CONTENTS
OCTOBER 23, 2019
V3-41 PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC 925b Peachtree St. NE #168 Atlanta, GA 30309
36
10
MANAGING PARTNER Brian Sawyer brian@peachatl.com
OPERATIONS Jeff Anderson Sales and Development Director
jeff@peachatl.com
EDITORIAL
20
Mikkel Hyldebrandt
40
Editorial Director mikkel@peachatl.com Brian Sawyer Graphics
From the Editor
Jessica Watson
I love Halloween! I think it’s the combo of October starting out with all the Pride festivities, then it’s my birthday, and then it’s all rounded off by a magnificent, costumed grand finale – better get my costume(s) ready!
Graphics
In this issue, we guide you to what costume personality you are, how to dress up in various degrees of appropriateness depending on the party, and finally what you should definitely not wear – unless you want to get chased out of town.
Thomas Le
If you’d like the proper soundtrack to your Halloween (and beyond), popstar Kim Petras just released her album Turn Off the Lights, which is inspired by – you guessed it! – Halloween!
SALES | DISTRIBUTION
Not quite as ghoulish, but a riveting conversation nonetheless, Chris Azzopardi spoke to another pop sensation, Mika, in our extended celebrity interview, about his cathartic new album, duet double standards, and the consequences of being out in the music industry.
EVENT MARKETING tomthomas@peachatl.com
Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com
CONTRIBUTORS Chris Azzopardi Jamie Kirk
Of course, that is not all – there might be a few extra scary surprises here and there along with a bunch of our ‘regularly’ scheduled content. Actually, quite frightening how much we have packed in this issue!
Mirza Muftic Gregg Shapiro
Happy Halloween!
NATIONAL AD REP
Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director IG @hyldebrandt
Rivendell Media 908.232.202
ONLINE
SOCIAL
peachatl.com
At Distribution Points Across the City
FB:facebook.com/peachatlmag
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. Unauthorized use of Peach ATL Media may give rise to claims for damages and or criminal offenses. Your use of the information or materials in Peach ATL Media is strictly at your own risk.
6 | 10.23.19
FUR BALL MASQUERADE As the perfect conclusion to Halloween season, Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) invites you to their second annual Fur Ball Masquerade to raise funds that provide ongoing care to the pets of Atlanta residents affected by critical illness. The evening, held at the beautiful Egyptian Ballroom of the Fox Theatre, will feature hors d‘oeuvres, an open bar, live entertainment, a silent auction, beats by DJ Sed the Saint, who was brought back to the event again this year, a masquerade mask contest, and more. As far as fundraising events go, the Fur Ball is not only fun, but it represents a great value in terms of event ticket prices for an open bar event in Atlanta. With VIP admission at $100 per person and general admission at $75 per person, the event is accessible to a lot of people. Another important factor is that the money raised for the event goes to help the PALS clients take care of their pets. Their clients regularly express how they would not be able to keep their pets if it weren’t for the assistance they receive through PALS. So, while you are attending the event, enjoying the night, and bidding on items in the silent auction, you know you are helping some of Atlanta’s most fragile citizens keep their cats and dogs healthy and with them. Tickets for the Fur Ball Masquerade can be purchased at palsatlanta.org/furball. VIP admission includes a cocktail hour from 7-8 pm and a gift bag at the end of the evening, along with all of the general admission benefits. General admission includes an open bar, heavy passed hors d’oeuvres, bidding in the silent auction, a souvenir mask, dancing, and live entertainment.
ABOUT PETS ARE LOVING SUPPORT The mission of Pets Are Loving Support (PALS) is to provide ongoing care to the pets of Atlanta persons with limited financial resources who are living with disabilities or critical illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS or cancer), and the elderly. PALS provides free pet food and low-cost, basic veterinary care for the pets of our clients. Pets and owners may remain together to share the healing power of love and companionship.
WHAT Fur Ball Masquerade WHEN Friday, November 1, 2019 VIP Cocktail Hour 7-8 pm Main Event 8-11 pm WHERE Egyptian Ballroom, The Fox Theatre palsatlanta.org/furball 8 | 10.23.19
SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE LEATHER SOFA WAS $2895 NOW $1795
VANCOVER SECTIONAL SOFA WAS $2695 NOW $1850
LIVE EDGE WALNUT TABLE WAS $2680 NOW $1899
SWIVEL CHAIRS IN 4 COLORS WAS $895 NOW $599
ALL NAME BRAND MATTRESSES IN STOCK AT 50% OFF
1240 OLD CHATTAHOOCHEE AVENUE NW ATLANTA...(404)351-8090
By Mikkel Hyldebrandt After watching street preachers antagonize people year after year at Atlanta Pride, artist Matthew Terrell created what also proved to be his most ambitious work yet - “the Hate Shield” – that debuted on October 12 at Pride. Your project, “the Hate Shield,” debuted at the recently concluded Atlanta Pride. Tell us a little bit about what they are? I came up with this idea about three years ago, when I watched as street preacher, Ruben Israel kept on creating near-violent situations at the entrance of Piedmont Park for Pride. He would antagonize people walking by with his bullhorn, and then get up into his face. The police officers were constantly keeping people from throwing fists—which is what Ruben and his gang want: a proof that gays are violent and a lawsuit he can file against someone. In front of Ruben were some people from Pansy Patrol who had bravely left their post of the Westboro people, who only carry signs but not bullhorns. These intrepid folks were trying to yell “LOVE” over a 120-decibel bullhorn, which just makes them lose their voice. It was such chaos, and I wanted to find a way to diffuse the situation. After watching Ruben’s group for years, I designed “The Hate Shield” with grants from Fulton County Arts and Culture and the Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. The shield is mobile sound dampening wall units that are 4x8 feet each and weigh under 20 pounds. They can be lifted very high into the air because Ruben’s crew sometimes lifts their megaphones to point at people. On the backside of each panel is a mirror, so the hate preachers have to look at themselves the entire time they are out there. I wanted to have a conceptual aspect to the piece. These hate preachers need to be convicted in their own conscience by seeing their hate reflected back at them. What do you think is the most powerful feature of “the Hate Shield”? I think the physical barrier aspect is the one that most people don’t realize is incredibly powerful. We made sure that the hate preachers could literally not see anybody, and so they were not able to target people, make eye contact, and pick fights. In previous years I saw the police constantly stopping fights from breaking out. That didn’t happen once. In fact, we had so much of a barrier that many people walking by had no clue what was going on behind the walls. My number one goal for this project was for the average Pride-goer to not even notice these hate 10 | 10.23.19
preachers, and to have a lovely uninterrupted day at the festival. How do you think your shields work differently from other groups trying to shield a gay parade or event from anti-LGBTQ protesters? What I realized early on is that sound is a weapon. These hate preachers were using their ability to project sound as an offensive tactic. Pansy Patrol and Angel Action do an incredible job of blocking site of the protestors and their signs, as well as adding a general bit of levity and LOVE to a tense situation. But, as arms races go, some of the hate preachers use their megaphones to blast through the Pansies and Angels. That’s where The Hate Shield comes in. When you have broadcast sound, the first line of defense needs to neutralize it. When we combined The Hate Shield with the Pansies and Angels—it was an incredible scene. The Pansies were singing “All You Need is Love,” and with the help of The Hate Shield, you couldn’t hear the preachers at all. You have received quite a bit of positive response (CNN, WABE, OUT.com, Advocate, and more) – what does that tell you? I never realized the scale of the problem. I have people reaching out to me from all over the country with similar problems. Lots of women’s health clinics, small-town Prides, events like Mardi Gras, New Year’s Eve events, college campuses. These hate preachers are all over the place. There are so many people in this country looking for a nonviolent solution for the hate being broadcast at their event. I hope to help solve this issue with my work. What are your plans – and hopes – for the future of “the Hate Shield?” Look for Hate Shield V2.0: PHALANX next year. I have a vision for a highly portable model that can be maneuvered by a single person. When combining multiple PHALANX units, you will have the ultimate sound shield at your event. I am looking for engineers, business people, and anyone who wants to invest in creating nonviolent solutions for countering hate and condemnation. How do you get “the Hate Shield” to your event? Go to thehateshield.com, and email info@thehateshield.com.
lliance
Community Pharmacy
We are the Atlanta HIV, PrEP, and PEP pharmacy experts! • Free and complete coordination of the benefits to ensure that you can afford your medication and have little to no out-of-pocket cost
• Clinical support from pharmacists who are experts in HIV, PrEP & PEP and who wil explain your medication therapy so that you can achieve the best results • Ideally located in Midtown, at the intersection of Piedmont and Monroe, with free parking and easy access to marta • Lost your health insurance? Changed HIV therapy and have leftover meds? We can help! Ask us about our GA Drug Repository Program!
Big enough to serve, small enough to care! Voted Atlanta's Best Pharmacy Two Years in a Row!
•
1529 Piedmont Ave NE Ste C, Atlanta, GA 30324 404-461-9105 I www.alliancecrx.com
Photo: Byron Spencer Illustration: Lucas David
Although her newly released Halloween-inspired project, TURN OFF THE LIGHT, is the perfect soundtrack for Halloween, the 17 tracks on the album go way beyond the late Fall holiday. Kim Petras has released her highly anticipated, Halloween-inspired project TURN OFF THE LIGHT. Resurrecting Kim’s malevolent persona, TURN OFF THE LIGHT invites sinister synths and bloodthirsty beats to summon nine new tracks which join its critically-acclaimed first volume as one 17-track body of work. Welcoming atmospheric club instrumentals alongside five new, spine-chilling singles including “There Will Be Blood,” an intoxicatingly sanguine floor-filler, TURN OFF THE LIGHT fuses classic horror soundscapes with euphoric, modern, pop hooks to birth a theatrical, Frankenstenian project. Also featured are tracks “Wrong Turn,” “Massacre,” “Death By Sex,” and the glam-rock-possessed “Everybody Dies.” Kim will also be hitting the road for The Clarity Tour. The run, which kicked off October 21 in Vancouver, will bring Kim to major cities from coast to coast, including New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Nashville, before wrapping on December 8 in San Diego. To thank her fans, and celebrate her explosive year, every ticket purchased online for Kim’s upcoming tour will include a digital download of TURN OFF THE LIGHT. Kim’s recently-released, 12-track project Clarity launched into the Top 4 of the iTunes Pop Chart and featured “Icy” alongside a string of lauded singles which dominated Spotify’s “New Music Friday” and Apple Music’s “Best of The Week” for ten consecutive weeks. Kim just wrapped the North American and European legs of her first-ever headline tour, which sold out during pre-sale, prompted her to move many of her performances to larger venues, and saw her take the stage at the Reading and Leeds Festivals and Manchester Pride alongside Ariana Grande. Kim, who is featured on MAX’s “Love Me Less” remix and appears on Charli XCX’s album on “Click” alongside Tommy Cash, is set to continue a trajectory that saw her recognized as one of music’s most promising new artists, after having accumulated over 180 million global streams, broke into Top 40 radio with her pop hit “Heart to Break,” and opened for Troye Sivan on his 2018 nationwide the Bloom Tour. At the start of this year, Kim sold out her first ever headline shows in New York City, Los Angeles, Sydney, and Melbourne before headlining Sydney Mardi Gras. While in Australia, she also made a pop-up appearance to perform alongside Rita Ora on her Phoenix World Tour. Kim Petras will perform in Atlanta on her Clarity Tour on the 11/12 at the Tabernacle. Follow Kim Petras on IG and Twitter @kimpetras, and on Facebook and YouTube. 12 | 10.23.19
By Mikkel Hyldebrandt, Photo: PR Some people spend months preparing while others go for a last-minute solution. To help you deal with the stress of picking out a costume for Halloween, we thought it would be helpful first to determine what personality you are when it comes to picking out a costume. Then comes the task of choosing a costume, creating it from scratch, or throwing something on last-minute.
All Out No expense spared, months of preparation, and meticulous attention to detail characterizes your choice of costume. You want to wow others at the party (and preferably go to a fancy costume ball!), but you also enjoy the process of putting together the costume and seeking out just the right props to go with it. Storm Trooper, $750 Creature Reacher Midnight Howler, $275 14 | 10.23.19
The Georgia Aquarium would like to thank the community for 10 years of overwhelming support! The Georgia Aquarium celebrates diversity all year! We would like to extend a special DISCOUNT through 2020 on General Admission, Tours, Animal Encounters and Swim/Dive with the Gentle Giants.
Visit www.georgiaaquarium.org/prideguide Online Discount Only. Advance Reservations Required.
Always Sexy
Go Goofy
You like to be the trick and the treat! You see Halloween as an opportunity to flaunt your progress at the gym and turn a few heads at the same time. You like the idea of dressing up as a conventionally sexy character and will either invest in a skimpy costume or modify and alter a regular costume, so it fits better and shows off the bod.
Your childish soul comes out at Halloween, and you opt for a silly costume option that will put smiles on people’s faces. A funny costume is also the perfect opening for some light-hearted conversation and a way to talk to a lot of individuals at the Halloween party.
Sparta Costume, $80 Sexy policemen, $50 16 | 10.23.19
Men’s Goofy Gator Costume, $45
Henson_Peach_Half_Proofv3.pdf
1
2/27/19
2:07 PM
HURT AT WORK?
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
#KELLIECARES! www.hensoninjurylaw.com kellie@hensoninjurylaw.com
Serving the Midtown community for over 15 years! Call Attorney Kellie Henson for your free consultation today!
404.795.5100
Don’t deal with the insurance company alone -- let Kellie get you the benefits and settlement you deserve!
Go Stealth
Last-Minute
You love the fact that you can be masked during Halloween, and people may not recognize you right away. Maybe it’s your inner superhero or undercover agent that wants out – or perhaps you just like the feeling of not being constrained by your inhibitions while wearing a mask.
Sure, you enjoy Halloween, but it always catches you a little off guard, and you never think ahead and plan a costume months ahead; who has the time, right? But, you’re also a guy who likes to partake in the fun, so you buy or borrow a fun wig last-minute, do a quick rummage through your closet, and voilà: you’re an 80’s rock star!
Black Panther Costume, $35 Men’s Batman Masquerade Mask, $30
80’s Rock Mullet Men’s Blonde Wig, $48
18 | 10.23.19
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)
By Chris Azzopardi Photos: Julian Broad
20 | 10.23.19
It’s 8:30 in Italy, and maybe if Mika didn’t feel so deeply connected to his new album he’d just want to go to bed. But the sparky glam-pop performer doesn’t mind my before-bed call; in fact, he’s thrilled to be talking about My Name Is Michael Holbrook because “this phase is actually more engaging and interesting, and generally I am enjoying it way more than any other album I’ve had to promote.” Mika’s past work, of course, famously includes his 2007 debut Life in Cartoon Motion, wherein he emerged an exuberant-sounding human cartoon, with songs like “Grace Kelly” and “Lollipop.” This album, his first in more than four years, is different in that its core was created after discovering his family’s history. And though it’s been exhilarating to promote, it’s also “ironic considering it’s not the simplest time in my life,” the 36-year-old Beirut-born performer, whose birth name is Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr., says. Mika spoke about how coming out in 2012 may have affected his career, the “shitty” white piano he wrote My Name Is Michael Holbrook on and why he won’t be singing with his romantic partner anytime soon. Despite his admitted tiredness, Mika was introspective – even rollicking – when we finally connected, once he’d won his battle against rush-hour traffic. What is not simple about life for you right now? Well, it all started when I had this premonition about three-and-a-half years ago: I felt like I thought I had grown up 10, 11 years ago and I was like, “You know, I’m an adult.” And nothing appeared to change. Sure enough, as I started writing the record so much change happened in my private life and my personal life, losing five people close to me, including my grandmother.
record. So this album was kind of made in the midst of a lot of that, and instead of retreating and taking a step back – it interfaced with that darkness from multiple sides – I actually went toward life. I said, “I’m gonna go toward what makes me, me. I’m gonna take my colors – the ones from when I was 17 – and make them shine even brighter. I’m not gonna care about commercial circumstances or the climate of the music industry or that all storytelling seems to be happening mostly in R&B and hip-hop, which is something I just can’t do because it’s not my musical culture. I’m just gonna go for it. I’m gonna put together a romantic, emotionally driven, heartfelt record and try and make it at the service of emotion and hopefully it’ll be bold enough to stand on its own two legs.” That’s how the album came about and how it was written. Has this album been cathartic for you? It’s an extremely cathartic piece of work for me. And it’s also a kind of provocation to myself where I realize that this idea that we spend most of our lives building our foundations on people that we love and we rely on, there comes a point when that version of your foundation starts to change or shift or disappear, and you have to do it in a different way and the only way you can do it is by knowing where you come from, by being at peace with yourself and celebrating, also, all the people around you who you love. Feeling that sense of self-worth is the only way you can have a chance of figuring out where the hell you’re going to end up. We don’t really know who we are, and anyone who says, “I know who I am” … you’re never gonna fucking know really who you are. But we think we’ll figure it out when we’re older. Then we fall in love, we get our heart broken, and we start again.
I’m sorry to hear that. Well, it’s OK. Thank you. But it happens to all of us. But then on the day I wrote “Tiny Love,” the same day, I get a phone call saying, “You gotta get on a plane ’cause your mom’s sick,” and then that became this running thing throughout the writing of this record. My mom got more and more and more sick with different diseases that got worse and worse, and you know my mom and I have this very strong link. I was thrown out of school at the age of 8 and she looked at me and instead of being nice to me she just said, “People like you end up in prison or they end up successful, and over my dead body will I have a son who ends up in prison.” (Laughs.)
It’s a lot of distractions. A lot. But that’s OK. I don’t mind that. That’s also one of the main motivations for writing for me, so I’ll take it.
You definitely chose the right path, didn’t you? I didn’t really have a choice, trust me, if you knew my mom. (Laughs.) And she trained me three to four hours a day at the age of 8, and I cried every day ’cause I didn’t want to do it. Then, within four months, I was singing at the Royal Opera House in London, and within six months I was a soloist at the Royal Opera House. So, from that point on, my life changed.
Right, you went to see your family plot. Yeah, exactly. I went to see my family plot, and you know I’ve always said, “I’m half Lebanese, I grew up in lots of different countries, I’m an immigrant. A homosexual!” So I’m the furthest thing from a person from Atlanta, Georgia whose family had cotton fields. I mean, that is the weirdest part. I just don’t know what that is.
You know, she worked with me up until this
Which motivation are you referring to? Trying to figure out who we are and that changing all the time. Can you tell me about the first song that you wrote for the album and why you decided to start there? It was born in a graveyard. (Laughs.) In a place that I had never been to, that I had completely disassociated from my identity, and that was Atlanta, Georgia.
But you knew about this family history? Hardly.
In discovering this part of your family history, were new parts of yourself revealed? I didn’t know about it that much, I really didn’t. My legal name is my father’s name, and he actually had his own crazy journey because he was born in Jerusalem and then grew up in Cairo, and then grew up in Washington, then grew up in Italy, then grew up in London, then grew up in Rome. So during my entire life, it was so hard to understand who he was or where he came from, so it’s just so strange for me to have delved into that, but I just felt like I knew so much about my mom’s side of the family, and I wanted to know everything he hadn’t told me about his family’s family. So I delved into it. I went and saw this Penniman plot at Bonaventure Cemetery, and I saw part of my name on a tombstone, half corroded by time. Just had this weird reaction to it. Like, “Wow, I’ve always rejected my legal name,” because my mom called me Mika from the time I was born, but it is my name and it’s also my father’s and I know fuck-all about it. The only way I can describe that feeling is: Have you ever had that kind of feeling that there’s another part of your house that you just hadn’t noticed? Another part of your apartment that just wasn’t there? Then one day after four years you might discover it. It’s weird. I didn’t really like it, but I found it fascinating and it was this weird Tim Burton moment, seeing your name on a tombstone. I went back home and I wrote this song called “Tiny Love.” It sums up the project in a good way. It’s like, I might be Michael Holbrook, born in 1983, but I can be so much more when I allow myself to be, and if I allow myself to dream to be whatever I want to be. And you bought a white piano because that’s what you were playing when you were 16. Yeah. Superstition. (Laughs.) You were being superstitious? I don’t think it’s superstition. I don’t like looking at a black piano, and I don’t know why I don’t like looking at a brown piano. For some reason this idea of a white piano I got used to when I was a kid and so that’s all I really want to see. What does the white represent to you? Non-institutional education. (Laughs.) I was going to music college, I was going to rehearsal. Even when I was at conservatory at the Royal College of Music, as an adult I was studying as a baritone and all of the pianos were black pianos – academic, institutional lessons on black pianos – and then the white piano was something you’d see on the cover of a Barry Gibb album. I had a white piano and actually, to tell the full story, I had a black piano when I was a child and that piano I decided, with a friend of mine, to paint it white when I was 6 years old. Ever since then it stayed white, and it’s this kind of really tacky house paint. Terrible finish. It’s a piece of crap kind of paint job. But I’ve used that. So for me I was going to write on a white piano all the stuff I wanted to do – all of my music – and then I would go and sing, like, (John) Braham and 22 | 10.23.19
Italian songs that were written 100 years ago on the black piano, so I associated the two with that. So when it came to actually coming back to writing in my home studio I wanted to write on a white piano. So I went out and bought a white piano and it turned out to be the worst piano that they had in the entire piano warehouse. I was like, “Why don’t you have a better piano?” He was like, “’Cause no one wants a fucking white piano, so we give them to people who don’t give a shit about piano playing.” He was such an asshole. People who work at music stores are famously rude. So anyway, I bought the shitty white piano that sounds like a piece of crap and I wrote the entire album on it. You’ve acknowledged disappointment in the commercial aspects of the industry. Do you think coming out ever had any effect on your career? I don’t know. I’d like to think no. I think that the commercial consequences of my sexuality were more to do with what was indelibly written into my music, by me, and inevitably immiscible when you listen to it from before I was even signed. That aspect did have consequences, especially in the United States. But it’s OK. It’s not OK now, but back then I made peace with the fact that I was considered a little bit less than and when I asked why they’d be like, “Well… .” I would never get a clear answer. But I always felt like it kind of was there. Times have changed. That’s not the case anymore, and thank god. But I do think, if anything, that kind of frustration that I felt, and some of the limitations, some of the commercial consequences of my sexuality, actually provoked me to come out. If I think about it honestly, that frustration actually riled me so much that it encouraged me to come out publicly. You’re like, “What’s the point of being in a pigeonhole? What is wrong with you?” There’s no difference. Music is music. It exists beyond anything. And in the end, I was just quite roused, so it encouraged me to come out. I think that’s a good reaction to have, rather than going the other way. As much progress as we’ve made, your song with Italian singer Jack Savoretti, called “Ready to Call This Love,” is still a rare thing. Well, let me tell you: He’s a really good -ooking guy. (Laughs.) He’s charming. He’s like an oldfashioned movie star, but in a 30-somethingyear-old body. Is that what appealed to you about him when you chose your male duet partner? His voice. Firstly, the fact that he didn’t even bat an eyelid at the fact that it was a love song and it didn’t even come up in conversation. He was just like, “It’s really beautiful.” That was it. “I’d love to do this, it’s really beautiful, full stop.” And then the fact that his voice is such a contrast to mine and all that, and when you consider that he’s a married guy and he’s got a kid, it was just a no-brainer for him.
- since 1997 -
fall favorites are here! - since 1997 -
Perfect for the holidays! 1119 Logan Circle NW Atlanta, GA 30318 404.873.6307 www.metrobakery.com
People are gonna say, “Why didn’t Mika pick a gay duet partner?” And I’m gonna say, “Well, why not?” That’s it. That’s really all I can say. Because it’s beautiful. And I was asked this, actually, in an interview a week ago for a major gay website in Europe and I said, “Have you done interviews with heterosexual couples who have done duets? Girl and guy?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “Did you ever ask them if they were ever actually in a relationship or if they actually wanted to be in a relationship with each other? If they actually found each other attractive?” So I said, “What’s the difference between two guys?” He said, “Oh yeah, you’ve got a good point.” I said, “Considering you’re coming from a gay website, don’t you think you should’ve thought about that beforehand?” There’s a real push for LGBTQ roles to go to LGBTQ actors, and some people feel the same when it comes to music, especially since duets between two men happen so infrequently. And I completely respect that. If anything, I really like and I respect that opinion, and I love the fact that a song like this can even provoke a question like that. I think that’s a good thing. It’s a good conversation to have. It’s not like, “Oh, is the song cool or not?” It’s nothing to
24 | 10.23.19
do with that. It’s, “Should I have had a gay guy or not with me?” I think that’s a really good dialogue to provoke. Could you have even released a song like this at the beginning of your career? Would that have been allowed? Allowed? I don’t know. I would like to say that it would’ve been allowed. But it’s hard to imagine it would’ve happened. That’s the most diplomatic answer I can come up with. And you know what, besides, I would’ve given songs to my partner to sing, but the truth is that Andy sings like a donkey so it would’ve sounded like shit. The only thing he knows how to sing are Morrissey songs because there’s only one or two notes in them! (Wickedly, playfully laughs.) And on that note, I’ll let you go to bed. (Laughs.) And on that note, he’s gonna kill me. --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, Vanity Fair, GQ and Billboard. Reach him via Twitter @chrisazzopardi.
THANK YOU! THANKS FOR A GREAT 2019 ATL PRIDE! WE’LL SEE YOU IN 2020!
OFFICIAL ATLANTA PRIDE KICKOFF @ GEORGIA AQUARIUM PHOTOS: PEACH PHOTOBOOTH
26 | 10.23.19
DEEP SOUTH POOL PARTY @ THE MOXY PHOTOS: ALLI ROYCE SOBLE - FOLLOW @ROYCESOBOLOVITZ
CARSON COWAN REALTOR® c. 404.998.9944 / o. 404.874.0300 / carson@carsoncowan.com / CarsonCowanRealEstate
Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.
28 | 10.23.19
PRIDE VIEWING PARTY @ HENRY'S PHOTOS: MH
30 | 10.23.19
6-11 PM | Sun. December 15th Atlanta Event Center | 1150 Crescent Ave NE
Purchase tickets in advance at forthekid.org and bring an unwrapped toy valued at $20+ VIP tickets: $250(+Toy) General admission: $35 (+Toy)
FREE HIV TESTING FREE PrEP PLUS, low-cost STI screening 678-365-4300 523 Church St. Decatur, GA 30030
FREE HIV TESTING FREE PrEP LOW-COST STI SCREENING 678-365-4300 523 Church Street Decatur, GA 30030 PositiveImpactHealthCenters.org
@ IKEXPASTEL Ike is originally from Nigeria and has lived in Downtown Atlanta for five years now, where he works as a brand specialist that focuses on web design and graphic design. He enjoys playing video games, exercising, and making art. One of his artistic outlets is photography where he focuses on portraits. You will do yourself a favor for following Ike on Instagram because of all the cool stuff he posts to his story – a mix of pop culture, anime, design, and graphics.
34 | 10.23.19
By Jamie Kirk
controversial, but outfits that express who we are (on the inside). Someone that we suppress all year. Halloween is the perfect excuse to unleash the person that is being smothered by relationship woes, obligations, family drama, weight issues, car problems, outstanding debt, and all that crap. Let’s just throw in the towel Obviously, you have folks dressing up as the for this one day of reality and hop into the world President, you have a take on the hottest of fantasy. celebrities, and football players, but we don’t tend to sway away from the beaten path. Just like I mentioned earlier about the apologies that in many other areas of society, we have gotten some folks feel inclined to give the next day. extremely sensitive and don’t color outside the As long as you exercise taste in your choice lines. I’m saying, we say to heck with the lines, and choose an outfit that will not be offensive, and let’s just use every color in the box. you are good to go. Dressing in drag should not offend anyone. Dressing as a naughty librarian Halloween is that one 24-hour period where we should not offend anyone. Being a sailor or being should be allowed actually to BE our alter ego. a police officer are not choices that you should We should be able to look forward to doing and question are you offending anyone. But to that being someone totally different than what others end, maybe you do want to push the envelope, think about us. Heck, we should even look maybe go as a streaker, maybe going as a Boy forward to doing and being someone different Scout with tiny shorts on. Whatever you decide than what we think we should be. Halloween to do, make it fun, and make it entertaining. But should be the one day we permit ourselves to keep in mind you are doing it for you, not for just be. Be free, be unbothered, be care-free, others. Even if you enter a contest, the decision and just relax for this one day. to be judged falls on you alone. Just let it all hang out. No worries about work, school, expectations, bills, eating healthy, going to the gym, etc. As Halloween comes and goes another year, just This one day should be our one chance just to remember that if anyone mentions your outfit or hang out. Hang out with our neighbors one floor your behavior during this special Adult day, just above us, one floor below us, our kid’s parents, ignore them. Don’t get trapped into explaining or just do a potluck in the neighborhood, with “oh, it was bet I lost” or telling people “I ran out adult-only dranks. Taking this one day to throw of ideas” or “someone else stole my idea” - walk caution to the wind and dress up and behave in the true spirit of Halloween and tell them, unorthodoxly. We should not have to explain the “nope, this is the costume I chose.” And have idea for our costume, why we chose it, answer a good time. if we got sent home from work, etc. We should just dress up and show up. All while having fun This is the last chance we get before the in the process! holiday’s come upon us. All of the efforts with cooking for Thanksgiving and the pressure of Halloween used to be for the kids, and honestly gifts, parties, traveling in December, will be still is. But in recent years, we have gotten enough to make your head spin. Make this goaway from having fun and playing it safe as around for Halloween different from other years. adults. Celebrities often have to tweet apologies Make it about your choice to break the mold and regarding their choice or explain why they just have fun. After all, how many times a year “didn’t see anything wrong,” the next day. I am do we get to make bad decisions and not have not talking about choices that knowingly will be to explain them? Butch Queen Up in Pumps. The Naughty Housewife. The Mermaid. The Grim Reaper. The Incredible Hulk. Anatasia Beaverhousen. The Football Coach and the Hot Cheerleader. All of these costumes are super popular on Halloween night for the parents while the kids are out trick-or-treating. And yeah, the costumed clichés don’t vary too much.
36 | 10.23.19
You deserve Personalized Care & Individual Attention – that’s what we deliver at Family Health Care of Atlanta • Participating in many clinical trials • Certiied HIV Specialist, American Academy of HIV Medicine • 20+ years experience in Family & HIV Care SPECIALIZING IN DERMATOLOGY, STD’S, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, UROLOGY, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
A LITTLE LESS OFFENSIVE The spookiest time of year brings with it the time-honored tradition of getting drunk at parties while dressing as some form of pop culture reference. But each year many people seem to have a hard time figuring out what’s okay to wear and what’s not. I visited a few of my friends to get some fun ideas for costumes that are sure to make you stand out in the crowd, but for the RIGHT reasons!
follow Mitzi @itsmitzip
In the far mid-west lives a spinster by the name of Sara Yessica Palmer. I met Sara in a bathroom line at a gas station during one of my travels. Sara works eight months of the year in Los Angeles as a costume designer for a famous horror television series and tells me she always gets asked to make one-of-akind outfits for Hollywood’s elite teenagers. The past few years she’s seen a rise in people wanting to do a “sexy” spin on themes that are in poor taste. “I’ve been asked to make a sexy Handmaid’s Tale, orphan Annie and even Amber Guyger,” Sara tells me. She recommends if you’re wanting to do a sexy spin on a character, and it’s specifically to shock and offend people, pick something obscure almost no one would recognize. That way, for the one or two people that DO recognize who you’re dressed as, they’ll be so excited to see someone else knows the reference, they won’t even realize how offensive it is! Here are a few great options: you can go as lil’ sexy Nauru, a hunky brute Doña Paz, or even do a slutty take on Madame Tuzla. Another good friend of mine makes burlesque costumes in Las Vegas and freelances as a seamstress on the side. Panda Expressovic, is a Macedonian who recently immigrated to America and doesn’t fully understand the pun in her name. Her limited knowledge of American pop culture led her to make an outfit for a local drag queen without questioning its offensiveness. Before she was aware of who JonBenet Ramsey was, her client asked her to create a replica of one of Ramsey’s pageant gowns, complete with a surprise tear away look that I won’t go into detail here. When she learned about JonBenet, she suggested if people wish to make fun of the dead, try someone less loved like Adolf Hitler, you can include a surprise tear away if you’d like. A final piece of advice comes from my good friend Vincent “Vinny” Vinson. He is a Gen-Z blogger and expert on things that get people angry nowadays. He says one of the biggest fails people make on Halloween is racial sensitivity. He suggests if people have uncontrollable anger or internalized racism, they should try an alternative approach like painting their face aquamarine (as opposed to other races’ skin tones). That way the only people you’ll offend is mer-people, which will bring them out of hiding and finally prove the existence of Atlantis. I will note his blog posts go off-topic frequently, but the suggestion isn’t terrible. If you’re struggling with finding the perfect costume, and not sure what is offensive and in poor taste, I hope these friendly suggestions can help you make a splash this Halloween without getting your face beat in for being an awful human being.
Yours in being less offensive,
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.
38 | 10.23.19
By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Halloween is a lot of fun, but dressing up can be a little daunting. The line between inappropriate and hitting the mark can be paper-thin depending on what kind of party or event you’re going to. So, here’s a guide to making things less tricky for you. The Work Halloween Dress-Up
will score some easy points on the guncle scale by dressing up as a recognizable kid’s character. Although you may feel a little foolish, think about how cool you would look to kids if you showed up as Winnie the Pooh, a character from Monsters Inc., or Olaf from Frozen!
It’s pretty common for a place of work to encourage its employees to dress up for Halloween during the regular work hours. Since a face full of blood can be distracting for the afternoon meeting, it’s usually a good idea to tone it down and keep it cute. Costumes where you don’t have to wear wigs, face paint, or lots of makeup are preferable so that you can slip out of costume should need be. Think classic characters like an international spy, lumberjack, or prep schoolboy.
The Bar Halloween Party
The Work Halloween Party
The Gay Bar Halloween Party
Pretty cool if your place of work has an actual Halloween party, but it’s still no reason to break out the sexy Tarzan costume or show up as a lifeguard in a speedo. Even though you can go a little further with a costume, hair, and face paint, you still need to keep it contained among your colleagues. Think Clark Kent, Professor Snape, or a pilot.
This is the point where all bets seem to be off. Of course, you don’t want to be offensive to anyone, but if you’re going to dress in a rainbow thong and call yourself a unicorn, this is the place to do it! This is also the place where an elaborately detailed costume will get its true credit because people will know the amount of work (or the amount of money) you have had to put in this costume!
The Family Halloween Party Sure, you’re comfortable around your family, but this isn’t the time to express yourself fully through costume. If there are kids present at the family function, you 40 | 10.23.19
Now, we’re talking! It’s time to get creative, sexy, or scary – or all of the above! What is essential when you party it up for Halloween at a bar is that you aware of the fact that there are all sorts of people around you, so get creative but don’t get overly non-PC or dress up in what could be construed as offensive or inappropriate to others. You want to have fun and not provoke anyone even though it is unintentional.
Over the Rainbow
When the the Fan
Hits
By Gregg Shapiro Photo: New Line Cinema
Prolific author Stephen King doesn’t seem to have much luck when it comes to sequels (or cinematic second chapters, if you will) to movies based on his books. See (or better yet, don’t) The Rage: Carrie 2, Pet Sematary II and the Children of the Corn series. Perhaps his fortunes will change with Doctor Sleep, the forthcoming movie sequel to The Shining.
Chastain), novelist/screenwriter Bill (James MacAvoy), stand-up comic Richie (Bill Hader), risk assessment specialist Eddie (James Ransone), accountant Stanley (Andy Bean) and the incredibly physically transformed Ben (the stunning Jay Ryan) – reluctantly agree to return to Derry. Without giving too much away, Stan is the only one who doesn’t.
Disappointingly, “It Chapter Two” (WB) follows the sorry sequel pattern. At nearly three hours in length (three hours you will never get back), “It Chapter Two” milks every last drop of blood and acid from its premise about Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), a killer clown from outer space, who boasts about being the “Eater of Worlds”.
Things go downhill almost immediately, beginning with the hallucinogenic reunion dinner at a Chinese restaurant. It also doesn’t help that longtime nemesis Henry (Teach Grant) has escaped from the Derry psychiatric hospital and is on a murderous rampage. But its Pennywise, in his various shapes and sizes, who is the biggest threat, taking advantage of The Losers Club members’ various weaknesses. Nevertheless, they remain committed to the mission of ridding Derry (and the world of Pennywise). More about jump scares than actual horror, and suffering from a series of hokey “Tales from the Crypt”-esque monsters, “It Chapter Two” is lacking on multiple levels. Additionally, lengthy fight sequences tend to overtake messages about bullying, friendship and love. Plus, the revelation about Richie’s secret almost gets lost in the shuffle. Only the humorous Hader and the breathtaking Ryan ultimately survive “It”’s wrath.
Interwoven with flashbacks to 1989 (including the one that opens the movie), “It Chapter Two” reminds us of the way the unpopular Derry, Maine nerds known as The Losers Club – Bill (Jaeden Martell), Richie (Finn Wolfhard), Eddie (Jack Dylan Grazer), Beverly (Sophia Lillis), Ben (Jeremy Ray Taylor), Mike (Chosen Jacobs) and Stanley (Wyatt Oleff) – faced off with Pennywise and emerged victorious, or so they thought. Based on Pennywise’s 27-year re-emergence cycle, and the vow they made as kids to take him down again, if need be, they are proven wrong in the overwrought sequel. In what is easily the movie’s most brutally graphic, and not cartoonish in the least, scene of violence, gay couple Don (Taylor Frey) and Adrian (queer filmmaker Xavier Dolan) are pitilessly bashed near the grounds of a carnival. The bullies throw Adrian’s near lifeless body off a bridge into a river where he is further abused by Pennywise. Adult Mike (Isaiah Mustafa), the only one of The Losers Club who stayed behind in Derry, and has been obsessively monitoring Pennywise’s activities, reaches out to the other grown up club members and summons them back to town to finish what they started. Each of them – successful fashion designer and abused wife Beverly (Jessica 42 | 10.23.19
Peach Rating: 2 peaches – A Rotten Peaches
PEACH PHOTOBOOTH @ PIEDMONT PARK
October 23 – October 30
Fright Night
Harry Potter in Concert
Enjoy a screaming good time at this adults-only party featuring a costume contest, music by Amp’d Entertainment, dancing, twilight access to the Halloween-themed outdoor experience Woodland Spirits, access to the special exhibit Traveling the Silk Road and more. fernbankmuseum.org. October 25, 7-11 pm Fernbank Museum
Relive the magic of Harry Potter™ soaring across the big screen in high-definition and experience the music of a live symphony orchestra performing Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert with John Williams’ unforgettable score. atlantasymphony.org. October 25-27 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
STAFF PICK!
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq The World The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour returns with an all-new production for 2019! Mission leader Asia O’Hara is on a journey to save the universe with the help of her intergalactic queens, including Aquaria, Monet X Change, Naomi Smalls, Violet Chachki, Plastique Tiara, Detox, & Season 11 winner Yvie Oddly! vossevents.com. Friday, November 1, 8-11 pm Atlanta Symphony Hall
Chomp and Stomp 2019
Bianca Del Rio: It’s Jester Joke Tour
One of the tastiest festivals returns to Cabbagetown. The annual Chomp & Stomp Chili Cook-off and Bluegrass Festival benefits Cabbagetown parks, green spaces, and community center.
The winner of season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race comes to Atlanta with her stand-up and insult comedy show that digs deep, and no one is safe. One thing is sure: you will be in stitches!
Saturday, November 2, 8 am – 6 pm Cabbagetown
Saturday, November 2, 8 pm Center Stage Theater
46 | 10.23.19
SUNDAY SERVICE W. VICKI POWELL, BRIAN ROJAS & TOM DEBLASE @ SISTER LOUISA'S PHOTOS: MH
48 | 10.23.19
presents
making her Cruise Ship Debut on the Virgin Scarlet Lady
SEPTEMBER 23-27, 2020 Stray the course and get on board!
RESERVE YOUR CABIN TODAY
RATES START AT $900 PERSON*
Booking Agent: John Walker - Dream Vacations J.Walker@dreamvacations.com - (404) 836-0934 *
Double Occupancy, Rates subject to Availability
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
Piedmont Av e. NE
Juniper St . NE
Peachtree St. NE
3
Monr
C h a r l e s Al l e n D r . N E
12 W. Peachtree St. NW
15
16
P o n c e D e L e o n Pl . N E
Spring St. NW
17
4th St. NE
8
13
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
4
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
BARS 1 2 3 4
Amsterdam Blake's Bulldogs Friends
6 My Sister’s Room 7 Ten Atlanta
Dining 502 Amsterdam Ave NE 227 10th St NE 893 Peachtree St NE 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 66 12th St NE 990 Piedmont Ave NE
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
50 | 10.23.19
991 Piedmont Ave NE 980 Piedmont Ave NE 1077 Juniper St NE 931 Monroe Cir NE
fitness
retail 8 Barking Leather
9 10 11 12
76 4th St. NW
16 17 18 19
G’s Midtown Henry’s Joe's on Juniper La Hacienda
219 10th St NE 132 10th St NE 1049 Juniper St NE 900 Monroe Dr NE
billards/Darts drag dancers leather non-smoking area Patio
When the world throws you Let be your savedandgay.com
Cheshire 23
ansley 21
eR
on tC
d.
Piedmont Park
ir .
BJ Roosters Sequel Tripps Woof's
BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE 2425 Piedmont Rd NE
Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx
1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1510 Piedmont Ave Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd
clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino
2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd
Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness
2201 Faulkner Rd NE
Spa/bath 31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den
32 33 34 35 36
Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's
2103 Faulkner Rd NE 2135 Liddell Drive NE
1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 1544 Piedmont Ave NE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Dining 38 Eclectic Bistro
Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights
NE
39
36 38
BARS 20 21 22 23
e. Pi
28 20
25 idg
41
ed
mo
nt
r.
24
r eB
Av
ge R Ches
.
E
Rd
.N
26 35
Dr
hire
Brid
40
32
oe
er
36
nr
hir
31
Mo
dm
es
ll D
kn
27
33
. NE
Pi e
29
Ch
idde
ul
IX
34
x Rd
Manchester St. NE
NE Piedmont Rd.
22
42 L
Fa
BL
Le no
30
Lambert Dr.
PU
St.
d.
A l co
1600 Piedmont Ave NE 1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Retail 39 Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE 40 Brushstrokes/Pleasures 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Fitness 41 Equilibrium Fitness
NOT SHOWN
Mary's Sister Louisa’s Church Swinging Richards Lips Atlanta The T
1529 Piedmont Ave, Suite L
1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE 465 Boulevard SE
A snapshot of Gay Atlanta’s favorite destinations. View their ads in Peach ATL & visit their websites for weekly event listings.
Bars & Clubs
EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD
Retail
MIDTOWN
MARY’S
MIDTOWN
amsterdamatlanta.com
1287 Glenwood Ave SE
AMSTERDAM
502 Amsterdam Ave. NE
ATLANTA EAGLE
marysatlanta.com
SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH
BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
sisterlouisaschurch.com
CHESHIRE
SWINGING RICHARDS
SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO
1400 Northside Dr NW
ANSLEY
BULLDOGS
Dining
BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
MIDTOWN
1447 Piedmont Ave NE
736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
10thandpiedmont.com
atlantaeagle.com
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK
blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE
893 Peachtree St NE
friendsonponce-atl.com
466 Edgewood Ave SE
swingingrichards.com
10TH & PIEDMONT
MY SISTER’S ROOM
991 Piedmont Ave NE
66 12th St NE
einsteinsatlanta.com
mysistersroom.com
TEN ATLANTA
tenatlanta.com
990 Piedmont Ave NE
THE T
modeltatlanta.com
EINSTEIN’S
1077 Juniper St NE
GCB & PLEASURES
brushstrokesatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE
BARKING LEATHER barkingleather.com
1510 Piedmont Ave Suite A
Fitness
931 Monroe Dr
MIDTOWN
frogsmidtown.com
G’S
CHESHIRE
219 10th St NE
gsmidtown.com
HERETIC
HENRY’S
2069 Cheshire Bridge Road
132 10th St NE
henrysatl.com
BJ ROOSTERS
JOE’S ON JUNIPER
2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
1049 Juniper St NE
bjroosters.com
boynextdoormenswear.com
FROGS CANTINA
465 Boulevard SE
hereticatlanta.com
2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
joesonjuniper.com
URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com
500 Amsterdam Ave NE
CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com
2201 Faulkner Rd NE
SEQUEL
LA HACIENDA
Spas/Baths/Adult
TRIPPS
900 Monroe Dr NE
MIDTOWN
CHESHIRE
FLEX SPA
LAS MARGARITAS
76 4th St NW
1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Circle N
WOOFS
woofsatlanta.com
2425 Piedmont Road NE
lahaciendamidtown.com
lasmargaritasmidtown.com
flexspas.com
1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
ANSLEY
CHESHIRE
ROXX
MIDTOWN MOON
MANIFEST 4U
1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
1492 Piedmont Ave NE
FELIX’S
1510 Piedmont Ave NE
THE HIDEAWAY 1544 Piedmont Ave NE
MIXX
mixxatlanta.com
1492 Piedmont Ave NE
OSCAR’S
oscarsatlanta.com
1510 Piedmont Ave NE
52 | 10.23.19
DEKALB
LIPS ATLANTA
atldragshow.com
3011 Buford Hwy NE
manifest4u.org
2103 Faulkner Rd NE
THE DEN
thedenatlanta.com
2135 Liddell Drive NE
LUXURY LGBT ALMAR RESORT TIMESHARE PLUS BONUS FOR SALE BEACH FRONT BEAUTIFUL BEACH HOTEL & FOOD CONTACT leonrri@hotmail.com
Massage Bodyworks by David $80 per hour 1st time $60 w/Peach ATL ad David cell 205-206-5218 cylondk1@gmail.com Located in Atlanta on Ponce De Leon Ave NE
ADVERTISE In Atlanta's premier
LGBT MAGAZINE for as little as
35 per week!
$
Email jeff@peachatl.com for more information.
Georgia Body Works.com Mobile Fitness and Massage “I come to you, so let’s get started!”
678-557-1780
Personal Training • Massage • Entertainment georgiabodyworks.com
HELP WANTED
FULL TIME DESK CLERK POSITIONS AVAILABLE
8-4pm and 12-8am
Please apply online at Flexspas.com
Hot Tub and Swim Spas
60% OFF RETAIL AquaLivingStores.com 404-382-5329
10 COSTUME IDEAS YOU SHOULD NEVER PURSUE You don’t want to show up in a inappropriate, harmful, or offensive costume, right?
Rapist or Rape Victim Don’t make light of any kind of abuse
Homeless ‘Hobo’ Being homeless is a devastating circumstance
Recently deceased celebrities Hated or loved, it’s too soon
Illegal Alien Highly discriminating
Transphobic Costumes Being trans is not a joke ICE or Border Patrol Officer Overtly racist Cultural appropriation Forget the “Indian Chief”costume, etc ‘National Tragedy’Costume So mass shootings and kids in cages are fun? Anything blackface Just NO!
54 | 10.23.19
Bodyshaming Obesity or eating disorders are a serious matter
WE'RE HIRING Playmates and Playmates and soul mates... soul mates...
WE ARE SEEKING Motivated, Hard-Working, Innovative People to be Our Next Superstar Ad Sales Representatives.
Jumpstart Your Career by Joining Atlanta's Newest Gay Media Company! One Year Sales Experience Required EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO
Jeff@peachatl.com
Atlanta: Atlanta:
678-528-2525
18+ 18+ MegaMates.com MegaMates.com
We’re closer to Atlanta than you think! Get the details on these and other great upcoming events on our website calendar. Membership Required * Must be 21 to Enter
Halloween at The River’s Edge
Leather Weekend
October 18-20
October 25-27
Text your Peach Pits to 540-30-PEACH, or e-mail mikkel@PeachATL.com
Me: I wish I could eat that, but I can’t
I can’t wait to get home and have make up sex… I have been arguing with myself all day!
From the first time I saw you, I knew I was going to give you the wrong phone number.
Him: I just baked it for you
Me: I know, and I wish I could have some of that
Him: Why can’t you? It’s fresh!
Me: I’m trying to live a clean life now
Him: It’s banana bread, not heroin!
Dear autocorrect, It is never duck.
People need to realize I’m joking 99.9% of the time!
DADDY JOKE ALERT I ordered a chicken and an egg from Amazon. I’ll let you know
56 | 10.23.19
Never use a guy to forget another. Use two or three.
NO COVER
PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20) This week you may feel especially warm and loving toward just about everybody in your circle, even those you usually find irritating. You could also be looking especially attractive and feeling more confident than usual. You might even feel like shopping for new clothes. Artistic ideas could flow freely, and you might think of different ways to put them to work for you.
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19) Someone you care about but haven’t seen for a long time could suddenly contact you. You’d usually love this but you could be too caught up in projects of your own to want to put them aside. But you will have a lot of fun with this person, and you might even interest him or her in your project. After finishing your work, go out to dinner.
LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)
TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)
You should be looking especially attractive lately and glowing with robust health. You’re apt to feel warm and loving, particularly toward small animals. If you’ve considered adopting a pet, this is a good time to do it. Business, work, and money matters continue to go well. You should be in a pretty good space. This frame of mind should last you a long time.
A goal that you’ve been working on could finally be reached. A group of friends you might not have seen for a long time could schedule a get-together that you will be all too glad to attend. Expect to have a lot of fun exchanging news and ideas with these people. You will probably feel particularly happy to see them. You won’t want to let so much time go by before you reconnect again.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)
GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)
You should be feeling especially warm and loving toward close friends and children. You could also especially appreciate the arts. You might attend a play or concert or decide to try your hand at one of the fine arts yourself. In the evening, go out and enjoy your friends’ company. Celebrate just being together!
You could meet some interesting new people this week. Among them is at least one person who shares a lot of your interests and could become a close friend. The joy you receive from meeting these people is likely to spill over into the rest of your day. You could be warmer and more congenial with everyone else in your life, too. In the evening, go out and have some fun.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)
CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)
This week you might decide to buy a plant for every room in your house or plant a garden. If the weather is good, you might visit a nursery or the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. You may not normally be attracted to plants and gardens, but both beauty and nature seem especially appealing. Make the most of this, however temporary. Your house will look that much more beautiful because of it!
A book or movie about a foreign country could capture your imagination and make that country seem especially appealing. You might toy with the idea of taking a trip there soon. If you’re serious, it might be a good idea to start making your plans. You’re in a particularly practical frame of mind and have the enthusiasm to do it. Have fun browsing through travel brochures and maps..
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) A warm and loving communication could come to you this week from someone close. This could be an email, call, or even a gift of some kind. This could make your day, and you will probably pass whatever good feelings you draw from it to other friends and family members. Take a walk around your neighborhood and say hello to whomever you meet. It will make you feel even better!
LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22) Someone close who owes you money might suddenly turn up and repay you. This might be a surprise, but you will be glad to get it. You may want to blow some of it by taking a friend out to lunch or buying someone a gift. Some beautiful dreams could haunt your sleep tonight, perhaps to the point where you feel frustrated when you wake up. Write them down. They’re saying something about you.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)
VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)
A very welcome sum of extra money could come your way, possibly out of the blue. You might want to put this money to work for you in some way, perhaps investing it or purchasing supplies or materials for personal projects. You should feel especially positive where your resources are concerned, and confident in your ability to earn.
This week you should feel especially warm and loving toward everyone close to you, particularly a love partner. You may want to spend some time with friends or family or schedule a romantic evening with your significant other - or both. If you have paperwork to take care of, this is the day to do it. You’re particularly practical and feeling good, so the drudgery won’t get you down.
58 | 10.23.19
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.
I recently hooked up with this hot guy that I had chatted with on Grindr. We agreed to meet up in the common/pool area of his apartment building that had a few private bathrooms that doubled as changing rooms. He said he wanted to be discreet, and I assumed it was because he didn’t want neighbors to see him with a lot of random guys. He seemed very nervous, and at first, he was almost paranoid about every little sound we made. We finished what we were doing – it was pretty incredible – and then he apologized for being jumpy and said it was because he was married and living with his wife in the building. I was so stunned that I just kinda left him, and now I feel bad for my reaction because deep down, I did suspect that he may be married and just didn’t ask him. Plus, I have been with other guys before that have probably been married, but I didn’t ask either. So is this my fault here? And should I feel bad for not asking him when I suspected it? Sincerely Hold the DL Sincerely Hold the DL When pursuing casual, anonymous sex, the word “discreet” is a little bit of a caution for something being on the down-low. Someone might be really closeted, or doesn’t want the nosy neighbors to know, or may be in a relationship already. So in your case, you probably forgot about what you “should” do (ask him if he was married), because he was really hot – and now, you feel a little guilty because your subconscious mind has reminded you of where your boundaries really are. But remember, that it is not your fault when someone lies to you, and within the world of casual hookups, things are already somewhat broken down in comparison to your everyday life, and there are fewer rules. So the next time you hook up casually, you now know that it is not your responsibility to disclose this information but that you can act more responsibly and ask the questions. More importantly, it is commendable that you care about this, and now you know that you better ask first next time, so you don’t do something against your morals again. 60 | 10.23.19
I’ve had a new roommate for a couple of months now, and we don’t see a lot of each other because of work and social lives, but we do get along very well. He is really goodlooking, and sometimes after he showers, he leaves his underwear in the bathroom, and that’s when I go to the bathroom and sniff them while I masturbate. I feel it’s a little bit creepy, but then I also realize this is a fetish of mine. Is this a violation of some sort? Sincerely Crotch-Sniff Dear Crotch-Sniff Yes, it is a little creepy what you’re doing, and you do need to stop it because it is a violation of his privacy. No, you’re not watching him shower, and as of now, it belongs in the category of ‘what he doesn’t know,’ but as long as he is not in on your secret perv, then you should stop immediately. Now that you have discovered that your secret perv is sniffing dirty underwear and crotches, why don’t you buy a dirty pair of underwear online or hook up with someone who will let you sniff his crotch as long as you want? There’s a whole world of nasty smells just waiting for you – so leave your roommate’s underwear alone!
NEED ANSWERS? REACH OUT TO US, AND YOU WILL GET THEM! SEND YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS TO OUR EDITOR AT MIKKEL@PEACHATL.COM.