Peach Fall Fashion v.3i.35

Join us for an evening of recognition and celebration

Save the Date

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Learn more at: TheAGLCC.com

BANANARAMA VAVIANNA VARDOT & RUBY REDD PRESENT

A COMEDY BURLESQUE AND DRAG EXTRAVAGANZA TO BENEFIT PROJECT CHIMPS SANCTUARY

DAD'S GARAGE - ATLANTA

SUN 9.15.19 2PM TICKETS: DADSGARAGE.COM

PROCEEDS WILL HELP CHIMPANZEES ONCE USED IN MEDICAL RESEARCH WHO ARE NOW RETIRED IN THE NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS.

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 4, 2019

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EDITORIAL

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From the Editor The calendar is rapidly ticking towards Fall, and even though it isn’t time to break out a sweater and heavy jacket, it is time for you to start thinking about fashion for the new season.

Thomas Le tomthomas@peachatl.com

SALES | DISTRIBUTION Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com

Together with Rocky at Boy Next Door Menswear, we have put together a few key trends, and we list some musthaves that will keep you ready and in fashion for Fall.

CONTRIBUTORS

The celebrity interview in this issue is with veteran actress Judith Light, who talks current feminist movement, her new soap-star role, and the Transparent finale.

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And that is, of course, not all we have packed into this stylish issue – enjoy, Peaches

Photo Courtesy of Manstore Available at Boy Next Door Menswear

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The content of Peach ATL Media is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed by any writer, advertiser, or other person appearing in the Peach ATL Media are not necessarily those of this publication, its management or staff. The information and materials appearing in the magazine are not guaranteed or warranted as to accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials found or offered for a particular purpose. It shall be your responsibility to ensure that any products, services, or information available through Peach ATL Media meets your specific requirements. Peach ATL Media is not responsible for claims made by advertisers, content of information, changes, events, and schedules. The magazine contains information and material which is owned by or licensed to Peach ATL Media, including but not limited to articles, advertisements, design, layout, graphics, and logos. No part or portion of Peach ATL Media may be reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of the publisher.

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6 | 09.04.19

Burlesque Gone Bananas Burlesque, bananas, and chimpanzees come together for a night of drag and comedy to raise money for the Project Chimps Sanctuary.

Join Vavianna Vardot and Ruby Redd at Dad’s Garage as they present ‘Bananarama’ – a comedy burlesque and drag extravaganza to benefit Project Chimps Sanctuary.

The vivacious Vavianna Vardot has hosted her sexy burlesque show at Dad’s Garage before and is joined by Atlanta drag legend Ruby Redd for a one-of-a-kind show that combines burlesque, comedy, and drag to raise money for a good cause. All proceeds will help chimpanzees once used in medical research who are now retired in the North Georgia Mountains.

Project Chimps is the newest chimpanzee sanctuary in the United States and was founded to provide exemplary lifelong care to 200 former research chimpanzees at its sanctuary on 236 acres of forested land in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. Today, Project Chimps is home to 59 chimpanzees, and they are working to move nearly 150 more to permanent sanctuary. Learn more at projectchimps.org.

What Bananarama presented by Vavianna Vardot and Ruby Redd

When Sunday, September 15, 2 pm

Where Dad’s Garage Get your tickets at dadsgarage.com

8 | 09.04.19

Timeless Balance of Dark and Light

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Photo: Theatrical Outfit For their Fall season, Theatrical Outfit presents two groundbreaking classics – Our Town and The Laramie Project. Peach spoke to Associate Artistic Director Clifton Guterman about how both plays still resonate in today’s world.

heartfelt conversations, countless reads of the script to think about/note specific elements and ideas each time through, a long and exhilarating casting process, storyboarding, inspiring meetings with designers, and more. My goal always is to walk into each first rehearsal – as a director or actor – prepared, confident, and Theatrical Outfit’s upcoming season presents some pretty passionate about the work at hand, so that I can then groundbreaking American classics – will you tell us a little about relax, have fun, and make great art with others who are bringing their own special gifts and preparation into the them? room.

Our Town and The Laramie Project, though 60 years apart in origin and 2000 miles apart in geography Both plays have in each their own way found resonance in today’s between Grover’s Corners, NH, and Laramie, Wyoming, America – what strikes you as the most prominent themes? both moved the needle theatrically when they debuted. Our Town, with its minimal scenery, no props, Indeed! And both are two of the most produced plays mimed actions, and a stage manager character who in the world yearly. Still. In brief, I think they both speak speaks directly to patrons, was immediate, no-frills, and eloquently to personal and communal responsibility – what sincere - unheard of in its era. The Laramie Project was it means to be human on an independent level, and what it the most recognized and lauded docudrama to date and came means to be part of a larger community of humankind. We at a crossroads moment in our culture when the U.S. was are all responsible for ourselves and how we engage with talking extensively about sexuality, class, and hate. Matthew others – good and bad; kind and evil; compassionate and Shepard’s murder, for various reasons, not the least of which bigoted. Life is both a struggle and a joy. We’re in this was that he was white, very petite, very young looking, together. It’s how we respond and move forward in life’s wealthy, and lived for five days after his beating, became a moments that often shifts the needle or bends the narrative lightning rod for public discourse on all sides. toward progress.

“Our Town” originally premiered in the 1940s – how does the play Both plays are being presented in the same repertory - how do hold up today? you see the plays connecting/cross-referencing with each other?

Tremendously well. The timelessness of Our Town lies in its universal and ageless themes of family, first and true love, community, grief, parenting, the natural cycle of life (and death), and so much more. The original setting may be early 20th century, but the situations, struggles, and triumphs of daily life are immensely current and relatable. I fully believe Our Town will be performed until humans are extinct. (Maybe even after!)

Thematically, they both beautifully tackle what it means to be human (then and now) and to live alongside others both like and unlike oneself. Also, both plays are three acts in structure; both deal with the premature death of a young person on the cusp of adulthood; both use the convention of direct address narration; both feature churches, cemeteries, local authority figures, and oh so much more. And, of course, we showcase a cast of ten wonderful Atlanta actors creating approximately 75 You are the director on “The Laramie Project” – what was it like characters over the two shows on the same set. That artistic feat alone is worth the trip downtown. Come see! going into this mastodon of a play?

I’ve adored the play from the start. I saw the original in NYC with my first significant boyfriend, and we sat in the theatre and wept after the curtain call. I loved the Actor’s Express production in 2001, and the HBO adaptation is very familiar and dear to me. Matt and I were born the same year, and we are strikingly similar in many ways – size, youthfulness, physical appearance, small-town/rural upbringing, interests, we both studied abroad, both very outgoing, etc. It isn’t lost on me that my life has been utterly blessed while his was cut tragically short before he got to truly make his mark in the world. Matt’s story and this play mean a lot to many people. Others have never heard of him or it. I approached the production and prepared for it like I do all my artistic endeavors – extensive research, many 10 | 09.04.19

If you take the utopia of “Our Town,” and follow it with the harsh reality of “The Laramie Project,” what’s next? Dystopia?

See, to me, the reality in The Laramie Project isn’t simply harsh or fatalistic. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it’s hopeful. Sometimes it’s merciful. Sometimes it’s very humorous. Sometimes it’s sad, spiritual, infuriating, comforting. The play, to me, does a miraculous job of balancing dark and light with everything in between. It’s a mirror of life. Grey. Exquisitely grey. (My favorite color, in fact.)

Our Town will play August 27 – September 29, and The Laramie Project will run September 10 – September 29.

Get more info and tickets at theatricaloutfit.org.

Judith Light got her start on One Life to Live in 1977 as housewife-turnedprostitute Karen Wolek, but the luminous screen and stage actress couldn’t be confined to a daytime soap. Her boundless range and abundant empathy for others are suffused into nearly a half-century’s worth of characters she’s played with the same gentle spirit that greeted me on the phone recently. Her role on the classic 1980s sitcom Who’s the Boss? further established her as one of our great leading ladies. That success, in particular, gave the LGBTQ activist a platform to become one of only a few celebrities willing to speak out on HIV/ AIDS during the height of the pandemic.

Somehow, though, it always seems like Judith Light is just getting started.

Judith Light and the Power of Possibility

By Chris Azzopardi Photos: Robert Ascroft and Courtesy of 1091

At 70 years old, an age when many actresses can’t find screen work, Light has been doing some of her very best. As Marilyn Miglin, the wife of one of serial killer Andrew Cunanan’s victims, she was devastatingly perfect in Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. With just a brief role in two episodes, she still managed to catch the attention of Emmy voters, who nominated her for her portrayal of the distraught cosmetics entrepreneur. In addition to the two consecutive Daytime Emmy Awards she won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for playing Karen Wolek, Light also received two nominations for her portrayal of Shelly Pfefferman, the wife of Maura, a trans woman, on Transparent.

Her latest role in the indie dramedy Before You Know It has her coming full circle: Light plays Sherrell, an aging soap star trying to rise above Hollywood’s ageist and sexist attitudes. Sherrell becomes an important figure in the lives of Rachel Gurner (Hannah Pearl Utt, who directed and co-wrote the feature), a lesbian stage manager, and her sister, Jackie (co-writer Jen Tullock), as they reconnect with the actress, their presumed-deceased mother.

Recently, Light spoke warmly about how her role as Sherrell reflects this latest feminist wave and the evolution of LGBTQ characters in her work. Then, because Judith Light can’t be contained, and because sometimes she’s a life coach, she waxed poetic about believing in the power of possibility.

Sherrell is like an onion being peeled back as the movie progresses.

That’s a great way to describe it, Chris.

Thank you. That’s so great that you saw it, because that was in the writing, that was in the way we developed the character from the very beginning.

But Judith, I do want a full order of soaps starring

12 | 09.04.19

Sherrell. I want more wigs and more sassing young girls on the street who are getting her autograph for their grandma.

(Laughs) How divine, right?

And she’s so glam. Over the years you’ve rocked some glam looks – did you have a style vision for Sherrell?

No, actually, we didn’t. We looked at different pictures of soap stars and their hair and we thought, “Oh, this could be really good.”

But we had to be very careful that we weren’t going to go make her a caricature and go over the top. Hannah really had a lot to do with the look and the wardrobe. She didn’t want her to be something that was goofy or weird, none of us did. If you’re playing a soap opera character, someone who’s on a soap opera, you have to be really careful and appropriate so that it’s a real person, not just somebody who’s somebody you can write off easily. (Sherrell) was created with a kind of expansiveness and understanding of who she actually is and what her life was like and what her choices were. It’s a very real person.

I did totally eat up all the very good-bad dialogue you got to deliver as Sherrell during the soap scenes, and with such fun melodrama in the first scene. And in that fur! Then she slaps her co-star because she thinks the scene needs it. It seemed like you were having fun.

Oh, it’s a joy. That’s also great writing, that’s also when Jen and Hannah were putting it all together and we were all talking about it together. We were really talking to each other about the characters, what they would do, where they would go and how they would be perceived.

Not that you’ve slapped someone, but have you ever gotten so carried away as a particular character in a scene that you just lost yourself in that character and abandoned the script because something else felt right?

Never.

No? No, no. That’s not professional. I would never do that. Now, when we would do scenes on Transparent, would we know the dialogue?

Absolutely. Would we abandon it at certain points? And would Jill (Soloway, the Transparent creator) feed us different things or would we throw in different ideas? Absolutely. Anything like that has to be done under the framework of safety – that everybody feels safe – and in the context of never going beyond or making anyone feel scared or treating someone improperly. To me, it’s unacceptable. You just don’t do that. There’s nothing more important on a set than making sure everybody feels safe.

Have you ever witnessed that happen on a set before, though?

No. It just happens in Sherrell’s world.

But look at what’s happening to her: She knows that things are falling apart. She knows that she’s not being paid attention to. It doesn’t come out of nothing and nowhere; it comes out of this desire to be seen, to be heard, to be relevant, to be young, to be cool, to be chic, to be trendy. To

be everything.

She’s fighting for her dignity.

Absolutely. Perfectly said.

Well, it’s very palpable. What’s your take on her attitudes about how women have to be portrayed to be considered desirable?

That’s out of the way the world and the culture are. That’s what she’s been taught, that’s what she knows. That’s all she knows.

How do you feel that’s relevant to the real world?

She doesn’t fit anymore as she’s getting older, and that’s frightening for her. She feels uncertain and scared. These are a lot of things that a lot of women are experiencing right now, and that’s probably what made this such a valuable project to me, to show that.

All women are going through this at a certain age, feeling less behind and not relevant. Feeling the connection with my women friends and women in general – we are holding ourselves in a different framework now. We are standing in a very different – no pun intended – light, to really demonstrate to ourselves and to the world who we actually are. Those things that the culture has, in some cases, smothered us with and had us be quiet about, we are no longer doing that. We’re not victims; we’re powerful. And I think that’s what you see Sherrell learn as the movie goes on.

I liked that the lesbian daughter’s queerness was a footnote – we’re seeing a lot more of that, where LGBTQ characters are written into a story without their sexuality being a focus of the story. Is that something you appreciated about Before You Know It? Hello!

I know, being a gay icon, I figured as much.

Honey, I’m not an icon.

I can call you an icon.

Well, thank you. But of course it’s like, “Oh, OK, so she’s looking for a girlfriend; so what about any of that? So what.” That is something that I love about this, and that’s very much Hannah and Jen. It’s not a focus.

Listen, in the early days, we had to do that. We had to make it pointed. It had to be about that.

Now, there’s an incorporation of the LGBTQ community into the world where it doesn’t have to be outlined and highlighted in some way. Now, look, in some places it still does. I don’t know if you saw Frank Bruni’s column (“Hate Is So Much Bigger Than Trump”) in The New York Times, but it’s really powerful. We forget that people still relate to the LGBTQ community in the way that these people had written letters to him about him being gay and it’s so lovely that we could do that in this film. But it’s still not where the world needs to be, and you know that, and I know that.

I’m curious about how you make the choices you do, because your motivations are striking and admirable. What boxes do you have to check before you sign on to a project

these days?

Thank you for noticing, and yes, I’ve had some really wonderful things come my way. There’s been some real shifts for me since Ugly Betty happened.

It’s always the character for me. It’s always, “Who is this person? How is this person there to serve the piece? How is this person someone that could wake up the audience to what they might be seeing or feeling in their own lives?

How does it translate for them?” So I’ve always got the audience in my mind as I’m looking at something: “How does this make a difference?

How does this matter? Who are the people I am working with?” When you get to work with people like Jill Soloway and Ryan Murphy, you’re in a rarefied atmosphere. Right now I’m doing a project (Manhunt: Lone Wolf) with a wonderful producer, Michael Dinner, and it’s about the Olympic bombing in Atlanta in 1996.

What clicked for you about Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Netflix show The Politician?

I actually can’t tell you a lot, but Bette (Midler) and I, last November and December, we shot the last episode of the first season and now we will start shooting the second season sometime this fall, where it’s Ben (Platt) and Bette and me and just a bunch of others. So I don’t know! I just don’t know where they’re going to go with this.

When it drops, you’ll be able to see what kind of character I’m actually playing.

With Transparent ending, what about Shelly are you going to miss the most?

Everything. I love her. And it’s so funny, because in the beginning people used to say to me, “Oh my god, I can’t stand her. She drives me crazy.” Then they would say, “... and I love her so much.” It’s true, there’s this gentle, fragile soul underneath all of that craziness, pushing people away and telling people what to do. And yet, I’ve had people say to me, “My relationship with my mother changed after falling in love with Shelly.”

I love that about her. That’s a great creation.

That’s a woman in her mature years who finally gets to have her voice back, and in so many ways.

I just trust that it will be that for so many people who see this musical finale, that there’s a real sense somewhere that they’ll miss her too, but they will be reminded of who she actually is and the joy of her.

When we last spoke, it was just after I watched the very first episode of Transparent. I told you the kindness, love, empathy and compassion of the show really resonated with me. Now, we’re at the end. What do you hope the legacy of Transparent will be?

All of what you just said. All of that. From the very first to the very – to this completion. Mind you, with every ending is a beginning, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more that came about within the structure of this. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if there was more.

Are you hinting that the cast may reunite down the line for more episodes?

No, no! I’m not hinting. I’m just saying – look, 14 | 09.04.19

things like that cannot be contained, and there is always the possibility. I am a big proponent of possibility. I’m not making definitive statements about anything – about the ending or the beginning or the anything. Seriously, I don’t know. And I’m not being coy. I just don’t know anything.

However, I hold the world in a way that allows for all kinds of possibilities, all kinds of openness to things, and I’m always surprised by how things turn out. I was just talking to somebody about it, and I’ve said it in several interviews recently because it seems so apt to me in relating around Transparent, which is that: Soren Kierkegaard, the philosopher, said that, “Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward.” We all think, “We know this.” We don’t know anything.

As I get older, I keep thinking, “Well, maybe I’ll know more next year.”

No, honey. No! And hopefully you won’t. It’s not about imposing what you think in your mind is gonna happen. Whoever thought we were gonna get marriage equality? I mean, look at that.

Look at what it took to get that. So you cannot make blanket statements about how things are gonna be. We’re all looking for that because in the structure of the human condition, we don’t like uncertainty. It’s scary. We think we have to know. Well, what would happen if we all didn’t have to know? Didn’t have to make statements about things that it had to be a particular way?

What if we could just stay in the place of being completely open?

It’s getting to that place that is the real journey and the real struggle.

It’s not actually a journey – it can literally happen right now. If you could choose to let go of the mind that got programmed to tell you that you have to know everything or think about everything and be on top of everything and be perfect about everything, what would life be like? Who would you be? You would be somebody that you already are and forgot you were.

As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Cher, Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, GQ, Vanity Fair and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.

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Fashioning Fall Although it still feels largely like summer, it is time to start thinking about updating your wardrobe for the new season.

Here are some key trends that will fashion you nicely for Fall.

Hand-Made and

Embroidered

Graphic elements are still a huge influence this season and tend to have a hand-crafted, upcycled look that can be seen as a move away from mass-manufacturing and perfection.

Embroidery instead of print gives it a unique, more hand-made look.

French Connection

Patchwork-looking shirts with different patterns are trending for Fall, and the patched, mismatched style will be seen on denim jackets and jeans as well.

Again, it is the unique and less massproduced aesthetic that prevails.

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Utilitarian and …Ugly?

The utilitarian trend is not over yet, and propelled by the ‘ugly shoe movement’, the fit of jeans remains cropped, slim, and straight – and preferably with utilitarian cargo elements like side pockets.

Radically fresh or just plain ugly?

The ugly shoe movement continues with sneakers and shoes that either look like a blast from the past or futuristic designer footwear. You be the judge – pictured below is the Vetements x Reebok Genetically Modified Trainer, $1,090.

(Not available at Boy Next Door Menswear)

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Vetements x Reebok

Color Scheming for Fall One of the simplest ways to update your look is to introduce a few new on-trend colors into your wardrobe. Look to the ‘it’ colors of the year from Pantone to get your bearing as to what is trending for Fall.

Perhaps the Pantone color of the year, the coral-pink PANTONE 16-1546 Tcx Living Coral?

Uniqlo Supima Cotton T-Shirt, $9.90

Liqour N Poker The dark, luscious green of PANTONE 19-5230 TCX Forest Biome.

J. Crew Flex Cotton Shirt Weathered Green, $70

The sophisticated hue of PANTONE 18-0625 TCX Martini Olive Liqour N Poker Khaki Denim Jacket, $64

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— French Riviera —

A dazzling night on the French Rivera awaits you at the Rainbow Ball 2019! Roll the dice and join us for an evening featuring a delectable dinner, endless cocktails, the hottest gaming tables, unforgettable entertainment and live and silent auctions to leave you speechless.

We can’t promise a Full House of Aces and Kings, but we can guarantee more than a few Queens in your hand!

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BENEFITS

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Vincent is an Atlanta resident since 2000, and he loves the city and is passionate about the LGBTQ community. He is a registered nurse, published writer, and popular blogger who writes motivational articles on vinceshifflett.com. He is also a musician who loves to play piano and bass guitar. He enjoys outdoor activities, long weekend trips away, and spending time with friends. He also enjoys the occasional international trip and has most recently visited Africa, Iceland, and Amsterdam. In addition, he hosts a monthly discussion group in his Midtown home which has been enlightening and enjoyable for all.

@ thevinceshifflett

Vincent Shifflett vinceshifflett.com

30 | 09.04.19

Stewart Taylor’s Bed Head Anthem

By Dominic Salamone Photo: stewarttayloroffical.com

Stewart Taylor has wanted to be a singer since he was seven years old. He got his start at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he met American Idol’s Kara DioGuardi. She introduced Stewart to Charlie Puth, who taught him the inner-workings of the studio. After graduating Berklee, Stewart gigged in New York City for two years before making his way to Los Angeles, where he lives now.

Your Hair Up,” I went into the studio with my co-writers and told my producer I wanted to channel Off the Wall-era Michael Jackson.

You nailed it!

Thanks! I’m proud of the song.

How is Los Angeles treating you these days?

It’s fun but hard, too. I think what people don’t “Show business is a huge hustle,” he reflects. realize about moving to any big city for show busi“It involves a lot of rejection, tons of networking, ness is that it’s not very welcoming at first. recording sessions, and figuring out how you’re going to pay your bills and rent. I’ve worked so Has being out about your sexuality made things even hardmany part-time and dead-end jobs to make ends er? meet and have moved so many times, but I’m still Even with all the progress the LGBTQ has made in here!” the last few years, it’s still harder to break through if you’re not an All-American straight boy or girl.

His new single is “Mess Your Hair Up.” In it, But all of my favorite artists and songwriters startStewart encourages fans to be playful and adven- ed from nothing and built empires, despite obstaturous in the bedroom. “It’s important to have cles and adversity. fun with your partner or partners,” he says. “Be adventurous; have a good time!” He explains What do you hope fans take away from your music? more.

I want fans to not only feel good when they listen to my music, but to also be motivated and inWho inspired “Mess Your Hair Up?” spired to be themselves, spread love, never give My boyfriend at the time. I had recently moved to up, and to live so loud that the world can’t help LA from New York and we were still dating long but take notice. distance. He sent me a really sexy picture post haircut, and I told him I wanted to jump on him How do you feel about people messing up your hair? and mess his hair up.

It’s fine. As long as we’re under the sheets.

The song is a cross between Justin Timberlake and Prince. Visit stewarttaylorofficial.com, and follow him on I’ve found, lately, that I’m more at home making Instagram @Stewarttaylormusic pop music with an R&B/Funk twist. For “Mess 32 | 09.04.19

HAPPY HOUR MONDAY-FRIDAY TIL 7PM

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CODE WHITE

Follow Mitzi @itsmitzip

Most people might not know this about me, but I’m a bit of a fashion icon in Kazakhstan. I have set that country years into the future as far as style is concerned. In fact, I am the editor-in-chief of Kazakhstan Vogue! I’m sure by now you’re feeling pretty impressed and ready to take whatever I’m about to say as “completely true insider knowledge”. This Fall we are heading into a rebellious trend in the fashion industry with a secret project. It is simply called: Code White. This year has shown us some trying times, so the elite fashion leaders have decided to do away with one of fashion’s oldest rules: wearing white after Labor Day!

It might come as a shock to many of you, but no longer will you be forced to show your working-class status by not wearing white after Labor Day. Some say this fashion trend was made so the wealthy elite could separate themselves from the everyday person since they could keep wearing white as they don’t have to work in colder and wetter climates. So, to celebrate Code White let’s look at some fashionable white looks you can turn this season.

While working on my September issue of Kazakhstan Vogue, I interviewed a few elite friends of mine who live the capital city of Nur-Sultan. They say today’s rising temperatures are the perfect chance to get creative with you Fall wardrobe. Where normally you would start donning on sweaters and layers, they say to strut on some lightweight ceremonial headdresses. They come in fifteen shades of white and are a great way to keep from getting stoned to death. The country’s rising deficit also makes these fashions super affordable!

If covering from head-to-toe is not your style, the sandy beaches of Isla de la Chichis offer more freeing clothing options. A good friend of mine Andrea Gordita is a fashion stylist based off those islands and she is celebrated for her varied styles of whiter shades of fabric.

She offers some eggshell bikinis, off-white miniskirts, and her signature White Shade of Pale linen business suit. Her clothes are only available on the islands so book a flight if you want to wear the whitest trends of this Fall season.

After a successful publication of my magazine, I tend to travel to New York and unwind with my good acquaintance Karen Cain (not to be confused with Karen Kane). She is a low-end fashion designer that specializes in clothing for people who have amassed a large amount of debt on frivolous credit card purchases. Her clothing line Freedom is available where most low-budget fashions are sold and has been revamped to include various white options.

Karen says her favorite part of this year’s Fall fashion trend is that her target customer will finally get to experience what her wealthy lifestyle has enjoyed for years: wearing white after Labor Day. I’m excited to say that I’ve already spoken to numerous fashion designers, magazine editors and authoritarian regime leaders, and the future of Code White is promising. So, to celebrate the new Fall season trends, dig through your closet for your old white skinny jeans, dust off those tighty whities and invest in a pair of white Nike tube socks. The rising temperatures might not bring us snow this year, but the season is looking white.

Yours in coding white,

Mitzi Pennington is the self-proclaimed sex symbol and advice-giving-guru alter ego of Mirza Muftic. She came from humble roots of middle America and married into money shorly after dropping out of college. Her late husband’s fortune allows her to travel the world andhave a sense of enlightenment one normally gets from actually working for their money. Mirza has had none of those experiences in his life. On occasion, Mirza will perform as Mitzi around Atlanta. His other interests/day job include film editing, retouching, and stop-motion animation.

34 | 09.04.19

As a part of our mission to help friends keep friends, we are opening our doors in 2018 to anyone needing to get their pet vaccinated and heartworm tested.

Not only is this a great deal for you, it is also a fundraiser for PALS Atlanta!!

Vaccine Clinic Pricing Full veterinary exam - FREE Dog or Cat Rabies Shot - $15 Dog or Cat Combo Shot - $15 Bordatella vaccination (dogs only) - $15 Heartworm testing (dogs only) - $25 Full year supply of heartworm medication AND a full year of flea/tick preventative - $100 (requires current negative heartworm test)

FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING Yoga & Live Music, Car & Motorcyle Show - Lambda Car Club Comedy Showcase, AIDS Memorial Quilt, Sobriety Meetup Bi + Pan March, Drag Queen Storytime, Burlesque Show, Trans March, Dyke March Shooting Stars Cabaret, Queer Your Gender Dance Party, Outworlders Gaymer Space 19th Annual Atlanta Pride Brunch, Gray Pride, Family Fun Zone SWEET TEA: A Queer Variety Show, Starlight Cabaret

ATLANTA PRIDE CELEBRATION OCT. 11-13, 2019 | ATLANTA PRIDE.ORG

September 4 - September 11

Queer Climbing Night

Rise with Karlitos

Try out climbing with the Venture Out Project that provides Elevate Your Nightlife Productions (ENL) returns to Heretic wilderness trips and experiences for the queer, trans, and with Rise and music by DJ Karlitos. A no-cover night with lots LGBTQ community. Go to ventureoutproject.com for info of hot beats to dance it out to. and tickets.

Friday, September 6, 7–9 pm Stone Summit Atlanta

Saturday, September 7, 10 pm – 3 am Heretic Atlanta

STAFF PICK!

Revival Gospel Variety Show Come together for the monthly fundraiser for the Rainbow House Coalition with no preaching and good ole-fashioned singing and talent.

Sunday, September 8, 4 pm Midtown Moon

Work is a Drag

Way, Way Off Broadway Drag Queen Bingo

The charity drag show benefiting Lost-n-Found Youth by Publicis Groupe presents you with Kings and Queens who battle for the crown in the fiercest event of the year! Tickets

by Eventbrite.

Join hostess Bubba D. Licious, Erica Lee, and the rest of the wacky drag gang to raise money for PALS and be thrilled by unique performances of Broadway classics. Go to palsatlanta.org for ticket info.

Saturday, September 7, 8-11 pm Out Front Theatre Company

Tuesday, September 10, 7:30 - 9:30 pm LIPS Atlanta

38 | 09.04.19

SUMMER NIGHTS @ MIDTOWN MOON PHOTOS: SNOW

40 | 09.04.19

MIDTOWN 1

Monroe Dr. NE

14

Amsterdam Ave.

NE ve . tA

Piedmont Park

on

11

dm

6 12th St. NE

18

Pi e

Juniper St. NE

14th St. NE

7

9

2

10th St. NE

10

. NE

19

oe Dr

e. NE Piedmont Av

Juniper St . NE

Peachtree St. NE

3

Monr

Charle s Alle n Dr . N E

12 W. Peachtree St. NW

15

16

4th St. NE

8

13

BARS Amsterdam Blake's Bulldogs Friends The Model T My Sister’s Room Ten Atlanta

5

Dining 502 Amsterdam Ave NE 227 10th St NE 893 Peachtree St NE 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 66 12th St NE 990 Piedmont Ave NE

9 10 11 12

10 th & Piedmont Campagnolo Einstein's F.R.O.G.S

clubs 13 Atlanta Eagle

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

spa/bath 15 Flex Spa

42 | 09.04.19

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fitness

retail 8 Barking Leather

4

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

P o n ce D e Leo n Pl . N E

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on tC ir .

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.

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino

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28 20

Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

Av

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35

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32

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22

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44 | 09.04.19

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10 TIPS FOR STYLISH FALL FASHION Dress Up for the New Season

Chinos are a great option to Jeans

It’s time to break out the knits

.. and if you wear jeans, make sure they fit you!

Class up your footwear

Reorganize your closet, so your fall clothing is your go-to

Go for a more muted color scheme

Get a light jacket for those transitional months

Get out all your accessories like belts, scarves, and hats

Yes, it is totally okay to wear plaid!

Keep it simple – don’t try too hard 46 | 09.04.19

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Him: How do you stay so cool all the time?

That’s a sexy cell phone belt clip – said no one ever!

Me: I don’t get into arguments with stupid people

Him: But how?

Just sold my homing pigeon on eBay – for the 22nd time…

Someone called me ugly and I just replied: “excuse me, I’m not a mirror”

Me: I cut it short and say “you’re right”

Him: That’s wrong and irrational!

Me: You’re right…

Asking for a friend Grindr can pass as a fancy coffee app, right?

Just overheard someone order a margarita after being told they didn’t have Diet Coke. Honestly, so similar to how I make most of my life decisions.

DAD JOKE ALERT Sleep is my favorite.

It’s why I get up in the morning!

48 | 09.04.19

There is a special place in hell for people who request read receipts when they send emails

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) While it may not yet be the “age” of Aquarius, it certain is the week for Aquarius. Your desire to party may be very strong this week and you should act on that impulse for it will lead you to new and unexplored territory socially. This may be the week that you find yourself in a new social standing.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20) All your hard work will finally pay off this week, but not, of course, for you. Escape the daily grind and find yourself a new and interesting situation to find growth. Maybe it’s that bar you’ve never been to, but always wanted to go to. The possibility exists for you to meet a great love of your life, but that love may or may not be a person.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

Your continuing quest for cleanly perfection may go overboard this week. Maintaining friendships with “filthy disgusting troglodytes” as you would put it is just not in you this week. Take some space from these people as you will inevitably frustrate yourself, but also may simply ruin friendships altogether.

Aries rarely say one thing and do another. They usually do the wrong thing and don’t discuss it.

Fight that continuous inner struggle this week and be willing to be vulnerable. The results of this bit of inner growth will have positive impact not only for this week, but for the future as well.

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

You constantly worry about what other people think.

If you really paid any attention, maybe people would like you more. Being such a malleable personality has it’s upside, but this week you will be faced by a situation that requires strength and resolve. Stop being so wishy-washy.

Stop psychoanalyzing your friends. You most likely don’t have any real experience with it. Instead turn that bull-head of yours around and look within.

This week you will find strength of character yet weakness of soul. Find activities that enrich your soul and replenish that weakness.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)

Your attempt to stir something up this week may blow up in your face. Take the stinger out of your sign and find a way to exist without being such a bully to your friends. They will appreciate you more if your not constantly forcing them to go to the bars that only you want to go to.

Everyone loves a Gemini because everyone loves a schizophrenic. This week your duality is in full force pulling on the power of Uranus (I can’t make this up). While it’s fun to play both sides of the fence on some issues a decision in your romantic life will need to be decided upon

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)

You would sooner sustain a crippling injury than do anything the easy way. This week is no different.

You will find yourself with an easy problem and yet somehow find the most difficult way to solve it.

Why, oh why do you do this to yourself Sagittarius?

Escape your modus operandi and learn a new problem solving method. I beg you.

People walk on you often. Actually, not often all the time. If you think someone is screwing you, you’re probably right this week. Look to your business associates for truth on these issues, your friends are most likely not going to be much help this week. It’s time to whip those claws out and show people how crabby you can be!

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

This week you will be offered a great opportunity in your mind. Your friends may tell you it’s a waste of time, but you know better. Follow your instincts to fortune and glory. At the same time, stop being so tight-assed and nitpicky or you may find yourself alone at the top.

You may find yourself in an all out drag down fight with an Aries this week. These fights have been going on since the beginning of time between these signs. If your smart, you’ll try to subvert your opponent by plying that person with ample alcohol before continuing your argument.

50 | 09.04.19

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Trouble in the love department? With sex? Or just people in general? Send us your queries, questions, and problems, and you’ll get answers served straight up and with a little ice.

T

he other day, I was sitting at a coffee shop working, and this hot guy was openly flirting with me. I engaged in the flirting as well, and he ended up coming over to talk. The flirting got even heavier, and we exchanged numbers, and we even made out a little before he left.

I sat there for a while, and then I got a text from him saying that he was really turned on by me and that he needed to tell me something. He then texted me that he was trans, and he hoped that I wasn’t turned off by that.

I replied that I wasn’t and that it had me thinking about what hole I was going to f**k first. So, we are meeting up on Friday, and although I am honestly very excited about the date – because this guy is very hot! – I am also a little confused. I have identified as a gay man all my life, and now I am turned on by the opposite sex?

I thought I was only interested in d**k! I have several trans friends, both men and women, but I never thought this would be such a turn-on for me. What if I want to get penetrated by him? A little help here, please!

Sincerely Trans-Con-Fused

Dear Trans-Con-Fused Good for you for engaging in a flirt and not reacting negatively when things didn’t turn out to meet your expectations. Trans men and women too often meet ignorance, rejection, and violence when it comes to revealing their true selves, and it needs to stop. Where you can do some work is with your gender perceptions.

You write you are confused because you are turned on by the opposite sex, but here’s the thing: he identifies as a man, and you perceived him as such until it was revealed what was between his legs! So what if he doesn’t have a d**k! You even admit that it is a turnon because there are literally more holes. You need to rethink the way you define genders norms, AND you need to rethink the way you define being gay. Having sex with this guy will not make you any less gay, and if you go into this with an open mind, chances are that you will become an even better and enlightened person who is not concerned about traditional gender conventions and sees (and f**ks!) people who are truly themselves.

This is probably unchartered territory for the both of you, so ask questions about his trans experience and learn from this amazing opportunity – and have that amazing, hot sex. And if you are concerned about not being penetrated by him, there are plenty of solutions out there that can make him the top of the decade. Just think a little bit outside the box.

52 | 09.04.19

I

am seeing this great guy, but one time, after having mind-blowing sex (at least to me), I asked him about the best sex he ever had (hoping he would say the sex we had just had), and he proceeded to give me detailed description about how him and his ex would always climax at the exact same moment. Obviously, I am upset, and I don’t even know if I want to continue dating him because I can never reach those heights.

Should I dump him?

Sincerely Next Best Thing

Dear Next Best Thing Hold your horses! Although it was insensitive and a bit dull-witted of your lover to recap a past sexual encounter after just having had sex with you, you clearly had ulterior motives with your question as well. And now the lack of validation stings, and, sure, it’s understandable, but instead of painting all of the future black, why don’t you take the opportunity to talk about what you can do together to create your own fireworks. Most of the time, it takes a while to hit that perfect sexual groove, and that’s obviously what he had with his ex. But now he is with you, and the two of you have the chance to hit your own stride in the bedroom! So don’t pout, get over yourself, and go and seduce this guy.

NEED ANSWERS? REACH OUT TO US, AND YOU WILL GET THEM! SEND YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS TO OUR EDITOR AT MIKKEL@PEACHATL.COM.

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