Georgia Voice 10/13/23, Vol. 14 Issue 14

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GUEST EDITORIAL

VOLUME 14• ISSUE 14 About the cover:

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Editorial Contributors: Cliff Bostock, Victoria Brownworth, Hunter Buchheit, Melissa Carter, María Helena Dolan, Anthony Eaton, Jim Farmer, Luke Gardner, Chris McCain, Charles Stephens, Adalei Stevens, Casey Williams, Michele Zipkin

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Atlanta Pride Parade PHOTO COURTESY OF ATLANTA PRIDE

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Chris McCain, Executive Director of Atlanta Pride

Fine Print

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4 EDITORIAL OCTOBER 13, 2023

Welcome to Atlanta Pride Heading into this year’s Atlanta Pride Festival and Parade feels like a homecoming for me.

In May, I moved back to Atlanta for this job and dove headfirst into planning. It has been a whirlwind, but the community has made me feel welcome. I’ve spent a lot of time listening and learning. I know the importance and enduring impact of Pride in Atlanta. And because of that, I believe that I am standing on the shoulders of those who came before me, and it is humbling.

With just a few days until the festival at the time of writing, this is the first moment I’ve had to reflect on my experience.

The Atlanta I left behind when I moved away for college has grown up. It is a rich tapestry of vibrant neighborhoods connected by the Atlanta BeltLine, with Piedmont Park at the heart of it all. In just

a few short days, the park will play host to lively entertainment, a record number of parade floats, the biggest Family Fun Zone to date, and a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all. All right here, in the center of the city.

I’ve learned that the Atlanta Pride Festival is among Atlanta’s top five biggest gatherings.

It is also the largest Pride festival in the South, and the largest free Pride festival in the United States. We hope that through the generous support of the community, we can keep it that way.

I remember when I experienced my first Atlanta Pride. I was so young, yet seeing the park full of queers who could freely show up to celebrate who they are made me realize that I can be okay with who I am. I know that my experience is what Pride has represented for generations of people before me and will endure for generations to come: Acceptance. Inclusivity. A safe space.

As we count down the days, I am proud of how much we’ve accomplished as a smallbut-mighty staff, dedicated board and committee members, as well as hundreds of volunteers. But I recognize that we still have work to do. When transgender people are attacked, we are all attacked. And as long as there are still racial divides, we can’t move forward.

Pride was born out of a small group of protesters who tabled right here in Piedmont Park, more than 50 years ago, in response to the Stonewall Riots that had taken place in New York. The next year, the city refused to issue them a parade permit, so they marched on the sidewalk, for what would become the first Pride Parade. We need to keep fighting.

In the words of civil rights leader John Lewis, we need to keep getting in “good trouble.”

I will continue to listen and learn, and I look forward to celebrating with so many new friends and allies.

THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM

NEWS BRIEFS Staff reports Read these stories and more online at thegavoice.com

Out On Film Announces Jury and Audience Award Winners Out On Film, presented by GILEAD, has announced the filmmaker awards for the recently concluded 36th edition of the Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ film festival.

Olivier Peyon’s LIE WITH ME, based on the 2017 novel by Philippe Besson novel, was a two-time winner, taking the audience award for Best Narrative Feature and tying for the jury award for Best Narrative Feature alongside Zeno Graton’s THE LOST BOYS. Graton tied for the jury prize for Best Director along Babatunde Apolowo, whose ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE took home the award for Best International Film.

Sarah Kambe Holland’s EGGHEAD AND TWINKIE won as Best First Feature while Corey Sherman’s BIG BOYS was awarded a BEST ENSEMBLE award for its cast.

Former Atlantan and Emmy-winner Nneka Onuorah’s TRUTH BE TOLD, which takes a look at the intersection of the Black church and the LGBTQ+ community, won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Award. It screened at the House of Hope Atlanta as part of Out On Film, while Rocky Roggio’s 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE won the Jury Award for Best Documentary. Vicky Knight was awarded a Best Performance Jury Award for her work in SILVER HAZE. Georgia-born William Means’ BLUE SQUARE HEART won the Jury Award for Best Narrative Short. Because Out On Film is an Oscar® qualifying film festival, BLUE SQUARE HEART will now be eligible for consideration for next year’s Live Action Short Academy Awards ®.

Ryan and Tyson Horne’s THE DANCER won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Short and tied with EVAN EVER AFTER for the Jury Award in the same category.

The 2023 Out on Film Award Winners: Jury Awards Best Narrative Feature

6 NEWS OCTOBER 13, 2023

EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler speaking at EMILYs List's annual We Are EMILY National Gala, May 16, 2023. PHOTO VA EMILY’S LIST/FACEBOOK LIE WITH ME (Director: Olivier Peyon) and THE LOST BOYS (Director: Zeno Graton) Best Documentary 1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED CULTURE (Director: Rocky Roggio) Best International Film ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE (Director: Babatunde Apolowo) Best First Film EGGHEAD AND TWINKIE (Director: Sarah Kambe Holland) Best Performance Vicky Night (Silver Haze) Best Narrative Short Film BLUE SQUARE HEART William Means)

(Director:

Best Documentary Short Film THE DANCER (director Ryan Horne and Tyson Horne) and EVAN EVER AFTER Ariel Mahler and Radha Mehta Audience Awards Best Narrative Feature LIE WITH ME (Olivie Peyon) Best Documentary TRUTH BE TOLD (Director: Nneka Onuorah) Best Documentary Short Film THE DANCER (Director Ryan Horne and Tyson Horne Best Narrative Short T-MINUS (Directed by Emily Lerer)

Laphonza Butler Appointed as California’s First Openly LGBTQ U.S. Senator California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is appointing Black openly lesbian EMILY’s List President, Laphonza Butler, to the vacant seat of the late U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein who died Friday at age 90.

Butler’s wife is Neneki Lee, the D.C.-based director for labor union SEIU’s Public Services Division.

News of Butler’s selection by Newsom was first reported by Politico’s California Bureau Chief Christopher Cadelago. A source knowledgeable on the governor’s team told Politico there were no preconditions about whether she could run in 2024.

Newsom’s office confirmed that he has picked Butler, a Democratic strategist who rose to prominence in the labor movement, to fill Feinstein’s seat.

In an emailed statement, Newsom said: “An advocate for women and girls, a secondgeneration fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the U.S. Senate. As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left

by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.”

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NEWS

National Center for Transgender Equality Speaks on Organization’s Mission What can allies do to help advocate for and support trans folks?

Call your lawmakers. I understand that people can feel like it won’t make a difference, but we’ve seen through experience that it really does make a difference. At the end of the day, politicians want to be reelected and they do work for you as the voter, not the other way around. When a critical mass of us really do call or email or write letters [to] our elected officials, they notice; they have their staffers literally keep tallies of how many contacts they got for and against a piece of legislation.

Michele Zipkin, Philadelphia Gay News via the National LGBTQ Media Association Read the full story online at thegavoice.com.

In terms of representation and rights for transgender people, society has come a long way even in the last two decades or so. However, “with progress comes backlash,” says Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). That backlash manifests in many ways, from bills curtailing trans rights being introduced and passed in state legislatures, to anti-trans policies tossed around on school boards to an uptick in violence against trans individuals and the bullying of trans youth.

Heng-Lehtinen spoke about what the center staff does to tackle some of the biggest issues facing trans communities today and what allies can do to advocate for trans rights.

What are the biggest issues facing trans communities in the U.S.?

One huge issue is all of these anti-transgender bills spreading like wildfire in the state legislature. That is undermining people’s rights and it’s sending a message that there’s something shameful and wrong with being trans. We have been successful in defeating most of these anti-trans state bills in the [U.S.] But still, the fact that these are even introduced and debated by the leaders of a state on the House floor means that there’s less acceptance. It still makes a transgender person living in that state feel like they have a target on their back. Even when a bill doesn’t pass, it still does harm. There are the actual concrete barriers that these bills put up when they pass, but there’s also the mental health impact of making people feel so isolated and alone.

Another problem is violence. Support for

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Rodrigo Heng-Lehtinen, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) PHOTO BY DEVON ROWLAND

transgender people is growing in some ways, but the violence against us is growing at the same time because progress often comes with backlash. This rise of visibility means that we’re also in the crosshairs at the same time. We are seeing murders and other physical attacks against transgender people still growing.

What is the NCTE doing to fight against some of the state restrictions on trans health care and to protect gender-affirming care in states that don’t have outright bans?

This year, we’ve seen over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills introduced in state legislatures, most of which were specifically anti trans. Of those, 140 or more of them were outright bans on

transition-related health care of some type.

[NCTE] is working on fighting these bans all around the country. One of the biggest things we do is public education. There is a ton of rampant misinformation that antitransgender politicians are spreading. We do a lot to provide testimony in state legislatures around the country, to speak directly with lawmakers, to conduct media outreach – all to get accurate information out there.

With our NCTE Action Fund, we’re supporting the campaigns of candidates for office who are pro trans, whether they’re trans themselves or allies. [We’re] doing a lot to make sure we even get the right kind of people elected to office in the first place.

Talk to the people in your life. Even people around you who might seem like they’re generally pro-LGBT still might have a lot of misconceptions of what it means to be trans.

We see even cis LGB people sometimes still have concerns about transition-related health care because they’ve just been told all this inaccurate stuff. Even just speaking up and sharing that information with people and making sure that the people around you actually understand the issue is really, really significant. If you’re friends with them, you’re going to convince them a lot better than we can as strangers.

As difficult as things are right now, this is all the more evidence that we’re going to come out the other side and we’re going to win at the end of the day. We saw in these last 20 years or so this massive increase in visibility of transgender people, which was good. It led more people to be supportive of their transgender neighbors, but it also inspired a tiny minority to be very upset and consequently super motivated to attack us. That’s why we’re seeing this rise in violence and all these anti-trans bills being introduced all around the country. But that is the backlash to our progress, and that’s progress we’re going to keep making.

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NEWS

Atlanta Pride has teamed up with Friendly Like Me to produce an accessibility guide for this year’s festival and parade. PHOTO BY DIANE HAYMES PHOTOGRAPHY

Atlanta Pride and Friendly Like Me Produce Accessibility Guide for Festival Katie Burkholder Atlanta Pride has teamed up with Friendly Like Me to produce an accessibility guide for this year’s festival and parade.

According to the CDC, 26 percent of Americans have one or more disabilities, and ten percent of the LGBTQ community experience limited mobility. Friendly Like Me is an app designed for the disabled community, making accessibility information easier to find and connecting individuals with the businesses and organizations striving to make fit and accessibility a priority. Before Friendly Like Me, there was no easy way for people with disabilities or fat bodies to go somewhere in confidence, knowing in advance if somewhere has a ramp, an accessible bathroom, open-sided chairs, or

10 NEWS OCTOBER 13, 2023

an elevator. Now people with access needs can go out with peace of mind.

every step we can to help them ‘show up and show out’ as their fullest, most authentic self.”

This year, for Pride celebrations across the country, Friendly Like Me has produced accessibility guides detailing accessibility information at Pride venues and various surrounding locations. Atlanta’s guide was created in partnership with Steven IgarashiBall, Atlanta Pride’s Director of Equity and Engagement.

The guide includes accessibility information for the festival, including a map of the parade route, emergency instructions, accessible bathroom locations, ADA viewing areas of each stage, the accessible path to the main stage viewing area, water station locations, information about service animals, information about volunteers, security, and ASL interpreters, and more.

“Pride is for everyone, and we want to make sure that our whole community feels that message,” Igarashi-Ball said. “Each year, we put great thought into how we can make the festival more accessible and enjoyable, and this Accessibility Guide is just one more step toward that goal. We hope that all of our guests will feel seen and heard, and we are taking

Also included is accessibility information for Piedmont Park itself, such as accessible parking, wheelchair accessible entrances and buildings, accessible restrooms, and more, as well as the closest MARTA station to the park, Civic Center Station, and various businesses and hotels near the area. Each

location includes a checklist of accessibility standards met as well as notices of standards not met. Included locations include Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hyatt Centric Midtown Atlanta, Park Tavern, Bulldog’s, Blake’s On The Park, Red Light Café, Sweet Hut Bakery and Café, The Vortex, Rreal Tacos, Café Lucia, Willy’s Mexicana Grill, The Nook On Piedmont Park, Virtue Rooftop, The Establishment, JoJo’s Beloved Cocktail Lounge, The Starling Atlanta Midtown, Atlanta Marriott Suites, Hampton Inn and Suites, Hilton Garden Inn Atlanta Midtown, Fox Theatre, and Hotel Indigo Atlanta Downtown.

To access the Atlanta Pride Accessibility Guide, visit friendlylikeme.com/access-spotlight/ atlanta-pride-accessibility-guide#Guide or download the Friendly Like Me app.

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COMMUNITY

Pride, Aging, and Reimagining Community Support for Our LGBTQ Elders Social isolation, in particular, is a challenge that LGBTQ institutions are positioned to respond to. According to “Maintaining Dignity: A Survey of LGBT Adults Age 45 and Older,” by the AARP, “Three out of four adults age 45 and older who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender say they are concerned about having enough support from family and friends as they age.” We must pilot and innovate programs to ensure that all members of our community feel connected. For generations, many of us grew up feeling alone and isolated.

And though we survived, not all of us did, and it would be horrific to return to being isolated and alone as we grow older.

Charles Stephens with assistance from Hillary Williams Thomas Aging is an issue that no one has control over, yet touches all our lives. However, we do have the ability to imagine, develop, and implement policies that provide protections and support.

This is urgently critical for LGBTQ older adults, who face unique challenges with regard to aging. To respond to the needs of our queer elders and ensure that our community is safe and affirming for all of us, we should consider prioritizing the following: 1. Cultural competence training for staff and administrators of senior communities and nursing homes.

2. Increased visibility of LGBTQ older adults, and 3. Programs to help members of our community make the necessary plans for aging.

The elders in our community may experience considerable anxiety, not just about aging, but also the new systems and structures they have to confront and conquer. Many fear having to come out again and deal with potential homophobia and transphobia from health care providers or caregivers. We don’t want members of our community to live in terror that they won’t get the access to health care they need, that they will be denied treatment, or that their pronouns won’t be respected. Though there may be administrators and service providers who specialize in serving aging communities, they may have knowledge gaps around the needs of queer older adults. Even the most experienced health care providers may not be as familiar with or skilled in creating affirming environments for LGBTQ elders. Without appropriate training and information, health care providers may perpetuate anti-LGBTQ bias, transphobia, or other microaggressions

12 COMMUNITY OCTOBER 13, 2023

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ OLEZZO

that undermine the dignity of our elders.

Regular training, technical assistance, and capacity building in senior communities, elder care environments, and health workers must be the norm and not the exception.

As an LGBTQ community, we cannot afford to be complicit in the erasure of our elders.

The lack of visibility of older adults in our community contributes to social isolation and the internalized ageism that may plague members of our community. Queer organizations, like all organizations, must not only create and constantly review policies related to supporting and affirming older adults, but also actively work to promote an age-inclusive environment. Combating ageism is not a social justice elective for LGBTQ movement organizations, it’s a requirement. This means being intentional about including images of older adults in marketing materials and social media content. Telling the stories and elevating images of Black and other LGBTQ elders

of color in particular is nothing less than revolutionary. Creating more images of older adults in our community does not only fight ageism; it also fights anti-LGBTQ stigma.

Anticipating the litany of vulnerabilities our queer elders might experience, especially LGBTQ elders of color, we must create and strengthen programs to help our community plan for old age. These may include sharing information on establishing living trusts, estate planning, crafting wills, and power of attorney.

Helping the elders and older adults in our community navigate the complex health, legal, and social systems that they have to grapple with is a queer justice issue. Effective immediately, and without any time to spare, programs must be developed to strengthen the infrastructure of our community institutions and organizations.

Pride Celebrations, LGBTQ advocacy groups, health organizations, and even businesses, must be more age inclusive. We must also continue to listen to the needs of elders in our community and work to eliminate barriers.

As we enter Atlanta’s Pride month and LGBTQ history month, it’s not enough that we count on the elders in our community to provide stories, oral histories, and institutional knowledge about the past. We must include our elders in addressing the present and building our community’s future. To only see the value of the older adults in our community in the context of past experiences, and not the potential for present and future contributions, is a form of dehumanization and further robs them of their humanity and robs us of their wisdom.

Our progress as a community should not be measured by the inclusion and representation of the most privileged among us, but the quality of life and sustained dignity of all of us, especially the older adults in our community.

Charles Stephens is the Founder and Executive Director of the Counter Narrative Project (CNP). His writings have appeared in: Nonprofit Quarterly, the AJC, Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Voice, and The Advocate.

Through his writing and leadership, Stephens has worked to unpack how the archives of our personal and collective memories serve not just as artifacts of our trauma, but can also provide critical blueprints for community joy, resilience and power.

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COMMUNITY

Kiss and Ride: New Queer Sex Shop Opening in Little Five Points It’s this emphasis on community collaboration and cooperation that is at the heart of Kiss and Ride. It will not only be a sex shop; it will be a safe space for community building, education, and joy.

Katie Burkholder A new feminist, queer-friendly, disabilityinclusive sexual wellness store will be opening in Little Five Points later this month.

“I wanted [Kiss and Ride] to be a place where I felt comfortable, where other people felt comfortable, not just coming in and buying something but creating community and learning from people,” Martin said. “In the current climate, it just feels like queer and trans people are getting fewer safe spaces to just be queer and trans together, have joyful moments, not be worried. The idea of the community space came from wanting to have that in the current community, and always being part of it, but over the past year, it seems even more important to create that safe space.”

Sarah Martin got the inspiration to open Kiss and Ride when they realized they were queer and experienced a dearth of queer sex education and resources to help them through their journey.

“Kiss and Ride really began as a selfish endeavor,” Martin told Georgia Voice. “I grew up in purity culture in the South and got married and knew nothing at all about sex. I realized I was queer and trans, and that opened a whole other door to what sex could look like, taking the focus off penetrative sex.

I had very little knowledge or experience, so Kiss and Ride came from the desire of wanting a place that I could go and learn and feel comfortable asking questions.”

Being a queer-centered shop will entail inventory selected with the transgender and queer community in mind as well as sexual education that does not ignore the existence of LGBTQ people, as most traditional sex education tends to.

“I’ve bought at least three different binders online that don’t actually fit me when they come,” Martin said. “So, I want a place where people can come in, actually see those toys in person, ask questions, learn together, and see if it works for them before spending $80 on something that might not benefit them in the long run.”

As a queer nonbinary person, Martin has their own knowledge and experience on which to draw to help decide what the queer community wants and needs in a sex

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The quest to be disability-inclusive will be an ever-evolving learning process, as Martin learned with Kiss and Ride’s latest fundraiser, Slippery When Wet, a queer lube wrestling event hosted in conjunction with Community Market Atlanta.

Kiss and Ride will open on October 22 at Liminal Space Collective, a radical community space of independent businesses at 483 Moreland Ave NE. Kiss and Ride will be joined by Mainline Zine; Coven Chiropractic; Pollen8, a retailer for plants and landscaping; Cult Bodywork, a massage and lymphatic drainage center; SYNCHRONIC. Haus, offering massage, reiki, and birth work; and neurofeedback therapy provider Wavelet Labs. The space for Kiss and Ride will be small — just under 300 square feet — but the hope is for small events and workshops to be hosted there, while larger events like Slippery When Wet will be hosted elsewhere in collaboration with other community organizations.

“We had an interpreter, but the seats we had weren’t very friendly for fat bodies like they should have been,” Martin said of the event.

“Learning from community feedback has been really helpful.”

To learn more about Kiss and Ride, visit kissandrideatl.com or follow them on Instagram @kissandrideatl. Learn more about Liminal Space Collective at liminalspaceatl.com.

Slippery When Wet event benefitting Kiss and Ride. PHOTO VIA INSTAGRAM shop. As an able-bodied person, however, they have needed to do ample research and consult disabled people to design the shop in a way that’s mindful of all bodies and abilities. This consists of floor plan decisions; the shop will not only adhere to but extend beyond Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The layout will allow for a five-foot turn radius everywhere throughout the store, and displays will be designed in a way that will prevent the threat of things being knocked over. This disability-inclusive approach will also be reflected in the inventory; along with hip harnesses, there will also be thigh and hand harnesses, as well as extenders

from TouchBot, which can extend the reach of dildos and dilators, making them easier to use.

THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM

COMMUNITY

LGBTQ Elders Need Specific Resources to Thrive Belmont Village Senior Living is an assisted living and memory care facility in Atlanta that provides “judgment-free” care, according to a list of LGBTQ Housing Options from AssistedLiving.com.

Luke Gardner The aging process looks different for everyone, and for queer people getting older can present specific challenges. Aging LGBTQ people need access to housing and healthcare that is both affordable and affirming, but discrimination and high prices make it difficult to achieve these basic needs. Following are some ways queer Georgians can tackle discrimination and overpricing in retirement, housing, and healthcare.

People seeking out LGBTQ+-friendly older adult living can narrow their decision by inquiring into if a facility has an antidiscrimination policy or any restrictions that could have a negative impact on same-sex couples or trans and gender nonconforming people.

Retirement

Queer people make less on average than our straight, cisgender peers, so it stands to reason that we also have less money saved for retirement, according to SAGE USA’s Retirement Guide for LGBTQ Americans.

PHOTO VIA PEXELS.COM

Healthcare

To combat this inequity, experts suggest queer people in the workforce start saving as early as possible and take advantage of employer 401K matches. For those in retirement, downsizing and relocation are recommended ways to cut costs.

At any stage of life, queer people need to be surrounded by supportive families and healthcare providers. Trans elders need caregivers who respect them and doctors who are well-versed in providing genderaffirming care, especially if the patient can’t communicate or advocate for themselves.

The main costs LGBTQ older adults incur are housing, transportation, food, and healthcare, according to debt.org, which offers a list of financial resources.

Queer and allied healthcare providers In Atlanta include Dr. Scott Parry at Intown Primary Care, the offices of T. Douglas Gurley and Dr. Erin Everett with AvitaCare Atlanta.

Older adults who need financial help can visit elderlyordisabledliving.com to apply for assistance grants to help with any bills, from housing to healthcare.

Older Georgians can find information on resources like Medicaid, assistance programs and COVID-19 vaccine boosters at georgiaadrc.com.

For a location-based directory of LGBTQfriendly doctors, visit outcarehealth.org/ outlist/. To find an LGBTQ therapist, visit psychologytoday.com/us/therapists and search for LGBTQ. For psychiatrists, visit psychologytoday.com/us/psychiatrists and search for LGBTQ.

Perhaps most helpful is the State Resources for Seniors in Georgia packet provided by payingforseniorcare.com. The document details Medicaid, Medicare, the community care services program, cash assistance programs, housing repair programs and food assistance programs like Meals on Wheels.

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Unfortunately, healthcare discrimination is a reality for some queer older adults. Some go back in the closet to avoid judgment from peers in retirement homes and others may have care providers who are misinformed or even prejudiced.

People who experience discrimination in healthcare can file a complaint with the

institution’s Patient Relations Department. The Human Rights Campaign lists potential actions if someone experiences discrimination.

Queer adults at any age with unsupportive families should consider who will be in charge of their medical care should they lose cognitive function or the ability to communicate.

Due to price and location, several elders might not have a choice in where they stay. In these cases especially, it is advised that older adults and their families educate themselves on their rights. The Human Rights Watch guide to the rights of nursing home residents outlines some of these rights, including the right to fair treatment, appropriate care and bodily autonomy.

Asheville attorney Diane Walton explained to the Campaign for Southern Equality in 2014 that getting a healthcare power of attorney is vital to LGBTQ people estranged from close family.

Georgians in older adult living facilities who feel their rights are being violated can contact the office of State Long Term Care Ombudsman Melanie McNeil at (404) 657-5327. Ombudsmen are government employees tasked with investigating complaints of wrongdoing. Georgia’s long-term care ombudsman program is specifically for older adults and people with disabilities living in community care homes.

“Your spouse, partner, family of choice, or friends can be kept from visiting you at the hospital and being informed of your prognosis or death,” Walton told the Campaign for Southern Equality. “It’s possible to receive treatment you do not want, be placed at a facility you do not like, or be treated by physicians you wouldn’t choose.”

The Long-Term Care Equality Index created by the Human Rights Campaign and SAGE lists various older adult housing in Georgia as LGBTQ-friendly, including The Villas in Rome, Cedar Heights in Cedartown, Laurel’s Edge in Kennesaw, Winding Hollow in Winder, Athena Gardens in Athens and Magnolia Grove in Jackson.

Housing

For a general list of resources on aging while LGBTQ, visit the Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders (SAGE) website at lgbtagingcenter.org/. For any questions or concerns, from crises to casual conversation, queer elders can call SAGE’s 24/7 Hotline in English or Spanish at 877-360-LGBT(5428).

LGBTQ-specific housing options can be hard to come by, so it’s important for older adults and those who care for them to be familiar with which care facilities prioritize diversity and inclusion.

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Join us at the Atlanta Pride Parade on October 15, 2023, and at our Pride Night Game vs the Orlando Magic on Jan. 17, 2024.

Get a special ticket offer with custom hat at Hawks.com/pride

@ATLHawks | #TrueToAtlanta | Hawks.com | StateFarmArena.com

COMMUNITY

REMEMBERING

Sheila Merritt Katie Burkholder

Last month, Atlanta lost a fierce advocate for and member of the LGBTQ community. Sheila Merritt passed away on September 17 at the age of 58 after surgery for a sudden illness.

Originally from Michigan, Sheila was well known and loved in Atlanta for her work with the LGBTQ community.

Along with her professional endeavors as marketing manager for various prominent institutions, like the Georgia International Convention Center and Gateway Center Arena, she worked for a decade as project manager for Q&A Events, which represented Atlanta Pride.

Sheila was engaged with her community as president of the Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce as well as president of the Jefferson Park Neighbors Association.

Her advocacy earned her the title of Atlanta Pride Grand Marshal in 2014, and she often used her platforms to speak fiercely about and advocate for queer rights and racial justice. Sheila was an advocate not only for the LGBTQ community, but “for any underserved community,” Suzanne Baugh, her friend and former business partner, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Anyone who needed help, just anyone, she was there.”

“Tomorrow is June 1, which marks the start of Pride month,” Sheila wrote on Facebook

18 COMMUNITY OCTOBER 13, 2023

in 2020. “Y’all know why?! Because we all mark the Stonewall Uprising as the beginning of the modern liberation for the LGBTQIAA++ movement. ’Uprising’ is a vanilla-washed synonym for RIOT … Black people have HAD ENOUGH. Get on board — or take your privilege and go sit the fuck down and shut the hell up. The rest of us have actual work to do.”

Sheila is survived by her wife, Andria “A.T.” Towne, their son Max Greene, grandson Rowan, and fur babies Cuervo and Sake, along with her sister Sue Sharp and her partner Ron Goshen; sister-in-law Cindy Towne; niece Katie Towne and her partner Chris Denham; and nephew and niece-inlaw Steve and Rebecca Sharp, as well as their three children.

Sheila’s life and light touched everyone around her, and her death left a hole that will be impossible to fill.

“For those of you who didn’t know, Sheila and A.T. were one of my very first clients when I had my cleaning company during the early years of my transition,” Gabriella Claiborne, the co-founder of Transformation Journeys Worldwide, an inclusion training and consulting firm with a transgender focus, wrote on Facebook after learning of Sheila’s passing. “They were a big reason why I, a fragile and fledgling person at that time, was not only able to experience what it was like to be accepted

Sheila Merritt COURTESY PHOTO as my authentic self, but to also be able to earn a living as the woman I was becoming.

As a result of being in their home every month for the next four years, they became family to me. And when Sheila extended an invitation to join her and their family for Thanksgiving that year (because I was not welcome by my own), our relationship took on a new meaning … I can’t even begin to express the love and gratitude that I have for them. The beautiful thing is, I’m just one of many stories like mine.”

“14 years ago we bought our first home in our beloved Jefferson Park, and within one year I began to know what community was all about,” Brian D. Frey, a realtor and

close friend of Sheila’s, wrote on Facebook.

“I dove right in to volunteering, leadership, city involvement … you inspired me, mentored me, uplifted me and showed me what giving back was all about. Your guidance and counsel, support and encouragement along with your never ending smile set me on a course of community involvement that lives in me to this very day … Your remarkable character, never ending advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community and for humankind itself was a testament to everything you stood for and who you were.”

You can plant Memorial Trees in honor of Sheila’s life and legacy by visiting donehoolewisfuneralhome.com/obituary/sheila-merritt.

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PRIDE

The Ultimate

Pride Guide

Welcome to Atlanta Pride! We’re so happy you’re here celebrating Atlanta’s diverse and beautiful LGBTQ community. Being at the largest Pride festival in the Southeast may feel overwhelming – how do you keep up with everything that’s going on this weekend?! That’s where we come in with the ultimate guide to everything you need to know to enjoy this weekend to the fullest! Check out all the info you’ll find in this issue, from the best parties to the parade schedule and everything in between.

Meet This Year’s Grand Marshals: Page 24-28 Daytime Pride Events: Page 32-33 20 Things to Do in Atlanta: Page 36-37 Pride Shopping Guide: Page 40 Entertainment Lineup and Schedule: Page 42 March and Parade Schedule: Page 46 Pride Safety and Etiquette Tips: Page 48 Pride Weekend Nightlife: Page 78-80

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SABRINA BRACHER

22 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

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PRIDE

The 2023 Grand Marshals for Atlanta Pride PHOTO BY RUSSELL BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD

Atlanta Pride 2023’s Grand Marshals Katie Burkholder With Atlanta Pride comes a new batch of Grand Marshals, nominated by Atlanta’s LGBTQ community as notable advocates and chosen by the Atlanta Pride Committee members.

“This year’s Grand Marshals are a diverse and powerful representation of metro Atlanta’s LGBTQ community,” said APC Executive Director Chris McCain. “From politics to media, community services and entertainment, our Grand Marshals are welldeserving, and we can’t wait to watch them Show Out in this year’s parade.”

As in years past, this year’s Grand Marshals

24 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

will be honored by marching during the Atlanta Pride parade, which steps off on Sunday, October 15 at noon. In preparation for the parade, meet this year’s diverse and impressive lineup of Grand Marshals making a difference in Atlanta’s LGBTQ community.

Danielle Bonanno

Danielle Bonanno is the founder and CoExecutive Director of Inclusive Recovery Athens, a recovery community organization based in Athens. Inclusive Recovery Athens provides the queer community with a safe and stigma-free place to recover from substance misuse and other mental health challenges. Danielle has dedicated her life to bridging the gap between the queer

community and the recovery community, educating addiction professionals on how to serve LGBTQ populations in a traumainformed and culturally affirming way.

Beyond her role at Inclusive Recovery Athens, Bonanno is also the President of Athens Pride and Queer Collective, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equity, affirmation, diversity, and wellness for queer people through outreach, social connection, and education. Bonanno was part of a collaborative group — the likes of which included Cameron Harrelson, President Emeritus of Athens Pride; Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz; and Commissioner Mariah Parker — that advocated for the official recognition of Trans Day of Remembrance as a local holiday.

Along with now being named an Atlanta Pride 2023 Grand Marshal, Danielle has also been honored as one of the top 10 leaders under 40 in Athens-Clarke County by the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce, as well as being named one of the six LGBTQ leaders in the world to know by Georgia Voice earlier this year.

Aubri Escalera

Aubri Escalera is a Legislative Aide and LGBTQ Liaison for the office of out State Rep. Park Cannon. As a Mexican trans Latina, she is also the co-founder and volunteer member of Trans Power in Diversity, an emerging

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PRIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 24 grassroots organization with a mission of creating an environment of healing, leadership, empowerment, and development where the trans community can learn crucial skills for their own sustainability to combat employment and financial discrimination.

She is also a member of the TGX360 Advisory Committee for OUT Georgia. TGX360, founded in 2021, is an employment and entrepreneurship initiative created by and for Georgia’s transgender and gender nonconforming communities. TGX360 advances economic equity for trans and gender nonconforming Georgians by providing fullservice support, programming, and solutions to individuals on their employment and entrepreneurship journeys.

Escalera is also an advocate for asylum seekers, with a focus on improving the living conditions of transgender and gender nonconforming communities by advocating for the implementation of laws that ensure equity and fair opportunities regardless of gender identity or citizenship status. She also works extensively to protect voting rights, especially in our most marginalized communities, and promotes the importance of voting and protecting our democracy.

All-1-Family

All-1-Family was born from the vision of director Abeke Baker, LMFT, and other mental health professionals. While working in various inpatient and communitybased settings providing comprehensive mental health services (crisis intervention, assessments and psychotherapy), Baker realized that although LGBTQ people sought mental health services, many fell short of finding a provider who was affirming of, empathetic to, and nonjudgmental of their experiences.

All-1-Family provides mental and behavioral health services to LGBTQ people — services that include coordinating mental health and community support services, couples’ counseling, group therapy, individual counseling, life skills, and family counseling, in the hopes of providing a sense of family, home, and belonging.

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Clockwise from top left: Danielle Bonanno, founder and Co-Executive Director of Inclusive Recovery Athens; Aubri Escalera, Legislative Aide and LGBTQ Liaison for the office of out State Rep. Park Cannon; Jim Farmer, director of Out On Film; and Abeke Baker, director of All-1-Family PHOTOS BY RUSSELL BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD All-1-Family believes in providing holistic care, treating both minds and bodies, individuals and family units. They work from multiple perspectives or lenses to provide individualized and person-centered treatment. The most prominent therapeutic approaches are a trauma-informed CBT, CBT, DBT, narrative, strategic family therapy and structural family therapy. They also provide educational services, including ADHD/social skills training, school visits, safe zone training, employee sensitivity training, and more.

The organization’s mission is twofold: to provide affordable, low-cost counseling services for all LGBTQ people and their allies and to function as a bridge to connect the gap between LGBTQ folks who are interested in counseling with a professional

who will affirm them.

Jim Farmer

Jim Farmer has served as the director of Out On Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ film festival, for the last 15 years. He has helped lead the organization to become one of the major LGBTQ film festivals in the country, even earning the festival Oscar qualifications.

Earlier this year, Out On Film was named as the top film festival in the nation by the readers of USA Today/10Best.

Farmer is also an arts journalist who has covered queer arts for Georgia Voice and its predecessor Southern Voice for the last 25 years. Last year, he won writing awards from the Association of LGBTQ Journalists and the National Arts and

Entertainment Journalism Awards, and he was also nominated for the Online Journalist of the Year Award by the latter.

Named as the 2019 Businessman of the Year by the Out Georgia Business Alliance, Farmer has also been named to Atlanta Magazine’s Atlanta 500 Most Powerful City Leaders list in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. He is also an ambassador for the Out Georgia Business Alliance and was on the Atlanta Hawks LGBTQ Pride Council.

Sergio Mendez

Sergio Mendez is the community investment manager and member of the advocacy team

CONTINUES ON PAGE 26 OCTOBER 13, 2023 PRIDE 25

PRIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 for the Latino Community Fund Georgia, a nonprofit membership organization supporting Latinx/Hispanic communities in Georgia. All members are Latinx-led, Latinxgoverned, and Latinx-serving community organizations that are focused on growing the community’s rights, awareness, education, and access to opportunities. LCF is dedicated to advancing people’s democracy, protecting and building community, and facilitating economic opportunity.

A first-generation college graduate of immigrant parents, Mendez is also a member of the U.S. Army, in which he works as an intelligence analyst and linguist, and he previously worked with organizations dedicated to helping fellow students and service members.

Voices of Note

Voices of Note, which includes the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and Atlanta Women’s Chorus, passionately advocates for diversity, acceptance, and positive change through music.

A commitment to embracing diversity serves as the cornerstone of its mission. Voices of Note creates a safe and inclusive haven where LGBTQ individuals and allies can unite in their shared love for music. The two choruses magnificently showcase the broad spectrum of LGBTQ identities, fostering a vibrant tapestry that reflects the community's richness and diversity.

Their choral performances wield profound symbolism, standing as powerful tributes to identity, unity, and resilience. Through their performances, they inspire audiences to embrace their uniqueness and celebrate differences, instilling a sense of pride and self-acceptance.

Voices of Note has several upcoming performances this year, including a Halloween show on October 27 and 28, the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus 43rd Annual Holiday Show on December 1 and 2, and Holiday Memories, a show featuring favorites from previous holiday shows, on December 16. Next year, you can

26 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Clockwise from top left: Sergio Mendez, community investment manager and member of the advocacy team for the Latino Community Fund Georgia; Jon Santos has been in HIV/AIDS fundraising and events in Atlanta for 26 years, 17 of which have been spent at AID Atlanta; and Voices of Note, which includes the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and Atlanta Women’s Chorus. PHOTOS BY RUSSELL BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD expect Sugar and Spice, a show embracing everything from fairy-tale princesses to Broadway villains, on March 23; and Phoenix Rising, a show exploring what it means to call Atlanta home, on June 1.

In the future, Voices of Note plans to continue sharing diverse perspectives, inspiring audiences, and using its platform to champion acceptance and equality.

Jon Santos

Jon Santos is part native Hawaiian, born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii, and has been in HIV/AIDS fundraising and events in Atlanta for 26 years, 17 of which have been spent at AID Atlanta, the Southeast’s oldest and one of the largest and most

comprehensive AIDS service organizations.

While with the organization, Santos has produced seven AIDS Walk Atlanta campaigns and successfully transitioned from producer to beneficiary. He currently serves as Director of Fundraising and Events.

In addition to AID Atlanta, Santos worked at The NAMES Project Foundation AIDS Memorial Quilt, Atlanta Interfaith AIDS Network, and Jerusalem House. He has been active with Joining Hearts for more than 20 years, starting as a volunteer in the bag check room and rising to board president, and patron and advisory counsel. Santos has also volunteered with AV200, the Toy Party, Front Runners, Atlanta Pride Run, among others by providing fundraising and

development advice, training, and special event counsel.

Jennifer Slipakoff

Jen Slipakoff came into her advocacy work when her daughter transitioned at the age of four.

“I would do anything to protect [my daughter Allie] and give her the brightest future possible,” Slipakoff said in a blog post for Georgia Unites Against Discrimination.

“I also know she’ll face many challenges in the years ahead, and I worry about how the heated rhetoric in this ongoing debate over transgender equality will impact her.”

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VOICES OF NOTE PRESENTS

DR. MELIS SA ARASI , CON DUC TOR

OCTOBER 27 & 28 2023 – 2024 SEASON

Fri @ 7PM || Sat @ 2PM

Druid Hills Prebyterian Church | 1026 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE, Atlanta

SPONSORED BY

T I C K E T S A N D M O R E AT : V O I C E S O F N O T E . O R G

Funding for this program provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

Funding for this program provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs.

TICKETS START AT:

20

$

$30.00 for Adults, Kids under 12 free

PRIDE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26 In her quest to advocate for Allie and others like her, Slipakoff is a member of the Human Rights Campaign National Board of Governors and recently served as co-chair for HRC’s Atlanta Steering committee. She currently leads HRC’s volunteers in political action work in Georgia.

In addition to her involvement with HRC, Slipakoff served as the co-president for the PFLAG metro Atlanta chapter and has been recognized by several advocacy organizations for her work creating positive change in Georgia. In 2018, Jen was the Democratic nominee in the race for state representative for Georgia’s 36th House District and was the only Democrat to run in that district for more than 30 years.

When not working as a political consultant, Slipakoff spends her time speaking both locally and around the country about the importance and value of the LGBTQ community.

Georgia Voice

We at the Georgia Voice are honored to be a 2023 Atlanta Pride Grand Marshal.

We are the premier media outlet for the LGBTQ community in Atlanta and the Southeast. Georgia Voice has proven to be indispensable to our readers since our launch in March 2010, following our predecessor Southern Voice. In addition to two print issues a month that span a myriad of themes like travel, arts, mental health, sports, politics, and more, we also produce “Destination: Gay Atlanta,” the city’s official LGBTQ travel guide, in partnership with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Georgia Voice is a sponsor of many LGBTQ events in the city, including Atlanta Pride and Out On Film. In our 13-year history, we have produced 300 issues and over three million pages.

Georgia Voice currently consists of Tim Boyd as principal/publisher, Rob Boeger as art director, Katie Burkholder as editor, Dixon Taylor, Jim Brams, and Russell Bowen Youngblood in sales, and a talented team of regular contributors: Cliff Bostock, Jim Farmer, Melissa Carter, Ryan Lee, Maria Helena Dolan, Divine Ikpe, Sukainah Abid-

28 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Clockwise from top: Georgia Voice is the premier media outlet for the LGBTQ community in Atlanta and the Southeast; Toni-Michelle Williams is an autotheorist, performance artist, embodied leadership/somatics coach, and executive director of Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative; and Jen Slipakoff came into her advocacy work when her daughter transitioned at the age of four. PHOTOS BY RUSSELL BOWEN-YOUNGBLOOD Kons, Luke Gardner, Adalei Stevens, Mars Stone, and Hunter Buchheit.

We are passionate about serving the LGBTQ community and celebrating the diversity of our many stories, and we are grateful to the community for its unwavering support.

Toni-Michelle Williams

queer communities. The organization was founded in 2013 in response to an ordinance that the City of Atlanta was considering that would ban sex work in the city. Recognizing that this ordinance would disproportionately impact Black trans Atlantans, Williams and other founding members decided to create a community initiative to help support and protect that community.

Toni-Michelle Williams is an auto-theorist, performance artist, embodied leadership/ somatics coach, and executive director of Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative, which was named Georgia Voice’s 2022 Organization of the Year.

Grounded in humor and joy, Williams is a celebrated community organizer in prison abolition/ criminal justice reform issues and leadership development for Black transgender, LGBQ people, sex workers, people living with HIV, and Black youth.

With a mission statement of “fighting for everybody in Atlanta — even when they don’t fight for us,” SnapCo. is a Black transled organization building safety within Black

“My offering has truly been around developing leaders in Atlanta,” she told Georgia Voice in 2020. “Black, trans, queer folk, young folk, sex workers — really

creating opportunities for them to practice being in their bodies, being ‘leaderful,’ and offering opportunities for them to do that.”

Williams has co-led citywide campaigns that have incubated the Atlanta Pre-Arrest Diversion Initiative, cannabis reform, sex worker protections, closing down the Atlanta City Detention Center, and police accountability for the families of Alexia Christian, DeAundre Phillips, TeeTee Dangerfield, and Rayshard Brooks.

“For me, being chosen as a Grand Marshal is more than an honor; it’s a reminder of the power of resilience and unity,” Williams said of the honor. “Atlanta Pride represents our unwavering commitment to creating a safer, more inclusive Atlanta. Together, we’re turning dreams into realities, showing up and showing out one fabulous step at a time.”

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© Pirkle Jones, The Last Memorial Day, 1956, © Regents of the University of California, Courtesy of Special Collections & Archives. University Library, U.C. Santa Cruz. Ruth-Marion Baruch and Pirkle Jones Photographs and Papers.

DOROTHEA LANGE & PIRKLE JONES: Death of a Valley November 11, 2023 through June 9, 2024

Pride PRIDE

Beyond the Park: What’s Happening This Weekend?

Katie Burkholder

Every year, Atlanta celebrates the LGBTQ community in Piedmont Park with the annual festival and parade – but Atlanta Pride is so much more than that. From drag brunches to day parties, check out what’s happening this weekend beyond the vendors and marches (you can find the best parties and other nighttime events happening this weekend on page 78).

FRIDAY

and love! Experience the harmonious blend of LGBTQ composers’ creations and cherished gay anthems. Tickets via Eventbrite.

Pride on the Square 6pm Colony Square Kick off Pride weekend in the Plaza with emcee Brigitte Bidet. Experience thrilling live performances, get special swag, grab a drink, and dance to tunes from DJ Yvonne Monet!

Learn more at go.colonysquare.com/pride.

Atlanta Pride in Strings: Atlanta Pride Shabbat LGBTQ Composer Melodies and Anthems 6:30pm 6pm Millennium Gate Museum

Bring your own blanket or chair to enjoy this outdoor concert celebrating unity, diversity,

The Dock at Piedmont Park

This free event is hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta in Partnership with SOJOURN.

Brigitte Bidet emcees Pride on the Square. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

Atlanta Pride Kickoff Party 7pm Georgia Aquarium Enjoy drinks, sea creatures, and music from Hollywood superstar DJ Dawna Montell (Los Angeles), circuit icon DJ David Knapp (Atlanta) and DJ Brian Rojas (Atlanta).

Tickets at atlantapride.org.

Noon Meadow at Piedmont Park

SATURDAY October 14, 8am Mercedes-Benz USA Stage at Piedmont Park

“You Need to Calm Down” ATL Pride and Taylor Swift Party

Show Up and Show Out for an all-levels yoga class on the lawn with live music and instruction from Kashi Atlanta.

Camp Pride Drag Brunch 11am and 2pm Mrs. P’s Bar and Kitchen at the Wylie Hotel

32 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Drag Story Hour Bring your friends and family to enjoy stories, face painting, and lots of fun! Drag Story Hour Atlanta invites you to Show Up & Show Out for performer Shi, who will host this free reading.

Pride Yoga

Atlanta Pride Kickoff Party at the Georgia Aquarium. FILE PHOTO

will benefit Camp Brave Trails, a leadershipfocused summer camp for LGBTQ youth.

Expect a lineup of dazzling drag, joyful lipsync battles, electrifying dance numbers, and hilarious comedy acts from Parton Waters, Jaye Lish, EllaSaurus Rex, Mary Lou Pearl, and DJ Neon Horror – plus a costume extravaganza! This event – which will have two different seatings at 11am and 2pm –

Noon New Realm Brewing This one’s for the Swifties! Enjoy friendship bracelet making, a costume contest, vendor market, specialty cocktails, and T-Swift tunes from DJ Kyd Kong.

Shooting Stars Cabaret 4:30pm Mercedes-Benz USA Stage at Piedmont Park Hosted by Mona Lott, this incredible drag show will feature Ah’Ryese Iman Van Michaels,

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PRIDE

$200

per person

A New Way to Symphony!

A Group for LGBTQ+ & Friends

Member Events SEP 30 | Sat: 7:30pm

PIEDMONT PARK Concert (Kick-off Party) OCT 7 | Sat: 8pm

NATHALIE STUTZMANN Conducts Tchaikovsky NOV 30 | Thu: 8pm

JOHN WILLIAMS The Five Sacred Trees

Sasha Colby comes to ATL. PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 32 Alabama, Aries Alxndr, Canzara SZN, Celeste Sinclair Dupree, Chucky DeVille, Conchita Bimbo, Deacon Slanders, Linsey Popapill, Majik Cassedine, Meetya Makuh, Mrs. Ivana, Nia Simone, oLvR Face, Parton Waters, Queen Essence Hall, Shi, and Trene M Iman.

SUNDAY

HRC Atlanta Pride Brunch 10am Casa Almenara Celebrate 20 years of the Atlanta Pride Brunch with the Human Rights Campaign with delicious Mexican food and an open bar!

Doors open at 10am, the bar opens at 11am, and brunch begins at noon. Tickets at hrc.org.

The Big Atlanta Drag Brunch Presents Sasha Colby 11:30am Southern Exchange Ballrooms Experience a delicious all-you-can-eat brunch alongside performances by “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Sasha Colby, Brigitte Bidet, Drew Friday, JayBella Banks, Michael Robinson, and Stlla Pearl Fontaine. The brunch buffet will be

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served from 11:30am to 2pm before the show starts at 2:30pm. Tickets at wussymag.com.

Coyote Queer Day Party 3pm My Sister’s Room

InUNISON was founded to celebrate and engage the richly diverse community of our city, bringing people together in harmony, including LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Members attend a series of fun social events that are connected to concerts where you can gather with your friends in the LGBTQ+ community to share in artistic offerings comprised of musicians, composers, conductors, vocalists, and presenters from underrepresented communities.

Member Benefits

Four exclusive InUNISON events paired with ASO concerts.

MAR 24 | Sun: 3pm

CARMINA BURANA MAY 18 | Sat: 8pm

ROBERT SPANO + Rite of Spring

Food, drink and concert ticket included.

Four additional complimentary tickets to select Delta Classical Series concerts.

20% discount on additional select Delta Classical performances.

Complimentary access to the 2023/24 Behind the Curtain virtual concert series.

Pre-sale access to Symphony Hall LIVE, outdoor and special concerts.

Featuring DJ Nasty.

Starlight Cabaret

7:15pm Coca-Cola Main Stage at Piedmont Park

The largest outdoor drag show in the Southeast will close out Pride weekend with performance by Lala Ri, Mr Charlie Brown, Lena Lust, Brigitte Bidet, Cici Nicole, Destiny Brooks, Raquel Rea Heart, Coco Iman Star, Taejah Thomas, Mona Lott, Pryncess Carter, The Gurls, Mr. Elle Aye, EllaSaurus Rex, Aspen York, Drew Friday, Ivy Fischer, Extasy Grey, Tania Deupree Ochoa, and the Dragnificent 2023 winner, all hosted by Phoenix.

AFTER THE WEEKEND ENDS

Sign Up Today at

aso.org/ unison

Morning Party Monday, 7am Heretic

Featuring Deanne and Martin Fry. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

923-aMISC-Georgia Voice InUnison.indd 1

2:06 PM OCTOBER 13,9/14/23 2023 PRIDE 33

CELEBRATE with PRIDE in

DECATUR HAMPTON INN and SUITES

CHURCH STREET IN DOWNTOWN DECATUR BOHO 115

Decatur is home to Best of Atlanta picks for pasta, oysters, Indian street food, tapas, cocktails and more.

COURTYARD

by MARRIOTT

LEON’S FULL SERVICE

Make it a stay!

VISITORS CENTER 113 Clairemont Ave., Decatur 30030 | visitdecaturga.com

Visit thirsty and enjoy buzz-worthy cocktail programs and local craft brews.

Book a room downtown – steps away from local shops, restaurants, live music and MARTA access.

PRIDE

Your Weekend in Atlanta: WHAT TO DO WHILE YOU’RE HERE

neighboring Centennial Olympic Park, there truly is no better and more convenient spot for a touristy day trip. Put your walking shoes on and spend the day strolling through these three uber-fun and educational attractions.

Katie Burkholder Welcome to Atlanta, y’all! We’re so happy to have you here for our fabulous Pride festival!

With the festival, parade, and myriad Pride parties happening this weekend, there is no shortage of things to do. But if you’re in the city and looking to explore some more, here are 20 of our recommendations for making the most of your trip to the ATL (and if you’re looking for more, be sure to check out Destination Gay Atlanta, our annual guide to everything you need to know about our city).

9. Ride the SkyView Ferris wheel While you’re near Centennial Olympic Park, you’ve gotta take a ride on the SkyView.

Towering nearly 20 stories above Downtown Atlanta, a ride in one of the Ferris wheel’s 42 climate-controlled and private gondolas will offer a breathtaking panoramic view of the city. Enhance the experience in a VIP gondola, boasting Ferrari-style seats, a glass floor, and longer flight time.

1. Visit the rainbow crosswalk You can’t come to Atlanta Pride and not get a picture at our rainbow crosswalk! While at the park, head over to the intersection of 10th and Piedmont — only a five-minute walk away — to snap a pic. Bonus: while you’re there, stop by the LGBTQ-owned Boy Next Door Menswear to pick up something sexy to wear for Pride.

2. Pick up a book at Charis Books and More A visit to Charis will take you all the way out to Decatur — about a 25-minute drive from Piedmont Park — but it’s worth the trek.

Charis is the oldest independent feminist bookstore in the South, and it has an exquisite collection of queer literature available. Don’t have the time to stop in? Order a souvenir online at charisbooksandmore.com!

3. Visit the Botanical Garden While you’re at Piedmont Park, you have to make a stop at the incredible Botanical Garden. A $27 ticket will get you access to stunning botanical sculptures, lush gardens, impressive water features, a collection of Dale Chihuly glass sculptures, skyline views, and so much more. Strolling through the

36 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

10. Walk the BeltLine Atlanta’s Rainbow Crosswalk PHOTO BY ROB BOEGER botanical garden is the perfect way to spend a sunny day.

4. Have lunch on Henry’s patio Looking for the perfect spot for a bite to eat and to enjoy the beautiful Atlanta weather? Look no further than Henry’s Midtown Tavern, the lesbian-owned favorite of LGBTQ Atlanta.

Only two blocks away from Piedmont Park, Henry’s offers a delicious menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and more!

5. Have dinner at Campagnolo Owned by Maureen Kalmanson — also the owner of Henry’s — Campagnolo is a mustvisit if you’re looking for a delicious and intimate Italian dinner. We recommend the lasagna — you won’t regret it!

6. Play mini-golf on the Ponce City Market roof What sounds more fun than enjoying classic carnival games and cocktails while basking

in view of Atlanta’s stunning skyline? If that sounds amazing to you, the Roof at Ponce City Market is where you want to be. It’s a great place to bring kids, but be aware: it’s 21+ after 7pm (where it becomes a great place to avoid kids!).

7. Go to a Dragalicious Brunch What better way to spend a weekend afternoon than with a drag brunch? Lips puts on the best in the biz — we’re talking glamorous décor, drag queen servers, the most incredible chicken and waffles, and bottomless mimosas. Go at 1:30pm on Saturday to see Mr. Charlie Brown host and 11:30am and 2pm on Sunday for Taejah Thomas.

8. Spend the day at the downtown tourism trifecta With the World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, and the Center for Civil and Human Rights all in the same plaza

Just looking to go for a stroll through the city?

Avoid traffic and crazy drivers by opting for the BeltLine. This paved trail surrounds the heart of Atlanta with a variety of entrances around the city, making it an easily accessible way to take a walk on a beautiful day.

11. Go shopping at Little Five Points This funky and walkable neighborhood is a perfect spot for a day trip. Grab some secondhand treasures at Rag-O-Rama, Clothing Warehouse, and Psycho Sisters; records at Criminal Records and Waxn-Facts; and crystals and tarot cards at Crystal Blue. Finish the day with a slice at Savage Pizza, sushi at Thai 5, or a burger at Corner Tavern.

12. Get dessert and coffee at Café Intermezzo Nestled right in the heart of Midtown, Café Intermezzo is a must-visit for nonnatives.

When you step inside, you’ll be transported to another time and place. The Venetian-style

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PRIDE

MEN HAVING BABIES SURROGACY CONFERENCE FOR GAY MEN

ATLANTA FEBRUARY 23-25, 2024

The High Museum COURTESY PHOTO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36

it a pocket of nature in the bustling city.

décor is breathtaking, the dim, warm lighting is intimate, and the cakes are to die for.

17. Take photos on the Jackson Street Bridge

13. Get drinks at the Garden Room If you’re looking for a classy night out, you will not want to pass up on the Garden Room.

As the name suggests, the greenhouse-like structure is filled to the rafters with flowers, creating a truly stunning atmosphere to enjoy creative cocktails and scrumptious light bites.

14. Visit Ansley Square The gay heart of the city, Ansley Square is home to LGBTQ Atlanta’s favorite businesses: Felix’s, Oscar’s Bar, Barking Leather, Brushstrokes Pleasures, and the Atlanta Eagle.

15. Visit the High Museum Atlanta’s premier art museum offers a stunning collection of paintings and sculptures spanning centuries, media, and styles. The temporary exhibits on display during Pride weekend include In the City of Light: Paris, 1850-1920; A Long Arc: Photography and the American South since 1845; and Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature.

16. Hike Doll’s Head Trail at Constitution Lakes Park It’s an easy, relaxing hike through the gorgeous Atlanta forest with a twist: the trail is lined with found-object art. Old doll’s heads, toys, and other trash-turned-treasures are made into silly, tongue-in-cheek folk art.

The hike also spans boardwalks over wetlands and the marshy Constitution Lakes, making

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For a long time, the view from the Jackson Street Bridge was a secret among those in the know. Now, it’s well known as THE place to get the most incredible view of the Downtown Atlanta skyline. It may be difficult to find somewhere to park nearby, but once you get there, the view (especially at night) will be well worth the effort.

Learn about medical, legal, social and emotional aspects of surrogecy Socialize and with other gay dads Consult with surrogacy professionals Understand the financial assistance and resources available for gay men

menhavingbabies.org/atlanta

18. Have a photo shoot in Krog Street Tunnel There is no tunnel quite like the one on Krog Street, connecting the eclectic Inman Park and Cabbagetown neighborhoods.

That’s because the entire tunnel is filled with an ever-changing urban campus of graffiti.

Not only is the tunnel covered with DIY art, but the surrounding area also includes citycommissioned murals, which makes this area prime for Instagram content.

19. Get trippy at the Museum of Illusions This brand-new attraction is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of rooms and exhibits dedicated to the magic of optical illusions!

Enter a world where nothing is quite as it seems and experience the unbelievable.

20. Be transported at Illuminarium What better way to enjoy a cocktail than in space? At Illuminarium, you can experience the extraordinary thanks to 4K laser projection, audio beams, in-floor haptics, and even scent! Experiences include an intergalactic foray, a safari adventure, and an immersive adventure into Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland.

Men Having Babies is a nonprofit organization serving the gay community and is not affiliated with any surrogacy agency, fertility clinic, law firm or other surrogacy professional.

OCTOBER 13, 2023 PRIDE 37

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S E A S O N

PRIDE NIGHTS are back!

25% OFF with code PRIDE25

All Tuesday performances. Not valid on previously purchased tickets.

Rigoletto

Nov 7, 2023 @ 7:30pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

La bohème

Jan 23, 2024 @ 7:30pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Mar 5, 2024 @ 7:30pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Die Walküre

Apr 30, 2024 @ 6:30pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Michael Shapiro’s

The Movie Opera Oct 28, 2023 @ 8pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

FRANKENSTEIN’S

Grave Rave Free to Ticketholders immediately following the performance!

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ut !

O ls k ar ea Pe Br ur Yo

North American Premiere February 9–17, 2024 With the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra

“…portrays the essence of the designer’s life — a story of fashion and defiance.”

—Hong Kong VOGUE

Tickets on sale now! atlantaballet.com Presenting Underwriter: The Carlos Family Foundation

Hong Kong Ballet’s Ye Feifei Photo by SWKit, courtesy of Hong Kong Ballet.

PRIDE

Pride

SHOPPING GUIDE Katie Burkholder

B

A. Official Atlanta Pride Merch

Rock the official Atlanta Pride 2023 theme, Show Up and Show Out! Get it in a variety of styles and colors, and even customize the font with your personal Pride flag colors – whether lesbian, bisexual, trans, pan, or the classic rainbow! Starting at $25, atlantapride.org

C

B. Rainbow Atlanta Hat

Rep both your Pride and your city! This embroidered hat is simple, sleek, and makes a strong statement: Atlanta is for everyone! $35, stupidhats on Etsy

A

C. Nike Air Max 97 Be True

Express yourself with this gorgeous Nike sneakers.

Nostalgic hues pull inspiration from Pride flags while incorporating a vintage flair as a nod to LGBTQ history. Removeable charms and a customizable tongue allow you to own your looks and be true to who you are. $180, nike.com

D. Loot Bag Tee

It’s something that’s crossed all of our minds: what if Freddy Krueger and Jason Vorhees were lovers? The fantasy comes to life in this hilarious t-shirt, which perfectly celebrates October as both Pride and spooky season. $32.99, Boy Next Door Menswear; 1000 Piedmont Ave. NE Ste. A; boynextdoormenswear.com.

E D

E. Atlanta Pride Fan

Let’s get real: you CAN’T show up to Pride without a clack fan. Stay cool during the balmy Atlanta fall and look cool by rocking the iconic Atlanta skyline, all lit up in rainbows. $24.95, Boy Next Door Menswear

F. C*nt Fanny Pack

A fanny pack is a must-have at Pride, but the wrong one will have you serving more elderly tourist than glamorous cuntress. Set those concerns aside and choose this fanny pack, whose appeal speaks for itself. $15, Boy Next Door Menswear

40 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

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Atlanta Pride ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

As always, there will be two stages of incredible live entertainment this weekend, from DJs and dance parties to pop stars and drag queens. Check out the lineup for this weekend to make sure you don’t miss a performance!

Mercedes-Benz USA Stage Saturday

Yoga and Music with Kashi Atlanta: 8am Mass Wedding by Fulton County: 10am Voices of Note Choruses: 11:30am Out Front Theatre Company: 12:15pm Nachlanta: 12:55pm Rico Marcel: 1:35pm Erica Mason: 2:35pm Angie K: 3:35pm Shooting Star Cabaret: 4:30pm Queer Your Gender Dance Party: 6:45pm

Tkay Maidza PUBLICITY PHOTO COURTESY OF 4AD

Sunday House Music: 2:30pm The Candybox Revue: 4pm Sweat Tea: A Queer Variety Show: 5:15pm

Coca-Cola Stage Saturday

DJ Babey Drew: 2pm The Gurls: 3pm Emma Ogier: 3pm Tkay Maidza: 4:20pm Ashlee Keating: 4:50pm Chrissy Chlapaeka: 5:20pm Siena Liggins: 5:55pm G Flip: 7pm Saucy Santana: 8:05pm Icona Pop: 9:05pm

Sunday House Music: 2pm Michel Jons Band: 3:45pm Debby Holiday: 5:05pm DJ MikeQ: 6:05pm Starlight Cabaret: 7:15pm

42 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Saucy Santana PUBLICITY PHOTO

Icona Pop PUBLICITY PHOTO THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM

OUR 2023—2024 SEASON

OCT 26 — NOV 11, 2023

Book & Lyrics by Chad Beguelin; Book by Bob Martin; Music by Matthew Sklar

DEC 7 — 17, 2023

Book by Derek Van Barham; Music by David Cerda with Scott Lamberty and Jeff Thomson

FEB 1 — 17, 2024

By Terry Guest

GEORGIA PREMIERE

SOUTHEASTERN PREMIERE

SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE!

Season Ticket holders receive many exclusive offers and discounts throughout the year, including invitations to exclusive special events!

MAR 14 — 30, 2024

By Audrey Cefaly

GEORGIA PREMIERE

MAY 2 — 18, 2024

By Charles Busch

INSIGHTFUL INNOVATIVE INCLUSIVE

Tickets and more at: OutFrontTheatre.com

PRIDE

Atlanta Pride March and Parade Schedule The Annual Trans March SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 Meet up: 1:15pm Step off: 1:45pm

The Annual Bi and Pan March SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 Meet up: 3pm Step off: 3:30pm

The Annual Dyke March SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 Meet up: 4:30pm Step off: 5pm

The Atlanta Pride Parade SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 Step off: noon

46 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

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R I A LT O

HOLDING THE LIGHT • 2023-24 SEASON

Sat, Oct 14, 2023; 8 p.m.

RANky TANky with very special guest

MS. LISA FISCHER Funky Fusion of Gullah and R&B

Sat, Feb 10, 2024; 8 p.m.

PEAbO bRySON Grammy-Winning Singer/Songwriter/Producer

Sat, Nov 11, 2023; 8 p.m.

THE QuEEN’S CARTOONISTS Classic Cartoons, Live Music and Comedy

Sun, Dec 3, 2023; 3 p.m.

26 TH ANNuAL HOLIDAy GALA Presented by the GSU School of Music

Sat, Jan 27, 2024; 8 p.m.

TAkE 6 The Most Awarded A Cappella Group in History

Sun, Feb 25, 2024; 3 p.m.

THE kING’S SINGERS The Gold Standard of A Cappella Singing

Sun, March 10, 2024; 3 p.m.

PARSONS DANCE Internationally Renowned Contemporary Dance Company

Sat, March 23, 2024; 8 p.m.

JuMAANE SMITH Acclaimed Jazz Trumpeter/ Vocalist /Composer in “Louis! Louis! Louis!”

Sat, April 6, 2024; 8 p.m.

PEDRITO MARTINEz & HAROLD LóPEz-NuSSA Afro-Cuban Music Superstars

Sat, April 13, 2024; 7 p.m.

Sun, April 14, 2024; 3 p.m.

“CARMEN” by GEORGES bIzET Presented by the Georgia State Opera Theater

Fri, April 19, 2024; 8 p.m.

MARSHALL GILkES Legendary Jazz Trombonist In Concert with the Georgia State Jazz Band

G E T Y O U R T I C K E T S N O W ! R I A LT O . G S U . E D U / / 4 0 4 - 4 1 3 - 9 T I X ( 9 8 4 9 ) FREE PARKING (validated) for this Rialto Series show at the 100 Peachtree Parking Garage at 123 Fairlie St, NW, Atlanta, GA 30303

RialtoYS24_pride.indd 1

10/6/23 5:37 PM

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10 Tips

TO STAY SAFE AND RESPECTFUL IN THE PARK Katie Burkholder Atlanta Pride is about having fun, but you can only have fun in an environment that’s safe. Over 300,000 people will be in Piedmont Park this weekend, and it’s every single person’s responsibility, to themselves and others, to foster an environment that allows for everybody to have a great time.

If this is your first Pride or you just need a refresher, here are ten things to do to keep you and your friends safe and the people around you happy.

1. Don’t take photos or videos of people without their permission.

At Pride, you’re going to see some fabulous and maybe even outrageous outfits, hairstyles, and makeup. If you see someone who looks so good you have to memorialize it in your camera roll, ask them before you take a photo or video. Not only is it good manners (if you have a habit of taking photos of others in public without their consent, knock it off!), being at Pride may put some of us in a vulnerable position with our families or employers. They might not want photographic evidence of their attendance, even if only on a stranger’s camera roll.

2. Be open minded and kind.

Maybe, instead of seeing someone and wanting to take a photo, you want to judge them for how they dress or present. Nobody can control what goes on in your mind, but

48 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

regardless of whatever opinion you have about kink at pride or what a trans person should look like, do not do anything that would make someone feel uncomfortable or unwelcome. This includes staring, pointing, shaming, and bullying (even if you think they can’t hear you — someone else can). While the LGBTQ community is not a monolith and we all have a variety of opinions, experiences, and ways of expressing ourselves, Pride is about what unifies us, not what divides us. Bring it back to childhood: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

3. Know who the volunteers are.

If you need help or information, you’re going to want to be able to identify the Atlanta Pride personnel. Volunteers are in yellow shirts, lead volunteers are in blue shirts, event staff are in black shirts, security are in chartreuse shirts, market staff are in red shirts, and information are in pink shirts.

4. Know where the officer stations are.

In the case of an emergency, you should contact the nearest volunteer who will connect you with a police officer or member of the EMS team. However, if you need or want to find a police officer, they will be at Park Drive and Monroe, the 12th street gate, the 14th street gate, and Orme and Park Drive.

5. Stay hydrated.

Some medical emergencies are unavoidable,

Be respectful of the park and clean up after yourself! PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ POP PAUL-CATALIN but dehydration isn’t! There are six water stations throughout the park: one at the 12th street entrance, three around the Meadow, and two more along the vendor booth path.

Even (and especially) if you’re drinking alcohol, make sure you’re getting plenty of water in between your boozy beverages.

If you’ve ever been to a festival, you know that bad service or a dead battery may leave your cell phone unreliable. Have a plan, just in case you get separated from your group and have no way of communicating with one another, to meet somewhere: even if it’s My Sister’s Room at midnight.

6. Watch your drink.

Pride is a celebration of love and community, so we want to assume that everybody who comes does so with only the best intentions. However, even if that is the case, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Never leave an open drink unattended and never drink something somebody you don’t know and trust hands you.

9. Don’t leave trash behind.

Be respectful of the park and clean up after yourself! There will be plenty of trash cans throughout the park, so there is no excuse to not throw that trash away!

7. Keep it simple.

Bring only the essentials: a water bottle, phone, wallet, keys, sunscreen, and maybe a clack fan.

The more you have with you, the more you risk losing — and with 300,000 attendees, the chances of getting lost items back are slim.

8. Set a meeting place with your friends.

10. Be mindful of others.

At the end of the day, all you need to do at Pride is to be respectful of those around you. This means respecting personal space, asking for consent when touching anyone in any way, reading and responding to nonverbal cues of discomfort, and asking for and respecting others’ pronouns! We’re all here to have a good time and show up authentically as ourselves, so it’s all our jobs to create a safe and loving space for us to do so.

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PRIDE

Gay Barchives Captures History in Bar Logos “Just yesterday on one of the posts in my Facebook group, I get a message thanking me for posting a picture of a trick card bars used to give,” he said. “A trick card is a card the bars used to give out that was basically a business card. And on one side, it had the information about the bar. And on the other side, it had some kind of quirky little phrase. And so [the user] commented on there, ‘Thank you for posting this picture of print cards. I’d forgotten about that part of our history.’”

Hunter Buchheit A picture can tell a thousand words. For Art Smith, however, his storytelling medium lies in something a bit more specific: bar logos.

Art is the founder and lead creator behind Gay Barchives, an archival project focused on preserving the logos and stories from gay bars in Atlanta, around the country, and overseas.

With a goal of creating the largest archive of its kind, Art is now a few years into his grand undertaking, having reconstructed the logos of over 1,200 bars and nightclubs from 49 states, with a smattering of overseas bars also.

For so many queer people, especially those who grew up decades ago when being gay wasn’t nearly as accepted by wider society, bars weren’t simply a place to sit and have a few drinks with friends. They were sanctuaries of connection and self-expression, where queer people could enjoy a few hours unafraid and unconditionally accepted, surrounded by people who shared their same experience.

They were places of collective exuberance in times of loss, pain, and unacceptance – harsh realities that Art acknowledges but hopes that his work can steer people away from and towards something happier.

The project started small a few years ago.

“At the end of 2019 was having a conversation with a bar owner from Atlanta who used to own one of the most iconic bars that ever existed here,” Art told Georgia Voice. “I happened to be wearing their t-shirt, and she asked me to design a t-shirt to commemorate the 45th anniversary of their opening.”

That bar was Backstreet, the revered threelevel center of Atlanta LGBTQ life — home to landmark drag queens like Mr. Charlie Brown — that closed in 2004.

Reconstructing the Backstreet logo spurred Art’s mission. His work for the bar spread through word of mouth and slowly, he began to expand the network of bars he associated with, incorporating new discoveries into his growing collection.

Stumbling across bars and the people associated with them is, for Art, a natural process, hinged on the memories and stories of former visitors.

“It involves a lot of different kinds of searching,” he said. “The first thing you have to do is to find out about the bar existing somehow. So, somebody mentions, ‘Oh, I used to live in Greenville, North Carolina, and I remember a bar called Chaos,’ and then you start looking for information on Chaos, because now you have a name and a city. And then, over a period of time, as you

50 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

“Most archival records are talking about all these negative things and all these things that happened in our community, one way or another people being incarcerated for being gay, losing their jobs — things like that,” he said.”

Art Smith, Gay Barchives founder, pictured wearing a shirt of logos he’s reconstructed. COURTESY PHOTO learn about it through the course of reading the articles [on it], you may see another name of a bar like ‘Oh, yeah, there was also a bar called Oasis down the street.’ So, it just kind of built organically.”

Art uses a variety of resources to dig up the gay bar history, like Mapping the Gay Guides, a virtual map created by Dr. Amanda Regen and Eric Gonzaba from Bob Damron’s Address Books, a series of gay travel guides running from the 1960s until 2021.

With over a hundred podcast episodes and a hundred YouTube videos, Art has found his place as a storyteller of this slice of queer life, one that is not only about keeping the memories of these former locales alive but about bringing together queer people today in remembrance and celebration.

Speaking on the community he has created through his archival work, one spanning states, ages, and all walks of life, Art described how the little things make his work worth it.

For the older visitors of his Barchives site, Art hopes that reconnecting with the logos and stories of the bars they once frequented will bring back that special sense of unabashed, empowered joy. For the younger consumers of his content, Art wishes for them to piece together a fuller, more nuanced picture of what gay life was like back then, and how those bars — like the history-making Stonewall — paved the way towards queer acceptance.

“These places are what made it possible to get to where we are today,” he said, “and have the kind of freedoms that we have.”

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With Pride

Latinx Photographer Reynaldo Rivera October 25 | 7:30 p.m.

The free event is offered both in-person and via Zoom, presented in conjunction with the exhibition You Belong Here: Place, People, and Purpose in Latinx Photography, on view through December 3, 2023.

Reynaldo Rivera, Elyse Regehr and Javier Orosco, Downtown LA, 1989, digital print from negative. © Reynaldo Rivera. Courtesy of the artist; Reena Spaulings Fine Art, New York / Los Angeles; and Aperture.

PRIDE

When NOW Purged Lesbians Victoria A. Brownworth The website of The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) describes Betty Friedan as “co-founder of the National Organization for Women” (NOW) and “one of the early leaders of the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Her 1963 best-selling book, “The Feminine Mystique,” gave voice to millions of American women’s frustrations with their limited gender roles and helped spark widespread public activism for gender equality.”

The 1964 Civil Rights Act had banned sex discrimination in employment, yet the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the government agency that had been established to enforce workplace equality, did not acknowledge the sex-discrimination clause, effectively nullifying the Civil Rights Act’s addition of gender.

As NWHM details, Freidan’s groundbreaking book “helped transform public awareness” of such discrimination and propelled Friedan into the leadership of the nascent women’s liberation movement where she was often referred to as the “mother” of second wave feminism.

From left: Linda Rhodes, Arlene Kisner (sometimes misidentified as Arlene Kushner), and Ellen Broidy participate in the “Lavender Menace” action at the Second Congress to Unite Women, in Chelsea on May 1, 1970. PHOTO BY PHOTO BY DIANA DAVIES. IMAGE SOURCE: MANUSCRIPT AND ARCHIVES DIVISION, THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY granting rules, to laws — that improved the lives of American women.”

In 1966, Friedan, Pauli Murray and Aileen Hernandez co-founded the National Organization for Women (NOW).

Friedan was NOW’s first president and authored NOW’s mission statement: “… to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all the privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.”

NOW was itself a groundbreaking organization, which made Friedan’s purging of lesbians from that organization in 1970 — after calling lesbians the “lavender menace” in an interview with the New York Times magazine — significant on a myriad of levels. That action effectively separated lesbians from mainstream feminism, just as they had been separated by gender from the decidedly male gay liberation movement.

Among the objectives of NOW were “securing the enforcement of anti-discrimination law; gaining subsidized child care, abortion rights, and public-accommodations protections; and passing the Equal Rights Amendment.

NOW was able to bring about changes large and small — to hiring policies, to credit-

NOW’s Susan Brownmiller, whose book “Against Our Will: Men, Women and Rape” would become another critically important feminist treatise, tried to make a joke of Friedan’s comment by calling it a “lavender herring,” but that just further alienated lesbians in the organization.

52 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Mainstream media had already dismissed the feminist movement as “a bunch of bra-burning lesbians,” so Friedan and other straight feminist leaders were acutely sensitive to this labeling — and dismissal — of all feminists as lesbians. Friedan wanted “feminine feminists” in the movement.

Friedan, like many straight feminists, did not want feminism associated with and tainted by “man hating” and lesbianism. As lesbian activist Karla Jay later wrote in her memoir, “Tales of the Lavender Menace: A Memoir of Liberation,” “I’m tired of being in the closet because of the women’s movement.”

The blatant hostility toward lesbians and the move by Friedan and others to disassociate the feminist movement from lesbianism took on its own activism. NOW established policies that were exclusionary of lesbians in

the early years of the organization. NOW newsletter editor Rita Mae Brown stated that “lesbianism is the one word which gives the New York NOW Executive Committee a collective heart attack.”

The lesbian purge at NOW was momentous and had a ripple effect for lesbian activists. It was also surprising and even ironic as lesbians had been so pivotal in the founding of NOW and in the impact and influence of second wave feminism. Many of the key figures of that wave of feminism and of NOW itself were lesbians. This included NOW co-founder Pauli Murray; then-lesbian theorist Rita Mae Brown, member of The Furies collective and author of the first mainstream lesbian novel, “Rubyfruit Jungle” and editor of the NOW newsletter; and graphic designer Ivy Bottini,

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woman-identified woman that would become a cornerstone of lesbian activism in the 1970s in the post-purge feminist movement.

who designed NOW’s logo (still used today) and was president of the largest chapter of the organization, New York NOW. Yet the taint of the “lavender menace” was perceived by Friedan and other straight feminists, Shirley Chisholm and Gloria Steinem among them, to be problematic: lesbians were perceived as “man hating” and mainstream feminism was intent on presenting the movement as pro-woman, not anti-male. Lesbians were still viewed as perverts and even as mentally ill. It would be several more years before the psychiatric community’s DSM would change its view that homosexuality was a mental disease.

Friedan’s action did not end with that Lavender Menace demonstration at the Congress to Unite Women. Pushback from within NOW’s ranks resulted in a nearembrace of lesbians within NOW just two years post-purge. In 1971, NOW passed a resolution declaring “that a woman’s right to her own person includes the right to define and express her own sexuality and to choose her own lifestyle [sic].” There was also a conference resolution about lesbian mothers that declared it was “unjust” to force lesbians to remain in heterosexual marriages or remain closeted to keep custody of their children.

As Hannah Quayle wrote in a blog post about the purge, “Lesbians were placed within an unnatural category of the ‘third sex.’ This ‘third sex’ was associated as a gross abnormality which violated female anatomy, heterosexual desire and gender behaviour by associating masculine features upon the female body. In this sense, lesbians were not considered ‘real women,’ and stood outside the category of ‘woman’ in a physical, sexual, personal and political sense.”

The NOW Task Force on Sexuality and Lesbianism was established in 1973 and NOW resolved to introduce and support civil rights legislation designed to end discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Del Martin was the first open lesbian elected to NOW, and Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon were the first lesbian couple to join NOW. Martin and Lyon were co-founders of Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil rights organization in the U.S.

Pauli Murray seated in her study. PHOTO VIA SCHLESINGER LIBRARY, HARVARD RADCLIFFE INSTITUTE

Quayle asserted that within the mainstream feminist movement and NOW, “Lesbians had to find an effective way to address the accusation that their masculinity was somehow complicit with men and the patriarchy, and that lesbian influence would not in fact dismantle strict heterosexual categories as it was widely believed. Heterosexual feminists excluded lesbians from the feminist movement in the 1960s based on this discomfort towards their sexuality.”

that she and others were doing to establish equity in employment and reproductive rights (Friedan was also co-founder of NARAL). Lesbian visibility, Friedan believed, would allow men to dismiss the feminist movement as fringe and something most women didn’t want to be associated with. Trumpeting her assertions and coining the term “lavender menace” (which a group of New York lesbians would later adopt to form a group of radical activists), NOW president Friedan fired openly lesbian newsletter editor Rita Mae Brown.

In 1969, the same year as the Stonewall riots, president of the New York chapter of NOW Bottini broached the subject of lesbianism and the movement in a public forum titled “Is Lesbianism a Feminist Issue?” Bottini — like Brown, Murray and others — thought lesbians were leaders of the feminist movement, not background players. It was lesbians like Susan B. Anthony, who had also led the first wave of feminism in the U.S.

Friedan then orchestrated the purge of lesbians, including Bottini, from NOW’s New York chapter. That action did not go unremarked. At the 1970 Congress to Unite Women, 400 feminists from NOW and elsewhere were in attendance. Brown, Bottini, Karla Jay and a dozen other lesbian feminists marched to the front of the auditorium wearing T-shirts that read “Lavender Menace.”

But Friedan was adamant that lesbians not derail the feminist movement and the work

One of the women, Charlotte Bunch, who was also a member of The Furies collective with

54 PRIDE OCTOBER 13, 2023

Brown, read the Lavender Menace’s manifesto, “The Woman-Identified Woman.” That paper was considered the first major lesbian feminist statement. That action was among the first to challenge the heterosexism of heterosexual feminists and to present lesbians not as that “lavender menace” or mentally ill perverts, like the DSM defined them, but rather as more feminist than anyone, because they were women independent from and unconnected to men and to compulsory heterosexuality.

In the treatise, the “woman-identified woman” defined herself without reference to male-dominated societal structures. She “gained her sense of identity not from the men she related to, but from her internal sense of self and from ideals of nurturing, community, and cooperation that she defined as female.”

Later Bunch would write, “It is the primacy of women relating to women, of women creating a new consciousness of and with each other, which is at the heart of women’s liberation, and the basis for the cultural revolution,” articulating the principle of the

Over the next 20 years, NOW would go on to support lesbian fights for everything from those custody battles to same-sex marriage and lesbians in the military. NOW supported the right of a lesbian co-parent to seek visitation by filing an amicus brief in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court case T.B. v. L.R.M. That right was upheld “where the child has established strong psychological bonds, with a person who … has … provided care, nurture, and affection, assuming in the child’s eye a stature like that of a parent.”

NOW also supported hate crimes legislation that included lesbians and trans women as early as 2002 and came out in support of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which expands the 1969 federal hate crimes law to include sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability.

It all started with a purge. The history of that purge made history — and redefined the feminist movement.

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PRIDE

When Drag was Straight:

A Journey through Drag's History and Evolution Anthony T. Eaton In recent years, we’ve witnessed an alarming surge in legislation targeting drag performers in our country. Drag appears to have become the unexpected target of hate from a faction of the Republican party that claims to represent conservative and Christian values. However, it’s crucial to remember that drag has a rich history that dates back centuries, even though it found a more modern audience through television, introducing average Americans to the world of men in dresses.

In ancient history, men often impersonated women in theatrical productions. This practice was primarily a result of patriarchal societies and legal restrictions on women performing on stage. The lineage of drag can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman cultures and the Japanese tradition of Kabuki. Even as societal norms shifted and women gained greater acceptance on stage, men continued to perform in drag, often for the shock value it provided.

However, despite periods of greater acceptance of drag and LGBTQ culture in the early 20th century, conservatism significantly impacted Hollywood’s portrayal of drag. The Hays Code, implemented in 1930, imposed strict moral guidelines on films produced by Hollywood studios. The code prohibited depictions of profanity, sex outside of marriage, and any same-sex relationships, including impersonating the opposite gender. Interestingly, Europe did not pay much attention until the rise of the Nazi party in Germany.

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After World War II, there was a cultural shift toward emphasizing “masculinity” in film and television, relegating drag to comic relief. It wasn’t until 1959, with the groundbreaking film, “Some Like It Hot,” starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, that drag and the implication of homosexuality were subtly featured, despite the Hays Code’s restrictions. This film received six Academy Award nominations and marked a turning point for drag in the world of film and television.

In 1968, the film rating system replaced the Hays Code, and drag took another step toward mainstream acceptance. Over the next 50 years, there was a significant shift in drag culture and its acceptance in society.

In 1972, John Waters’ film, “Pink Flamingos,” elevated the careers of Waters and Divine, contributing to a growing recognition of drag in plays and movies.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” in 1975 became a cult classic, gaining a following among the LGBTQ community and the general public, and during this time, television also began to feature drag more prominently. The TV series, “All in the Family,” introduced audiences to drag queen Beverly LaSalle, portrayed by actual drag queen Lori Shannon (Don McLean). This portrayal was sympathetic and respectful, a rarity for the 1970s.

As drag gained momentum on television, shows like “Starsky and Hutch” and “Wonder Woman” also featured "female impersonator" Charles Pierce. Meanwhile,

“Some Like It Hot,” starring Tony Curtis, Marilyn Monroe, and Jack Lemmon PUBLICITY PHOTO one of the first mainstream gay-themed films, “Outrageous!,” was released in North America in 1977. In 1978, “La Cage Aux Folles” was released, leading to sequels and an American remake in 1996 titled “The Birdcage,” starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. These films made a significant impact on the lives of drag artists.

In 1982, “Tootsie” received 10 Academy Award nominations, becoming one of the year’s most profitable movies.

The ’90s marked a clearer distinction between drag and the LGBTQ spectrum, with a growing awareness of transgender individuals within the drag community.

The documentary, “Paris is Burning,” in 1990 chronicled New York’s ball culture and inspired Madonna’s famous song, “Vogue.”

Throughout the ’90s, films like “M. Butterfly,” “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert,” and “Wigstock: The Movie” celebrated drag and its vibrant culture. “To Wong Foo, Thanks for

Everything! Julie Newmar” in 1995 featured Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze, and John Leguizamo as drag queens.

In 1999, “Flawless” starred Robert De Niro and Philip Seymour Hoffman, exploring themes of identity and selfexpression through the friendship between a conservative security guard and a drag queen.

Initially appearing as a backup dancer in the B-52’s music video, “Love Shack,” RuPaul emerged on TV in 1989, and "RuPaul’s Drag Race" came in 2009. Drag had truly gone mainstream.

Reflecting on this history, it’s clear that drag has come a long way from its origins in ancient theater to its prominent place in contemporary culture. While there have been periods of acceptance and backlash, drag has persevered and evolved, reminding us that self-expression knows no boundaries.

Despite recent challenges, the history of drag proves that its vibrant and resilient spirit will continue to shine through.

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REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN

What I Know About Atlanta Pride’s First Twenty Years, 1969 – 1989 (Well, Most of It) María Helena Dolan Read the full story online at thegavoice.com.

Let me be perfectly queer: what follows is unwieldy, messy, truthful, hopeful, and offered in that spirit.

JUNE 1969: What comes to be known as

the Stonewall Rebellion electrifies people who hear of it, and Gay Liberation Front (GLF) groups form across the country.

In August, Atlanta police raid a showing of Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys,” a satire featuring gay sex scenes. Cops arrest the theater’s manager, and badger and photograph audience members as to identify anyone “with previous sex offenses.” The raid and Stonewall catalyze Atlanta’s queer movement.

JUNE 1970: Atlanta’s newly formed GLF

wants action. But if too few people march, it won’t impress. So GLF opts for a table in Piedmont Park topped with info leaflets.

This small act of protest astonishes parkgoers and the city’s gay community.

JUNE 1971: A group of “homosexuals” parade

down Midtown sidewalks to Piedmont Park.

Reports place attendees between 100 and 300, some of whom carry posters that, for example, demand an end to discrimination and call for “Equal Rights for Gays.”

Participants are largely white men.

Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell appoints Charlie St. John to the city's Community Relations Commission, the first such from the queer community.

JUNE 1972: Lesbian activists form the Atlanta

Lesbian Feminist Alliance (ALFA), and they

60 COLUMNIST OCTOBER 13, 2023

Gay Liberation Front HISTORICAL PHOTO march with an ad hoc ALFA banner. Crowd size is around 300.

Atlanta’s alternative newspaper, “The Great Speckled Bird,” features a centerfold spread on Gay Pride. And this is also the year when two gay bars, The Cove and the Sweet Gum Head, (in)famously refuse activists Dave Hayward and Charlie St. John permission to distribute Pride demo leaflets onsite and then forcibly evict them from the premises.

JUNE 1974: We now officially have Lesbian Atlanta and the Southeast.” and Gay Pride Day. A march simply won’t fill the hunger for queerness, so we organize a week of activities, including an ALFAsponsored carnival, beauty contests, the first gay film screenings at the two-year-old Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), and a commemoration of the Rebellion with a news conference at MCC. ALFA fields the first openly lesbian softball team to play in an Atlanta city league.

JUNE 1973: The parade grows a bit. ALFA JUNE 1975: The Great Southeastern Lesbian

has her own, very large banner now. City Community Relations Representative Charlie St. John is tasked with filling out a parade permit for this year’s march. One rather risible question? “How close will the participants march together?” Smiling sardonically, Charlie fills in, “Close. Very close.”

Conference takes place in May, and some of that energy must’ve transferred to Pride, as the march number rises to 600.

Linda Bryant forms Charis Books and More, and Bill Smith founds “The Barb,” billing itself as “the groovy newspaper covering

As the GLF disbands due to inevitable internecine struggles, ad hoc queer groups form, leading to the Gay Rights Alliance (GRA). After a sit-in threat by MCC and others, Atlanta’s first Black Mayor Maynard Jackson meets with community leaders to discuss Gay Rights and police harassment of queers.

JUNE 1976: Mayor Jackson officially proclaims

Gay Pride Day in Atlanta, setting off a visceral, invective-filled firestorm. Within days, baying prominent Southern Baptists, including the progenitor of Day’s Inn and Majik Market, form “Citizens for a Decent Atlanta.” They unsuccessfully try to obtain a court order to rescind the cursed Proclamation.

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REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 60

represented by ACLU attorney Kathleen Wilde, winning in various venues.

Along with the Proclamation, they seek — also unsuccessfully — to undo all the progress made so far by the queer community. Calls for Maynard’s resignation mount, and he is savagely slandered; but he does not rescind.

Finally, Georgia Attorney General Michael Bowers takes his case to the Supreme Court, where Harvard Law School Professor Laurence Tribe represents Michael. On June 30, 1986, the Supremes issue homophobic carnage wrapped in judicial black.

This year has a theme: Christopher Street South. Almost a thousand people show up for a panoply of events over a week.

JUNE 1983: We are OUT: Out Front/

Out Loud/Outstanding, Openly United Together. Two thousand march from the Civic Center to Peachtree and 10th Street.

For the first time, we see a “Stop AIDS” banner in the march.

JUNE 1977: Prior to June Pride, Florida’s Dade

County has the temerity to pass a fairly comprehensive Gay Anti-Discrimination Ordinance, and the faded beauty queen orange juice chirper Anita Bryant begins a crusade to “Save Our Children” from the homo menace.

In Atlanta, Maynard must backpedal, so we get Human Rights Week vs. Gay Pride Day. An estimated 1,500 people march in the Parade of Perverts down Peachtree St., with maybe 3,000 attending the rally at the parade’s conclusion in the park.

Gil Robison announces the formation of First Tuesday Democratic Club. Inherently political, the group goes on to launch things such as lobbying efforts, voter registration drives, and candidate forums.

SPRING 1978: We learn Anita will be performing at the annual Southern Baptist Convention at the World Congress Center. During an initial organizing meeting, a political neophyte maintains we just need to buy a billboard saying, “We Protest Anita Bryant’s Presence in Our City.” Uh, no. Instead, we have a march ending at the WCC on June 11.

JUNE 1979: The Atlanta Gay Center opens

in Midtown, using funds left over from the Bryant demo. A group of African American men and women establish the Gay Atlanta Minority Association (GAMA) to, among other things, address issues of racism in Atlanta’s queer community.

1979’s theme is Lavender Anniversary Celebration, reveling in ten years of Stonewall, and over 1,000 march.

Greg James and Dave Hayward curate a Lavender Anniversary Film Festival at the local MCC.

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The week of events includes a performance by the Gay Men’s Chorus and ALFA’s candlelight vigil/walk from Candler Park to Little Five Points.

JULY 1984: (Pride is pushed to July 3, due to Michael Hardwick HISTORICAL PHOTO JUNE 1980: The national theme for this year is International Gay Solidarity Day. Here, we celebrate seven days of Lesbian, Gay, Transperson Pride Week or LGT, also known as Let’s Get Together. About 1,200 people march. Gay Atlanta Minorities Association (GAMA) sponsors “Rap Session: Black Lesbian/Gay/Transperson Survival in the ’80s.” ALFA holds her annual Open House; “Nighthawks” plays at the Film Forum; Lucina’s Music presents Therese Edell; Craig Russell appears at Symphony Hall; First Tuesday holds a “Say It With Music” benefit; the Gay Center has a panel on Community; and the sensational Pretty Good for Girls band plays at Big Al’s (now a Chipotle).

Piedmont Park has softball, voter registration, and a hilarious drag queen dunking booth.

JUNE 1981: It’s LGT again, and a posse of white

gay men show up at an organizing meeting, volubly demanding the theme changed. Uh, no. Perhaps not all are unhappy, as between 3,000 and 4,000 march during Lesbian/ Gay/Transperson Pride Week. Theo Thomas announces that GAMA calls for a boycott of the festival, citing racism.

JUNE 1982: Pride’s theme is Stonewall Then, Atlanta Now, and we’re at the State

Capitol. Pride Week begins with a carnival on Peachtree Place, between 8th and 10th.

Queers are dancing in the streets! March attendance is down as we walk from Piedmont Park to the State Capitol, where 4,000 attend a rally.

The increasingly queer-supportive Atlanta City Council issues a Lesbian Gay Transperson Pride Proclamation, without Mayor Andrew Young’s signature. He snoots that there is no need to approve “private sexual practices.”

With the gay men’s health emergency ramping up, Graham Burton and a few others open AID Atlanta.

AUGUST 1982: A police officer enters Michael Hardwick’s apartment to serve an (invalid) warrant. Observing Michael engaged in mutually consenting oral sex with another man, he arrests them on a sodomy charge, a felony under Georgia law carrying a sentence of one to twenty years imprisonment.

Michael sues in various local city, county, and then state entities, challenging the constitutionality of the sodomy statute.

The case is like a pin ball, flipping back and forth between courts, with Michael capably

competing public events). The jaunty theme and t-shirt graphic is Once More, With Feeling.

Sonia Johnson rolls onto the stage with her anti-patriarchal “From Housewife to Heretic” ex-Mormon feminist road show. Charlie St. John speaks of his busts for “obscene materials” at Christopher’s Kind bookstore.

We block off Peachtree Street between 10th and 11th, with the stage smack in the middle, and dancing follows the orators, including National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Sue Hyde, who advises that we will never have any real progress here with the sodomy statute in place. Attendance estimates reach 1,500.

JUNE 1985: Mayor Young, clocking where the

wind is blowing, proclaims Gay Pride Week in Atlanta. We hold the first community memorial service for people felled by the AIDS epidemic.

JUNE 1986: Forward Together is the theme.

There is some extremely diligent organizing, as most of the workers also begin organizing for 1987’s vast and furious D.C. March to protest both the Hardwick decision, and President Reagan’s refusal to even utter the word AIDS, never mind release federal dollars for programs.

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REELING IN THE YEARS MARÍA HELENA DOLAN

Early days at the Southern Voice HISTORICAL PHOTO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62 We are so together, we even issue a newsletter as the event arrives. People are asked to bring canned goods for the Food Bank at AID Atlanta. The week includes a statewide conference on Lesbian/Gay issues; Human Rights Campaign (HRC) hosts a “Picnic in the Park; the Gay Atheist League gives a social, counterbalancing all the gay church groups; there’s women’s softball in the afternoon.

JUNE 1987: With veteran organizers focused

on the critical march approaching on October 11, a new ad hoc Pride organizing group fails to coalesce. Gene Holloway calls every activist he knows and with tears in his voice demands that we “save Pride!”

With mere weeks to throw something together, we don’t have time to attract performers and people to the Capitol, let alone pull permits. So, Pride is a rally with no marching. We do have speakers, including the very affecting Leigh VanderEls, who lost custody of her son for being queer. She and partner Chris Cash found Southern Voice.

JUNE 1988: In the depths of the AIDS crisis, Pride’s theme is A Celebration of Life.

And we keep on living. There’s an AIDS memorial service, with candles and speakers; THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM

a Family Night at The Country Place; a presentation of “Higher Ground”; and a cabaret night. Channel 30 shows “We are Family,” a documentary on Queer parenting.

And there’s the first Pride Prom, where you can bring the date of your dreams instead of all that high school yearning for the dream of a date. Those 1,500 or so who march from the Civic Center to Piedmont Park seem to enjoy themselves immensely.

JUNE 1989: Stonewall—Reasons to Remember is the theme, with the rebellion highlighted and work that needs doing now emphasized.

Mayoral candidate Maynard hustles for queer votes, not just from the back of a car, but at the park’s celebration too. (Next year, Mr. Mayor is too busy to attend.)

Local playwright, artist, and arts activist Rebecca Ranson has cofounded SAME (Southeast Arts, Media and Education) in Atlanta. Its mission is to provide education and artistic expression during this crisis time. She presents a dyke drama, “The Well of Horniness.” There are “Dueling Dykes”; an AIDS research project update; “Fly High (About AIDS)” at Onstage Atlanta; and a Kiss-In in the Park.

With thanks to Wesley Chenault, Dyana Bagby, Cal Gough, all those who came and went and come again, and Wikipedia.

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OLD GAY MAN CLIFF BOSTOCK

The King of Kindness Has a Fabulous Disease Cliff Bostock Mark S. King, well known as the Atlantabased author of the “My Fabulous Disease” blog, has collected some of his best writing about life as a gay HIV-positive activist in a new book, “My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor.” I’ve known Mark ever since he took my writing workshop over 20 years ago when he was working on his first book, a memoir about operating a phonesex-fantasy service in Los Angeles, “A Place Like This,” published in 2007.

I spent nearly two hours interviewing Mark on the phone. My intention was to focus less on HIV itself and more on his observations about queer life, intergenerational conflict, drug addiction, sexual behavior, and media.

When I told him about my intention, he said “Good!” and, after catching up, we headed pretty deep.

Afterward, a funny thing happened. For the first time in more than 20 years, my computer froze and devoured my notes.

I was alarmed. While I could easily just write a summary of his book, that’s not my style. I’m always most interested in the psychic reality behind the image. Mark’s new book, like his earlier memoir, opens with a column about exactly that. He recounts his experience as a 19-year-old contestant on The Price is Right in 1980 (episode available on YouTube), calling himself “impossibly cute” and optimistic. Weirdly, the camera limits most reaction shots of the audience to his boyfriend Charlie, who actually shouts instructions Mark follows to win a 1981 Pontiac Coupe. In his account, Mark notes how he would rewrite all of his optimistic, cheerful replies to Bob Barker’s personal questions with the wisdom and dark humor that grew out of the nightmare of being

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“Mark has been on a tour, promoting his book, and he found a genius way to achieve the latter.

Rather than reading from his book, he asks people who come to events to read his words aloud rather than doing the usual author’s reading.

He invites them to explain how they personally relate to his stories. It’s a cathartic experience for everyone because most people don’t like to recall the horror of that time.” diagnosed HIV-positive five years later and falling into years of drug addiction. The thing is, though, everything that was to come was present in the episode.

Left with no notes and my fading short-term memory, I began thrashing around in his book again, and I felt myself heading down the path I intended not to walk: memory of the plague. In one chapter regarded by many as the book’s best, Mark, who tested positive in 1985, recalls a visit from his gay brother Richard, whose partner Emil had died a few years earlier. Mark had been there the evening Emil’s body was carted away but had no idea that his death was by assisted suicide, as Richard reveals. The story is finely crafted and evokes the weird horror of being young but drenched in the sight of death and the fear of one’s own death. I was present at maybe a dozen assisted suicides — some loving, some sacred, some perfunctory — in three different cities. Later, when I started my psychology practice, I saw many clients who had participated in these rituals, including one who railed constantly about his “survivor’s guilt.” When he left his third session, I noticed a faintly purple lesion on his back, near the strap of his tank top. I

Mark S. King PHOTO VIA WIKICOMMONS recognized it as likely kaposi sarcoma but decided to say nothing. Two weeks later, he announced that his survivor’s guilt had been cured by a positive HIV test. We laughed.

Then of course we cried.

empathetically, to pick up the slack created by an indifferent government and medical system. But we also split over tactics, with many gay men attacking ACT UP for its confrontational civil disobedience.

Such memories are brutal. In some contexts, they are healing. Mark has been on a tour, promoting his book, and he found a genius way to achieve the latter. Rather than reading from his book, he asks people who come to events to read his words aloud rather than doing the usual author’s reading. He invites them to explain how they personally relate to his stories. It’s a cathartic experience for everyone because most people don’t like to recall the horror of that time. On the other hand, as Mark also points out in his book, too many old gay men seem to think it’s their duty to accuse the young of being woefully ignorant and unappreciative of what we endured and accomplished in ending what felt like a medieval plague that made vicious homophobia great again.

But conflict within the gay community continues more generally too. Mark, like me, has been regularly attacked by mainly older white gay men — our peers — when he doesn’t toe the geriatric conservative line. I urge you to buy his book. The essays are all quick reads, full of queer bitchy wisdom, saintly depravity, intended and not-so-intended humor, and, above all, an earnest heart whose trials eventually brought great kindness to himself and our queer world. “That’s all that matters,” he told me.

“Kindness. You don’t have to agree with anything, but kindness matters most.”

It is true that AIDS forced gay men to bond

You can purchase Mark King’s book in the usual places in digital and paper format.

Visit his blog site, myfabulousdisease. com, for more information and to read his ongoing blog.

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CULTURE

Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra's Mosaics: Making Beauty from Adversity Adalei Stevens The Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra is a nonprofit, volunteer, LGBTQ-inclusive symphony orchestra organized to serve the musical needs of its community and its members. The APO is the only LGBTQ orchestra in Georgia and the fifth oldest in the world of its kind. It was founded in 2004 by four instrumentalists and a choral director to create an inclusive orchestral group for the LGBTQ+ community in Atlanta. Under the batons of Artistic Director Amy Wilson, Associate Conductor Whittaker Locke and Concertmaster Earl Hough, APO will open its 18th concert season on Saturday, October 22.

Wilson named this season’s theme, “Mosaics,” and told Georgia Voice she was inspired by the orchestra’s practice and performance space at North Decatur Presbyterian Church, a midcentury A-frame with stained glass windows. The APO values inclusivity, and this season’s theme hopes to capture the beauty of diversity in the LGBTQ community through music.

The Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra PHOTO VIA FACEBOOK

As a conductor and artistic director, Wilson creates the program for each concert, leads the orchestra throughout the season and auditions prospective members. Outside the APO, Wilson has conducted orchestras throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Europe.

She is also the principal guest conductor of the Atlanta Musicians Orchestra. Since joining the APO in 2011, Wilson’s health and life have changed significantly.

genetic condition called ocular albinism.

After experiencing symptoms of extreme fatigue and fainting spells for years, she was diagnosed with brain cancer in February 2021.

Symptoms began over a decade before when she was a graduate student, but she initially dismissed them as signs of “getting older.”

She was also born visually impaired due to a

Wilson knew from an early age that she wanted to be a conductor, like her mother. Even though she seemed born for the job, her parents encouraged her to study math or science, so she didn’t “throw away” her talent in those subjects.

Despite their protestations, Wilson knew her passion would lead her to conducting. As she

68 CULTURE OCTOBER 13, 2023

“I’m visually impaired, but I didn’t have these problems before. I was starting to struggle to use the MARTA, to see things that I should be able to see, but I remember [feeling] like this getting older stuff is hard,” Wilson said. “I mean, I’ve gone all over Atlanta, accidentally, on the MARTA just because I got on the wrong train at Five Points.”

entered the world of conducting, she quickly learned the field was dominated by men.

the struggle to reach inner peace.

“I’m very passionate about conducting, and I was determined to be a conductor no matter what … For me, there was nothing else I could do and be happy,” she said. “So, that was really my guiding light, and I was going to do it. I didn’t care what it was. I was going to conduct something, and I’m so glad that I did, even with the struggles I have.”

The program features a composition by Massimo De Lillo, one of the winners of the 2022 APO Composition Contest called “From the Mystical East.” Wilson also promises Antonín Dvořák’s “New World Symphony (Symphony No. 9 in E minor),” “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila” by Mikhail Glinka and “Radetzky March” by Johann Strauss Sr.

The opening concert for the APO’s 18th season theme, Mosaics, offers a variety of pieces that individually confront themes of identity, death, and homeland. Together, the program illustrates the beauty of accepting oneself, living authentically and

The Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra will debut its 18th season on Saturday, October 22 at 7:30pm at North Decatur Presbyterian Church at 611 Medlock Rd. Visit atlantaphilharmonic.org for tickets and more information.

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Celebrate Pride 2023 The T, with drink specials on October 14 & 15

Monday - Saturday, 11 a.m. till 2 a.m.

Sunday, Noon till Midnight

465 BOULEVARD SE ATLANTA 30312 404.343.2450

CULTURE

LGBTQ Drivers AUTOMAKERS SUPPORT AND CELEBRATE

Casey Williams

During Motor City Pride in Detroit last June, General Motors put its best wheels forward with faded rainbow-painted versions of the Cadillac Lyriq electric crossover and CT5 sport sedan, each bearing the phrase “Everybody In.” During the month, GM’s iconic Renaissance Center headquarters was fronted by an array of Pride flags. GM is not alone in its support and celebration of our community.

I’ve been involved with the auto industry my entire life; my father retired from General Motors. In their day, it was unimaginable for automakers to embrace LGBTQ employees and customers. Even following the era of Bud Light and trans TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, automakers continue to support some of their most loyal stakeholders.

Authenticity Required, Humor Appreciated Those of us in the LGBTQ community can detect inauthentic people quickly. We’ve encountered their judgment and patronizing sass our entire lives. If an automaker — or any company — is going to approach us, they must act genuinely. Still, a little humor never hurts.

In 1996, Subaru followed Saab and Saturn in advertising in gay newspapers. The company was also the first in the auto industry to design gay- and lesbian-specific pieces.

“Subaru owners have always been our biggest source of inspiration, and there is nothing more authentic than real people sharing

70 CULTURE OCTOBER 13, 2023

how their vehicle enhances their life,” said Diane Anton, Corporate Communications Manager, Subaru of America. “Subaru is also authentic in our own corporate spaces.

Subaru of America, Inc. was named a 2022 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign.”

Subaru used out tennis player Martina Navratilova in early ads, but a clever one featured the sporty performance-oriented WRX model mounted on a bubble card with the headline, “Nice Package.” Another featured the first-generation Outback alongside the Forester crossover and Legacy sedan with the line, “Different Drivers.

Different Roads. One Car.” Another displayed an Outback lofting bicycles saying “It’s Not a Choice. It’s The Way We’re Built.”

“Subaru holds the record for the longest consistent history of gay and lesbian advertising,” Anton continued. "Furthermore, Subaru was first in the automotive industry to design gay- and lesbian-specific ad creative, rather than running the same ads featured in mainstream publications."

Subaru first embraced LGBTQ drivers when researchers discovered a disproportionate number of lesbians in the Northeast purchasing its cars. Turns out, lesbians just liked the cars, appreciating their all-weather capability and versatility. So, Subaru embraced them and still contributes to organizations devoted to causes that matter, like HRC and PFLAG. Subaru was also one of the first automakers to offer same-sex partner benefits to employees.

Cadillac is a strong supporter of diversity in the arts. COURTESY PHOTO

Showing Some Public Pride General Motors took a similar approach — and it also began from within.

“We’ve supported Motor City Pride parade and festivities in Detroit during Pride month since its inception,” said a GM DEI spokesperson. “Beyond June, we’ve worked with the Human Rights Campaign for several years and continue to work with community organizations that support LGBTQ youth.

Above all, we continue to support our employees and the GM PLUS [employee resource group]. This has allowed us to gain more insights into LGBTQ customers and their needs.”

General Motors, along with Ford and Chrysler, was early to offer same-sex partner benefits — a request from the United Auto Workers during negotiations with its hourly workforce. GM is celebrating 30 years of GM PLUS. More specifically, Cadillac is a strong supporter of diversity in the arts and focused on photographer Dario Calmese as part of its Audacity of Hope campaign.

One of my all-time favorite ads was for the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid, a “bi” car, sitting between a Tahoe SUV and Cruze compact, with the line, “Mom, Dad, I’m Electric.” The piece was created to promote Motor City Pride and won a GLAAD award.

“We are on a journey to be a more inclusive company,” the GM spokesperson said. “Our

message often starts with our employees, which means creating a workplace culture where everyone feels safe and comfortable being their authentic selves every day.”

Supporting LGBTQ Drivers Matters In light of controversy over Bud Light and DEI being under attack in Florida and other states, automakers do not take outreach to our community lightly.

“While we can’t comment on other companies and their journey, we know that it’s imperative to bring everyone along as we transition our business to electric vehicles,” the GM spokesperson said. “Our employees are our greatest asset and through them, we strive to meet customer and market demands.”

In the end, LGBTQ customers are like any other drivers. We enjoy cars, take our families on trips, drive to dinner, and occasionally spank a sexy sports car during a weekend romp. We should also appreciate the automakers that embrace our community.

When I was coming out 20 years ago, there was a Volvo ad that read, “Whether you’re starting a family or creating one as you go.”

It featured all kinds of gay couples, including two young guys with a baby. That photo was in my mind as my husband and I adopted our little girl. Ads like these respect who we are, show us where to spend our money, and make it okay for others to do the same.

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OCTOBER 13, 2023 ADS 71

ACTING OUT JIM FARMER

“Rotting in the Sun” PUBLICITY PHOTO

‘Rotting in the Sun’ is More Than Sex, ‘Cassandro’ Follows Gay Wrestler Jim Farmer It generated a lot of attention at Sundance this year because of its frontal nudity and graphic gay sex, but eventually patrons recognized that Sebastián Silva’s new “Rotting in the Sun” is a bold, triumphant film that works on unexpected levels.

Silva stars as a depressed director who meets fan Jordan Firstman, an Instagram influencer, on a nude gay beach in Mexico City. The two agree to work on a project together, but Silva disappears before they can begin.

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Both men basically play themselves here.

Silva had been living in Mexico City, in the area that the film takes place, when he got the initial drive.

in this movie and he was very willing.”

“A lot of the elements were there, and they were so colorful,” he told Georgia Voice. “The building where I was at was under construction and felt very picturesque. Everything started feeling very cinematic and I started toying with the idea of making a movie about class and social disparity, a misanthropic comedy.

That was the beginning.” He started to write soon after and through coincidence met Firstman. “The week after I offered him [the chance] to play himself and humiliate himself

“The lines are very blurred on how much to play it up and how much to play it down,” he said. “Sebastian said from the beginning we are all playing the worst versions of ourselves, so I had that to go on. But I’ve always been very open to self-criticism and self-examination. I took it as an opportunity.”

It was tricky to play himself, according to Firstman.

The previous year, he recalls “blowing up” on the Internet. Fame and attention were happening at such a rapid pace he didn’t

have time to examine what was happening.

Being directed by Silva intrigued him.

“It felt like a way to look at myself through the lens of someone who I knew thought I was super annoying and was critical of what I did,” he said. “I thought that was interesting. You have to take a leap of faith. It was challenging, but you have to trust your instincts and trust that the person making the movie knows what the fuck he’s doing. Thankfully, he did.

I always said, if this movie sucks and I am sucking cock on camera and making fun of myself, I am going to kill myself.”

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ACTING OUT JIM FARMER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 74 In the film, the relationship between the men is very complicated.

“It is very uneven,” Silva said. “I despise him, and I need his money. I am all about the money. I hate him because I hate myself too. The character is such a self-deprecating, disenchanted man. He hates the beach, the people at the beach, life. Jordan’s flaw is how naive and possible he is, how enthusiastic about this newfound fame and the project he is being offered. They are on completely different spectrums of mental health; coming together is calling for absolute chaos.”

While Firstman agrees that the men are two polar opposites, he does think there’s more than money involved.

“Sebastian keeps responding to texts,” he said.

“There is something inside of the character that wants to be saved by positivity and maybe some of that can rub off. He wants to feel as good as me, although he’d never admit that.”

One goal for Silva was to create threedimensional characters and tell a new kind of story.

“I appreciate movies about gay stories and coming out, but it feels like they seem so apologetic in a way, or so related to the drama or struggle,” he said. “In this case we are way past that.”

A lot of the early attention was paid to the sexuality portrayed in the film, but “Rotting in the Sun” deals with many issues and features an extraordinary performance by Catalina Saavedra as a maid.

“I think we saw immediately that [the nudity] was what people were talking about,” Firstman said. “We were frustrated by it because we knew the movie was so much more. It felt very American, very repressed, the obsession with the dicks. And when we started talking about the marketing of the movie, we just decided to lean in and pretend it’s a movie about dicks to get people to theaters and they will be shocked that it’s about so much more.

It’s putting the joke on the audience.”

Gael Garcia Benca stars in “Cassandro.” PUBLICITY PHOTO THEGEORGIAVOICE.COM

In the new film “Cassandro,” Gael Garcia Bencal plays gay wrestler Saúl Armendáriz

“It was important that [the lead] was a Mexican actor but really important that it was a great actor to pull off the complexity and depth to pull off the emotional and physical demands .Gael is one of the great Mexican actors. He is a revered actor and I had no one else in mind to play this role.”

— Director Roger Ross William who fights in the Lucha Libra World Cup in Mexico before he begins competing as an exotico (in drag) as the titular character.

Director Roger Ross Williams (in his feature debut) made a short film on the subject and fell in love with the real-life character.

“His story was super inspiring and is a hero’s journey,” Williams said. “You don’t see a lot of queer stories about heroes. They are usually really depressing or about coming out or being beaten up, something horrible.

This was the story of an openly gay man overcoming adversity who became a star.”

Williams knew nothing about the subject before he made the initial documentary. He was introduced to the world and thought it was an important story to tell. Yet he had to learn all about the whole lucha libra environment, but as a documentarian, it was his job to explain it to the world.

Authenticity was important in casting.

“It was important that [the lead] was a Mexican actor but really important that it was a great actor to pull off the complexity and depth to pull off the emotional and physical demands,” Williams said. “Gael is one of the great Mexican actors. He is a revered actor and I had no one else in mind to play this role.”

Williams pursued Bencal for a year before he eventually got a meeting with the actor’s agent and worked it all out.

MORE INFO “Rotting in the Sun” is now available on MUBI “Cassandro” is now available on Prime OCTOBER 13, 2023 COLUMNIST 75

BEST BETS THE BEST LGBTQ EVENTS HAPPENING IN OCTOBER Jim Farmer

How I Learned to Drive

October 13, 8pm, through October 15 7 Stages Backstage Theatre AuthentiCity Theatre presents Paula Vogel’s “How I Learned to Drive.”

Passing Strange

October 14, 7:30pm, through October 22 Theatrical Outfit A soulful and electrifying Broadway musical, “Passing Strange” takes us on an odyssey in search of identity, acceptance, and the “Real.”

A young man discovers his musical calling and sets off for Europe, leaving behind his mother and comfortable suburban life. In his rebellion filled with sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, he yearns for something in life that he thinks can only be found in art. Bursting with energizing punk, blues, gospel, and jazz music, this Tony Award-winning musical radiates with humor and hear.

Famous Lady Lovers: Black Women and Queer Desire Before Stonewall.” Black queer women have shaped American culture since long before the era of gay liberation. Cookie Woolner here uncovers the intimate lives of performers, writers, and educators such as Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, Gladys Bentley, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and Lucy Diggs Slowe, along with the many everyday women she encountered in the archives. This event is co-sponsored by the Gay Johnson McDougall Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion. Also available virtually by registering at https://www. crowdcast.io/c/famous-lady-lovers.

“Prequel” Book Tour October 20, 7pm Fox Theatre

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

The “Prequel” book tour stops in the ATL. #1 New York Times bestselling author and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow traces the fight to preserve American democracy back to World War II when a handful of committed public servants and brave private citizens thwarted far-right plotters trying to steer our nation toward an alliance with the Nazis. Twotime Georgia Democratic gubernatorial nominee and New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams will join the conversation.

Trans and Friends

SHALLOWEEN

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

WUSSY presents the 8th annual SHALLOWEEN with special guest, NYC legend & fashion icon — Amanda Lepore! Bring out your scariest fashions — you may be undead, but your hair needs to fierce!!

This year's costume contest will be the fashion event of the century — be prepared to walk the runway.

PFLAG Support Group October 15, 2:30pm Spiritual Living Center

October 16, 7pm for youth, 8pm for adults Charis Books and More

Nyad

October 18, 7pm Midtown Art Cinema Out On Film and Netflix present an advance screening of the new film “Nyad,” about swimmer Diana Nyad, who sets out at 60 to achieve a nearly impossible lifelong dream: to swim from Cuba to Florida across more than 100 miles of open ocean. Annette Bening and Jodie Foster star. Send RSVP to info@outonfilm.org.

The Famous Lady Lovers: Black Women and Queer Desire Before Stonewall October 20, 7:30pm Charis Books and More Charis welcomes Cookie Woolner in conversation with Beverly Guy-Sheftall for a discussion of “The

76 BEST BETS CALENDAR OCTOBER 13, 2023

October 21, 9:30pm My Sister’s Room

Hocus Pocus October 25, 6pm Plaza Theatre

EVENT SPOTLIGHT Josh Rhett Noble October 21, 8pm

Out Front Theatre Company Award-winning performer and Atlanta native Josh Rhett Noble returns home for this one night only cabaret featuring tunes from Broadway and Beyond. You may have seen Josh previously on stages across Atlanta as well as in multiple TV shows and films. After 15 years in NYC, he is thrilled to bring this show home. An Atlanta native, Noble is known for various guest star roles in television (including stints in “Law & Order: SVU,” “I'd Kill for You,” the Jay-Z produced “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” and for providing voice and motion capture for the Rockstar produced video game “Red Dead Redemption 2.” He most recently was seen in the Selena Gomez produced film “This is the Year,” the premiere episode of “Monarch” opposite Susan Sarandon and Trace Adkins and season two of ABC’s “The Wonder Years.” Photo via Facebook Indiana prom—and the press is involved—they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue… and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny.

Now, Broadway’s brassiest are coming to join the fight and they are ready to kick-ball-change the world. The musical had its world premiere here in Atlanta before moving to Broadway.

WussyVision is back for its annual spooky season screening of “Hocus Pocus” at the Plaza Theatre. Enjoy a costume contest. The event is hosted by Hera Kane, Katrina Prowess & Molly Rimswell. Arrive early, grab a cocktail, grab a snack, and take some photos before the look contest starts at 7pm.

Freak

The Prom

LGBTQ Book Club

In “The Prom,” four fading Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town

The LGBTQ+ Book Club, sponsored by Charis Books and More, is a group for LGBTQ+ folks and allies to read queer-themed books

October 26, 8pm, through November 11 Out Front Theatre Company

October 27, 10pm Heretic Heretic Atlanta presents Freak tonight.

October 28, 10am Virtual

and books by queer authors. The goal is to have diverse thought-provoking discussions about queer identity, history and topical issues. All are welcome to join. This month's book is “Hunger: A Memoir” by Roxane Gay. Register in advance for this meeting: https:// us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYodegpj0vHdeWfB0rTHplMNLaMhWuOJAs.

Frankenstein

October 28, 8pm Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre A big screen showing of the 1931 film of Mary Shelley’s classic novel “Frankenstein” starring Boris Karloff is given a lush and vibrant score composed by Michael Shapiro and performed by a quintet of singers and The Atlanta Opera orchestra for an entertaining evening at the theater. Come in costume and enjoy the fun as Frankenstein’s monster comes alive in a whole new way next Halloween.

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THURSDAY, OCT. 19 MIDTOWN 6-10PM | Epicurean Hotel Atlanta

· EAT & GREET with MIDTOWN RESTAURANTS and TOP CHEFS · · ALL-INCLUSIVE RESTAURANT TASTES and DESSERT BAR TREATS · · BOTTOMLESS WINE, BEER and COCKTAIL TASTINGS · · CHEF DEMONSTRATIONS · LIVE MUSIC ·

BUY TICKETS NOW! TasteOfAtlanta.com |

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@tasteofatlanta

OCTOBER 13, 2023 ADS 77

LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST OCTOBER 13-27 Katie Burkholder

Events highlighted in pink take place during Atlanta Pride weekend.

7 Deadly Sins Glow Hook Up Party October 13, 8pm My Sister’s Room

This Pride party will feature a comedy show with Kia Barnes and company (8-9:30pm), performances by Ada Manzhart and the Hellfire Harlots, and music from DJ EXel, DJ Michael Wulf, and DJ Face! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

RuPride Friday October 13, 8pm Future

Starring Kylie Sonique Love, Detox, Phoenix, and members of the Fantasy Girls and Disco Dollz casts. Hosted by Destiny Brooks.

Tickets at future-atlanta.com.

Show Your Pride October 13, 9pm Believe Music Hall

Featuring Alex Acosta and Alex Lo. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Queer Bait

October 13, 9pm Mary’s Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster. $5 cover.

Club XOXO

October 13, 11pm Underground Atlanta Chelsea Manning will be DJing! You don’t wanna miss it! Tickets via Rebelity.

Friday Pride with DJ Ryan Willing

PRIDE EVENT SPOTLIGHT RuPride Friday October 13, 8pm Future Starring Kylie Sonique Love (pictured), Detox, Phoenix, and members of the Fantasy Girls and Disco Dollz casts. Hosted by Destiny Brooks. Tickets at future-atlanta.com. Photo via Facebook the night away with DJ P-Nasty and DJ Face. Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

Mother! Drag Party October 14, 8pm Underground Atlanta

$10 cover.

Featuring Anetra, Sasha Colby, Alt3r, Chapel Beauty, EllaSaurus Rex, House of Alxndr, Little Mx. Wussy 2023, Manhole, NeonBlk, and Persuasians! Tickets via Rebelity.

Afterglow

Main Event

October 13, 11pm Atlanta Eagle

October 14, 3am Future Featuring Paulo and Seth Breezy. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Coyote Queer October 14, 8pm My Sister’s Room

The Unwrapped Burlesque show begins at 8pm, hosted by Candi Lequor. Then, dance

78 LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST OCTOBER 13, 2023

October 14, 9pm Coca-Cola Roxy Featuring Sagi Kariv and Tony Moran, plus a performance by Phoenix. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Snow Tha Product October 14, 9pm Park Tavern

MSR presents Latin Grammy-nominated

singer-songwriter Snow Tha Product performing live at Electric Circus, with performances also by Hellfire Harlots, Loren Rosko, and emcees Jen Chase Daniels and Kia Barnes! Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

Afterglow 2

October 15, 3am Future Featuring Abel and Cindel. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Pride Closing Party October 15, 7pm My Sister’s Room

Close out Pride weekend with the Hellfire Harlots, DJ Mary Mac, and DJ Wulf.

Tickets at mysistersroom.com.

Closing Party October 15, 9pm Masquerade

Featuring Micky Friedmann and Twisted Dee. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Afterglow 3

October 16, 3am Future Featuring Nina Flowers and Sam Gee. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Monday Revival October 16, 10pm Future

Featuring Kardona and Mohammad. Tickets at gaboyevents.com.

Alt3r

October 18, 10pm Star Bar Little Five Points’ favorite monthly drag show is back with Katrina Prowess, Hera Kane,

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LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST OCTOBER 13-27 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 78 and Kiki’s Dream, as well as a lineup of incredible drag performances! This month’s theme is Monster Ball! $5 cover.

Rock House Karaoke October 19, 9pm Atlanta Eagle

Hosted by Raqi.

Amen! Drag Show October 19, 11pm Sister Louisa’s Church

Starring Dotte Com, Jaybella Bankz, and Taylor Alxndr, as well as other special guests! No cover.

DANCE // ‘90S and ‘00s Dance Party October 14, 10pm The Basement

It’s like a regular party, but with more fun! If you’re into dancing like nobody’s watching, this is the party for you. Tickets at basementatl.com.

Mr Charlie Brown’s XXX Rated Cougars October 14, 9pm Atlanta Eagle

EVENT SPOTLIGHT Shalloween

With Lena Lust, Misti Shores, Amber Divine, and co-host Shawnna Brooks.

October 21, 10pm

Saturday Pride with iCharlie

Get ready for ATL’s most fabulous Halloween drag show and costume contest! This year’s show features the iconic Amanda Lepore (pictured), plus performances

by Deacon Slanders, Drew Friday, JayBella Banks, Katrina Prowess, Mr. Elle Aye, Saliva Godiva, and more! Tickets via Eventbrite. Photo via Facebook

October 14, 11pm Atlanta Eagle

My Sister’s Room

Eventbrite.

Atlanta Eagle

Sunday Pride with ValVerra

Queer Bait

With Lena Lust, Misti Shores, Amber Divine, and co-host Shawnna Brooks.

$5 cover.

Gay pop videos with DJ Headmaster. $5 cover.

Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo

Hot Mess Halloween Dance Party

$10 cover.

October 15, 10pm Atlanta Eagle

October 18, 8pm Atlanta Eagle

Rock House Karaoke October 19, 9pm Atlanta Eagle

Hosted by Raqi.

KUSA Fall Mixer October 19, 10pm District Atlanta

Come for a night of socializing, dancing, and fun with the biggest Korean student organizations in Atlanta! Tickets via

80 LGBTQ NIGHTLIFE FORECAST OCTOBER 13, 2023

October 20, 9pm Mary’s

October 20, 10pm The Basement

DIY or put together a hot mess of a costume for your chance to win prizes of questionable quality and value! Tickets ta basementatl.com.

Ron Pullman: First and Third Fridays October 20, 11pm Atlanta Eagle $5 cover.

Mr Charlie Brown’s XXX Rated Cougars October 21, 9pm

Shalloween

October 21, 10pm My Sister’s Room Get ready for ATL’s most fabulous Halloween drag show and costume contest! This year’s show features the iconic Amanda Lepore, plus performances by Deacon Slanders, Drew Friday, JayBella Banks, Katrina Prowess, Mr. Elle Aye, Saliva Godiva, and more! Tickets via Eventbrite.

Country Night October 24, 8pm Atlanta Eagle

Ruby Redd’s Birdcage Bingo October 25, 8pm Atlanta Eagle

Dance lessons begin at 8pm before open dancing at 9pm! With DJ Dice.

Rock House Karaoke October 26, 9pm Atlanta Eagle

MUG CHECK! An Open Stage Drag Show

Hosted by Raqi.

Mug Check provides an open stage to everyone, from newcomers to tenured talent!

Featuring Hugel and Vitillaz. Tickets at bit. ly/HUGELLOWEENATL2023.

October 22, 8pm My Sister’s Room

Dia De Los Muertos October 27, 11pm District Atlanta

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OCTOBER 13, 2023 ADS 81

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID MELISSA CARTER

BIGOT ON THE PLAYGROUND Melissa Carter My son recently turned nine, and normally Katie and I like to invite his whole class to a party in the backyard or a big event space. This year, however, we decided to try out an escape room that required a limited number of guests. Because he’d have to narrow his invite list, I took out a piece of paper for Mr. Carter to write down those he wanted to attend. When one name appeared on the list, I winced and then realized I handled an offensive situation the right way months earlier.

It was on the playground last spring when a kid in his second-grade class decided my son needed to know that having two mothers was wrong. When my son protested, this kid was adamant that my son’s home life was not

82 COLUMNIST OCTOBER 13, 2023

normal, and that the only correct home was one with both a mother and a father.

Katie and I are never sure if or when such incidents might occur, so we’ve handled it by not saying anything to him as a warning.

All he knows is two mothers, he recognized early that other kids had a different combination of parents, and he was always comfortable with the knowledge that there are many kinds of families out there. He’s been in a school environment that agrees with this philosophy, so when this one child made their beliefs known to him, he was taken aback.

Mr. Carter waited until bedtime that night to discuss what happened. He described his classmate as being aggressive with the opinion and saw this classmate also share the belief with another second-grader who had two dads. Each conversation took place on the playground, out of earshot of any

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ MANDY GODBEHEAR

teachers, so it was up to my son to handle it. He simply dismissed him, but I could tell he was frustrated by not getting his way in the end.

not even understand what he’s saying or really believe that in the future. But for now, yes, we have to love him for who he is, even if he’s been taught incorrectly.

I explained that children oftentimes mimic what they hear their parents say, so obviously this child’s parents only think their family structure is correct. I have to admit, I was very disappointed, having known this family and been unaware of their politics. However, I didn’t express that to my son.

So, there was the name of the child, on the limited invite list, because my son loves them for who they are and focuses on what the two have in common. I, too, have followed that lead and continue to socialize with the parents and what we can talk about without conflict.

“But we have to love him anyway, just the way he is,” my son replied.

Pride is contagious, and the self-confidence I’ve gained over the years in terms of my sexuality is obviously being passed down.

Children are meant to be the evolution of us, and I’m glad my son is already a biggerminded person than I was at that age.

There are moments when you are at a loss for words by something a child says. Fighting back tears, I agreed with him, saying he may

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CELEBRITY BRIEFS

Atlanta Pride Edition

What’s going on in the world of LGBTQ and allied celebs? Allow them to tell you! From life updates to advocating for others, queer and allied celebrities are chatting about it all.

“Writing this book left me gooped, gagged, and stripped raw. I’ve learned vulnerability is strength, but so far all I feel is nervous as hell, yet super excited to share it with y’all.”

—RuPaul on his forthcoming memoir, ‘The House of Hidden Meanings’ (Instagram)

“In country [music], what standard are we setting? What is a little girl or like a little gay kid in the South at home when they look at this format right now, what are we teaching them? That they’re not welcome.” — Maren Morris on why she’s leaving country music (New York Times’ Podcast)

“Advocating for trans inclusion in sports and trans rights does not take away from women’s rights.

Women deserve the same access to money, advertising dollars, resources, training, facilities, scholarship opportunities, and professional league opportunities that men do, and I’m advocating for that all the time. I believe in women’s rights. I believe in women’s right to choose. I believe in trans rights. advocating for all the people.”

— Jonathan Van Ness (Instagram)

“We all have to fight for freedom. At a time when transgender people still suffer terrible violence, at a time when children of same-sex couples are not considered their children, at a time when minority voices are being attacked by new laws. At this time, we still have a lot to do.”

Donatella Versace (CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards) All photos via Facebook

84 CELBRITY BRIEFS OCTOBER 13, 2023

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OCTOBER 13, 2023 ADS 85

impact 2 0 2 3 PA R T Y W I T H

12/30

AT LA N TA SYMPHONY H A L L • 8PM J O I N U S FOR A NIGHT O F CO M EDY WITH

Bob The Drag Queen T I C K ETS & I N FO

BENEFITS

POSITIVE I M PACT H EA LT H C ENTERS.ORG