11/25/16, Vol. 7 Issue 20

YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH

That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.

What is DESCOVY ?

What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY?

DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older.

DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.

Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include:

®

DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others.

Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY? DESCOVY may cause serious side effects: •

•

•

•

Buildup of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

•

•

•

•

Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.

Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY. Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys.

Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.

Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY? •

•

Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty.

Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; lightcolored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

All the medicines you take, including prescription and overthe-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines.

If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.

•

Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

•

If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.

Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.

IMPORTANT FACTS (des-KOH-vee)

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

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY

DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including:

DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including:

• Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section.

• Changes in body fat.

• Changes in your immune system.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; loss of appetite; light-colored bowel movements (stools); nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY or a similar medicine for a long time.

ABOUT DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.

The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea.

These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.

BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical condition.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.

GET MORE INFORMATION HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY • DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.

• Take DESCOVY with or without food.

• This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

• Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.

DESCOVY, the DESCOVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. DVYC0019 11/16

GEORGIANEWS

Georgia LGBT organizations regroup after surprise Trump win Leaders wrestle with managing anxiety, transforming it into action

By PATRICK SAUNDERS psaunders@thegavoice.com In the days and weeks following Donald Trump’s defeat of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in this year’s presidential election, donations poured into LGBT and other progressive groups around the nation in response.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reports that they have received nearly $12 million since Nov. 8. It led ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero to say that the outpouring of support was the highest in the organization’s nearly 100-year history, “greater than the days after 9/11.”

That illustrates how strongly the fear and anxiety about a Trump presidency ripped through various communities, including immigrants and overall people of color, LGBT people and others. President-elect Trump’s ensuing announcements of various appointments to key posts only contributed to those feelings.

Groups in Georgia were not immune, including those in the LGBT Jewish community. Rebecca Stapel-Wax, executive director of the Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity (SOJOURN), made another reference to a calamitous historical event while talking to the Georgia Voice following the election.

Stapel-Wax compared the days following Trump’s win to sitting shiva, the Jewish ritual following the death of a loved one.

“That’s what it has been like. Sort of mourning the death of hope and unity, or the chance for that,” she tells the Georgia Voice, adding, “And the fear that I think especially in the Jewish community, this is very reminiscent of what happened in the ’30s.

“We know from the Holocaust that it all started with propaganda and stereotyping and that translated into harassment and discrimination, and obviously genocide. So that’s where we go in our heads.”

But as groups like SOJOURN and others throughout the state deal with their own sense of loss, they are attempting to come out of the fog and turn that angst into action. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

President-elect Donald Trump’s win on Nov. 8 created fear and anxiety throughout Georgia’s LGBT community but also led many to join efforts to combat the possible fallout. (iStock photo)

“I do think that folks are working through their grief, their anger and their fear and having a greater sense that we need to be active and we need to be able to stand up for ourselves.”

—Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham on being inundated with people asking what they can do in response to President-elect Trump’s win

Legal expert attempts to calm fears about marriage equality The number one fear on most LGBT minds was the crumbling of the community’s greatest victory to date: the legalization of same-sex marriage. Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham points to an analysis of the issue shared by Shannon Price Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Monday following the election.

Minter stated that the existing marriages of same-sex couples “are not in serious or immediate jeopardy,” and pointed out that since the five U.S. Supreme Court justices who were in the majority in the court’s 2015 decision are still on the court, overturning it would be impossible even if President-elect Trump appointed an anti-marriage equality

justice like the late Antonin Scalia, as he indicated he would on the campaign trail.

Minter also said that the Supreme Court rarely overturns an important constitutional ruling so soon after issuing it, and that the constantly growing public support for marriage equality across the country would make overturning it an even smaller possibility.

However, Graham says that doesn’t mean there aren’t other fears, including President-elect Trump’s pledge to undo President Obama’s executive orders, many of which involve LGBT protections in employment and housing.

“There have been so many gains that the LGBT community has made under the Obama administration,” Graham says. “So the fear that we could lose so much of that is very, very real.”

A bright spot to latch onto in Gwinnett But as Donald Trump’s possible defeat of Hillary Clinton quickly turned into a certainty as election night wore on, a bright spot emerged in Gwinnett County with Sam Park’s defeat of well-funded three-term incumbent Republican Valerie Clark.

The openly gay Korean-American became the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia Legislature, and the state’s LGBT community quickly latched onto the news, with Georgia Equality’s email and the Georgia Voice’s ensuing story announcing the win skyrocketing across inboxes and social media.

“I think clearly folks were looking for some good news as they were seeing some of their worst nightmares playing out on their TV screens,” Graham says.

Graham adds that he’s been inundated with people asking how they can get involved and be a part of what happens for the state’s LGBT community in the coming year.

“I do think that folks are working through their grief, their anger and their fear and having a greater sense that we need to be active and we need to be able to stand up for ourselves,” he says.

And with Park’s win coming in the same year as the election of Park Cannon, a queer African-American woman, to the Georgia Legislature, he says a deep bench of young leaders is forming to join lesbian state Representatives Karla Drenner and Keisha Waites as well as other LGBT leaders throughout the state. “[Sam Park and Park Cannon] truly represent what I feel is the new Georgia, that is very, very diverse,” he says.

While acknowledging the same fears and anxieties of many, the LGBT community’s next young leader, 31-year-old Sam Park, sees an opening for intersectionality.

“I think an opportunity exists moving forward for some of our communities, whether it’s the LGBT community or another community that feels the same way and has that anxiety of what may happen next, there are opportunities for us to work together to build coalitions to ensure our mutual objectives of what we care about. That desire for all of us to be treated with equal dignity and protections under the law … that is something that gives me hope.”

November 25, 2016 News 5

GEORGIANEWS

Georgia Equality lines up art exhibit for World AIDS Day LGBT rights group presents Living With exhibit at Gallery 874

By DALLAS DUNCAN Dec. 1 is a day for many to reflect: to remember lives lost, to push forward efforts to find a cure.

But Georgia Equality has slightly different plans for this World AIDS Day. Instead of commemorating death, it’s encouraging the public to celebrate life. Through an interactive art exhibit held at Atlanta’s Gallery 874, organizers will put on display the daily life of what it’s like to be a Georgian living with HIV. “People are no longer dying in droves from AIDS, [but] a lot of people are still dying of HIV/AIDS because of the stigma,” said Emily Brown, field organizer for Georgia Equality. “The whole exhibit is called Living With. We really want to highlight that people are living with HIV, and the stigma, shame and other issues that cause people to talk about HIV are why it’s still deadly.”

Through the exhibit — held in conjunction with Georgia Equality’s annual legislative luncheon — Georgia lawmakers and the public will not only be able to hear policy briefs, they’ll be able to experience a few moments in the life of those affected by the policies.

“A lot of folks in the community of HIV advocates, and people who are in communities highly impacted by HIV, have a lot of artists,” Brown said. “No one on any official channel was talking about HIV. Artists have been forced to take an advocacy role. We realized there were people, even in our own circle, who had things to say that weren’t easily articulated in a policy brief or a quick kind of PowerPoint presentation.”

What they came up with was an art installation, a sort of modern interpretation of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

“We didn’t actually intend to do an exhibit. It just became that. Now it’s enormous,” Brown said. “There’s so many installations, so many pieces of art that are intriguing.”

Comic strip art, interactive pieces featured in exhibit The backbone of the Living With exhibit is a series of installations which she called

Conceptual artist Emily Getsay, who documented the day-to-day life of an HIV-positive man for her piece, is one of the many artists whose work is featured in the Living With exhibit. (Courtesy photo)

“Art speaks loudly in provocative ways about whatever it’s trying to say. It doesn’t have the constraints of a formal narrative of life.

We needed to push the narrative.”

—Emily Brown, field organizer for Georgia Equality “living spaces.”

“This is where an artist or group of artists work one-on-one with a person who is HIV-positive to tell their life story through a four-dimensional space in time in the gallery,” Brown said.

A muralist tells his subject’s story through large comic strip art. Some are interactive, including the piece that includes opportunities for visitors to write messages of support — a play on the concept of “it takes a village” to support a person living with HIV, Brown said.

“There’s one that has a telephone in the middle of it and people pick up the telephone and hear the young person and the family’s reaction to his diagnosis with HIV,” Brown said.

One installation is by Emily Getsay, a conceptual artist who followed her subject around for 24 hours and documented his

entire day. Together, they came up with a story that told not only what the day-to-day looked like, but also the struggles and the “simplicity of just living,” she said.

“The title of the installation that I’m doing is called ‘Habit,’” Getsay said. “The idea behind this is the audience walks into the installation, it consumes them, and they’re automatically forced to put themselves in that frame, into the mind of someone living with HIV.” She said prior to meeting her subject about a month ago, she didn’t know much about HIV/AIDS. “Personally, it was a huge growing experience. They’ve actually become one of my really close friends now — I’m getting kind of emotional because this person is super awesome,” Getsay said. “The main piece that I’m trying to convey with my installation is that

we’re all the same. Every person, we’re all the same species and we all have these struggles and these things we have to get over. Daily battles and things we wake up in the morning and we’re like ‘Gosh, don’t want to have to deal with that.’ I want it to be almost like a connection for the audience to that emotion in themselves, and also to that emotion that people who live with HIV go through.”

‘Art speaks loudly in provocative ways’ When Brown put out the call for artists, the response was incredible. In addition to the living spaces installations, Living With features pieces contributed from masters of all media — a haute couture jacket made from medical supplies, for example, and in CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

6 News November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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GEORGIANEWS

Rome man’s suicide highlights LGBT mental health disparities Higher levels of depression, anxiety in LGBT community

According to John R. Ballew, a licensed professional counselor in Atlanta, Andrew Smith’s case is certainly not uncommon.

“Depression and anxiety strike LGBT people much more frequently than the general population,” he said. “That is thought to reflect the stress and intolerance many LGBT people experience.”

That intolerance was a part of Smith’s life as he wrote in a Facebook post seven months before taking his life.

“Just left an AA meeting after being discriminated against ... I thought of all places, they would be open minded and accepting,” he wrote. People in his AA group made homophobic comments about Smith and his then-partner, as Smith explained in ensuing comments under the post.

By MARY LYNN RITCH One Wednesday this past September, Andrew David Smith asked his best friend Tyler Morgan if he could borrow $30.00. Morgan told him he didn’t have the money, drove him around, and dropped him off at Smith’s grandmother’s house where he lived.

“He gave me the longest hug ever,” Morgan said, “I should have known what he was going to do.”

Smith then received a phone call that his grandmother answered. When the caller wanted to speak with Smith, he spoke calmly. That was his last phone call.

“His grandmother said she saw him walk by a window through the yard,” Morgan said, “and that was the last time she saw him.”

Six days later Andrew was found. He took his own life. He was 32 years old.

Friends recall Smith’s creativity, sense of humor Smith was born January 18, 1984 to David Smith and the late Dana Thomas Jensen. He was a visual artist who loved to create music and spend time with his close group of friends.

“Andrew had a natural talent at creating.

He could’ve been a great musician,” Morgan said, “I used to have a CD of all of his music which included some hilarious phone calls he had with his grandmother.”

Smith, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was also openly gay and knew at a very young age. All of his friends were drawn to his magnetic personality.

“Andrew was a person that ignited a room,” said Adrienne Alexander Thiesing.

“We became friends when we were teenagers; we both felt quirky in Rome and dared to be different. He put a lot of thought into all that he did and was incredibly talented.”

“He wore a shirt that said ‘I Like Boys’ during his first day of middle school,” Morgan said laughing. “He even had a straight phase for a second. It was like, ‘You’re gay, dude. It’s okay. We all love you.’”

Living in a small, conservative town like Rome, Georgia and getting bullied throughout

Andrew Smith, who had bipolar disorder, experienced anti-gay discrimination in the months leading up to his suicide. (Photo via Facebook)

“Andrew Smith was one of the most nonjudgmental people I’ve ever met in my life. Unfortunately, he did not always feel acceptance in return. Those who judged and ridiculed him not only deeply hurt him; they greatly impacted his confidence and happiness.”

—Adrienne Alexander Thiesing, a friend of the late Andrew Smith his life for his sexuality made him feel rejected and unwanted according to many of his friends.

“Andrew Smith was one of the most nonjudgmental people I’ve ever met in my life,” Thiesing said. “Unfortunately, he did not always feel acceptance in return. Those who judged and ridiculed him not only deeply hurt him; they greatly impacted his confidence and happiness.”

Earlier suicide attempt marks final year Something in Andrew’s personality took a dark turn this year. Friends say he was self-medicating with drugs, and his suicidal

symptoms peaked.

“As the years went by, Andrew’s pain and sadness eventually turned into depression and his mental state began to slip,” Thiesing said. “He sought treatment countless times and reached out in times of need but the waves kept knocking him down.”

After a suicide attempt landed him at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, his friends hoped for a change.

“I thought he would get some real help,” Morgan said, “but the mental health laws are so lax, he left the hospital pretty quickly even though he needed to stay there.”

LGBT people more susceptible to suicide Although Smith got some counseling, it could have been harder for him to latch on to breakthroughs due to his sexual orientation.

“For some people, there is still a stigma attached to seeking psychotherapy,” Ballew said. “That prolongs people’s suffering and can be life-threatening for some. Depression and anxiety are common in our society— particularly among LGBT people who may feel isolated or rejected.”

Even with the bipolar diagnosis, Smith was more susceptible to suicide that his straight peers.

“Suicidality is a serious issue in the LGBT community; it is the second leading cause of death among young people 10 to 24 years of age.” Ballew said, “LGBT youth are thought to be four to six times more likely to experience self-injury than their straight peers.”

Ballew adds that Smith’s friends and family might also consider counseling.

“Feelings of guilt and grief are common among survivors,” he said. “Talking with others who have been there can help. So can talking with a mental health professional.”

Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the United States. If you or anyone you know are experiencing suicidal feelings, a good resource is the Georgia Crisis and Access Line: 1-800-715-4225. For LGBT young people The Trevor Project can help: 1-866-488-7386.

8 News November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Living With exhibit features pieces from masters of all media CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 the case of socio-political artist Larry Jens Anderson, a stripped-down version of his “Dance of Death” pieces.

“The first three successful AIDS drawings, or drawings about AIDS that I did, were stick figures made out of knives,” Anderson said. “In my studio I had this Crock Pot full of kitchen knives. I went in one day and I dumped them out and I started making stick figures out of them, with knives for penises. That could be a rape thing; the danger of sex. I liked him a lot.”

The original exhibit included those drawings and more, surrounded by knives and hypodermic needles stuck into the wall. It was intensely personal, Anderson said.

“One of the things that artists can do, and have done for centuries even if it’s uncomfortable, they’ll paint it or draw about it,” he said. “With AIDS, people can have it and never know it and it may manifest into a disease or it may not, depending on the person.

And these knives … that was a metaphor for disease, or invasion.”

The knives won’t be in the wall for Living With, but Anderson has other pieces that did make the cut. Some of his Dick drawings — from the children’s book series of Dick and Jane — will hang for the two-day show.

“I’m putting in a drawing called ‘If I’m Good Nobody Will Notice,’ which is a lot of gay people … People only notice them because they’re different,” Anderson said.

This exhibit, too, is a different way for the public to view HIV/AIDS. Brown said it’s necessary to remind people that HIV wasn’t just a disease of the ‘80s and suddenly over. There are still individuals contracting the disease and living with it on a daily basis, even if no one wants to discuss it.

“The predominant narrative about HIV is ‘don’t talk about it,’” Brown said. “35 years

into this epidemic, that’s where we are. We’re whispering about HIV. Art speaks loudly in provocative ways about whatever it’s trying to say. It doesn’t have the constraints of a formal narrative of life. We needed to push the narrative. People are living with HIV. They’re great. They’re living their lives, and not talking about it is not doing anything for anyone.”

World AIDS Day Events in Atlanta “Living With” Art Exhibit Hosted by Georgia Equality Nov. 30, 2 to 8 p.m.: Open gallery Nov. 30, 5:30 to 8 p.m.: Community reception, including a discussion about the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS Dec. 1, 6 to 9 p.m.: Closing reception (tickets available, $50) Gallery 874 874 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30318 equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/ o/35006/p/salsa/event/common/ public/?event_KEY=3775 World AIDS Day — A Candlelight Vigil Hosted by Atlanta Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Atlanta Beltline at 10th and Monroe Free to attend; please bring candles. www.facebook.com/ events/1777786155825489 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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10/26/16 9:43 AM November 25, 2016 News 9

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed lashed out at lesbian mayoral candidate Cathy Woolard (seen here riding in this year’s Atlanta Pride parade) in response to her criticism of him. (File photo)

NEWSBRIEFS Mayor Kasim Reed lashes out at lesbian mayoral candidate Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had harsh words for mayoral candidate Cathy Woolard in response to her criticism of his use of emergency lights and sirens and his decision to use nearly $150 million in taxpayer funds to renovate Philips Arena.

The war of words started when Woolard, the first openly LGBT member of the Atlanta City Council and its first-ever LGBT president, criticized Reed following a Channel 2 investigation revealing that Reed often uses emergency lights and sirens as he travels to non-emergency events around the city.

“We have to go back to the premise of the law. Elected officials can’t use blue lights and sirens unless it’s an emergency,” Woolard told Channel 2. “It’s a big example of the kinds of things people look at and say, ‘Hmmm, government is not working. We’ve got elected officials who are zooming through traffic that is clearly illegal, it’s dangerous. Why shouldn’t I be able to do that?’”

Woolard also dismissed Reed’s statements that he was just trying to do his job in the www.thegeorgiavoice.com

face of threats to him and his family.

“You don’t just rewrite the law because you think you know better. If you don’t like the law get the law changed,” Woolard said.

Then on Nov. 17, Woolard continued her criticism of Reed, zeroing in on his decision to use $142.5 million in taxpayer funds to renovate Philips Arena.

“As a city we are assuming all of the risk for these investments and we are getting none of the revenue that comes as a result of that,” she told the AJC. “That’s accruing to the business owners. I think that formula needs to be disrupted pretty tremendously.”

Reed fired back at Woolard, issuing a statement to the AJC saying, “Unfortunately, Cathy Woolard is engaged in yet another desperate attempt to draw attention to her failing Mayoral campaign, which follows her failed attempt to run for Congress after quitting on the people of Atlanta when she resigned her seat as City Council President to run for another office.”

Woolard is part of a very crowded field of candidates seeking to replace Reed, who is term-limited and cannot fun for re-election in 2017.

AIDS service organization to open LGBT youth center in Atlanta The National AIDS Education & Services for Minorities (NAESM) is opening a drop-in center in downtown Atlanta for young members of the LGBT community.

NAESM representatives tell the Georgia Voice that the center, called The Hangout, will be a safe haven for those in the community between the ages of 16 and 29. The Hangout will cover services in three priority areas: basic survival needs, health and wellness, and mental health. The group will provide food, clothing, showers, games, conversation and other programs that cater to the community.

The group is having the official grand opening of The Hangout on Dec. 1 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. to mark World AIDS Day. The address of The Hangout is 448 Ralph D. Abernathy, Jr. Blvd., Suite 16. Music, food and drinks will be provided.

The operating hours for The Hangout going forward will be Tuesday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

NAESM was created in 1990 in an effort to counteract the spread of HIV/AIDS in communities of color.

November 25, 2016 News 11

WORLD AIDS DAY

BY THE NUMBERS

1988

Year of the first World AIDS Day.

1 million

Number of people who die every year from AIDS worldwide.

Two-thirds

Fraction of new HIV diagnoses every year in the United States that gay and bisexual men are responsible for.

21 of 25

Of the 25 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) with the highest levels of gay and bisexual men living with an HIV diagnosis, 21 were located in southern states.

15 percent

Percentage of gay and bisexual men in the U.S. who are living with HIV.

25 percent

Percentage of gay and bisexual men in Georgia living with HIV.

16.43 percent

Percentage of gay and bisexual men in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell MSA living with HIV.

1

Georgia is the only state in the nation to have over 15,000 HIV cases and an HIV prevalence rate over 15 percent.

33,100

Gay and bisexual men in Georgia living with HIV.

53,000

Total number of people in Georgia living with HIV.

6th

Where Georgia ranks among other states for total number of people living with HIV.

3,000

Number of new HIV diagnoses in Georgia every year.

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

November 25, 2016 World AIDS Day 15

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

“No matter how ‘good’ or ‘right’ I think I am, there is room for improvement. I must look into the dark corners of my own psyche and have the courage to face and root out any lingering bigotry or ideology. And I am sure they are there.”

Editorial

Interim Editor: Patrick Saunders psaunders@thegavoice.com Editorial Contributors: Ashleigh Atwell, Dyana Bagby, Cliff Bostock, Melissa Carter, Jim Farmer, Dallas Duncan, Shannon Hames, Bill Kaelin, Ryan Lee, Robbie Medwed, Matt Schafer, Dionne Walker, Simon Williamson

Production

Art Director: Rob Boeger rboeger@thegavoice.com

Business

Publisher: Tim Boyd tboyd@thegavoice.com Managing Partner: Christina Cash ccash@thegavoice.com

Sales

Sales Executive: Dixon Taylor dtaylor@thegavoice.com Business Advisor: Lynn Pasqualetti Financial Firm of Record: HLM Financial Group National Advertising: Rivendell Media, 908-232-2021 sales@rivendellmedia.com

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16 Outspoken November 25, 2016

The courage to change

By CHRIS CASH I’m a long-time member of a certain 12-step group. Anonymity is big for some but it never has been for me. I am proud to be a part of a group who works a program day in and day out to become the best human beings they can. We have a short but powerful saying (many call it a prayer) that has guided both my thoughts and actions on a daily basis for many years. You’ve likely heard the saying but here it is: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Those words were the first that popped into my head when I awoke from four hours of fitful sleep on election night and heard the words I knew were inevitable, ”Presidentelect Trump.” Knowing that serenity was too much to hope for, without some unlikely assurance from Trump that he would not govern as he campaigned, I turned to the second line. Courage has never been difficult for me.

I have stood up to bullies of all types and marched in many protests and launched two LGBT newspapers. The hard part was knowing what to try and change given the numerous threats that a Trump presidency and Congress could herald. I don’t have to name them, we all know what they are and the list

iStock image

is longer than…well, it’s long.

Like millions of others, it took a while for me to stop grieving and get pragmatic about what I could do. I was tired, tired from the brutal campaign and tired of seeing posts by supposed friends who seemed to have no idea what a “fact” is and would not listen to anyone other than those who echoed their own biases.

And most disturbing, why would 14 percent of the LGBT community, my community, want a demagogue as their president?

Honestly, I don’t know why. It’s easy, and simplistic, to point to racism and sexism and maybe that is true. LGBT folks, while more progressive than most of the country, are not all cut from the same cloth. But I have known that for a long time, so why was I so stunned

by the 14 percent? Because this was no ordinary campaign and no ordinary conservative Republican. We’ve dealt with that before, many times, and we have survived and even thrived. What we have now, as the head of our country, is a big fat unknown and dangerous by virtue of that fact. How do you fight what you can’t grab hold of?

I have always interpreted the phrase “the courage to change the things I can” as the only thing I have the power to change is me. I cannot change you or what you think or believe no matter how good my intentions or how hard I try. And if I wavered on that before, this election proved it to me beyond any doubt.

What I am left with is the challenge of changing me. No matter how “good” or “right” I think I am, there is room for improvement. I must look into the dark corners of my own psyche and have the courage to face and root out any lingering bigotry or ideology. And I am sure they are there. Only by doing that can I do the work that I feel must be done. This election and its consequences is about much more than our community.

Until we build a tent that covers and protects all vulnerable people, our work is not done and we are not safe. “Their” fight is our fight.

The sooner we accept that, the sooner we can move forward–together.

Chris Cash is co-founder/owner and managing partner of the Georgia Voice. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

OUT IN THE WILD Creepoftheweek

By Simon Williamson

Using our own privilege Simon Williamson lives with his husband in heteronormatively-assimilative fashion in Athens, after a year of surviving rural Georgia.

“Us middle-class white gay men do actually carry around a fair amount of privilege, despite the common victimhood selfflagellation in the comments section of any article that disputes it.”

Us middle-class white gay men do actually carry around a fair amount of privilege, despite the common victimhood self-flagellation in the comments section of any article that disputes it.

And it is no secret that Mike Pence, the vice-president elect, is a fundamentalist Christian zealot who wants to do away with us, and will if given the chance. But in a “60 Minutes” interview last weekend, Donald Trump said that the Supreme Court had ruled on gay marriage and that the issue was done.

Why on earth would gay marriage be okay under our upcoming despot, when Roe v.

Wade is on the chopping block? The simple explanation is that Trump doesn’t want a gay marriage fight (which he would likely lose, and which the public is basically in favor of anyway) but campaigned on abortion. But the more complicated answer is that restricting abortion by doing away with Roe v. Wade has a lot to do with beating up on a poor constituency that doesn’t matter to him.

I read a piece by Dr Yasmin Nair the other day in which she said, “The fact that it’s abortion and not gay marriage that’s under threat reveals everything we need to know about gender, power, and poverty,” which is a quite beautiful summary of what has been unleashed upon us by the limpness of our supposed gatekeeper (a beige and tepid Clinton campaign) and the forces of darkness Republicans just shat all over Washington, DC. While we are unlikely to see an Employment Non-Discrimination Act, it seems doubtful that marriage will be rolled back.

Our middle-classest of middle-class con18 Outspoken November 25, 2016

cerns will be preserved, while, for poor women, the opposite will happen. Historically “normal-looking,” middle-income gay people will be fine, while poor women, trans people who don’t present like they are off to the races, and those in the LGBT community who struggle daily with homelessness, joblessness and pushback based on how they present themselves to the world will, as usual, be left out of the great rights victory.

LGBT undocumented immigrants stand no chance under President Trump. LGBT black men will remain on the receiving end of police brutality. Trans people trying to correct bureaucratic gender paperwork have a higher mountain to climb now, and let’s not even get onto how young trans folks must deal with the world they have just been dropped into, mere months after the current Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, said, “We see you.”

White and middle-class gays (of which I am very much one) will be fine if the marriage decision holds, especially if we live in the few gayfriendly parts of the U.S., like Midtown. But as someone who, only about a year ago, still lived in the rural reaches of Newton County, I can tell you that marriage is but a stepping-stone on the miles of highway that lie ahead. And to think that this one preservation of this one right is any sort of sign to breathe a sigh of relief is folly, and deeply unfair to the rest of our community that has more to deal with than whether or not we can be part of the absurd system that hands out rights and privileges based on whom the government says you can share a last name with. It is up to us too, to use our power and privilege, to counter this president-elect.

Donald Trump confuses being president with being king

By D’ANNE WITKOWSKI Hey, so how is everybody doing today?

Feeling optimistic about the future? If the target audience for this column was KKK members and fans, the answer would be, “Heil yes!” Because they got their man in the White House! Faced with the choice between a woman with experience and intelligence, and a completely unqualified man who doesn’t like brown people, ladies, or thinking very much, America essentially told Hillary Clinton to go make Donald Trump a sandwich.

LGBTQ Americans have a very uncertain future ahead of us because Trump is filling his administration full of LGBTQ foes. Not to mention the fact that Vice President-elect Mike Pence is one of the most anti-gay elected officials ever. And he’s the guy in charge of picking who’s going to work for Trump. And so far it also looks like Pence is going to actually be the guy running the country.

Which is why it really doesn’t matter that Trump said that he’s “fine” with marriage equality and considers it “settled.” Keep in mind that Trump has said he’s against same-sex marriage and during his campaign

said that he’d appoint Supreme Court justices that would overturn the ruling.

If anything, Trump’s answer is further proof that he has no Donald Trump idea how government works and that he has being president confused with being king. President Trump doesn’t get to pick and choose which cases are heard before the Supreme Court or how they will be settled.

Trump is NOT a normal president, and Americans who believe in justice and equality and think that diversity is a thing to be celebrated – not a problem to be solved – have an obligation to resist and to speak out.

And I don’t mean just re-Tweeting the crazy shit Trump says with a “WTF?” attached to it. Get out of your houses and volunteer your time to organizations who work for what you believe in. Send them your money. We can’t afford to retreat.

Do not shut up. Do not give up. Do not lose hope. But do fight like hell.

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

November 25, 2016 Ads 19

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Let them wear a piece of the city with this fun piece by Smartglass Recycled Jewelry.

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The childhood favorite gets a fashionable update in this striking abstract 18-inch chain necklace by Rook and Crow.

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November 25, 2016 Holiday Gift Guide 25

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Scents & sensations Essential Oil Hand Creams $15 Eco Denizen These shea butter-infused creams replenish hands with plant-based products like chamomile and coconut oil, while pampering palms with essential oils of clementine, lavender and more. Fragrant and practical!

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November 25, 2016 Ads 27

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

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Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Tech-nerds Amazon Echo $180 amazon.com

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Bartesian

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November 25, 2016 Holiday Gift Guide 31

What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?

TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?

Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not

already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. uMany HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. uYou must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uTo further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. uIf you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: uToo much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats. uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

uYou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you

are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. uWorsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: uKidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. uBone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones. uChanges in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? uAll your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or

have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

uIf you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can

harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider. uIf you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk. uAll the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. uIf you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI).

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

Have you heard about

TRUVADA for PrEP ?

TM

The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices.

• TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.

• You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA. Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

visit start.truvada.com

IMPORTANT FACTS (tru-VAH-dah)

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP

Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Changes in body fat.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.

These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

• See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.

• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex.

• Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health.

Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.

• Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies.

All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Version date: April 2016 © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0067 10/16

• Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection.

• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Stocking Stufers

Orlando Merman Ornament $35 GCB It sparkles, it commands everyone’s attention and it’s wrapped in a boa – is there anything that can make a Christmas tree any more fabulous? Try one of these over-the-top ornaments from December Diamonds! Diamonds’ creative line of “mermen” features everything from lumberjacks to life guards, and this year includes a limited edition, leather-clad merman. Proceeds help support victims of the Pulse shooting.

Tattoo Coloring Book Coloring Book: $14.95 Colored Pencils: $11 GCB The coloring book trend gets a new twist!

This tattoo coloring book is perfect for the inked hipster in your life who’s edgy and in-your-face – but also wants a creative way to unwind! Page after page packed full of elaborate designs ensure hours of enjoyment.

Pair with vivid 50/50 colored pencils for the perfect stocking stuffer!

Underwear by Addicted $20+ Brushstrokes Stuff a little sexy into his stocking with these sweltering skivvies by Addicted.

For style and support, look no further. Extra elastic mesh ensures a snug but flexible fit, while breathable cotton keeps him comfy no matter how much you turn up the heat. Available in fun patterns with tongue-in-cheek collections like Creamy, this underwear is so hot he’ll want to wear them outside his clothes!

Writeable Mouse Pad $9.95 Richard’s Variety Store If the loved one in your life is tech savvy, but would forget their head if it wasn’t on top of their body, this is the perfect fix! The Information Central Paper Mouse Pad mixes old school with new school, with 60 sheets of hand-lettered to-do lists.

Put everything they need to remember literally within an arm’s reach. www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Brushstrokes D1510 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-876-6567 brushstrokesatlanta.com GCB A1510 Piedmont Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30324 404-876-6567 brushstrokesatlanta.com The Merchant Atlanta 99 Krog Street Atlanta, GA 30307 404-331-1200 themerchantatl.com Richard’s Variety Store Midtown Promenade 931 Monroe Drive, Suite 113 Atlanta, GA 30308 404-879-9877 richardsvarietystore.com

Sassy Flask 3-ounce is $32; 5-ounce is $34 The Merchant There’s nothing like a few spirits to get into the holiday spirit! This flask lets your giftee stylishly tote their favorite quick sip along with them. These gold-toned flasks offer a classy take on the flask trend, with elegant round shaping that’s perfect for a back pocket or a tiny clutch. Available in 3- and 5-ounce versions, they’re the perfect conversation starter or general pick-me-up.

November 25, 2016 Holiday Gift Guide 35

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Hot Holiday Toys Snuggles My Dream Puppy $52.19 Toys R Us This super cute interactive dog moves, feels and responds just like a real puppy does, and will even fall asleep in your arms after being fed with a bottle!

It even comes with an adoption certificate, plus no messes. Ages 4 and up.

Crayola Air Dry Clay $10.99 Toys R Us Impress the little (creative) one while staying within your budget with this top 10 toy of 2016. The clay air dries after a few days with no baking required, and their creation can be painted and decorated any way they like! Ages 3 and up.

Hatchimals Pengualas Egg $69.99 Toys R Us Make your son, daughter, nephew or niece’s holiday their best ever with one of the hottest toys of 2016! They can care for these interactive eggs and then suddenly one day they hatch with a surprise animal inside. Ages 5 and up.

T H E B E S T D E A L S F O R T H E B E S T FA N S .

SHOP TODAY AT HAWKS.COM 36 Holiday Gift Guide November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Divine Décor Great Britain Black Jewelry Box $45 nakeddecor.com

Size: 5” x 5”x 2 3/4” Material: Wood/Tile Color: Matte Black Lining: Black Fabric Spring Hinge

Dachshund Desk Organizer $14.95 nakeddecor.com

Material: Porcelain, Metal Color: Black, Gold Size: 6.5” x 2” x 4” tall

Pooch Décor: American Eskimo Pillow $49.95 nakeddecor.com

From Pooch Decor Collection Size: 18” x 18” Zipper closure; Material: Cotton/poly blend with poly fill insert Black piping indoor/outdoor

Meow Time Black Cat Square Clock $45 nakeddecor.com

Size: 10”″x 10”″ Material: Metal Tin One AA Battery (not included)

38 Holiday Gift Guide November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Vintage & Chic Antique Rolling Cart with Salvaged Lath Shelves

Locker Coffee Table or TV Stand on top of a Mid-century Bench

$279 Kaboodle Home

$279 Kaboodle Home

Kaboodle Home 485 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, # B Atlanta, GA 30316 404-522-3006 kaboodleatlanta.com

Mid-Century Office Desk $349 Kaboodle Home

Desk made from Medical Cabinets and Salvaged Wood $229 Kaboodle Home

Mid-Century Office Console $299 Kaboodle Home

Vintage Metal Swing with Salvaged Wood to Seat and Back $199 Kaboodle Home

40 Holiday Gift Guide November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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Be sure to enter this year's Gingergread House Competition 1. Pick up one of 25 house kits provided by Trader Joe's at either Worthmore store and create your best design.

2. Return your creation between Nov.30 and Dec.2.

3. Vote for your favorite by Dec.2 in Midtown and Dec.3 in Decatur.

Votes are $5 each or 5 for $20. All proceeds benefit Atlanta's Our House, enriching the lives of homeless children and families. One winning design from each store will be announced at the Holiday parties and each will receive a $250 Worthmore gift certificate!

Mention Our House at either Worthmore location during the Holiday Parties, and 10% of your purchase will go to Our House.* Learn more at www.ourhousega.org. *Some restrictions apply. Contact Worthmore for details.

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Holiday Gifts & Ideas

Pet Pleasures Jax & Bones Space Pals Floaties $17 GCB These buoyant Neoprene Pals are durable and offer hours of fun at the park, pool or anywhere your pooch plays. Squeaks and floats!

These 7-inch treat-dispensing dog toys are perfect for reward-based dog training.

Used for fetch or tug-o-war and easily hides treats inside a secret compartment with handle that locks to keep dogs entertained and stimulated.

GCB A1510 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 404-876-6567 brushstrokesatlanta.com

Fall Grey and Pink Sport Jacket $15.98 Pet Supplies Plus No one said your pet can’t stay warm and be fashion forward, especially when they’re wearing this quilted oxford with faux fur lining on their neighborhood walks.

Fall Grey Fashion Boots $15.98 Pet Supplies Plus Keep your pet warm, cozy and flawless on outdoor walks with these performance boots featuring a velcro strap for added security and a reflective trim for safety.

West Paw Design Zogoflex Tizzi Large Dog Toy $18.98 Pet Supplies Plus

Pet Supermarket 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 404-879-0580 petsupermarket.com Pet Supplies Plus Cheshire Square 2329 Cheshire Bridge Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 404-325-8300 petsuppliesplus.com

Curious Cat Cube $34.99 Pet Supermarket Your feline friend will have the best time playing and lounging on the Curious Cat Cube by Feline Nuvo. The cube is easy to assemble, folds down for storage and offers cozy comfort in a compact package.

42 Holiday Gift Guide November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

VOICES OF NOTE PRESENTS

KEVIN ROBISON , CONDUCTOR

DEC. 2 & 3 35

TICKETS START AT:

$

2016 – 2017 SEASON

Fri @ 8PM || Sat @ 2PM & 8PM

For group rates, please contact info@agmchorus.org

The AGMC will begin its 36th season by inaugurating the holidays with this special series of performances.

The first half will feature traditional holiday music that has been commissioned by GALA choruses over the last three decades. The chorus will conclude the program of diverse music by taking the audience on a walk through December beginning with the first signs of snow and culminating with the arrival of the holidays. Featuring holiday favorites old and new, it’s a tradition not to be missed!

Sponsored By:

This program is supported in part by the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly.

GCA also receives support from its partner agency—the National Endowment for the Arts. Funding for this program is also provided by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners.

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

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REVIEWS

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Love is love is love Michael Bublé on his new album and leaving an LGBT-affirming legacy

By CHRIS AZZOPARDI “You know what I’ll be Googling tonight: Bublé, gay, queer, all that stuff,” says Michael Bublé one recent afternoon, after being informed that said search terms render colorful results.

All you lovers, though, needn’t search beyond the dreamy crooner’s recently released album, “Nobody But Me,” and its 10 feel-good tunes, including several new originals and reimagined classics gleaned from the Great American Songbook.

Love, naturally, is featured prominently on Bublé’s ninth studio album, as well as in our recent chat, during which the affable ally spoke about the “joy” the LGBT community has brought him and the importance of standing up for queer issues. And no, not solely because he’s a staunch LGBT rights advocate – when his kids grow up and read this interview, he says it’s important to him that they feel “proud.”

How would you describe the affection for you from the gay community?

The truth is, I don’t think I could’ve given them as much joy as they’ve given me. I’m in a business where, as you can imagine, CONTINUES ON PAGE 50 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

November 25, 2016 A&E 45

ACTING OUT

By JIM FARMER

Atlanta stages bursting with holiday fare this season The days when Christmas entertainment at theater companies meant “A Christmas Carol” and little else are long over. Almost every local venue has a show running during the holidays, including some goodies for LGBT patrons.

For starters, “The Santaland Diaries” will be back for its 18th year at Horizon Theatre.

It’s based on gay writer David Sedaris’ own experience as a department store elf, as he wrote about in “Holidays On Ice.” Horizon’s mounting has become an annual gay favorite.

The Sedaris figure is again played by Harold M. Leaver, who has been with the show since its beginning. One new 2016 aspect is that while his co-stars will be back, Leaver will actually mouth their dialogue, since it’s his character’s recollection of them. He will have some room for improvisation, too.

As always, OnStage Atlanta is one of the busiest playhouses during the holidays. Lesbian director Cathe Hall Payne is directing the musical “Scrooge: The Musical,” and the company also has “Merry Little Holiday Shorts 2016” on tap.

Actor’s Express has gotten into the Christmas spirit over the years by bringing in Libby Whittemore, who will bring her cabaret-style act and alter ego, Connie Sue, to the company for “Ho, Ho, Home for the Holidays and a Connie Sue Day Christmas.”

Speaking of “A Christmas Carol,” it’s back again this year in the Alliance Theatre’s typically lavish version. Long an ATL staple, it will return for the third time with actor David De Vries as Scrooge after Chris Kayser hung up playing the character. The Alliance is doing double duty with actress/singer Courtenay Collins in “Courtenay’s Cabaret: Home for the Holidays.”

Six years ago, the Center for Puppetry Arts bowed a stage version of the beloved TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and it became a runaway hit. It’s back this season with its outsider main character and is wonderful for all ages.

Those looking for original fare can find it in Theatrical Outfit’s “Big Fish,” based on the quirky Tim Burton film, while Stage Door Players is presenting an encore of out playwright Topher Payne’s holiday comedy

Details

‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ Center for Puppetry Arts 1404 Spring St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30309 Through December 31 www.puppet.org ‘The Santaland Diaries’ Horizon Theatre 1083 Austin Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307 Through December 31 www.horizontheatre.com ‘Scrooge: The Musical’ OnStage Atlanta 2969 East Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030 November 25 – December 18 www.onstageatlanta.com ‘A Christmas Carol’ Alliance Theatre 1280 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30309 November 25 – December 24 www.alliancetheatre.org ‘Invasion: Christmas Carol’ Dad’s Garage 569 Ezzard St, Atlanta, GA 30312 November 25 – December 30 www.dadsgarage.com ‘Merry Little Holiday Shorts’ OnStage Atlanta 2969 East Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, GA 30030 December 1 - 11 www.onstageatlanta.com ‘The Snow Queen’ Serenbe Playhouse 9110 Selborne Ln., Chattahoochee Hills, GA 30268 December 1 – 31 www.serenbeplayhouse.com

Clockwise from top: “The Santland Diaries,” based on gay writer David Sedaris’ experience as a department store elf, returns for its 18th year at Horizon Theatre.

“The Snow Queen” returns to Serenbe Playhouse. Libby Whittemore’s alter ego, Connie Sue, in “Ho, Ho, Home for the Holidays and a Connie Sue Day Christmas” at Actor’s Express. (Courtesy photos)

“Let Nothing You Dismay.”

Other seasonal treats include Atlanta Lyric Theatre’s “Peter Pan;” “Christmas Canteen” at Aurora Theatre; “A Christmas Story: The Musical” courtesy of the Broadway In Atlanta series; “Plaid Tid-

ings,” a sequel to “Forever Plaid,” at ART Station; the return of “The Snow Queen” at Serenbe Playhouse; and the satirical “Invasion: Christmas Carol” at Dad’s Garage.

In other words, there’s plenty of Yuletide theater treats for those looking.

‘Let Nothing You Dismay’ Stage Door Players 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd., Dunwoody, GA 30338 December 2 - 18 www.stagedoorplayers.net ‘Courtenay’s Cabaret: Home for the Holidays’ Alliance Theatre 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 December 2 – December 24 www.alliancetheatre.org ‘Ho, Ho, Home for the Holiday and a Connie Sue Day Christmas!’

Actor’s Express 887 W. Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318 December 10 - 18 www.actorsexpress.com

46 A&E November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

December 2–24

Get Tickets alliancetheatre.org/cabaret BOX OFFICE 404.733.5000

Series on the Hertz Stage

A delightful evening of holiday music, drinks, stories, and laughter by favorite Atlanta performer Courtenay Collins.

By and Starring

Directed by

COURTENAY COLLINS

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1280 Peachtree Street NE // Atlanta, GA 30309

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EATING MY WORDS

By CLIFF BOSTOCK

Savory yuletide tidbits The holidays have once again wrapped their red-and-green fingers around our delicate necks to strangle the life and last dollar out of us. That’s my way of saying “Happy Holidays” before feeding you some quick bites this week.

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PERFECT FOODIE XMAS GIFT: Everybody in America is a dining critic these days, but Atlanta’s Dining Diva is and always will be Christiane Lauterbach, who has published Knife & Fork, a monthly newsletter for 35 years. It’s available only in print and, if you’re old enough, the word “mimeographed” might come to mind when you see it. Lauterbach also writes for Atlanta Magazine, where she was lead dining critic for many years.

Every issue includes restaurant gossip and reviews of kinky discoveries as well as mainstream newbies. In her latest issue, she mentions discovering “phenomenal hand-crafted baguettes…technically too short and plump to be baguettes, not particularly crusty, but beautiful beyond words.” They are at Little’s Food Store (198 Carroll Street, 404-9637012) in Cabbagetown. Get one!

To subscribe ($30), call Lauterbach at 404-378-2775. Usually, she offers a Christmas special.

YULETIDE CHINESE: It’s a cliché but heading to a Chinese restaurant on Buford Highway is a perfect way to avoid the hassle of holiday dinners at home. My most recent meal there was at Dim Sum Heaven (5203 Buford Hwy., 770-451-4290). It has been around a while but, despite its many positive reviews, I’d never checked it out.

It’s much like the usual hole-in-the-wall on Buford. The décor is typically nonexistent, but if you’re into gurgling ceramic frogs and walls covered with yellowing, laminated photos of dim sum dishes, you’ll love it. Actually, you will be glad those pictures are there, because the staff speaks very little English. Further, there are no dim sum carts, so you don’t get a real-life view of the smallplate dishes before ordering.

The menu is gigantic – not just dimsum – and ranges from Chinese-American

The beef with scallions and white onions is one option at Dim Sum Heaven. (Photo by Cliff Bostock)

favorites to exotic treatments of animal innards. I’m embarrassed to admit that my favorite large-plate entrée was Mongolian Beef. It was, however, too sweet – nothing that couldn’t be remedied with a shot of hot chili oil or some rice vinegar. Our favorite dim-sum snack was the crackly curry chips.

I couldn’t bring myself to swallow shrimp dumplings that tasted unbearably fishy. But I did love the crispy-fried, creamy tofu cubes topped with barely submerged shrimp. The restaurant’s soup dumplings have received a lot of positive press, but you won’t hear me raving. They were tough-skinned, with very little broth and a knot of flavorless meat. In fact, the things are not housemade. They are frozen! A plate of beef with scallions was a yawner. The least appealing dish was braised chunks of grouper with snow peas.

Dim Sum Heaven gets bonus points for being open until 1 a.m. every night of the week. It’s also dirt-cheap.

AUDITORY HELL: Numerous studies have demonstrated that Christmas music causes brain lesions, yet restaurateurs continue to torment us with it. Please help make Christmas great again by complaining wherever you hear it. Remember: Jesus loves you but he hates Christmas music.

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

48 Columnists November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 45

of the songs off this new album at their wedding, which would you sing and why?

Aww. I think maybe “The Very Thought of You.” And to be honest with you, man: I don’t care if it’s a gay or a straight or a black or a poor wedding – love is love. And I think that would be a really beautiful, romantic first dance.

I’m surrounded by the gay community. I mean, that’s just my life. I’m an artist, and so I’m surrounded by other artists. And everyone from my hair stylist who lives with me on the road to (my stylist) Jeff Kim, who puts me in my suits every day – I mean, god, the question isn’t who’s gay? The question is, who isn’t? (Laughs) And by the way, the ones that seem the most macho, they’re probably gay.

Now would be a good time to talk about how your wife, Luisana Lopilato, thought you were gay when she first met you.

(Laughs) Yes, she walked in this room with a man, and the man was so good lookin’ that he made Brad Pitt look dumpy, so I assumed they were together. I naturally assumed that this was her boyfriend or her husband, so I refused to hit on her. And listen, it didn’t help that she didn’t speak English either at the time. Not a word. But the more I drank that night, the more brazen I got about trying to find out what the situation was between them. Finally, after two hours – and I don’t know how many shots and glasses of whiskey – I finally said, (effects a drunk slur) “You guys are such a beautiful couple,” and he said, “We’re not together.” He said, “She came because she likes you.” And at the same time, she was on the phone texting her mom saying, “Oh my god, Michael Bublé is all over my friend. He’s so gay.”

She knows you’re straight now, right?

(Laughs) I assume so. I mean, after the

Is it true that your Uncle Frank and Uncle Mike, who have been together for over 40 years, taught you acceptance and open-mindedness?

With or without them, the truth is, my father and my mother were so progressive, and I’m so lucky that my father just made it very simple. He just said, “It’s nature. A man can love a man and a woman can love a woman, and this doesn’t just happen with human beings – it’s science. It happens in nature. It happens with almost every animal.”

Having two boys of my own who I love more than I’ll ever love myself, I can’t tell you how crushing it would be if they couldn’t feel that they could tell their father that they were gay – or different in any way. To me, (because of them), it just became a much bigger issue.

Michael Buble’s recently released ninth studio album is called “Nobody But Me.” (Courtesy photo)

kids. Also, I assume she thinks I’m not gay when every night I say, “Mmmmm?!” and she says, “No, I have a headache.”

If a gay couple asked you to sing any

PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY

50 A&E November 25, 2016

If one of your sons were to come out to you, how might you respond?

With nothing but love. And I’m not saying that to you because it’s you or the magazine. It’s because I love them, man. I love them so much that I just want them to be happy. My goal in life is to make them beautiful, happy human beings, and if that’s who they are – because I’m killed, just devastated, when I hear people say-

ing they “choose.” “Choose”? What are you fucking talking about? You don’t choose. It isn’t a choice. It is genetic.

And I understand some people have an issue with the whole marriage thing and the sanctity of this word “marriage.” I mean, I don’t get it, but I can choose to listen to their point and hear it. I don’t agree with it. I always joke, everyone jokes: Why can’t gay people be just as miserable as straight people who are married? But listen to me, we are in a world – a dangerous world – right now, and if you’re not standing up against intolerance, then you’re for it. God, I sounded like George W. fucking Bush right there, holy shit. “If you’re not with us, you’re against us!”

As an ally with a massive platform, it’s important for you to say that for this movement to move forward.

I agree. And you know what, I think people are so afraid of losing fans.

Are you afraid of that?

No, no. I’m not. Because you know what, years from now, when my kids grow up and they read this, they’re going to be proud of their father because their father was on the right side of the line.

There are a lot of people, and time does this, who are going to be severely embarrassed for their bias and intolerance. And they’re going to have to live with that; that’s going to be their legacy. I refuse to have that as part of my legacy.

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Our Guide to the Best LGBT Events in Atlanta for Nov. 25-Dec. 8

T A T GB

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25

Enjoy free pool and DJ Caprice at Bulldogs, 893 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Vicki Powell Presents DEEP SOUTH with DJs Mike Servito and Gay Marvine with an opening set by local DJ Robert Ansley. The event is hosted

by Ashleigh Teasely, Hydrangea Heath, Benwa, Brian Rojas, Brian Pollard, Bryan Lee, Dax Martin, Omar Godwin, Warlock and Orion, 10 p.m. – 3 a.m., www.facebook.com/events/1769658253272569 My Sister’s Room presents Free Life with legendary performer Heather Daniels and guest DJs, 11:30 p.m., www.mysistersroom.com

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Don’t miss LGBTQ Rainbow Rocks Holiday Discount Days continuing through today and tomorrow at the Georgia Aquarium, 246 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, www.facebook.com/events/1611299329174330

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Play Texas Hold’Em for free tonight at 8:30 p.m., Friends on Ponce, www.friendsonponce-atl.com/

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Do you want to read amazing books by black women writers? Do you want to discuss works from a black feminist perspective? Then the Black Feminist Club is for you. Charis Circle board co-chair Susana Morris will be the facilitator for this group.

November’s book is “The Pagoda” by Pa-

52 Best Bets November 25, 2016

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25 – SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27

The musical version of “Dirty Dancing” plays at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre this weekend, with an 8 p.m. curtain tonight, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Marietta, GA 30339, www.cobbenergycentre.com (Publicity photo) tricia Powell. 7 -9 p.m., Charis Books, www.charisbooksandmore.com Judy Collins sings “Send in the Clowns” and more at City Winery Atlanta tonight, 8 p.m., www.citywinery.com/atlanta/

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Georgia law criminalizes acts that could transmit HIV from a person living with HIV to another person even if those acts don’t result

in HIV transmission and even if science says those acts have never transmitted HIV (like spitting, biting and “throwing urine or feces.”). Join Georgia Equality, SisterLove and The Counter Narrative Project for “Is It Time to De-Criminalize HIV? A World AIDS Day Conversation,” a discussion on the work needed to decriminalize HIV in Georgia and how these laws harm our communities, the public’s health and perpetuate stigma. 5:30 – 8 p.m., Gal-

lery 874, 874 Joseph E Lowery Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook.com/ events/682304645253015

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

SAGE Atlanta’s social hour begins at 10 a.m., followed by a program/meeting at 11 a.m., Phillip Rush Center Annex, www.rushcenteratl.org

CONTINUES ON PAGE 54 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 52 Come out for a reception in honor of World AIDS Day and meet the artists and people living with HIV who made the Living With exhibit possible. Proceeds from ticket sales will support Georgia Equality’s 2017 HIV programming, whose staff works on the front lines to address root causes of HIV by educating and encouraging policymakers and community leaders to leverage their power to end AIDS once and for all. 6 – 9 p.m. Gallery 874, 874 Joseph E Lowery Blvd. NW, Atlanta, GA 30318. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35006/p/salsa/ event/common/public/?event_KEY=3775 The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence are hosting their annual candlelight vigil for World AIDS Day today. The candlelight procession will take place from 10th & Monroe (at the Eastline Gateway) to the Amphitheater at the Historic Fourth Ward Park. There, organizers will remember those who came before, share experiences and exchange energy to reaffirm the commitment to finding a cure for AIDS (by fundraising, education and public involvement). This is a free event and all are welcome and encouraged to participate – and bring candles.

54 Best Bets November 25, 2016

7:30 – 10 p.m., www.facebook.com/ events/1777786155825489/ Join the AV200 (Action Cycling Atlanta) and Pocket Rocket Guide at Woofs to have your photo taken with a Bad Santa or Santas. All funds raised will benefit Action Cycling Atlanta. A location and more information are upcoming, www.facebook.com/ events/1824283467816864/

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

Charis Books welcomes the authors of two new Transgress Press titles to talk about their new novels. Author Antonia Amprino and translator Katie Gray will talk about their new book, “Words of Fire: Women Loving Woman in Latin America,” while Paige Schilt will read from her memoir “Queer Rock Love,” about what happens when an introverted feminist academic tosses off her big black nerd glasses and succumbs to a brutal crush on a hard-rockin’ Texas boygirl.

The suggested donation is $5.00. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com Topher Payne’s “Let Nothing You Dismay” returns to Stage Door Players,

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2 – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

For more than two decades of the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus’ (AGMC) 36-year history, the annual concert at The Cathedral has become a cherished way to kick off the holiday season in style and regularly has been named a weekend “Best Bet” by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. This year’s concert, “Comfort and Joy,” will be held Friday, 8 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 3 at both 2 and 8 p.m. Its musical trip through the holidays will include a first act comprised of new works and arrangements of old favorites written specifically for gay men’s choruses, including the AGMC, The Cathedral of St. Philip in Buckhead, 2744 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 (Photo via Facebook)

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54 opening tonight at 8 p.m. and running through December 18, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338, www.stagedoorplayers.net Onyx Presents the Kinky Christmas “Naughty or Nice” Toy Drive, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m., with DJ Ron Pullman spinning, 10 p. m – 3 a.m., Atlanta Eagle, www.atlantaeagle.com

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3 SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

The 22nd Annual Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes returns, with in-home bites provided by local restaurants.

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. 4 p.m. Sunday, $25 in advance, www.facebook.com/vahitour?ref=hl

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Harold Leaver returns to Horizon Theatre’s “The Santaland Diaries” tonight at 8 p.m. running through December 31, www.horizontheatre.com Join LNFY (Lost-n-Found Youth) for Casino Night, a night of fun, friends, and entertainment. Complimentary food and drinks will be available, as well as

56 Best Bets November 25, 2016

a silent auction, a DJ, dancing and funny money to play casino games. The suggested donation is $20.00. 7 – 10 p.m., Lost-n-Found Youth, 2585 Chantilly Dr. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook. com/events/1246589875400373

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

Androgyny meets fashion at the Andro Fashion Show, created as an avenue for showcasing Masculine and Androgynous Identified Queer Women, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., Tago International Center, Atlanta, GA 30318, www.AndroFashionShow.com

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

The PFLAG support group for parents and families of LGBTQ children meets today from 7:30 – 9 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, 1605 Interstate 85, Frontage Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, www.uuca.org Trans and Friends is a youth-focused group for trans people, people questioning their own gender, and aspiring allies.

Charis provides a facilitated space to discuss gender, relevant resources and activism around social issues. Whether silently

CONTINUES ON PAGE 58

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

Just Toby’s Glitter Ball: Slay Belles Winter 2016 event is tonight, with DJ Robert Ansley returning to pound the house and move your body. The hosts for the evening are “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season six beauty Joslyn Fox and Atlanta favorites Jaye Lish, Evah Destruction and Michael Robinson. Music starts at 10 p.m. with performances at 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. with Meet and Greet and photos available at well. Sponsor Smirnoff will be providing 50 drink tickets for your favorite Smirnoff cocktail to the first 50 who come in. The Heretic, 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30324, www.facebook.com/events/687385774745026 (Photo courtesy artist/JustToby.me)

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

!

Twisted Soul is Back!

Opening Day December 3, 2016 5:00 PM -12:00 AM Hours of Operation

Lunch Begins 12/06/16 Tuesday – Friday 11am-2pm Brunch Begins 12/10/16 Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours 1133 Huff Road Suite D Atlanta, GA 404-350-5500

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 56

Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30303

or aloud, please come ready to consider your own gender in a transient world, 7 – 8:30 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

Make your lunch break a networking opportunity and connect with business professionals, small business owners and community sponsors to expand your circle of influence and grow your business at Connecting Atlanta, a networking lunch by MAAP (Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals). Join MAAP at Egg Harbor Café the first Tuesday of every month from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a networking lunch. The event is limited to 20 participants. Please pre-register by emailing harborlunch@maapatl.org, 1820 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30309 The LGBT-friendly Central Presbyterian Church has a lot of holiday events, including a Prayer Labyrinth offered tonight from 6 - 7 p.m. in Tull Hall followed by a Taizé/Silent Night Service including Wholeness & Healing with Deacons from 7- 8 p.m. in Rand Chapel.

The Taize service will include sung prayers, simple, beautiful music, a time of silence, spoken and silent prayers, and opportunity for individual prayer and anointing. 201

58 Best Bets November 25, 2016

Join the True Colors family to cheer on local director Kenny Leon, director of “Hairspray Live!,” during the world premiere on NBC. For $50 you’ll get the chance to step back in time to sing, dance and eat some delicious treats as we celebrate this new take on the pop culture classic. 6:30 p.m., at Actor’s Express, 887 West Marietta St., Atlanta, GA 30318, www.facebook.com/ events/898194620315449/

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

The No More Heroes: Grassroots Responses to the Savior Mentality event is this evening at Charis. How can we build a better world? And what is the role for people with privilege in social justice movements? A conversation and book release event features author and journalist Jordan Flaherty and Tamika Middleton, Coordinator, Kindred Southern Healing Justice Collective. The suggested donation is $5.00. 7:30 – 9 p.m., www.charisbooksandmore.com The Pretty Girl Hideout Thursdays is tonight, hosted by Mook Dahost, Soul Bar at Pal’s Lounge, 254 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, GA 30303, www.traxxgirls.com

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7

The Atlanta Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) hosts the popular holiday event Out in the Kitchen, in which chefs will provide delightful tastings for guests to enjoy, alongside colorful tunes and a cash bar serving wonderful libations.

Among the participating chefs are Carlton Brown from Occasional Occasions and Sean Suter from Trace Atlanta. Tickets are $25.00 for chamber members and $35 for nonmembers, 6 – 8 p.m., W Midtown Atlanta. Tickets are available at buff.ly/2fSTQzH (Photo via Facebook)

www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID

By MELISSA CARTER

We weren’t ready for it “We weren’t ready for it.”

Those were the words offered to me by a close friend after the election. Her point was that since 53 percent of white women, 6 percent of black women, and 32 percent of Latinas voted for Trump, we weren’t ready for a female president. She said we as women had to learn to work together to get a woman in the White House that a vast majority of us could get behind.

I have heard much public debate on whether or not women thrive in a pack and are quick to support one another, or if we are more solitary creatures and will easily throw each other to the wolves for survival. Sociologists have likely spent millions of dollars and hours in the lab attempting to study this question, but they need look no further than this one place to find the answers they are looking for - the women’s restroom.

Ladies, how we treat each other in there is a great indicator of how we would take care of each other on the outside.

For instance, I recently attended a semiformal luncheon at the Georgia World Congress Center, the majority of attendees being women. I headed to the restroom before going to my table and got in line. The first thing I noticed is the cleaning lady sweeping with her equipment and no one saying a word to her. I talked to her when she passed me by, and she seemed genuinely appreciative. We also stood in line for awhile before the stall doors began to open. Knowing there was a line, do you think the women inside were making sure to efficiently go to the bathroom and get buttoned back up so others could get in there quickly? I assume they were taking their time to check an email or see how well their Facebook post was performing.

That is if they were sitting down. Making my way into a stall, I saw the remnants of the last woman’s trip on the toilet seat and had to make sure to clean her mess before I could begin. If you can’t straddle and aim, why leave it for the next woman to take care of it? Not

“Behind closed doors, when no one is watching, we aren’t as comfortable with each other as we would like to think we are. It’s every girl for herself.” quite an argument for the pack mentality some hope we have.

Once I was done and ready to wash my hands, every single sink was occupied yet no one was washing their hands. Every lady was in the mirror primping at the sink, unable to miss the image of my reflection in their mirror staring at them to move so I could have my turn. I literally stood there for at least a minute before anyone budged. Frustrated, I made my way out of there, making sure to once again thank the cleaning lady as I tossed my paper towel in her trashcan.

Women are usually deemed the social ones in our society. We gaggle together at gatherings talking over one another to catch up on the latest news or gossip, and are expected to easily break down barriers with one another over a glass of wine. But behind closed doors, when no one is watching, we aren’t as comfortable with each other as we would like to think we are. It’s every girl for herself.

Maybe my friend was right, maybe we weren’t ready. I just hope we figure it out so I can have a Madam President in my lifetime.

Melissa Carter is one of the Morning Show hosts on B98.5. In addition, she is a writer for the Huffington Post. She is recognized as one of the first out radio personalities in Atlanta and one of the few in the country. Follow her on Twitter@MelissaCarter

60 Columnists November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

SOMETIMES ‘Y’

By RYAN LEE

The 10th circle of hell My mother sent me a text message letting me know my uncle voted for Donald Trump, reinforcing my belief that closeted homosexuals are a danger to themselves and others. This is the same Midwestern liberal who a few years ago prophesied the rapture occurring at a specific hour on the tarmac of a small airport in Rockford, Illinois, and that he, my closeted gay uncle, would become the worldly vessel for the second coming of Christ.

Such is the ungodly, deranged zeitgeist of our republic. If there were a modern remake of Dante’s Inferno, the year 2016 would be added as the 10th circle of hell.

Donald Trump is our president-elect.

That is one the most incomprehensible and frightening sentences I have ever typed.

I cannot yet talk about a Trump administration without sounding as crazy as my closeted, anointed uncle. As someone who’s never really questioned his attachment to sanity, it feels bizarre to be contemplating food lines, nuclear genocide, clandestine resistance and how many days until our future president is shooting himself in an underground bunker.

I recognize how generic it is to compare someone with different political views to Nazis, and how my alarmism echoes the tinhatted predictions by President Obama’s critics. But Trump’s mesmerizing political rise, fueled by narcissism and bigotry, is unlike anything our politics have seen since Andrew Jackson, who attempted to make America great again by exterminating its original inhabitants – something Trump might admire if he knew anything about history.

However, the most worrying aspect of the 2016 election is not Trump (a buffoon who did everything possible to prove how unqualified he is to be president of the United States), but rather the more than 61 million Americans who ignored all of that and made him the most powerful person in the world. It’s the Republican leaders who early on identified Trump as a dangerous racist with unconstitutional and totalitarian tendencies, but now pretend he is a respectable leader after months

“As someone who’s never really questioned his attachment to sanity, it feels bizarre to be contemplating food lines, nuclear genocide, clandestine resistance and how many days until our future president is shooting himself in an underground bunker.” of Trump doing nothing but confirming the accuracy of their initial assessment.

There’s angst on the left about how to understand and characterize Trump voters, but they deserve no nuance or empathy: anyone who voted for Donald Trump is a racist. 61 million Americans ignored Trump’s failure to articulate a coherent policy position on any issue without contradicting himself within a few tweets, how he has the emotional maturity of an 8-year-old with an ear infection, his advocacy for war crimes and sexual assault, and they did so because they fundamentally agree with the single consistent theme of his campaign: America was a better place before it had to worry about Mexicans and Muslims, or black people whining about being executed by agents of the state.

At least the citizens of 1930s Germany have the excuse of being hypnotized by Hitler’s gifted oratory; Americans were obtuse enough to be enticed toward fascism by a man who doesn’t know a synonym for “tremendous” and is unable to complete sentences. Who needs fancy words or lyrical syntax when you’ve got dog whistles to “say what’s on people’s minds”?

LGBT Americans must not join the duped, even as Trump softens his reckless campaign pledges on our issues. I’ve never perceived Trump to be rabidly anti-gay, but if you think that means we will be protected from the bigots he is empowering, or that LGBT Americans won’t be affected by the nightmare of his presidency, I’ve got a ticket to the rapture I’d like to sell you.

Ryan Lee is an Atlanta writer.

62 Columnists November 25, 2016 www.thegeorgiavoice.com

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