08/30/19, Vol. 10 Issue 13

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

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

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Worsening of Hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

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

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

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: } Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis infection. } Have any other health problems. } Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. } Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: } Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. } BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

Get HIV support by downloading a free app at

MyDailyCharge.com

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(bik-TAR-vee)

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: } Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. } Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. } Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. } Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. } Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. } The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY. HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION } This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. } Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. } If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, DAILY CHARGE, the DAILY CHARGE Logo, KEEP LOVING, LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

Version date: December 2018 © 2019 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0103 02/19

KEEP LOVING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

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

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you. To learn more, visit BIKTARVY.com.

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

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voice

georgia VOL.10 • ISSUE 13

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

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Editor: Patrick Colson-Price pcolson-price@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Conswella Bennett, Cliff Bostock, Camryn Burke, Melissa Carter, Mariah Cooper, Dallas Duncan, Aidan Ivory Edwards, Jim Farmer, Luke Gardner, O’Brian Gunn Elizabeth Hazzard, Ryan Lee, Rose Pelham, Dionne Walker

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4 Editorial August 30, 2019

YOUR VOICE MATTERS

EDITORIAL

Quarter Junky Patrick Colson-Price

Former Log Cabin Head Leaves after Trump Endorsement Jeff Cordry: “With any luck, the organization will soon rename itself to Log Cabin Republican.”

Everyone has a jar they use to collect loose change in the hope that one day they’ll have a bounty large enough to cash in big. I remember collecting change when I was in my late teens and early 20s. It wasn’t because I was an avid coin collector waiting for the rare 1915 penny to pop into my hand.

I did it because of necessity. I was a struggling college student broke beyond fixing.

I’d visit the local grocery store every other month with my big bag of the jingle. As I approached this big green cash eating machine, my anxiety started rising. I think it’s because I looked around me and saw shopping carts full of groceries when I couldn’t even buy a number one meal at McDonald’s.

While others around me were grocery shopping, cashing checks, and pushing their shopping carts out to their luxury SUVs, I was gathering what little change I had in the hopes of having a few bills that would get me a few meals and a drink.

Serial Killer Who Targeted Gay Men in the ’90s to be Executed Sheila Princess Irick-Cousins: “Decades later. I am tired of this. People need to be put down immediately. PERIOD. And I used to be anti-death penalty. Nah. Stop wasting tax-payers dollars.”

Ron E. Roberts: “Oh look. Someone found their moral compass on the right!

It DOES happen!”

Peter Ent: “At least someone has common sense. There’s no reason a gay person should support Trump or the Republican Party.

I just don’t understand what’s wrong with you if you do. You are supporting a group adamantly opposed to your existence.”

short period of time. Why not spend your hard-earned stash?

My feelings would’ve been different had the obnoxious machine counted my bounty in silence, but no, the mean machine made it known when every penny, quarter, and dime was accounted for. This loud ding, ding, ding, ding caught the attention of several shoppers. Their eyes glanced directly at me.

Why was I embarrassed? It took me years to accept that cashing in on loose change shouldn’t be a shameful transaction.

Jimmy Johns made my gigantic sub and handed me a cup while I grabbed my chips.

At the time, there were three employees working, several tables full of hungry guests, and one customer behind me. Reluctantly, I grabbed my bag of quarters and begin handing them to the cashier by fours. That anxious feeling began to come over me, but I quickly made a joke to the cashier telling her that her register would be stocked with quarters for the rest of the week. She laughed, I laughed, I paid, she said thank you, and I left with food in hand … minus the side feelings of angst.

Fast forward to last week when I remembered my loose coin stash and quickly pulled it from the back of the closet. I had a few bills tucked away in the jar but the majority of the currency fell into the quarter category.

I’d say I counted around 25 bucks worth of quarters. I transferred the quarters into a ziplock bag and placed it into my pocket.

It was time for lunch and I knew how I’d be paying for it. This time though, it wasn’t because I was broke. I simply prided myself in collecting so many quarters in such a

While many of us are ashamed of the circumstances we’re in, remember that we’ve all been in your shoes in one way or another.

And always remember, quarters and other coins are still currency good at any location willing to take it! Four of them are just as valuable a one-dollar bill, and 80 of them can pass as 20 dollar bill. Never be ashamed to cash in your earnings no matter what form it’s in. We’ve all had to pinch pennies or cash in loose change but it doesn’t make us any less rich in life.

Log Cabin Republicans Endorse Trump for Reelection Price Correa: “This is the issue with today’s “party” political system. Red is red and blue is blue based solely on the fact that the other party(ies) could not be right. It has nothing to do with what the person they’re backing stands for or what they have done … it’s truly sad and it will continue to dictate our political world until we can finally vote someone in based on more than their political party.”

Sean Rindge: “It’s the same mindset as “Women for Trump”. They really like something he stands for: pro-business, speaks his mind, anti-abortion maybe, and swallow every other detestable thing he does, even to their detriment.”

Drew West: “I’m really, really trying to have empathy for the Log Cabin Republicans given the amount of antiLGBTQ legislation and executive orders instituted under Trump. And given the number of anti-LGBTQ people in the administration AND appointed as lifetime judges, I seriously fail to see how they can even contemplate this endorsement. Once they’ve finished coming after everything possible for trans people, they’ll start back on the rest of the LGBTQ community.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NEWS

Johns Creek PFLAG Chapter Gears Up for New School Year Back to School, Holidays Busiest Times for Members Dallas Anne Duncan Each August as a new school year looms, LGBTQ students and parents are hopeful that this year, things will change — there are new teachers, new opportunities to make friends, perhaps even an entirely new school that is more affirming. Sometimes things get off on the right foot. Some years, they don’t.

That’s when PFLAG chapters come into play.

“Back to school and right after holidays are the two peak times,” Ann Miller, president of PFLAG Johns Creek and parent of a transgender son, told Georgia Voice. “Back to school time is busy because kids have an expectation, and parents too, that the new school year will be better than the old school year. Maybe they’re going to a new school, maybe they’ve socially transitioned over the summer and they’re going back as their true selves; there are new coping strategies. And lots of times they go back to school and it’s the same old stuff: it’s the same kids, the same misgendering.”

Miller said her chapter sees about a 50 percent increase in meeting attendees around this time of year.

PFLAG, which refers to itself as the extended family of LGBTQ individuals, has chapters across the country, including eight in Georgia. Five of those are in the metro Atlanta area, including PFLAG Johns Creek.

Though she couldn’t speak for the other chapters in and around Georgia, Miller said she anticipates the rise in crowds in early fall and plans meetings accordingly. In the summer, for example, she has one teen room open and will open a second if the need arises.

Come the school year, however, she knows the meetings will start with two rooms and a third facilitator is on-call for more.

What makes PFLAG different is the peerto-peer support for both students and parents, something Miller called “the TheGeorgiaVoice.com

PFLAG JOHNS CREEK COURTESY PHOTO

“ That’s what’s really powerful because there’s nothing like

someone who’s been there to speak to what you’re going through”

– Ann Miller, president of PFLAG Johns Creek

cornerstone” of her organization. Facilitators and experienced members can share what worked for them, how they contacted school officials, even share verbiage and form letters to make that process more seamless, all in efforts to help LGBTQ students feel safe and at home in their school settings.

Safe Schools Coalition and there is always a representative at the Johns Creek meetings, ready especially to work with parents new to the group.

“That’s what’s really powerful because there’s nothing like someone who’s been there to speak to what you’re going through,” she said.

“We have a little saying that, ‘When you no longer need PFLAG, PFLAG needs you,’” Miller said. “When I started, first I came as a member with a trans son needing support, and then I became a facilitator of our groups.”

Her chapter also partners with Georgia

She’s been president of the chapter for four

years, and in that period saw first-hand how the meetings and socials PFLAG hosts affect the kids they support.

“We have kids come and they have no friends at school, or one friend at school, and no one likes them, and then they walk into this room where everyone is like them,” Miller said. “It is liberating in a way that I know I’ll never be able to appreciate. They have friends, they have things they can do. … It’s critical. It’s life or death critical.”

August 30, 2019 News 5

NEWS

Reading is what? Fundamental!

Organizers prepare for 2019 Decatur Book Festival

DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL

PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Aidan Ivory Edwards The Decatur Book Festival kicks off this Labor Day Weekend, and it’s all about reading to learn! Nearly 80,000 lovers of books are expected to converge on downtown Decatur in hopes to take in inspirational words from over 250 speakers.

Of these indoor and outdoor venues, eleven of those will be catering towards an adult audience, two of them for children, and one dedicated towards chef demonstrations.

There will be exhibitions and performance of all artistic mediums, as well as a broad range of food trucks and venues available.

The annual book festival is celebrating its 14th year since beginning in 2005. It is the largest independent book festival in Atlanta and one of the largest in the entire country. The festival never fails to have a star-studded lineup of authors, journalists, poets, illustrators, and chefs who are locally, nationally, and internationally based. Labor day weekend there will be appearances from Atlanta’s own Stacey Abrams, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor, New York Times staff writer Jenna Wortham, Téa Obreht, and the local legendary jewel thief Diamond Doris.

But this is just a glimpse into the ample amount of guests. The literary talent within the three days is astonishing. The executive director, Julie Wilson, says, “I have to give all the credit to our program director, Joy Pope, for putting together this year’s line-up.

She was the mastermind behind it.” Over the phone, it is clear in her voice that she is ecstatic about the event.

Wilson took the seat as executive director after founder and executive director Daren Wang resigned in 2017. Within Wilson’s five years with the festival, she has held the position as program director and assistant 6 News August 30, 2019

I want to talk about the impact of our festival more, the idea of bringing together like“minded people who may have different opinions. It’s important to bring up particular topics to break down those barriers. We are in a time where this is important. ” – Executive Director, Julie Wilson program director prior to becoming the executive director. “I think one of the biggest challenges has been taking over the reign after the founder, Daren Wang, and figuring out where to go from there. He did such a phenomenal job. Assuring that the festival was put on in such a fashion while allowing it to evolve is one of my goals,” says Wilson.

Wilson expanded on the keynote speakers as well as the literary coverage. “We typically represent all of the genres. We have an extensive poetry track, LGBTQ collection, and cover a lot of bases on culture. We have the support from Mailchimp who has an author curated track (this year’s by Author, New York Times staff writer, Jenna Wortham), and we have also partnered with PEN America. This year, the topic we are focusing on is immigration — which will be our opening keynote.”

PEN America’s mission is to “protect the human rights and freedom of expressions.”

The opening keynote presentation is taking place on Friday evening at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts. The discussion will be focused on Latinx writers on immigration with appearances from author Rigoberto Gonzalez and executive editor of Publico Press Gabriela Baeza Ventura and moderated by Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist, Mariela Romero.

Along with voices on the events immigration tracks, there will be topical discussions that explore black culture, classism, social injustices, journalism, crime, history, science, religion, and LGBTQ, amongst others. Of the LGBTQ speakers, readers, and authors with LGBTQ based characters, there will be Madeline Ffitch, Jacob Tobia, Ocean

Vuong, E Patrick Johnson, Jaime Manrique, Tim Murphy, Nicole Dennis-Benn, Tommy Pico, Jericho Brown, Tara Y, Coyt, Samantha Allen, Megan Volpert, Tupelo Hassman, and Richard Blanco.

One of Wilson’s goals has been to take independent writers who are narrowed into specific audiences and allow them to be more accessible in the market. But along with this pursuit, she also has other thoughts in mind.

“I want to talk about the impact of our festival more, the idea of bringing together like-minded people who may have different opinions. It’s important to bring up particular topics to break down those barriers. We are in a time where this is important.”

For further information, please visit decaturbookfestival.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

NEWS

Trey Peters Murder Case Proceeds Superior Court starts preliminary hearing against suspect accused of murdering local gay man

to the gas stations afterwards. It’s unclear which of the men shot Peters, but according to Hoyt, both Johnson and Moore said Ellis was to blame.

Peters was shot in early June while walking home from a MARTA station in Stone Mountain. The attackers demanded Peters give them his backpack, and when he refused they shouted homophobic slurs at him and shot him twice – once in the chest and once in the neck.

Staff Reports The case of the murder of local gay man Trey Peters is moving to the Superior Court, according to the AJC. Tyreese Johnson, one of the three suspects in the hate-motivated shooting of 28-yearold Peters, appeared in Magistrate Court on August 12 for a preliminary hearing.

There, Judge Nora Polk ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed to the Superior Court, where prosecutors from the district attorney’s office will take over the case.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

At the hearing, K.E. Hoyt, the detective on the case, shed light on how the three suspects – Johnson, Shaleeya Moore, and Joshua Cortez Ellis – were identified during her testimony. Investigators tracked Peters’ credit card in the hours after he was shot,

which led them to two gas stations and a Walmart, where the suspects were captured on surveillance cameras.

A responding officer checked the “hatemotivated” box on the police report, however according to Hoyt, “it was determined that this was a robbery, and that he wasn’t targeted” because he was gay.

Hoyt said that the two men were involved in the shooting and Moore drove them

All three suspects have been taken into custody and face murder charges.

August 30, 2019 News 7

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE

Re-imagining Atlanta Black Pride Education, Empowerment Focus of this Year’s Official Festivities

OFFICIAL ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE Atlanta Black Pride Marketplace Where: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center When: Friday, August 30, 10am - 6pm FREE

Patrick Colson-Price In its 23-year lifespan, Atlanta’s Black Gay Pride has grown into a Labor Day weekend celebration that leaves a lasting impression on locals and visitors. But over the years, black pride seems to have lost an important component of any pride celebration.

Speakfire Poetry Night: A Night of Erotica Featuring poetress of the evening Nukieria Chaney, author of “Fertile Ground.”

Where: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center When: Friday, August 30, 10pm-3am Tickets via Eventbrite: Advance $20, Door $25, VIP $35

“We lost our luster. We have been overrun by party promoters and what they feel like Atlanta Black Pride is,” said Terence Stewart, chair-person for Atlanta Black Pride. He was a volunteer with the non-profit organization and has seen the backward evolution of the weekend festivities. “It’s taken away from what our focus has been and always will be which is community and education.”

Last year’s festivities for Atlanta Black Pride in Candler Park brought in around 20,000 people, and that’s with a handful of other Labor Day weekend festivities happening. With this year’s “Remember, Rise, Respect” theme, and an abundance of educational elements, organizers are hopeful those numbers rise, but it comes after a re-branding of Atlanta Black Pride. And while there’s still nightlife involved in this pride celebration, Amber Moore, the co-chair for Atlanta Black Pride, wants to take it back to the basics of energizing the minds of locals and visitors.

“What we’ve done this year at our host hotel is we have the marketplace,” said Moore.

“We have our health and wellness expo, and we’ve made sure that we have our workshops that cover every aspect that we possibly can.”

They’ve partnered with the community to bring these workshops to life. Some of those workshops include healthy dating in the LGBTQ community, the effects of drugs and alcohol, economic empowerment and holistic health, empowering my sister, recovery from addiction, safe, sane and consensual, and so much more. “Six or seven different workshops 8 Atlanta Black Pride August 30, 2019

AMBER MOORE AND TERENCE STEWART

PHOTO BY PATRICK COLSON-PRICE

“

We’ve lost sponsors because many times people can’t distinguish what’s an official Atlanta Black Pride event and what’s a Pure Heat event. I’ve tried to sit down with the organizers of the Pure Heat Community Festival but they haven’t shown up.

” – Amber Moore, co-chair for Atlanta Black Pride

on Friday, more than a dozen on Saturday,” he said. “There’s a gambit of things outside of nightlife and parties,” said Stewart.

For Moore, the bigger problem surrounding the weekend’s festivities involves the crossover between her non-profit and a competing festival’s events which she says caused a lot of confusion amongst advertisers and members of the community leading up to this year’s events.

“We’ve lost sponsors because many times people can’t distinguish what’s an official Atlanta Black Pride event and what’s a Pure Heat event,” said Moore. “I’ve tried to sit down with the organizers of the Pure Heat Community Festival but they haven’t shown up.”

Still, Moore and Rickie Smith, President of In The Life Atlanta, want the focus of this

year’s event to be community which they say starts at Candler Park. “Our location for our community festival gives you more of a neighborhood feel,” Smith said. “We want that closeness and tightness of that community. Being together gives you that type of feel, and nothing is spread out. All of your friends are right there.”

Her vision of the Sunday Candler Park festival is infiltrating local nightlife spots with those educational components. “At every one of our events with nightlife, we’ll have someone there providing HIV tests,” she said.

Smith went back to the very first gay black club in Atlanta, the Marquette Club, in hopes of doubling the impact. “We partner with them with a lot of their events, and the biggest one is the block party on Friday,”

Annual LGBT Greek Meet and Greet Brunch Where: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center When: Saturday, August 31, 11am-2pm FREE Atlanta Black Pride Film Festival Where: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center When: Saturday, August 31, Noon- 7pm FREE Respect the Legacy Fashion Show Featuring designers Dwight Eubanks, Babs, and Khaos Atlanta.

Where: Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center When: Saturday, August 31, 7-10pm Tickets: Advance $20, Door $25, VIP $35; eventbrite.com LGBT Greeks in the Park Where: Candler Park When: Sunday, September 1, 2pm–9pm

he said. “The performers and staff will then come to Candler Park and entertain as well.

Their nightlife will go hand in hand with Atlanta Black Pride in the Park.”

On stage, there’s entertainment for everyone and the talent is a good representation of the community at hand. “From poets to speakers and artists, I think people are going to be very excited,” said Moore. “I think you’ll be able to see yourself on stage because of the diversity that we’re bringing to the table.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE

Greek and Proud Author and Playwright, Nykieria Chaney, Talks All Things PRIDE! Patrick Colson-Price Hailing from New Jersey, there’s nothing that can stop Nykieria Chaney from achieving her dreams. She’s won awards, created inspirational works of art, and impacted the very audiences she’s drawn in with her talent.

Chaney’s got not one or two, but almost half a dozen titles that categorize her skill set: Author, poet, playwright, director, producer, actor, videographer, and all-around badass female powerhouse (the last one we added in, and it fits!) Chaney, as seen on the cover of this issue of the Georgia Voice, represents her greek sorority and brings her experience and talent to this years In The Life Atlanta Black Pride festival. We caught up with her before she kicks off a whirlwind weekend celebrating diversity and education within the LGBTQ black community!

NYKIERIA CHANEY

Where were you born and raised? And where did you go to college?

“I’m a city girl with a country heart. I was born in Newark, NJ, aka Brick City. The birthplace of Whitney, Shaq, Queen Latifah, Redman, and the beautiful MJ Rodriguez, amongst many others. I was in first or second grade when our teacher announced we had a special visitor for the day. In walked none other than Amiri Baraka. This black man weaved together words into sentences with cadences that made him appear larger than life. I knew nothing of poetry or politics then but he left a lasting impression on my malleable mind.”

When did you come out, and who did you come out to first? Was it a scary experience?

“Oh my goodness. I came out first to my aunt over the phone while hiding under the covers in my dorm. It was my freshman year of college and I was hiding under the

COURTESY PHOTO

“Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc. is the nation’s first sorority strictly for feminine lesbian. Our purpose is to promote sisterhood, diversity, pride, and unity through the dedication of spirit and heart. As members of Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc., our mission is to establish a secure sanctuary for all lesbians and to establish a relationship with every facet of the lesbian community.” covers hoping my conversation wouldn’t be overheard by anyone. She called my grandmother and before I knew it, the news spread through the family like the dry grass I set on fire when I was younger. The reaction was not positive. I was raised in a Christian household with very strong views against homosexuality. I was given an ultimatum. As a result, my family and I stopped speaking for a while. Eventually, everything worked out

10 Atlanta Black Pride August 30, 2019

and my family is accepting of who I am today.

The thing is … My grandmother raised me to be strong and not back down in the face of any type of oppression. In that instance, that included her. I stood in the truth of who I was and whom I knew I loved.”

It seems being a poet allows you to release as much of your personality and thoughts

from inside. Why do you think poetry has been such a success for you?

“I discovered Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” poem after reading “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” when I was ten years old. The poem, like the book, moved me.

Each year we’d have a talent show at our family reunion. I practiced the poem over and CONTINUES ON PAGE 11 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

NYKIERIA CHANEY COURTESY PHOTO

over until I had it memorized. I was so excited to showcase it to my family. There I went that evening, “Pretty women wonder where my secret lies …” I sashayed throughout the ballroom. When I was done my grandmother pulled me to the side and told me I was not old enough to move and talk like that. I can laugh now but it was such a buzzkill.

My early influences were Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, Gwendolyn Brooks. I discovered Toni Morrison in high school and spent an entire summer reading all of her books. Soon after I came across Zora Neale Hurston and my world was FOREVER changed. Zora spoke a language I could relate to. She painted pictures of things with words I could physically see.”

You’ve also traveled across the country and southeast attending different poetry slams, even here in Atlanta, Georgia. Why is the ATL so special when it comes to poetry and writing?

“I began attending poetry shows in Atlanta in 1999. C.C. Carter, Red Summer, and Tai Freedom Ford were the first performers that I saw. Talk about a dynamic lineup. These bold and daring women proudly talked about their love for other women while hypnotizing the audience with their lyrics.

I was hooked! I stumbled into performing at poetry slams and stopped counting after twenty or so wins. I am not nor did I ever aspire to be a slam poet. That works for some people but for me, poetry is a release.”

There’s a double whammy in the South when someone is black and gay, and for women, a triple whammy because of their gender, race, and sexual orientation. How do you overcome discrimination as an author, playwright, Director, etc?

“That’s a loaded question. As a woman of color, I’m often discriminated against before I can even make it into the room because I’m not afforded the same opportunities as my Caucasian counterparts. Directors like Ava Duvernay and Lena Waithe are paving the way by making sure other women of color have seats inside writer rooms and behind the camera. I can’t say I’ve overcome discrimination, I simply continue to create in spite of it.

In Atlanta, I’m a part of Black TV Film TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Crew, Film Sisters and ATL TV Writers.

Each of these have been wonderful resources for women like me.”

As a member of the black LGBTQ community, what does it mean for you to be part of In The Life Atlanta’s black pride celebrations?

“Say it loud, I’m black, gay and proud!

Seriously though, I am honored to be of service to the LGBTQ community. I do not attempt to speak for all but I hope to be an inspiration for others that are figuring out their walk in life. I want to show that sexuality is but one aspect of the many facets we are.”

You chose the Greek life, and the sorority you’re part of, allows you to represent your true self! How do your sisters embrace your successes and failures in your personal and professional life?

“I’ve been a member of Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc. since August 21, 2004. The organization was founded on Feb. 7, 2000.

Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc. is the nation’s first sorority strictly for feminine lesbians. Our purpose is to promote sisterhood, diversity, pride, and unity through the dedication of spirit and heart. As members of Omicron Epsilon Pi Sorority, Inc., our mission is to establish a secure sanctuary for all lesbians and to establish a relationship with every facet of the lesbian community.

What’s next for you in your career?

“I love filming and directing (theatre and film). I’d love to collaborate with more Atlanta artists and organizations as we make this a destination city for the arts. I welcome all to visit my website https://www.

NykieriaChaney or follow me @Nykieria on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. You can email me at NykieriaChaney@gmail.com.”

Where can people find you during Atlanta Black Pride?

Visitors can see me starting on Wednesday, August 28 at the Mayor’s Inaugural Black LGBTQ Pride Reception starting at 7pm at Atlanta City Hall. You must RSVP if you want to attend!

On Friday, I’ll be taking part in the Chairman Staged Reading starting at 7pm at the Auburn Ave Research Library! Following that, I’ll be part of the SpeakFire Erotic Poetry event starting at 11pm at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center!

Starting Saturday at 3pm, I’ll be at the See Us In Film Festival at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center and then finally, the Excellence Gala at 7pm at the Bio Bio The Beauty Place!

To read our full uncut interview with Nykieria Chaney, visit thegavoice.com.

August 30, 2019 Atlanta Black Pride 11

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE

It’s About to Get Hot! Pose’s Angelica Ross and R&B Singer Tweet to Headline Pure Heat Festival Conswella Bennett TWEET

Labor Day weekend in Atlanta has become synonymous with Black Pride – a weekend when thousands of LGBTQ people of color make their way to the city for a weekend of events and celebrations.

COURTESY PHOTO

waiting on. She’s originally from Milwaukee and has attended each year at Piedmont Park. She learned of the event from her church. In an interview with Georgia Voice, she said the festival sounded like just the event for her family.

One of the much-anticipated events bringing parties to the ATL is the Pure Heat Community Festival, and the headliners for this year will blow visitors away! From the emmy-nominated FX series Pose, Angelica Ross will represent trans women and the LGBTQ community, while R&B singer Tweet, will bring soulful music to the stage at Piedmont Park.

The 8th annual affair will be held Sunday, September 1 in the meadow area at Piedmont Park near Park Tavern. Thousands will make their way to the park for a free day of unity celebrations, and the numbers continue to grow. Melissa “DJ M” Scott, one of the events’ hosts, recalled that the last two years the event has been at capacity. The first year, around 10,000 people attended and more recently there was around 20,000.

That first year when Pure Heat made the location change to Piedmont Park, Scott said they didn’t even call it a festival. “We just gave out water and DJ’s performed near dockside,” Scott recalled. “Everyone just came out and enjoyed each other.”

Piedmont Park is very LGBTQ-friendly, Melissa said of the event’s location. “It’s a central part of Atlanta and it’s at the corner of the Rainbow Square,” she added. The part wanted the event held there, Scott noted. The park is a popular location for LGBTQ people of color and many hang out there on the weekends. So with the interest of the park to play venue host it was made official, Melissa noted.

“I have a family, and it’s one event I could come and bring my whole family and not have to leave someone out,” Jiles said. While the day offers an array of entertainment, she liked her children learning about diversity and gender equality.

ANGELICA ROSS PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

“It’s a true day of unity,” Scott said. “Every ethnicity and every age is welcome.” It is also hosted by Bishop Oliver Clyde Allen III of The Vision Church of Atlanta, Rashad Burgess, and Avian.

Through the years, the people have continued to show up and show out – artists displaying their various art forms and the visitors swept up in the ambiance of one of the biggest family reunion celebrations. And like any family reunion, the smell of barbecue will permeate the air. From the celebrity and local musical entertainers, comedians, barbers, hairstylist, and J-setters it’s an opportunity “for them to express themselves through their art,” Scott noted.

New this year, The Vision Church of Atlanta choir will perform at a Sunday service at 11am until noon to not only kick off the festival but to set the tone for the day’s events and activities.

Along with entertainment, Scott said there will also be politicians in attendance. They are hopeful that Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance

12 Atlanta Black Pride August 30, 2019

Bottoms will also stop by the event on Sunday.

Some of the celebrities making an appearance this year at Pure Heat will include comedian Sweet Baby Kita, actress and R&B singer B Simone, singer Sevyn Streeter and rapper/ actor Milan Christopher and several others.

Of course, there will be some other attractions.

“It’s really an art festival,” she said of everything Pure Heat will offer. In addition to the art, there is also an informational portion to the day.

There will be booths offering information on health, HIV testing, nutrition, and PreP. Scott said there will also be attorneys on hand for those who may need legal advice. “There will be resources for people if they are having issues at home or in their lives,” Scott added. “You can leave with the proper resources to make your life better, and you can leave in a better position than you came in,” she said of the educational portion of the festival.

It’s the weekend event Toya Jiles has been

The mother of two said the number one thing she looks forward to is the J-Setting contest. Another favorite, Jiles said she also enjoys watching the barbers and hair stylist on the stage.

“It’s celebrating and giving those a platform who may not get that recognition because they are LGBTQ,” Jiles said.

For Jile’s 17-year-old daughter, her attendance through the years as a child at the festival inspired her to start the first Gay Straight Alliance at Banneker High School during her senior year last year. The high school group attended the festival last year, Jiles added.

“It’s a big party, but it’s a big family party,” Jiles said of the event that is great for families.

“There’s an array of food vendors. You get to see different expressions of life but more importantly, the children get to see what diversity looks like.”

For more information on the Pure Heat Community Festival and its events, visit pureheatcommunityfestival.com and for other event information, visit atlantaprideweekend.com.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE

Pure Heat Events and More FINE MEN FRIDAY – PRIDE EDITION

Tickets: Entry included in party pass. atlantablackprideldr.com

Live performance by Sevyn Streeter Where: Opium Atlanta When: Friday Aug. 30, 10pm-3am Tickets: Entry included in party pass; atlantablackprideldr.com

OTHER EVENTS

LEZ LAUGH COMEDY SHOW

Hosted by Kia Comedy; all lesbian lineup.

Where: My Sister’s Room When: Friday Aug. 30, 8-10pm Tickets: $10 at door

ATLANTA WETHER! CELEBRITY BLOCK PARTY

Hosted by Moniece Slaughter and The Stud Model Project.

Where: Compound Atlanta When: Saturday Aug. 31, 3-8:30pm Tickets: Entry included in Atlanta Pride Wknd VIP Passes atlantaprideweekend.com

ATLANTA PRIDE OLD SCHOOL BASEMENT PARTY 30+ Where: Burn Lounge When: Saturday Aug. 31, 1-6pm Tickets: Advance $15, Door $25, VIP $250+; eventbrite.com

ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE ULTIMATE DAY PARTY

“SPEAK OUT” SPEAKEASY

Hosted by Milan Christopher and Friends.

Where: Gold Room When: Saturday Aug. 31, 5-9pm Tickets: Entry included in party pass; atlantablackprideldr.com

Music, poetry, and spoken word. All lesbian lineup Where: My Sister’s Room When: Saturday Aug. 31, 8-10pm

THE LEGENDARY TRAXX GIRLS BIG BANG EVENT

ANNUAL ALL WHITE PARTY 2019 - FOR MATURE WOMEN WHO LOVE WOMEN

The biggest girl part in the country!

Live performance by Saweetie.

Where: Aurum Atl When: Saturday Aug. 31, 10pm-3am Tickets: Entry included in Atl Pride Wknd VIP pass atlantaprideweekend.com KIA COMEDY

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

With special guest Saweetie.

Where: The Georgia Freight Depot When: Saturday Aug. 31, 11pm-5am Tickets: Entry included in party pass; atlantablackprideldr.com

SOULFOOD POETRY SLAM JAZZ BRUNCH

Hosted By Jersey Moulin Starring Jessica Betts, Muva the Creator, Nobel Julz, and Keeyan Martin.

Where: The Georgian Terrace When: Sunday Sept. 1, 12-3pm Tickets: $55; included in Atl Pride Wknd

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

PUBLICITY PHOTO

Solaire VIP Pass atlantaprideweekend.com

ANNUAL PRIDE WKND BOOZE CRUISE

Complimentary drinks, live entertainment, food, and more!

Party bus leaves Georgian Terrace at noon, loading at 11am.

Where: Lake Lanier Harbor Landing When: Monday Sept. 2, 1-5pm Tickets: $125; included in Atl Pride Wknd Solaire VIP Pass

atlanaprideweekend.com

PURE HEAT COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

Live music, vendors, entertainment, and more.

Headlined by Angelica Ross and Tweet.

Where: Piedmont Park When: Sunday Sept. 1, Noon-8pm FREE

ANNUAL WHITE PARTY

Where: Revel When: Monday Sept. 2, 11pm-3am

25+, all white attire required Featuring musical curator “The Queen” Bomshell Boogie.

Where: 595 North When: Saturday Aug. 31, 10pm-3am Tickets: Advance $20, No Line $25; eventbrite.com

TRAFFIC LIGHT PARTY

2 DJ’s, 2 parties, 2 shows.

Hosted by Kia Comedy.

Where: My Sister’s Room When: Saturday Aug. 31, 10pm-3am Tickets: $10 cover

ELEVATE GLOW PARTY

Dance party and drag show. Featuring DJ Rocky the Babe and CiCi Nicole.

Where: My Sister’s Room When: Sunday Sept. 1, 8pm-2am Tickets: $5 cover before 10pm, $10 after

August 30, 2019 Atlanta Black Pride 13

DRAGON CON

Dragon Con 2019 Descends Upon Atlanta Gay Cosplayer Plans Five Outfits for Annual Event

“I tried to find a wig and cut it, and that was a nightmare, so I was like, ‘Man, I’ll just get my hair guy at Helmet in Midtown to cut my hair,’ and he cut it and dyed it and I looked exactly like Leonard Nimoy,” Good said. “It was a lot of work and it was a lot of commitment, and I would have to let my hair grow out and my eyebrows grow out for three months after Dragon Con.”

Dallas Anne Duncan For 360 days of the year, Patric Good is a published author and full-time chef. But for the other five days of the year, he’s Spock.

Or Steven Universe. Or the Notorious RBG; the Bunn-isher; or several other characters that strike his fancy.

Good’s husband only cosplayed with him once, last year as Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in the parade.

“He thought I was joking,” Good told Georgia Voice. “I told him, ‘Hey! We’re in the parade!’ and he’s like, ‘What parade?’ We did Harry Potter and Draco and we were like grown-up boyfriends and everybody got it.”

Those five days are coming up again in 2019: Yes, Atlanta, it’s Dragon Con weekend.

“I tell everyone, go to the parade first. If you really like the parade, follow the parade into the hotels and then if you can handle the crowd, go back. That’s what I did,” Good said.

Getting Serious About Dressing Up “What makes [cosplay] different from Halloween is it’s usually more serious,” Good said. “Halloween, you can go in your closet and get a flannel shirt and old overalls and be a scarecrow.”

Five ‘Good’ Cosplays for 2019 Dragon Con gets bigger every year, and it’s become more family-friendly. Though Good misses some of the more adult aspects — burlesque during the Miss Star Trek Universe pageant, for example — he enjoys the added element of being a character because of kids’ reactions.

“When you do a character that kids can relate to, like when I did Steven Universe for the first time, kids don’t see somebody dressed as Steven Universe. They don’t see someone dressed as Wonder Woman. They see Batman.

They see Superman,” Good said.

This year, his cosplays will hit a few different generations of fans. He’s bringing back Steven Universe, but he’s also spending time as Finn Mertens from the animated show “Adventure Time;” a mash-up of “Teen Titans” Beast Boy and hip-hop group Beastie Boys; The Notorious RBG — a composition of both Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and late rapper The Notorious B.I.G.; and Corporal Maxwell Q. Klinger, the M*A*S*H character known for dressing as a woman in the hopes of getting discharged from the military.

14 Dragon Con August 30, 2019

At Dragon Con, you may see a ghost, but it’s not a generic ghost. It’ll likely be the ghost of Superman or something more along those lines, he said.

This is Good’s first year with a full-face of makeup involved in cosplay for Beastie Boy. He consulted heavily with a local costume shop on the appropriate makeup for his face, ears, and hands, as Beast Boy wears fingerless gloves to show off green skin. He made props for the Klinger and Notorious RBG costumes, and most of his Klinger outfit came from a vintage store.

Con. For the first four years, he was an enthralled spectator, and in 2014 he came back as the Leonard Nimoy version of Spock from the original Star Trek show.

“For a five-day weekend you can be whoever you wanna be,” Good said. “Just don’t do blackface. Please don’t do blackface.”

“Once you do a costume, the entire experience is a different experience,” Good said.

“Walking from my car to the Brookhaven MARTA station to get on the train to go downtown, I’ve got people like, ‘Oh, can I get your picture?’ ‘Wow, great Spock!’ ‘Where are you going? What is this?’”

A Spock-tacular Start Good moved to Atlanta in 2000 to attend culinary school. He grew up a fan of Star Trek, Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, not to mention the original TV shows for Batman and Wonder Woman, but it wasn’t until 2010 that he attended his first Dragon

He went all-out on the Spock costume — purchased from the franchise, the top and pants are of the same fabric used on the show, and the hair and brows were all natural.

Good grew his brows long, waxed them and brushed the long hairs upwards and out for the characteristic Vulcan look.

“Cosplay, you are playing a character, be that character real, imaginary, a mash-up or the real hardcore cosplayers who create their own character,” Good said.

And compared to the art of drag, cosplay has some similarities, but it’s still its own entity.

Good does see it moving in the direction drag has.

“We’re going to have the same sort of artistic expression in cosplay eventually that we’re getting in drag. The professional cosplayers are really turning it into an art form, but they are the minority right now,” he said. “There’s a lot less performance in cosplay … but when I put the Spock on … I’m not lip-syncing the theme to “Star Trek,” but you do start taking on the personality of that character.”

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

GAMING

The Rise of Esports in the Queer Community O’Brian Gunn When you think of sports, some of the first ones to come to mind are likely baseball, football, and basketball. More than likely, you’d furrow your brow in puzzlement if you were told that playing video games is considered a sport. It’s called esports. Because of their competitive nature, video games have joined the conversation regarding sports, and the queer community has openly joined the competitive ranks, just as we have in more traditional athletics like soccer or track and field. Just like with traditional athletics, there are plenty of hurdles for us to overcome in the realm of esports.

You may not have heard of Dominique McLean, more commonly known as SonicFox, but he’s setting the world of esports on fire. Besides winning four Evolution Championship Series events and being recognized as 2018’s The Game Awards’ Esports Player of the Year, McLean is Black, openly gay, and a furry. McLean in unique in the esports realm and gaming community because of his transparency, often seen wearing a fursuit during competitions. To add another distinction to his considerable professional resume, McLean is also the highest-paid fighting game esports player, scooping up more than $500,000 in earnings.

While McLean is most certainly a notable figure in the esports, gaming, and queer community, his story isn’t a common one when it comes to queer people in esports.

Austin Wilmont is another openly gay esports player. In 2018, Wilmont was on the receiving end of a homophobic comment by another player, one who was fined and suspended. While trash-talking is rampant in any sport, it can be especially toxic in online gaming. This just lends further evidence to that fact that while we’ve come a long way in regards to LGBTQ rights, there’s still a lot of ground to cover. It’s ground we may not even be aware needs our attention and diligence.

In 2015, a Philippines esports league created a ruling to limit the number of 18 Gaming August 30, 2019

transgender and gay participants in allfemale tournaments. Specifically, the league ruled that only one “gay/transgendered woman” was allowed to participate in each tournament day. It’s important to note that in the Philippines, the term “bakla” refers to men who present as female but may not self-identify as female. There was speculation that the ruling was created to block male competitors from identifying as “bakla” to compete. That said, the esports league never clarified whether this was the case. Instead, the league threw out the ruling and released a statement, noting that “any player who self-identifies as female will be allowed to participate. We sincerely apologize for any offense we caused to the LGBT and gaming communities.”

Many of us desire an escape from the real world (who could blame you?), and video games go a long way in providing us with a chance to step away from reality and immerse

ourselves in a realm of fantasy. Combine that with the camaraderie and teamwork often found in online gaming and esports teams and our community has a great alternative. That said, is there any representation to be seen in the games queer people love playing so much?

Overwatch, one of the most popular games amongst LGBTQ players, has plenty to offer in terms of queer characters. The speedster Tracer has been confirmed to identify as a lesbian, the genetically enhanced Soldier: 76 is gay, and there’s speculation that the androgynous geneticist Moira is either nonbinary or trans (nothing has been confirmed nor denied). Even the Mortal Kombat series is doing its part to include non-heterosexual characters. Kung Jin, an archer in Mortal Kombat X, was confirmed by creator and story director Dominic Cianciolo to be gay. There are plenty of bisexual, lesbian, gay, and trans characters in the Dragon Age series, and even Grand Theft Auto, a video game series noted

as being the most controversial in history, has several queer characters. Thankfully, video game developers are starting to make more of an effort to create games that reflect not only the real world but their player base as well, giving us more nuanced gaming experiences that go well beyond the heterosexual white male main character.

No matter how the public feels regarding the validity of esports as genuine sports, its impact on the queer community both in terms of video game character diversity and esports players cannot be denied or overlooked. Hopefully, continual and more progressive strides will be made in terms of LGBTQ representation in video games.

As long as the gaming industry holds onto the impression that our community has a massive disposable income to spend, they may grind to gain experience points and unlock the LGBTQ achievement, earning themselves a platinum rainbow trophy.

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

August 30, 2019 Ads 19

ACTING OUT

Theatrical Outfit’s Duel Show Spectacular Jim Farmer

“OUR TOWN” COURTESY PHOTO

One is a timeless play that has been staged with regularity for decades; the other is a more modern day gay-themed classic.

Theatrical Outfit is mounting versions of “Our Town” and “The Laramie Project” in rep with each other, with “Our Town” opening this week and “The Laramie Project” to follow in two weeks.

The idea for the dual shows came about a year and a half ago when Theatrical Outfit’s artistic director Tom Key expressed interest in staging “Our Town” with another show and use the same cast of actors and designers. “He asked me what I thought about ‘Laramie,’” says Clifton Guterman, who serves as the company’s associate artistic director. “I’ve long loved ‘Laramie’ and saw the premiere in New York a few months after it opened, an Actor’s Express version and the movie. The moment Tom said that I agreed we should do it.”

20 Columnists August 30, 2019

“Our Town” is Thornton Wilder’s play about two families in Grover’s Corners as they love and marry and eventually die, while “The Laramie Project” is a look at the residents of Laramie, Wyoming in the aftermath of the kidnapping and murder of student Matthew Shepard. Guterman is directing “Laramie” and David Crowe is directing “Our Town.”

Both men are gay.

Crowe feels there is a reason that “Our Town” is still staged so frequently. “It’s thought of as this chestnut that everyone does and isn’t very challenging but what is so interesting – and why it’s done so much – is that it’s just about perfect structurally,” he says. “It’s always immediate and always for the audience who is watching it, whatever community is doing so. People think of ‘Laramie’ as present-day and ‘Our Town’ as a play that takes place in the past but it’s the other way around. ‘Laramie’ takes place in the ’90s and ‘Our Town’ takes place that day.”

Guterman realized, once the shows had been picked, how similar they were. “They are about small towns, community and the stages of life, growing up around people and watching them die, mourning them, forgiving and moving on, and getting through life through the good and the bad,” he says. “Both are three-act plays and have a lot of direct address, narration, and realism.

It all clicked when we put them side by side.”

“The Laramie Project” is a harsh reminder of what life can be like for LGBTQ individuals.

“We have made so much progress with LGBTQ rights since Matthew Shepard’s death,” says Guterman. “We have taken some steps forward but there is still a great amount of hate in the world. We have a lot of people who use words and language in the extreme and use violence against others to diminish them.”

He was taken aback recently when he saw a Facebook post from Pete Buttigieg where he invited people to come to see him in South Bend and hear his thoughts on healthcare.

“Some Internet troll jumped on and asked if Buttigieg had been tested for AIDS and if he could post his results,” Guterman recalls.

“That was a small reminder that hate exists in so many layers in our daily lives. It could be as small as an Internet troll commenting on a gay candidate to someone beating a trans people in an alley. There have been many deaths since Matthew Shepard’s, some in Georgia, and there are four states that don’t have a state hate crime that would punish people. Georgia is one and Wyoming, Matthew’s home state still doesn’t have one either.”

SHOWING TIMES “Our Town” and “The Laramie Project” (beginning previews September 10) Through September 29 Theatrical Outfit

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

Make it a night — or an afternoon, or a morning! — at the new Alliance Theatre. The 51st season includes three world premieres, two Broadway-scale musicals, award-winning new plays, and the return of Atlanta’s A Christmas Carol to the Coca-Cola Stage. (Plus classes, camps and workshops for all ages!)

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alliancetheatre.org/season

12 8 0 PE ACH T REE S T NE AT L A N TA , G A 3 0 3 0 9

EATING MY WORDS

Vietnamese Obsessions VIETVANA

Cliff Bostock

PHOTOS BY CLIFF BOSTOCK

Atlanta has become obsessed with Vietnamese food. It started well over five years ago with diners stampeding Buford Highway in search of the best pho, the classic soup of beef broth, noodles, herbs, and meats. The pho flood introduced people to broader Vietnamese menus and now we are seeing new restaurants popping up everywhere. One of the latest is Vietvana Pho Noodle House in Avondale Estates.

You get the name, right? It’s supposed to be the nirvana of Vietnamese cooking. Pho is the bait, but the menu is much broader. In some ways, the new restaurant reminds me of Food Terminal on Buford Highway. It’s a gigantic minimalist space of nearly 5,000 sq. ft. with a startlingly large open kitchen and a small bar. The main dining room’s tables are slick, natural wood-backed with a banquette. The room is split down the middle by an endless community table.

The restaurant is owned by Vietnamese-born Chef Dinh Tran and his wife Khanh Dang.

They also own the two-year-old Khanh Vietnamese Pho & Sandwich in Duluth.

Considering the enormous scale of this newly opened operation, it’s not surprising that we encountered some kinks. We arrived around 8pm on a Sunday and were told we’d need to wait 30 minutes, even though the restaurant was half-empty. Six other people – two very annoyed – were ahead of us. Y’all need to calm down, I thought!

The menu, of course, emphasizes pho with house-made rice noodles and broth. You can “build your own” pho with a beef, chicken, or vegetable broth, adding meats, ranging from filet mignon to tripe. Vietvana’s broths are pleasantly and intentionally light, complementing rather than overtaking other flavors. We ordered a bowl from the specialty menu – the beef broth with a fat, juicy soft shell crab cut in half. White and green onions, plus cilantro, floated in the bowl. One annoying faux pas: No herbs were brought to the table to add to the bowl.

22 Columnists August 30, 2019

I ordered my usual bowl of rice vermicelli with pork, three shrimp, and an egg roll.

The pork was perfect, glazed and a bit crispy.

The eggroll was average, but the shrimp were barely cooked. I’m talking gooey. Several of the promised ingredients – basil, chopped peanuts, and fried onions – were missing.

Oddest of all, it was not served with fish sauce, which is always on every Vietnamese table. I, like another diner, had to get up from the table and ask for it. Once I got it, a few squirts of sriracha and hoisin sauce brought the rice noodles to full flavor.

We also tried the papaya salad with pork and (properly cooked) shrimp, much of which we piled onto shrimp crisps. I’d like more mint in the salad, but it worked. I did order one appetizer I’ve never tried before, steamed rice cakes. It looked almost surreal: seven little containers of chewy white paste topped with dried shrimp, scallion oil, fried onion, and crispy croutons. The flavor was a bit piquantly fishy for my taste, but my tablemate loved scooping the little cakes into bite-sized tacos.

The other Vietnamese dish that has become wildly popular is banh mi – the sandwiches

made with rice-flour baguettes inspired by the French, who occupied Vietnam for 70 years.

Vietvana offers 15 different versions, almost all of them under $6. The bread is house-made. I ordered one to go that I sampled in the middle of the night. It contained paté, ham, roasted pork, and dried shredded pork with pickled veggies and fresh jalapenos. A few bites were delicious to me, but if you don’t like funky flavors, you may want to skip the pate.

I have little doubt that Vietvana will fix its glitches. The house-made noodles and bread alone make the restaurant worth visiting soon. And you can go anytime: it’s open 11 am-midnight every night except Sunday when it closes at 11pm.

Cliff Bostock is a longtime Atlanta restaurant critic and former psychotherapist turned life coach; cliffbostock@gmail.com.

MORE INFO Vietvana 2831 E. College Ave., Avondale Estates 404-963-2757 Vietvana.com

TheGeorgiaVoice.com

BEST BETS Our Guide to the Best LGBTQ Events in Atlanta for August 30 - September 12 Friday, August 30

The Atlanta Team Tennis Association (ATTA) kicks off its annual Peach International Tennis Tournament today, hosting players from across the country, various venues.

Through September 2 Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe.

It’s also gay as heck, with a line-up this year that includes George Takei, Colton Haynes of “Arrow” and many more performers.

Through September 2 Atlanta Black Pride runs through September 2 with a series of parties, events, panels and more, various venues.

The Decatur Book Festival opens tonight and runs through Sunday with a large slate of LGBTQ writers and representation. The keynote panel is Effecting Change in a Changing World: Latinx Writers on Immigration. Other events will take place in the Decatur Square 8pm Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts Kick off your Labor Day weekend with a big Yeeee Haaaww with the best country music all night long with DJ Kimberly. Free two-step Lessons and pen Dance!! No Cover All Night Long 9pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta

Saturday, August 31

Decatur Book Festival in partnership with Poetry Atlanta and Java Speaks presents the Local Poets Stage today.

Poetry Atlanta was created by Atlanta Review editor Dan Veach to help promote poetry and spoken word in Atlanta. The non-profit organization hosts open mics, readings, workshops, and events around the city. Java Speaks Open Mic is a weekly series celebrating 18 years. The open mic originated at Java Monkey Coffee House, destroyed in a fire November 2018, but Java Speaks continues at Ammazza Decatur.

10am – 6pm The Children of the ‘90s house music

24 Best Bets August 30, 2019

EVENT SPOTLIGHT Friday, September 6

Set amidst the bohemian high society of 1920s England, “Vita & Virginia” tells the scintillating true story of a literary love affair that fueled the imagination of one of the 20th century’s most celebrated writers. Vita Sackville-West (Gemma Arterton) is a brash, well-to-do socialite and popular author who refuses to be constrained by her marriage to a diplomat, defiantly courting scandal through her affairs with women. When she meets the brilliant but troubled Virginia Woolf (Elizabeth Debicki), she is immediately attracted to the famed novelist’s eccentric genius and enigmatic allure. So begins an intense, passionate relationship marked by all-consuming desire, intellectual gamesmanship, and destructive jealousy that will leave both women profoundly transformed and inspire the writing of Orlando, one of Woolf’s greatest works. The acclaimed film opens at the Midtown Art Cinema today.

Various showtimes (Publicity photo) event is today, celebrating music from the famed decade, with a terrific line-up of DJs. Noon – 8pm Piedmont Park at the large pavilion by the pool Out On Film and Atlanta Pride join forces with the Decatur Book Festival for a free screening of the highly acclaimed film “TransMilitary,” which chronicles the lives of four individuals (Senior Airman Logan Ireland, Corporal Laila Villanueva, Captain Jennifer Peace and First Lieutenant El Cook) defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own. They put their careers and their families’ livelihoods on the line by coming out as transgender to

top brass officials in the Pentagon in hopes of attaining the equal right to serve. The screening will be followed by a discussion with community members, including Atlanta’s Monica Helms.

7pm Decatur Public Library Auditorium Bear Invasion returns to Atlanta Labor Day Weekend at Heretic. DJ Eric James!

NO COVER ALL NIGHT LONG!!!

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta The Atlanta Eagle welcomes the BEARBUST Party! Come dance the night away with DJ Moose and your closest

friends and strangers in the city!

NO COVER all night long!

10pm – 3am

Sunday, September 1

Join DJ Ed Wood at Xion after hours where the party continues into Sunday morning!

3am – 7am BJ Roosters Edie Cheezburger is the hostess for a dazzling set of performers at The Super-Sized Sunday Show.

8:30pm

CONTINUES ON PAGE 26 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

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BEST BETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 Blake’s on the Park Labor Day Sunday will be off the charts packed to celebrate the holiday weekend with the amazing DJ ALEXANDER spinning all night long!

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta

Monday, September 2

Atlanta Premier Events presents its signature LGBTQ celebration: the 10th-anniversary reunion and return of Rainbow Days at Six Flags over Georgia, in partnership with Meak Productions, Inc., Atlanta Black Pride, Inc., and other partners. The event will feature the closing pool party of Atlanta Black Pride (at 6pm) featuring a sultry set of DJs and a special tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

10:30am – 8:30pm The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children opens its doors today.

7:30 – 9pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta

Tuesday, September 3 Lose those inhibitions at Underwear Night at the Atlanta Eagle.

7pm – 3am

Wednesday, September 4 Tonight’s the night to turn into Melissa Etheridge (albeit briefly) at My Sister’s Room karaoke night, hosted by Thad Stevens.

9pm

Thursday, September 5

Help raise money at AID Atlanta’s Bar Wars as some of Atlanta’s best bartenders will be out at Out Front Theatre Company. For $10, you can help decide tonight’s outcome. After cocktails will be the first annual talent competition where audience members choose the winner based on the number of tips collected.

5:30pm – 8pm

Friday, September 6

Join MAAP on the first Friday of each month for It’s Friday – Mix, Mingle & Network session. This is your chance

EVENT SPOTLIGHT Tuesday, September 10

Show tunes, show tunes, and more show tunes! Join hostess Bubba D. Licious, Erica Lee, and more to raise money for PALS and be thrilled by unique performances of Broadway classics. 6:30pm, Lips Atlanta. (Photo via Facebook) to leave the workweek behind and connect with other like-minded professionals over drinks, laughter, and good professional conversation. Help speed up your checkin process and RSVP now at https:// maap090619.eventbrite.com.

6 – 8pm TEN Atlanta Every Friday at midnight, it’s time to slip on those fishnets and make-up 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 Show.”

Midnight Plaza Theatre

Saturday, September 7

It’s bound to be one of the biggest productions of the fall. The Alliance Theatre presents the world premiere of “Becoming Nancy,” based on the novel by Terry Ronald and directed by the legendary (and out) Jerry Mitchell.

7:30pm, through October 6 Elevate Your Nightlife Productions with music by DJ Karlitos!

10pm – 3am

Heretic Atlanta

Sunday, September 8

Join the fun at the Sunday T-Party on the big deck at Henry’s today, with no cover.

Enjoy an early evening with cocktails, friends and DJs spinning fun, happy, throwback T-Dance music on the deck.

Guests can mingle outside or inside at the air-conditioned bar.

4pm

Monday, September 9

Local drag goddesses are on tap all night at The Stars of the Century show.

11pm Heretic Atlanta

Tuesday, September 10

Theatrical Outfit’s version of the LGBTQ-themed “The Laramie Project,” running in rep with the classic “Our Town,” starts previews tonight.

7:30pm, through September 29

Wednesday, September 11

Join Charis Circle and the ArtsXChange for a special event in celebration of Bassey Ikpi’s memoir, “I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying.” Bassey will be in conversation

with Atlanta author and publisher Denene Millner. In “I’m Telling the Truth, but I’m Lying,” Bassey Ikpi explores her life – as a Nigerian-American immigrant, a black woman, a slam poet, a mother, a daughter, an artist – through the lens of her mental health and diagnosis of Bipolar II and anxiety. Her remarkable memoir in essays implodes our preconceptions of the mind and normalcy as Bassey bares her truths and lies for us all to behold with radical honesty and brutal intimacy. From her early childhood in Nigeria through her adolescence in Oklahoma, Bassey Ikpi lived with a tumult of emotions, cycling between extreme euphoria and deep depression – sometimes within a single day. By the time she was in her early twenties, Bassey was a spoken word artist and traveling with HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, channeling her life into art.

But beneath the façade of the confident performer, Bassey’s mental health was in a precipitous decline, culminating in a breakdown that resulted in hospitalization and a diagnosis of Bipolar II. 7 – 9pm Charis Books & More

Thursday, September 12

Southern Fried Queer Pride presents a night of queer film.

7 – 9pm Charis Books & More 7 Stages presents Sean Dorsey Dance’s “Boys in Trouble,” a timely and urgent commentary on contemporary masculinity, in which powerful dances place a trans and queer lens onto intersectional questions of embodiment, violence, black queer love, whiteness, shame, and posturing. This oneweek residency includes four performances and an artist workshop with trailblazing transgender choreographer Sean Dorsey.

8pm, through Saturday and 5pm on Sunday

UPCOMING Friday, September 13

The LGBTQ-themed “This is Not Berlin” opens at the Midtown Art Cinema.

Various showtimes Jump on your broomstick and head over

CONTINUES ON PAGE 28

26 Best Bets August 30, 2019 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

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WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY

EVENT SPOTLIGHT Saturday, September 14

Saturnalia Productions is excited to announce the first anniversary of the ROME party! Come dressed in your best Roman empire gear and be ready to dance and party the night away with an unbelievable set from DJ J Warren! Tickets available on event Facebook page. 10pm – 3am, Heretic Atlanta

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 to RITUAL’s Hocus Pocus: Witches & Warlocks party! It’s the first of a three-month season of spooky themes to celebrate Halloween! DJ System Fail and DJ Aesthetic will be spinning the beats all night long! Don’t miss tarot card readings and spooky art for sale as well! $10 Cover at the door!

10pm – 3am Heretic Atlanta

Saturday, September 14

Sonia Leigh maintains an individuality that is so liberating it extends beyond genre.

From her mainstream country catapult with Zac Brown’s in 2011 to her 2018 dark, pop-rock full-length release “Mad Hatter” to her latest release “Sonia Leigh and Friends,” recorded live at Abbey Road Studio in London, England, she continues to rock. The out musician performs tonight.

9pm Eddie’s Attic

Sunday, September 15 CITYWINERY.COM | 404.WINERY1 650 NORTH AVE NE , PONCE CITY MARKET, ATLANTA , GA 30308

Atlanta’s very own DJ Seth Breezy heads to Xion after hours for an early morning of sweaty dancing with your closest friends!

3am – 7am BJ Roosters

Monday, September 16

Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their gender and aspiring allies, providing a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues.

6:30 – 8pm Charis Books and More More than 40 years before “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the groundbreaking documentary “The Queen” – about the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant – introduced audiences to the world of competitive drag. The film takes us backstage to kiki with the contestants as they rehearse, throw shade, and transform into their drag personas in the lead-up to the big event. Organized

by LGBTQ icon and activist Flawless Sabrina, the competition boasted a star-studded panel of judges including Andy Warhol, Larry Rivers, and Terry Southern. But perhaps most memorable is an epic diatribe calling out the pageant’s bias delivered by Crystal LaBeija, who would go on to form the influential House of LaBeija, heavily featured in “Paris Is Burning” The film screens tonight, sponsored by Wussy Magazine.

7:30pm Plaza Atlanta

28 Best Bets August 30, 2019 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

My American Horror Hotel Story Melissa Carter I have a good life.

I’ve been fortunate enough to experience good friends, a loving family, and colleagues that have been incredibly supportive. But there is one major difference between me and most people in my life: I have a chronic illness. With that, there are times I have to make choices that others don’t and often can’t relate to.

If you know me you know I’m a geek. I watch and read sci-fi and fantasy, play video games, and have collected items from Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Xena in my time. I have also attended DragonCon for 20 years.

My relationship with the convention has outlasted most personal relationships I’ve had and is something I have been seriously committed to. Despite my father’s death just weeks before, I still attended, and with my new role as a mother, the convention hasn’t been compromised. This year marks two decades with the beloved event.

However, it almost wasn’t meant to be for me.

My brother comes down from Nashville to go with me, and as we got older we decided to invest in hotel expenses downtown and immerse ourselves in the full con. That way as our older bodies get tired, we have a space to easily escape to. Our hotel for the past several years has been the Sheraton Atlanta, as was the case this year.

A random night in front of the TV turned into panic, as I saw on the news that there was an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease at the hotel that caused scores to become ill and one woman to die. The hotel was closed for weeks leading to the con but was reopened and cleared by the state to commence business.

I understood that most people didn’t think twice about going back, as the cause was 30 Columnists August 30, 2019

discovered and fixed and life would continue as normal. But for me, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay there. If I contracted the disease it would kill me because of my transplant. Others can see this as an overreaction to a problem that was solved, yet I knew in the rare event it wasn’t completely solved I wouldn’t survive. It wasn’t worth taking even a slight chance.

Thankfully the Marriott hotel chain that owns the hotel understood my anxiety and allowed me out of my reservation, which I was grateful for. My brother was also very understanding and didn’t back out on me as we dragged our aging selves to the convention via Uber and marked the big anniversary of our attendance.

This story outlines the extra effort those with an illness have to go through that people may never think of. When I get sick, I can’t take most over-the-counter medications to treat it and have to suffer more discomfort.

When my son gets seriously sick, especially with Strep, he has to go to Katie Jo until he is healed. When he gets certain inoculations I have to be away from him for weeks.

You quickly learn to appreciate the things that go well, so that’s why I have a good life. And am proud to say my geek streak is still unbroken.

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 TheGeorgiaVoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

Piercing theYof Homophobia Ryan Lee South Fulton city councilmember Khalid Kamau tried to show some southern pride during a recent trip to New York City, but some folks in his hometown responded by suggesting he might be a pedophile. More troubling, it was a leader of the Fulton County Democrats – the progressive party of one of the most progressive counties beneath the Mason-Dixon line – who used retro homophobia in her attempt to derail Kamau’s political career.

Kamau attended the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in June and took a picture in front of the historical marker that describes that milestone in LGBTQ history. The moment Damita Chatman, a South Fulton resident and state committee member for Fulton Democrats, saw Kamau’s photo on social media, she wondered if he might be lusting after prepubescent males.

“This has been on my mind every [sic] since I saw it so I must address it!!” Chatman posted to her Facebook page. “The problem I have as a mother, taxpayer, and resident of the city is what the shirt says.”

Kamau’s shirt, which was intended to celebrate Dixie while he was among the Yankees, read in a hoedown font, “I ♥ Southern Boys.”

“I [sic] not calling him this but it sounds like a pedophile to me!!” Chatman wrote in a sentence that suggests she is as reckless with her bigotry as she is her grammar. “Why couldn’t the Councilman put on a shirt saying he loves Southern Men instead of I love Southern Boys!!”

In her post and during a telephone interview a day later, Chatman insisted that her outrage had nothing to do with Kamau being openly gay. Before evoking pedophilia, she made sure folks knew, “Now it’s not towards what the Councilman wants to be or how he feels about his sexuality!”

“No, that was not a bigoted post, OK?” Chatman said at the start of our talk. “It’s not a bigoted post. It’s not a bigoted post. I have TheGeorgiaVoice.com

SOUTH FULTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER KHALID KAMAU COURTESY PHOTO

gay uncles, I got gay cousins, it wasn’t about gay – I didn’t even use ‘gay’ in the post.”

Any woman of any age could don the shirt Kamau was wearing without anyone assuming she was lusting after middle-schoolers. It is the centuries of lies against homosexual men that prompt Chatman to intuitively link the shirt’s slogan with child molestation.

Chatman and other South Fulton residents claim to be worried that Kamau’s photo might tarnish the city of South Fulton, which was incorporated in 2017. This alleged concern is rank bullshit, as few people have championed the young city as passionately and incessantly as Kamau has on social media and in interviews with progressive outlets.

In South Fulton, where 90 percent of the residents are black, Kamau sees the potential to establish a real-world Wakanda. He’s proposed creating a downtown business district to make the city eligible for federal grants and help Old National Highway attract the same development that Peachtree Street does; he developed a movies-in-the-park series this summer to promote a sense of community and give families free entertainment on Friday nights; in a region devastated by HIV, he is the only municipal elected official to coordinate ongoing, free HIV testing at a public venue.

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Yet, Chatman is worried he’s hurt South Fulton’s image. The incident is an unfortunate actualization of one of the biggest fears many people have when they’re considering coming out of the closet: that everything they accomplished up to that point and forever afterward will be overshadowed by their sexual orientation, and the wicked connotations still attached to it.

Read Ryan Lee’s full story at thegavoice.com August 30, 2019 Columnists 31