy and a little too hopeful and a little too optimistic, but I think one day, and I think it will happen very soon, that people will look back, not just the gay community but the American community and say, “Why were we so silly?” and laugh about this period.

There’s a history of establishment figures in different movements across time hesitating to push things, while a vocal minority pushed for more aggressive moves. You were part of that vocal minority as the chair of SNCC during the civil rights era. The LGBT community is engaged in a similar conversation here in Georgia

lately about how much to push Democratic candidates to state all of their views on LGBT issues on the record regardless of how it might hurt them in a general election. Do you think the LGBT community should expect more out of our Democratic candidates considering the groundswell of change in public opinion about us?

I think if people feel strongly about an issue they have a moral obligation to speak up and speak out. On the other hand, I think they have to have what I call an “executive session” with themselves. Say, “This is my position and this is where I’m going to stand” and be consistent and be persistent. And use their candidacy, use their presence to help educate. And it’s very difficult for people in this region, but leaders have to lead.

I can understand the position that Michelle [Nunn] and Jason [Carter] may be in.

I’ve heard, “Let them get elected and they’ll be more effective and be able to do more and say more” but I think there are many politicians in this region that are reluctant to say anything. I tell people all the time, “Go with your gut and it will work out.” It’s amazing to me that in such a short few years, people have come so far. And they just need a little leadership really.

When you think about the state of the LGBT community as it stands right now, what do you think our movement is missing?

The only thing I would suggest that the gay community or the gay movement do is study the literature of the civil rights movement. That’s what I said to young AfricanAmericans today who are all upset about what is happening—study what we did, watch the film footage and learn from it. I don’t like the violence. I don’t like that type of conflict. You can do something in an orderly, peaceful, nonviolent fashion. And in the long run, you move closer to what Dr. King called “the beloved community.”

So if you could have been anything in the world besides a civil rights activist and a politician, what would you have been?

I would have loved to have been able to be an artist, to paint, or to draw. I love artwork.

I love the colors. If I had my way and had the ability, I would have a studio someplace and I would just paint and draw. When you get out and travel and see this country and see the world, it’s a beautiful place. We just have to leave it a little better than how we found it.

GA VOICE | 26

08.29.14

Reserve your tickets at www.victoryfund.org/atlanta

Hear from local LGBT leaders and learn more about Victory’s efforts to bring more LGBT representation to state and local government in Georgia and all across the country.

Paid by the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, www.victoryfund.org. Contributions or gifts to the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund are not tax-deductible.

www.theGAVoice.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Queen of the daiquiris’

Frozen drinks and fellowship at Midtown’s Daiquiri Factory

By RYAN LEE

I

t’s several days before the official start of Black Gay Pride, but already Darrell Williams is buzzed on the spirit of ATL. “Beautiful people, strong drinks, allyou-can-eat,” Williams says as he sips on a Sour Apple frozen cocktail at the Daiquiri Factory in Midtown. In town from South Carolina for a week’s vacation, Williams feels as if he is in paradise as he dines among the post-work crowd that fills the patio, inside tables and wait list at the Daiquiri Factory, and as he nears the end of his second vodkainfused slushie.

“We couldn’t get a crowd like this on a Saturday night, and it’s a Monday here,” Williams says. “It really makes you feel welcome, like this is normal, and like you can be you. That’s why I love Atlanta, and we have to come here every time I come to Atlanta.”

The Daiquiri Factory has become a staple for LGBT Atlanta visitors and residents alike, organically growing into a hub of the city’s black gay social scene.

“It’s a good place to gather with friends, and we usually stay at least a good three hours,” said a gay Atlanta resident who only gave his first name, Larry. “This gives me a different vibe than anywhere else. It’s just laid-back and welcoming.”

“There’s no pressure, it’s come as you are,” adds Larry’s friend Leah Powell, a heterosexual who enjoys coming to the Daiquiri Factory during what would normally be considered Happy Hour (Georgia law prohibits genuine Happy Hours).

“We always come in the evening, after work,” Powell says as she and her friends finished enjoying their drinks and the Daiquiri Factory’s snow crab buffet.

“I’ve never been here at night,” Larry adds. “And it’s hard to find a spot like this outside of the nighttime.”

The seafood-dominant menu, colorful row of spinning frozen drinks machines and tiki decor of the Daiquiri Factory tickle Liz Jackie’s Trinidadian roots as she and her friend Celeste White partake in the restaurant’s famous Monday special.

“We come at least once a month, and every time we come here we have fun,” Jackie says. “The vibe is good, the drinks are good.”

“The drinks are amazing,” White emphasizes with tipsy giggles.

“And you got to enjoy those crab legs, honey,” Jackie adds.

Despite its reputation and clout of black gay Atlanta, it’s dollar has remained largely

The Daiquiri Factory has become a staple for LGBT Atlanta visitors and residents alike, organically growing into a hub of the city’s black gay social scene. (Courtesy photo)

transient: promoters renting venues rather than owning them, money flowing out of the community without much return for the community itself.

“I like to spend my money here,” says Jay Palmer, a Kechia Matadin black gay Stone Mountain resident who is a friend of Williams’s. “I like to support a place that I feel like supports me, and it definitely feels like home here.”

The Daiquiri’s Factory’s assent into one of the premiere venues for black LGBT Atlantans occurred naturally.

“It just evolved into what it evolved into, I didn’t go after any particular crowd,” says Kechia Matadin, who opened the tropicalthemed restaurant and daiquiri bar in 2010.

“In the beginning, [the crowd] was very Georgia Tech, very college, and we did a lot of formals.

“As more black people found out that an African-American owned it, more black people started coming in,” says Matadin, who is proud that the Daiquiri Factory has established itself as a place where people feel

comfortable, black or white, male or female, gay or straight.

“I’ve always been about inclusivity, and I think everyone appreciates that,” she says.

“I just want to have a business where everyone feels comfortable. No one likes to feel uncomfortable going anywhere they go, and thank God I had parents that taught me that.”

Crossing boundaries is almost a part of Matadin’s business model, given the broad appeal of daiquiris.

“Everyone loves them—it’s not just for men, it’s not just for women, it’s just fun fruitiness,” says Matadin, who owned two fruity-drink night clubs in Savannah before moving to Atlanta in 2009.

“I just knew that Atlanta was a very progressive city, and I wanted to be a part of it,” says Matadin, who was undaunted by launching a restaurant during the eye of the economic downturn that overwhelmed so many businesses back in 2010.

The sluggish economy actually helped Matadin secure a favorable lease on prime property on 7th and West Peachtree streets, and the Daiquiri Factory’s surging popularity has positioned Matadin to open a new res-

taurant and bar at the former Piebar location off Monroe Drive and Interstate 85.

Cirque, set to open in about six weeks, will be a more upscale version of the Daiquiri Factory.

“We’ve done away with the plastic cups and it will be all stemware,” Matadin says.

“It’s going to be a different menu, but similar. Of course, seafood; I’m from Savannah and we’re surrounded by water, and so it’d be hard for us to open a new restaurant and not include seafood on the menu.”

While the Daiquiri Factory hosts a vibrant late-night scene, Matadin says she enjoys offering an alternative social scene with her restaurants.

“I think a lot of promoters are guilty of only promoting nightlife,” Matadin says.

“But not everyone is a clubhead, and some people just want to come out and have a few drinks and then go home.”

The community’s embrace of the Daiquiri Factory during the last four years has been “joyous,” Matadin says.

“Had it not been for the patrons of the Daiquiri Factory, Cirque would not exist, and I just want to keep going,” she says. “I want to be the Queen of the Daiquiris.”

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

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THEATER BY JIM FARMER

No ‘Doubt’ with this ‘Perfect Arrangement’

Topher Payne takes over Atlanta’s stages

Roughly the same time one of Topher Payne’s plays is revisiting the area, he’s taking on one of the great acting challenges of his career. Payne is starring in Out of Box Theatre’s “Doubt, A Parable” while his “Perfect Arrangement” opens at Onstage Atlanta soon.

A productive year for Payne grew busier still when he won the American Theatre Critics Association’s 2014 M. Elizabeth Olsen New Play Award for an emerging playwright for “Perfect Arrangement,” which had its roots at Process Theatre.

For the playwright, returning it to Atlanta is a homecoming.

“Process originally workshopped the show and helped with the initial development of it in 2007,” Payne says. “The first production was in 2008, then I set it aside for a few years and worked on other stuff.

I came back in 2013 and submitted it to the Source Festival in Washington D.C., and the development process they were able to do there really firmed it up. I came back to it a more experienced writer and probably a

DETAILS “Perfect Arrangement” Process Theatre at Onstage Atlanta 2969 East Ponce De Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030 Sept. 12 – Oct. 4 www.onstageatlanta.com “Doubt, A Parable” Out of Box Theatre 585 Cobb Pkwy, Marietta, GA 30060 Through Sept. 6 www.outofboxtheatre.com

Topher Payne is Father Flynn in the Out of Box production of ‘Doubt, A Parable’ on stage through Sept. 6. (Photo courtesy Out on Box)

little better at my job.”

“Perfect Arrangement” takes place in 1952, a time when hundreds of Americans were fired from their government positions for “moral corruption”—or homosexuality. Two Department of State employees are given the task of setting up the criteria for determining who is “corrupt.” The catch is they are both closeted.

The D.C. run proved to be immaculate timing. “It was this perfect storm of the right play at the right time,” Payne says.

“It was playing last year in D.C. when the Supreme Court decision [striking down a major portion of the Defense of Marriage Act] came down. It was a great time to be doing a play about marriage equality,” he adds. “That led to the award and the other productions we have coming up (in Louisville and Chicago). This was always the hope for the plays that are developed, to have a continued life nationally or internationally, and then come home again.”

Payne feels the award was not just recognition of his work but also the work emerging from Atlanta.

“Because there are so many great people telling stories, you just hope for something that makes you stand out of the pack for a

minute,” he says. “That was really what it did. For a brief and crucial period of time, it got people to take notice of the work I have been doing and the work I’d like to be doing.

That introduced me to theaters in New York, Chicago, San Francisco; people that didn’t have an awareness of what I was doing or the work coming out of Atlanta.”

He recently finished a reading of “Perfect Arrangement” at the Manhattan Theatre Club.

“Having the stamp of a theater with their reputation, the name of it on your postcards makes a difference in whether people show up. The idea was, this great group of guys who had seen the D.C. production were trying to get it to New York for a reading. This was before the award.

Then it became easier to say yes. It had this nice pedigree on it now. The feedback was tremendous about how we can get a production in New York and get a longer life for the work.”

In the interim, “Doubt” is a chance for Payne to flex his acting muscles. John Patrick Shanley’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, set in 1964, is a drama in which Payne’s Father Flynn is accused of wrongdoing by Sister twice his age.

“It’s such an extraordinary opportunity and it’s rare that I have the chance to play a character like this,” he says.

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www.theGAVoice.com

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What is Out on Film?

Out on Film is Atlanta’s own LGBT film festival. We’re in our 27th season. Out on Film was created in 1987 to inform, entertain, educate and enrich the regional LGBT community by recognizing the creative work of LGBT artists and professionals.

What films will be shown?

Out on Film selects a variety of films for our LGBT audiences, including comedies, dramas, romances and documentaries.

In addition, we screen multi-racial and multi-cultural films.

Where is the event?

The majority of films are shown at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta GA 30308. Additional screenings will be held at other local venues.

How do I buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased at www.outonfilm.org, the Landmark theater, and online at the Landmark’s website. For more ticket information please visit www.outonfilm.org.

Other activities?

Yes. Out on Film schedules opening and closing night parties plus events before and after select films, including Q&As with filmmakers.

How can I learn more?

For details about films and schedules, including trailers, special events, and volunteering go to

www.outonfilm.org

Atlanta’s LGBT Film Festival Celebrating Pride at the Movies

October 2 - 9, 2014

Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

AGLCC celebrates business leaders The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce held its annual Community Awards dinner on Aug. 22 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. B98.5 Morning Show host and GA Voice columnist Melissa Carter emceed the festivities. Winners were: Guardian Angel, Jim Farmer, director of Out on Film; Corporate Ally, CocaCola; Business Woman of the Year, Dyana Bagby, editor of GA Voice; Business Man of the Year, Thomas Ryan-Lawrence of Gayborhood; Member of the Year, David Olt of Integrated Chiropractic Center PC; and Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell, co-founders of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, recipients of the Vanguard Award. (Photos by Patrick Saunders)

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BEST BETS BEST BETS

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Event spotlight File photo

08.28.14-09.13.14

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THURSDAY, AUG. 28

Girlz Retro & Aunt Judy’s Social Circle join forces to bring you that ‘70s vibe from 5:30 9 p.m.at Bad Dog Taqueria at Emory Village, 1579 North Decatur Road, Atlanta, GA 30307.

(Complimentary valet parking is available)

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 – SUNDAY, AUG. 31 Mid Georgia Pride is a weekend of fun, adventure and music, DJs, pool parties and entertainers such as Ruby Redd, Kristina Foxx and Miss Karen Michaels, at Oz Campground, www.aplacecalledoz.com Photo by Rachel Eliza Griffiths

SATURDAY, AUG. 30 “Women Sweet on Women” is an intimate conversation across generations moderated by poet Nikky Finney along with Trey Anthony, Maisha Najuma Aza, Doris Davenport and Kyndra Frazier. Hosted by ZAMI Nobla, 6 p.m. at the Petit Science Center at Georgia State University, email zaminobla@ gmail.com for more information.

Photo via Facebook

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6 The Official World Famous Drive Invasion comes to Turner Field this year to celebrate classic car and drive-in movie culture including live music from several bands including Ghost Riders Car Club. Admission price is $25 per person. Gates open at 10 a.m, first band takes stage at 11 a.m., www.facebook.com/driveinvasion

Twin Peaks Prom at Mary’s, 8 p.m., www.marysatlanta.com The Annual Strip Her 2014 is tonight from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m. at My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 – MONDAY, SEPT. 1 The largest such celebration of its kind in the country, Atlanta’s Black Gay Pride festivities run through Monday, www.inthelifeatlanta.org Male and female tennis players from across the country compete in the Peach International Tennis Championship, various times at DeKalb Tennis Center, courtesy of ATTA, Atlanta’s LGBT tennis league, www.atta.org One of the most celebrated book festivals around —the Decatur Book Festival—runs this holiday weekend with Joyce Carol Oates as a speaker and a great LGBT track, including Allan Gurganus, www.decaturbookfestival.com

FRIDAY, AUG. 29

The Southern Bears sponsor Dinner with the Bears with coffee at 7 p.m. and dinner at 8 p.m. at La Hacienda Mexican restaurant, www.lahaciendarestaurants.us

FRIDAY, AUG. 29 – MONDAY, SEPT. 1

Thousands swarm the ATL for the annual Dragon *Con event, with its infamous line-up of sci-fi and pop culture heroes and its beloved parade, www.dragoncon.org

SOMETHING GAY EVERY DAY!

Bookmark www.thegavoice.com to get your daily dose of local LGBT events. www.communitashospitality.com/10th-and-piedmont/

The Bernard A. Zuckerman Museum of Art in partnership with WonderRoot and the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs presents 11 Atlanta artists in their last stage of the 2014 Walthall Fellowship through a collaborative exhibition at Gallery 72.

Exhibiting artists are Iman Person, Antonio Darden, Jessica Caldas, Onur Topal-Sumer, Aubrey Longley– Cook and Julie Sims. Through Sept. 12, 7-9 p.m., 72 Marietta St., www.ocaatlanta.com/public-art Lyle Lovett and his Large Band play at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, 8 p.m., www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org A great mix of women (and a few men) and sexy vibes & music videos by Vanessa, aka DJ Prism, highlight the ladies party Swank, 9 p.m. – 2:30 a.m., 10th & Piedmont,

The Atlanta Urban Alternative’s Rock the Pop show features performances by Rahbi, Deuce DuCartier and Willie Hyn, 9:30 p.m., The Mammal Gallery, http://Mammalgallery.com Celebrate Black Pride Weekend at the Atlanta Eagle, 10 - 11 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com The “Deadly Vixens” drag show is held weekly at Blake’s on the Park with DJ Bill Berdeaux, 10 p.m., www.blakesonthepark.com The Annual Grown Folks Take Over Event 2014 gets going from 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., My Sister’s Room, www.mysistersroom.com Femme Fatale hosted by Destiny Brooks and

Shavonna B. Brooks helps kick off Labor Day weekend, 9 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com Pump Friday at the Heretic features DJ Robert Ansley, no cover before 11 p.m., $5 after, www.hereticatlanta.com DJ, producer and remixer Alexander brings the Labor Day party to Heretic, 9 p.m.- 3 a.m., www.hereticatlanta.com Mary’s hosts its raucous Boys Room party with DJ Headmaster, 10 p.m., www.marysatlanta.com

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

Authors Fiona Zedde and Sheree L. Greer present “The Blood and Wine Tour,” a conversation about their new works, being independent writers and navigating the traditional and non-

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The Atlanta Rollergirls host a playoff match, with teams TBD, 7 p.m., Yaarab Shrine Center, 400 Ponce De Leon Ave, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.atlantarollergirls.com The Traxx Girls “Big Bang” event—called the biggest girl party in the country—revs up at 10 p.m. and goes until 5 a.m., Georgia Freight Depot, 65 Martin Luther King Jr Drive, Atlanta, GA 30303, www.traxxgirls.com SYNERGY! Hosted by Monica Van Pelt includes some of Atlanta’s largest drag queens including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Nicole Paige Brooks, 10 p.m., Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com Featured DJs heat up the joint at Mixx Atlanta at 10 p.m., www.mixxatlanta.com Maxine Jones, formerly of En Vogue!, performs her new single, along with guests Robin S., Sybil and Mz. Tequi, while Ms. Sophia emcees and DJ Ron Pullman spins, 11 p.m., Rain Nightclub and Lounge, 448 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30312 Blake’s on the Park hosts Glitter Bomb, hosted by Genre, a “75 minutes of high-energy illusion,” at 11 p.m., www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

SUNDAY, AUG. 31

Keep the party going with Alex Acosta who visits Xion Atlanta, 3 a.m., www.cariocaproductions.com An outstanding version of “Mary Poppins” closes today at Aurora Theater, with a matinee today at 2:30 p.m., www.auroratheatre.com Angelica D’Paige and friends—including Brent Star and Destiny Brooks—purr up fun at Sex Kitten, with $5 burgers and Smirnoff cocktails, 8 p.m. at 10th and Piedmont, www.communitashospitality. com/10th-and- piedmont/promotions/ Sex-Kitten-with-Angelica-DPaige Sunday Funday begins at 3 p.m. at Blake’s on the Park with a High Energy party with DJ Bill Berdeaux spinning the beats. Then at 8 p.m. its Cellblock Sunday drag show hosted by Lateasha, www.blakesonthepark.com DJ Alexander gets the party going at 9 p.m. at the Heretic, www.hereticatlanta.com The infamous Armorettes perform their wild brand of comedy and song, every Sunday at Burkhart’s. All proceeds from the show are donated to the group’s PWA Fund, 9 p.m., www.burkharts.com

MONDAY, SEPT. 1

Today is the deadline for teams to register for fall leagues in the Decatur Women’s Sports League, www.DWSL.biz

SATURDAY, AUG. 30

Come dressed as part of your favorite superhero as Tony Moran spins at Jungle as part of Superhero Cosplay, 18 and up, 10 p.m., www.jungleatl.com

The Atlanta PFLAG Support Group meets from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org Monday Night Trivia, emceed by Wild Cherry Sucret, offers chances to win up to $250 in cash and prizes, 11 p.m. at Blake’s, www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com

TUESDAY, SEPT. 2

Get ready to sing out—show tunes are on tap every Tuesday at Amsterdam Atlanta, beginning at 9 p.m., www.amsterdamatlanta.com Ruby Redd and Angelica D’Paige are the emcees of Drageoke, 10:30 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 3

Einstein’s hosts a singles mixer from 7 – 10 p.m., www.gaysinglesmixeratl.eventbrite.com Join the Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in a prelude to the upcoming “Michael Brandon’s INappropriate Behavior Party” with adult performers Michael Brandon, Christopher Daniels, Sc ott Spears, Zack Taylor and Steven Richards , 8 p.m., BJ Roosters, www.yelp.com/biz/bj-roosters-atlanta Atlanta Pride Starlight Cabaret invites you to get in on the action of helping Pride choose three of the hottest up and coming drag stars in the city to open up 2014 Starlight Cabaret! Many acts will be auditioning for a spot at Atlanta Pride. $5 suggested donation at the door, 9 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com

THURSDAY, SEPT. 4

SAGE Atlanta hosts its social hour, with games

and conversation from 10 to 11 a.m., Rush Center, www.rushcenteral.org Annie Savoy, Crash Davis and Luke Laloosh are the popular characters in the world premiere musical “Bull Durham” at the Alliance Theatre, 8 p.m., www.alliancetheatre.org A talent show showcasing 12 Atlanta acts includes a cash prize for the first-place winner.

Doors open at 8 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com Brent Star hosts Game Night at G’s Midtown from 9 – 11 p.m., http://www.communitashospitality. com/gs-midtown

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5 — SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

Life lessons from Oprah! Iconic Oprah Winfrey brings her Oprah’s The Life You Want Weekend to town to Philips Arena tonight at 5:30 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. On Friday night Oprah takes the stages and tells personal stories and on Saturday she leads a day-long gathering with handpicked “life trailblazers” including “Eat Pray Love” best-selling author, Elizabeth Gilbert; one of the Time’s 100 Most Influential People, Pastor Rob Bell; world-renowned MD and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra; and from OWN and O, The Oprah Magazine, best-selling author and spiritual life coach Iyanla Vanzant. www.philipsarena.com

FRIDAY, SEPT. 5

Come support Jerusalem House at the Big Wooden Deck Party II tonight from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. A $20 donation to Jerusalem House gets you a bottomless martini, Henry’s Midtown, www.henrysatl.com “Doubt: A Parable” plays at Out of Box Theatre in Marietta tonight at 8 p.m. The play is a winner

of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award and the local cast features multi-award-winning playwright and actor Topher Payne as Father Flynn. The play runs through Sept. 6, www.outofboxtheatre.com Edie Cheezburger and her usual assortment of special guests present “The Other Show” drag event weekly at Jungle, 9:30 p.m., www.jungleatl.com Get your dancing shoes on. It’s Pump Friday with DJ Mike Pope at the Heretic, 10 p.m., www.hereticatlanta.com The M4M Hardbody Revue, hosted by Envy Van Michaels, is a competition for men with a $100 cash prize weekly, LeBUZZ, www.thenewlebuzz.com Traxx Girls night at My Sister’s Room offers drink specials, great music and lots of beautiful women, 10 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com

SATURDAY, SEPT. 6

HGTV is looking for professional designers who want to be TV personalities for their new renovation show “Flipping the Block.” An open casting call will be held today at the W Midtown from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Visit the website at www.JSCasting.com for more information about the show and how to apply.

The new Real Youth group is holding a picnic and field day for LGBTQ youth and allies as well as families, teachers and supporters. There will be food, drinks, games, community and conversation. The event will be from 2 – 5 p.m. in the Oak Hill area of Piedmont Park, www.facebook.com/RealYouthAtl

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GA VOICE | 34

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Atlanta Gender Variations: Parents of gender variant/trans children support group meets in Atlanta—See more at: www.pflagatl.org/ firstmondaysupport#sthash.jpPDqpgp.dpuf, 2 – 4 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, www.uuca.org SAGE Atlanta hosts its Lesbian 50+ Potluck & Social beginning at 6 p.m., Phillip Rush Center, www.rushcenteratl.org “Let’s Make a Deal,” hosted by Ken, rounds up contestants tonight at Friends on Ponce, 6 – 10 p.m., www.friendsonponce-atl.com The Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and The Atlanta Eagle bring you a night of fun and frolic the first Saturday night of the month with Jockstrap Sister Twister, supporting the work of the local Sisters, 9 – 11 p.m., www.atlantaeagle.com Beloved Atlanta performer Michelle Malone visits Eddie’s Attic, 9:45 p.m., www.eddiesattic.com

Monica Van Pelt presents Synergy at 11 p.m. at Burkhart’s, www.burkharts.com

SUNDAY, SEPT. 7

The Sisters of Sequins hosted by Bubba D. Licious and Justice Counce offers up drag extravaganza, laughs and a Gospel brunch special. Doors open at 12:15 p.m. with a 1:30 p.m. program, Lips Atlanta, www.lipsatl.com

and how we make space for ourselves (or don’t) in the midst of it all. This is Charis Circle From Margin to Center Literary Program. The suggested donation is $10. 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com

Rd. NE, Atlanta, GA 30326

The Stars of the Century drag show is every Monday at Jungle, 10 p.m., http://tinyurl.com/matzdvf

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10 – SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

TUESDAY, SEPT. 9

$2 well drinks are on tap all day and night at Sunday Funday at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309

MONDAY, SEPT. 8

The Suzy Bass Awards is hosting a celebration to announce the nominations for the 2014 Suzi Bass Awards. There will be light bites and wine to begin the celebration of its 10th anniversary. This is a free event, 6:30-8 p.m. at Actor’s Express, http:// suziawards.org Making Space: A Community Writing Group for Activists, Healers, and Every Day Heroes is a writing group for those of us who work, move or spend time serving others through human service and community professions (psychologists, educators, social workers, etc). Here, we will use writing as a means for deepening our understandings of our private and public journeys, our relationships, work

Stories on the Square is an open mic storytelling event where participants share true personal stories within seven minutes. The theme for this week’s show is “School Daze” and is held in the back room of the Famous Pub in Decatur, www.facebook.com/StoriesontheSquare It’s going to be bloody—Zombie Night Bingo is a fundraiser for PALS Atlanta, with hosts Bubba D. Licious, Jaye Lish and Edie Cheezburger, 7:30 p.m., Jungle, www.jungleatl.com He’s hot—and he can carry a tune. Jason Mraz sings some of his hits at the Fox Theatre tonight, 8 p.m., www.foxtheatre.org The Atlanta Gay Chamber of Commerce hosts its Business Builder Luncheon today at 11:45 a.m. at Southern Art restaurant inside the Intercontinental Hotel Buckhead, 3315 Peachtree

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Cockpit Atlanta is the home for YouTubesday ‘90s mix, with VJ Ayem, www.facebook.com/ cockpit.atlanta

The fifth annual North Georgia Marietta Pride kicks off today and runs through Saturday, Sept.

13. One of the major events is the Historic Equality Celebration in Glover Park on Marietta Square from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Events in the park will include live performances, vendors, and speakers for the entire day. This is open to the public and free. LeBuzz will host special performances throughout and the event also includes a kick-off party, a variety of shows and other entertainment and vendor areas, www.rainbowgeorgia.com

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 10

Get your bingo on tonight at Joe’s on Juniper at 8 p.m., www.joesonjuniper.com

THURSDAY, SEPT. 11

Decadence: A Night of Drinking and Debauchery is every Thursday starting at 10 p.m., hosted

by Adam Bland and Ashley Mitchell with beats by DJ Daryl Cox. A wet underwear contest begins at 11 p.m., with a cash prize and dancers galore, TEN Atlanta, www.tenatlanta.com

GA VOICE | 36

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COLUMNISTS

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THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID Reading gender code Baby boy won’t be confined to convention How many slang terms can you come up with for the penis? It’s not a question I ever thought would be directed my way, but it was a problem I had to solve during my baby shower last week.

My girlfriend, Katie Jo, and I are expecting a son in October, and former colleagues Jenn Hobby and Jeff Dauler hosted the party in our honor. One of the games we played was polling the room to answer the aforementioned question, and the hilarious conclusion of two lesbians reciting the responses to the entire room. Another game we played, in honor of having a boy, was a twist on the television game show, “The Price Is Right.”

Katie and I attempted to correctly guess the prices of such items as condoms, body spray, and hair color for men. Needless to say, we didn’t fare too well.

But that was the extent of the focus on the baby’s gender. Katie Jo and I have made a conscious effort to choose items for our baby registry that would apply to both boys and girls. (The only exception is the Peepee Teepee so I won’t get urine in my mouth when I change Mr. Carter.)

The reason? To avoid unnecessary gender coding of our child.

Gender coding is defined by the Psychology Dictionary as “assigning particular traits or behaviors exclusively or predominantly to males or females.” I never thought about it until I was a graduate student at Georgia State University and it was discussed in class. The scenario presented was how to speak to a baby. When you see a baby dressed in pink, do you raise your voice to a higher octave and tell her how pretty she is? Do you push your voice to a lower register when talking to a baby in blue, mentioning how tough or strong he is? Each baby simply sits and drools in response, but if you

Melissa Carter is one of the Morning Show hosts on B98.5. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post.

She is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and one of the few in the country. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCarter

have ever treated babies differently based on what color they wear, you are guilty of gender coding.

There are parents who went further than Katie Jo and I with our registry, and didn’t reveal their child’s gender for more than two years! A Swedish couple named their child “Pop,” and explained to the newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in 2009 that gender is a social construction: “We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mold from the outset. It’s cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.” They went on to explain in the article that as long as they keep Pop’s gender a secret, he or she will be able to avoid preconceived notions of how people should be treated if male or female.

I was fortunate to be the youngest in a family of boys and girls, so my hand-medowns included Barbies and Hot Wheels cars. I was never instructed on which toys were more appropriate for me, and was always told I was both smart and pretty. I wore dresses and got my knees dirty, pledged a sorority and learned how to change a tire.

Being a lesbian only opened my eyes that much more, since I wouldn’t be able to live up to society’s expectation that I serve as the dutiful wife while my big strong husband takes care of everything.

The idea that all girls should do certain things while boys should do others is boring, and I look forward to teaching my son that all the possibilities of this world are open to him regardless of his gender.

Whether I catch him wearing my makeup, or he honors me with his collection of worms, Mr. Carter’s mothers will always love him. And I expect everyone else to treat him the same way.

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When asked my take on the juxtaposition of being an African-American transgender woman, Black Pride Weekend and living in Atlanta, my mind has a tendency to bounce all over like a ball in a pinball machine, considering all the aspects and possibilities of what I could say. Here I’ll try to organize them into a cohesive, chronological order that will make sense.

When I think of Pride, and not necessarily the Black one, I can’t help but look back to the Stonewall Rebellion, and I’m proud of the trans women of color, like Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major, who were instrumental in that action, and I’m proud to think we were a part of that catalytic event for change. Even so, it pains me to think of how our transgender voice and visibility in the intervening years faded into the background and very nearly disappeared.

But with the ascendance of Gay Prides nationwide, the transgender community as a whole, even though basically relegated to the entertainment segment of the community by and large, tagged along in what has been generally considered a “GAY rights” movement—let’s be real here—and carved out a more open place for ourselves in the community at large.

It has largely not been much different here in Atlanta. As a transgender community, we can be proud that there have been a good many of us who have gone past the “bitch and moan” state with regard to our living situations and the overall disenfranchisement we’ve been experiencing.

Here in Atlanta, while acceptance has been slow, it has happened and while we have a great many who are still locked out of the job market, you may find some in the service industry, health services, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Of course, we must not forget that we still provide much of the entertainment in Atlanta’s gay clubs.

As with Atlanta Pride in October, the Black Pride weekend is not so much political as it is a party, although it can be argued that just the fact that we can hold it makes a political statement. The marketing and fo-

Cheryl Courtney-Evans is the executive director of Transgender Individuals Living Their Truth (TILTT, Inc.), a transgender support and advocacy organization in Atlanta. She’s a transgender political activist and the author of the www.abitchforjustice.com blog.

cus is on how much the events can attract men for men. Let’s be real here, again—even our lesbian sisters get less attention.

The marketing is all about “cut” and “buff” fellas, and that’s the spirit that permeates the weekend. If organizers and promoters follow the usual agenda, I rather doubt there will be any mention of Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Islan Nettles, or CeCe McDonald.

As a transgender woman living in Atlanta I have somewhat enjoyed a couple of Black Pride weekends. But I find that we as trans people, except for those of us who are acquainted with many gay and lesbian individuals in Atlanta, are basically just rare, bright jewels in the sea of gay revelers.

Here in Atlanta, when it comes to Pride, the transgender community gets the most attention during Atlanta Pride’s Stonewall Week, and we are proud to have initiated those events to draw remembrance to that august event that started the push for progress. The Transgender March through the Atlanta Pride festival in Piedmont Park in October draws attention to our presence at Pride.

With the Black Pride weekend, the spotlight shines for those trans folks who participate in the ball scene. The categories include, to my understanding, “realness,” whether “femme” for trans women or “masculine” for the trans men.

All in all we can enjoy a Black Pride weekend here in Atlanta, if we’re not too concerned about having trans progress represented. But then there’s not a great deal of any politicization of any sort, any way. The trans community can be proud of the strides we’ve made without the validation of the rank and file hugging our Pride to ourselves, and just party on.

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