Peach v1 i9 | September 6, 2017

Swinging Richards

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 06, 2017 V1-9

PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC 925B Peachtree St. NE, Suite 168 Atlanta, GA 30309 404.439.9838

OPERATIONS Jeff Anderson Sales and Developement Director jeff@peachatl.com

22

EDITORIAL Mike Fleming Editorial Director mike@peachatl.com

SALES Russ Youngblood Senior Sales Representative russ@peachatl.com

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Jim Brams jim@peachatl.com Steve Tyrrell steve@peachatl.com

JAMES MCGRUDER

32 ONLINE

peachatl.com

LOCAL LEATHER

CONTRIBUTORS

PRINT

At Distribution Points Across the City

Buck C. Cooke James Hicks Matthew Holley Scott King James Parker Sheffield Chris Vizzini

DISTRIBUTION Brian Harmon

34

NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media 908.232.2021

SOCIAL

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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.

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 | 9.06.17

ABSOLUTE CARE

Atlanta is at the epicenter of the HIV epidemic.

KNOWING YOUR STATUS IS IMPERATIVE. AbsoluteCARE is Atlanta’s Premier HIV medical facility.

We offer confidential HIV results in 20 minutes with no appointment necessary.

2140 Peachtree Road NW • Suite 232 • Atlanta, GA 30309 404.231.4431 • AbsoluteCAREHealth.com PROVIDERS: Joel Rosenstock, MD, MPH • Michael Brown, MD • Quintin Robinson, MD • Dennis Melton, MD Ann Hoos, MD • Anuj Malik, MD • Amy Swartz, MD • David Stahura, DO Jewel Sawyer, PA-C • Mark Hebert, NP-C • Terry Hackworth, NP-C • Keith Hood, NP-C

People living with HIV continue to have inflammation which is associated with end organ disease and early death.

You can be a part of a 12 week study that evaluates whether Ruxolitinib will help reduce inflammation in the body.

Now Seeking Volunteers who:

• Are living with HIV and have a CD4/T-Cell count greater than 350 • Have an undetectable viral load for the last 2 years • Have continuously been on HIV medication for the last 2 years • Are not on HIV medication that includes a protease inhibitor or cobicistat

Want to learn more about this study?

Contact Micheal Barber at 404.576.0992 *Compensation for time & travel provided

TEXAS EXES

By Mike Fleming Editoral Director

THE IDEA OF ROMANTIC LOVE as the basis for long-term relationships is only about 250 years old in Western thought.

Unrealistic expectations are why a vast majority of couples can’t stay together.

I blame Hollywood.

I’m a total sucker for those sitcom sappy, rom-com funny, drama-filled epic movie love stories. Yes, I cry when one character

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Artists, cowboys, Hollywood, love’s true nature and why all my exes live in Texas

predictably sees the light and crosses the room to finally make out with their soulmate. And yes, Tom Cruise had me at “Hello.” Yes, in “Jerry McGuire” too — but I was thinking about myself going, “hel-LO” when he slid across the floor in his tighty whities in “Risky Business.”

like a schoolgirl during a thousand other movies and TV shows, too. Just when we think all is lost, suddenly one of the characters turns around to see that the only person on Earth for them is standing there waiting to walk into the sunset.

I’m old.

As if.

I freely admit to clapping and squeaking

I FIRST SAW KEVIN BACKSRAGE

during our high school production of the sappy-ass “Carnival.” From across the room, I saw what remains one of the most beautiful faces I’ve ever seen. It was movie love at first sight.

Kevin is a visual artist and philosophical genius who was on the cutting edge of alternative music before that term was even part of the cultural lexicon.

He is hilariously dry, silly and spiritually enlightened.

Over the next nine years, he was my best friend, my boyfriend and ultimately my live-in partner in crime. He put my traditional ways of thinking about relationships and every other part of life to the test.

As often as we tried to convince ourselves that we were “meant to be” and tried to rekindle those Hollywood feelings again and again, ultimately it was shared experience — laughter, hardship, fights, trials and celebrations — that kept us going as a couple.

One day, he came home and said he wanted a wife and kids. Obviously, I couldn’t provide that.

There were definitely movie moments in which the soundtrack soared in my heart and mind. But the “it” moment, the Hollywood payoff, didn’t happen.

DAVIS IS AN ARTIST TOO. He has a deep, melodic East Texas accent, and he is the funniest, kindest man I know. For nearly seven years, we laughed and connected as lovers and friends. One year for my birthday, he sang “I’d Waltz Across Texas With You” to me. Sigh.

of empathy and friendship.”

Davis broadened my scope even further and introduced me to the theories behind artists I instinctively loved: Warhol, Johns, Rauschenberg, Cornell, Bacon, Kahlo, Finster, Magritte and so many more.

How ‘bout them apples?

He also consistently challenged my notions of romanticism with a Buddhist belief in compassion and kindness over raw sentimentality. Romanticism was an equal-and-opposite reaction against the pure reason of the Enlightenment period, he said.

THE BOTTOM LINE IS, a couple better have a hell of a lot more going on between them, because Hollywood love doesn’t happen for long, and lust doesn’t last.

Long before any state recognized it as legal, I married him — private ceremony, public reception, the works. When we ceased being a couple, we viewed it as a morph in our relationship, not an end.

Just yesterday, we were talking, and he told me about a book of Dalai Lama teachings he was re-reading.

“The search for another single soul mate based on sexual intimacy is a fantasy ideal,” he said. “There’s a place for that, but it rarely lasts and is not nearly as deep as the universal human connection

“The end of that phase of our relationship was long past lust-only,” he added. “But my deep loving kindness toward you is as strong, or stronger, than ever.”

I moved to Atlanta 15 years ago, and I’ve yet to match an iota of that feeling or desire.

We like the newness of those initial stirrings, but it’s hard work that keeps stirring that pot. Don’t spend too much of that work trying to cram real life into movie scenarios.

Who knows why any one couple stays together or don’t? Some of us need another person to validate us. Others find a real connection, foster it, and stick it out. In the meantime, a little lust never hurt anybody.

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WE MET AT A BEAR BAR He never had a boyfriend until he moved to Atlanta, and lo and behold, there he was.

By Branden Lee I’VE BEEN TOLD MANY TIMES, “You’ll find a boyfriend once you stop looking.” I came out at 15 and have been looking ever since. I’m 26 and still never had a boyfriend. I’ve had plenty of other people’s boyfriends, but never one of my own.

Everyone is shocked when I tell them that I’ve never had a boyfriend. I actually enjoy revealing this personal fact about myself just to see how others react. I do get asked a lot about why I think I’ve never had a boyfriend. I guess I’d have to say it’s because the guys I always end up falling for are the bi-curious/ DL/ closeted/ confused guys that don’t know what they want. Though a few of them have started figuring out what they want, and are finally ready for relationships, with someone else. I’m always the mistress, and never the wife.

I just moved to Atlanta. I’m excited to meet new guys, date around, explore the city, and possibly be a THOT. So of course my first week here, I find a boyfriend. Well at least a guy I want to be my boyfriend.

WE MET AT THE EAGLE ON A Saturday night. I saw online they were having a beach party theme. I show up in a tank top and swim trunks, and literally no one else there was dressed in a beach theme. It was embarrassing, but I should’ve known that bears never dress up for a theme party.

I was there alone, since I don’t have any solid friends in Atlanta yet. I’ve always enjoyed going out by myself. I love to approach and meet new people. I hate how everyone goes out in cliques and sticks to their clique all night. You’re not approachable when you’re surrounded by a posse. If you want to meet new guys, you have to branch out, and be vulnerable.

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At the Eagle, I saw this guy that also was alone. He looked exactly my type. Tall, beefy linemen build, and had some scruff. I decided to approach him since nobody wants to be lonely at the club, and I wasn’t having any fun. I was already in a flaccid mood since I showed up dressed for a beach party, and no one else did.

Also despite mainly being attracted to bears, I never have fun at bear bars. I’m not a bear, so I feel out of place. Most young guys at bear bars are there with their boyfriends, and the club is mostly older guys, and I prefer guys closer to my age.

Luckily I found a cute, young, bear while there, and we instantly hit it off. He’s 26 and an EMT. He’s a Georgia native, and he decided to show me the city. We quickly ditched the Eagle, well after he bought me a couple drinks, and ventured off to Heretic and BJs. I SPENT SIX OF THE NEXT seven nights with the EMT. He introduced me to so much of Atlanta. We went clubbing each night and ended up at Burkharts, Mixx, Felix’s, Blake’s, Ten, Bulldogs, Heretic, BJs, and back at The Eagle. He introduced me to Waffle House and Cookout for our end-of-the-night drunk food runs.

I wasn’t expecting to fall for a guy so fast. A week after meeting, we were on our third club of the night, and our third or fourth drink at Burkharts, and he mentions “being my man.”

Although we’d known each other for only a week, I really like EMT. He’s been kind, sweet, treats me well, actually likes spending time with me, and I’ve never had a relationship like this before. Most of my “relationships” were with fuckboys that I’d hookup with but only see every few months.

I finally found a guy that is everything I’d want in a boyfriend, and of course it happened when I least expected. I’ve told my friends about EMT, and they think it’s too fast. I’ve been with a lot of guys over the years. I’ve been on tons of dates and had many hookups, and no one has ever been worthy of being my boyfriend like EMT.

Rivendell - AHF

RESPECT THE BRUNCH FOR AGMC AT ZOCALO PHOTOS: Russ Youngblood

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TOPHER DIMAGGIO AT BLAKE'S PHOTOS: Russ Youngblood

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peachATL.com | 17

SUNDAY TEA AT TEN ATLANTA PHOTOS: Russ Youngblood

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peachATL.com | 19

It’s not often we get a bonafide celebrity as our Peach of the Week cover guy, and Shemar Moore certainly has all the right stuff. The Criminal Minds alum tops our cover story about hunks on the new fall network TV season with his new show SWAT..

20 | 9.06.17

peachATL.com | 21

FALL GUYS NETWORKS MAKE IT WORTH YOUR WHILE TO TUNE IN AT LEAST ONCE FOR NEW-SEASON EYE CANDY

BY MIKE FLEMING Stephen Amell, Taylor Kinney, Brett Dalton, Ben McKenzie. We could gleefully go on and on about guys you already know returning to the small screen this fall. Each of them and so many more first appeared in our annual rundown of new network TV hunks and went on to find permanent places in our hearts.

But let’s not dwell where we know our eyes will roam. To keep your viewing options fresh once again for 2017, we find some new faces, as well as several guys you fell for on other shows who are courting new fans on new shows.

With cable and online channels inching on their territory, these are our favorites of the fall network season out to get a piece of your attention.

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1

4

2

5

3

6

7

9

8

10

1)SHEMAR MOORE

6) MATT CZUCHRY

CBS WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? CRIMINAL MINDS, YOUR DREAMS

FOX WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? GILMORE GIRLS

2) MIDSEASON 2018

DYNASTY 2017

SWAT

BLACK LIGHTNING CRESS WILLIAMS THE CW

3) BRANDON MICHEAL HALL

THE MAYOR

THE RESIDENT

7) RAFAEL DE LA FUENTE THE CW WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? EMPIRE

8) ADAM SCOTT

GHOSTED

ABC

FOX WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? PARKS & RECREATION

4) STEPHEN MOYER

9) DYLAN MCDERMOTT

FOX WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? TRUE BLOOD

FOX WHERE HAVE I SEEN HIM? AMERICAN HORROR STORY

MARVEL: THE GIFTED

5) OLIVER HUDSON

SPLITTING UP TOGETHER ABC

LA TO VEGAS

10) JOSH RANDALL

TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY ABC

peachATL.com | 23

What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA What is the most important information I without first talking to your healthcare provider, should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do tested to make sure that you do not already not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the positive, you need to take other medicines with risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not to be HIV-negative. a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become in a person who has recently become harder to treat over time. infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B could have recently become infected with infection.

HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had What are the other possible side effects of a flu-like illness within the last month before TRUVADA for PrEP? starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure.

Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in check your kidneys before and during treatment the neck or groin. with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic may not keep you from getting HIV-1. acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking healthcare provider right away if you get these TRUVADA for PrEP: symptoms: weakness or being more tired than ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and your healthcare provider right away. vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or ® To further help reduce your risk of getting lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

HIV-1: ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right your partners. away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for infections. Other infections make it easier several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area for HIV to infect you. pain.

TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

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

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

We’re adventurous, not reckless.

We know who we are. And we make choices that fit our lives.

TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA.

Learn more at truvada.com

® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

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

IMPORTANT FACTS

(tru-VAH-dah)

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

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

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected.

Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices.

Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

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

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1.

• To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

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

• Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

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

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

• Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

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

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

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

• Bone problems.

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

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

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

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.

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

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

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners.

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

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.

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

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

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

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

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

Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0136 08/17

Sept 7 - Sept 13

Amen: Cosplay Show

Taylor Alxndr hosts this special service featuring your favorite fictional characters come to life at the hippest gay-owned, queer-tastic straight bar in town. Dotte Comm, Koochie-Koochie Ku, Molly Rimswell, and D’Knighten Dae, plus a costume contest.

THUR, SEPT 7

SISTER LOUISA’S ‘CHURCH’ 466 EDGEWOOD AVE. SE

SISTERLOUISASCHURCH.COM

STAFF PICK!

Black Gay Pride Journey With Compassion

Jerusalem House hosts this compassionate, educational event on supporting individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. Individuals directly affected by HIV/AIDS and individuals with affected family members will share their experiences with a panel discussion.

SAT, SEPT 9

RUSH CENTER ANNEX | 328 MELL AVE. SUITE B jerusalemhouse.org

DILF Party

Atlanta’s favorite jock and underwear party returns to kick off September and heat things up Southern style. Daddies, pups, boys and all the men of Atlanta are due for hot music, hot men and dancing in their jocks. Want more? DJ Bret Law of Seattle cranks the tunes.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 8

HERETIC 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road | hereticatlanta.com

RUSS YOUNGBLOOD

Ho Sho 5: Diversity School

New Faces: September

SAT, SEPT. 9

SUN, SEPT 10

Come for an evening of live music like no other with eight of Atlanta’s trashiest ho’s on stage for their annual high-camp charity “performance.” As part of their court ordered community service, they’re back and more nasty and contagious than ever. This year benefits Voices of Note, the umbrella group that includes Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus.

JUNGLE 2115 Faulkner Road NE | hoshoatlanta.com

30 | 9.06.17

The talent contest that keeps on giving hits the floor this month with special guest stars Aqualencia Litre, 2016’s New Face Roxy Red, and last month’s winner, Coco Oman St. James!

Of course, Charmaine Sinclair and the eternally effervescent Regina Simms are also in the house.

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR Friendsonponce-atl.com

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The stick of gum in Sugarless was metaphorical, while the doughnuts are a major plot point in Love Slaves.

THE BOOK UTILIZES A NARRATION DEVICE CALLED “ECTOPLASMIC EMANATION.” WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO TELL THE STORY THAT WAY? This book took seventeen years to write, nearly one third of my life. I started it in 1996 before I had any business writing fiction. Over the years, I tried several different narrators.

Trouble was, no single love slave – and there are five of them in the novel – could possibly be able to narrate all these concurrent plot lines, so eventually I had to rule out first person. On the other hand, an unbiased “historical” third person perspective ran counter to my incurable need to employ as broad a lexicon as possible.

Fifteen years in, I had a “Eureka!” moment. What if Helen Hadley herself, 121 years young, who had been on page one all along, in a full-length portrait, told the story?

IN 1983, YOUR CHARACTER CAROLANN HADN’T KNOWINGLY MET ANY QUEER FOLKS. HOW HAVE TIMES HAVE CHANGED? Unthinkable today. The more time I spent on this book, the more historical it became. There was no Internet, next to no cable TV, Madonna was a brand-new artist. AIDS, which is discovered to be caused by a virus in the second half of the book, and the activism it unleashed, made gays and lesbians permanently visible.

RELIGION ALSO FIGURES INTO THE NOVEL.

SLAVE TO LOVE

Gay writer James Magruder lets us in on his sexy new novel.

By Gregg Shapiro

It was fun to have Becky Engelking, a full-gospel Baptist from Iowa, really examine the pros and cons of her faith. Randall Flinn’s steadfast Catholic faith creates his greatest obstacle, yet becomes his greatest solace. Everyone else just wants to get laid.

DOES WRITING ABOUT THEATER MAJORS, AS A THEATER PERSON YOURSELF, WORK IN YOUR FAVOR OR AGAINST IT? The ego, self-delusion and bravery required to be a stage artist in this country is perpetual comic gold. I was happy to stripmine my time at the Yale School of Drama, both my three years as a student in harness, and my eleven years as a professor of translation and adaptation, for Love Slaves.

James Magruder is a busy man. In addition to teaching at Swarthmore College, Magruder’s 21st century output has included his 2009 debut novel Sugarless and the 2014 linked short story collection Let Me See It. His incredibly sexy and funny new novel, Love Slaves of Helen Hadley Hall, takes readers back to 1983 on the campus of Yale University. The titular Hadley Hall is the dormitory site of a series of escapades, sexual and social, hilarious and heartbreaking, and all observed and reported by none other than the ghost of Helen Hadley herself.

A playwright whose works have been performed on and offBroadway and around the globe, Magruder lets us in on how Love Slaves of Helen Hadley Hall fits into his life and his own literary canon.

YOUR FIRST NOVEL, 2009’S SUGARLESS HAD A STICK OF GUM ON THE COVER. NOW LOVE SLAVES HAS A PLATE OF DONUTS. ORAL FIXATION? Good call, Gregg [laughs]. Both books are saturated with sex, although Love Slaves covers more bases and more orientations.

32 | 9.06.17

Love Slaves of Helen Hadley Hall is available on Chelsea Station Editions, 2016/2017. chelseastationeditions.com

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LEATHER MAKES THE MAN WHETHER YOU’RE SEASONED OR A NEWBIE TO THE SCENE, THESE RETAILERS CAN HELP YOU PUT THE LEATHER IN LEATHERMAN.

chain, metal, wood, leather and plastic for any variety of BDSM/fetish and fashion tastes and pleasures.

With the majority of their products hand-made on site, Barking Leather is gearing up to release its own exclusive line in the coming months. Stop in, stock up and strap on everything you need to bring all the boys to your yard.

Also visit Barking Leather After Dark, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Thur-Fri-Sat nights on the deck level at Atlanta Eagle.

Bulldog Custom Leathers 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE 678-901-7621 bulldogcustomleathers.com

34 | 8.30.17

By Matthew Holley There are countless tastes, facets and fetishes of gay life out there, and not to be ignored are those guys with a healthy appreciation of leather. Atlanta’s locals are no strangers to the leather scene, with multiple outlets catering to its many splendored pleasures.

For the aficionado, an acquired taste for leather can’t be beat. It can be a confidence booster, stress reliever and a healthy addition to your sex life. To bolster the fever, Atlanta BDSM community thrives in support of this private and sometimes not so private practice.

The following four locations are here to fulfill all of those leather desires.

Whether you’re an accomplished connoisseur or a naive apprentice ready to dip your toe in the naughty end of the pool, you’re welcome and embraced behind these doors.

Barking Leather Mon – Sat 12pm – 9pm, Sunday – CLOSED 805 Lambert Drive NE 404-900 – 5847 barkingleather.com Leather Artisan Tory pup and his partner Sir Ray are a match made in heaven. The duo has been together since 2002 and are active in the Atlanta BDSM community, which helped bring them together. With a shared vision, the couple opened Barking Leather in 2009, and it’s been going strong since.

They specialize in unique adult accessories ranging from rubber,

Located inside Heretic, Bulldog custom-makes each product to fit each client’s specific needs. Not only does Bulldogs work with latigo (belt leather) for some of their belts and slings, the majority of their gear is made from soft leather designed to not be rough against the wearer’s skin.

Leaving items unfinished, any leather lover can walk in for an on-the-spot fitting. Within 10 minutes you will have a custom piece ready to break into your very own. Adding flair to their craft, BCL can also embroider your gear, vests or patches with any artwork by request.

Bulldog opens its doors at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights ready to collar and let the dogs out. They are also available by appointment Wednesday through Saturday during the Heretic’s normal operating hours. Bulldog also carries Fort Troff products.

Does nature or nurture determine who and how we love?

Flourish courageously.

By Anna Ziegler

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party with Saturday, Sept. 23rd, 2017 6:00 p.m. – Host Committee and Sponsor Reception 7:30 p.m. – Main Event 395 17th St NW Atlanta, GA 30363

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MIDTOWN 1

Monroe Dr. NE

14

Amsterdam Ave.

12th St. NE

NE ve . tA

Piedmont Park

on

11

dm

6

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

Charles Allen Dr. NE

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 th & Piedmont 10 Campagnolo 11 Einstein's 12 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 | 9.06.17

991 Piedmont Ave NE 980 Piedmont Ave NE 1077 Juniper St NE 931 Monroe Cir NE

fitness

retail 8 Barking Leather

4

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Ponce De Leon Pl. NE

Spring St. NW

17

76 4th St. NW

16 G’s Midtown 17 Henry’s 18 Joe's on Juniper 19 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

www.SavedAndGay.com NEW COVENANT Church of Atlanta

404.929.1400

Cheshire 23

ansley 21

37

eR

on tC

Piedmont Park

ir .

BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE 2425 Piedmont Rd NE 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd 805 Lambert Dr. NE, Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Jungle

2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2115 Faulkner Rd NE

Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spa / bath 31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den

32 Burkhart's 33 Felix's 34 The Hideaway 35 Mixx 36 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 37 Cowtippers 38 Eclectic Bistro

Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

NE

d.

Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

e. nt mo ed

39 38

BARS 20 BJ Roosters 21 Opus 1 22 Tripps 23 Woof's

41

Pi

28 20

25 idg

Av

ge Rd Brid hire

.

24

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35

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32

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31 er

Mo

Pi e Ch

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27

33

. NE

Manchester St. NE

Piedmont Rd. NE

22

42 L

ul

IX

34

x Rd

Fa

26

BL

Le no

30

Lambert Dr.

PU

St.

.

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

1529 Piedmont Ave, Suite L

NOT SHOWN

The Cockpit Atlanta Mary's Sister Louisa’s Church Swinging Richards Lips Atlanta

465 Boulevard SE 1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE peachATL.com | 43

A snapshot of Gay Atlanta’s favorite destinations. View their ads in Peach ATL & visit their websites for weekly event listings.

Bars & Clubs

MIXX

MIDTOWN

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

COWTIPPERS

AMSTERDAM

OSCAR’S

cowtippersatlanta.com

oscarsatlanta.com

1600 Piedmont Ave NE

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

DEKALB LIPS ATLANTA

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD

BLAKE’S ON THE PARK

THE COCKPIT

amsterdamatlanta.com

mixxatlanta.com

502 Amsterdam Ave. NE

ATLANTA EAGLE atlantaeagle.com

blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE

BULLDOGS 893 Peachtree St NE

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR friendsonponce-atl.com 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

MODEL T modeltatlanta.com 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

MY SISTER’S ROOM mysistersroom.com 66 12th St NE

TEN ATLANTA tenatlanta.com 990 Piedmont Ave NE

CHESHIRE HERETIC hereticatlanta.com

thecockpit-atlanta.blogspot.com

ANSLEY

atldragshow.com 3011 Buford Hwy NE

Retail

465 Boulevard SE

MIDTOWN

MARY’S

BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK

marysatlanta.com

barkingleather.com

1287 Glenwood Ave SE

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH sisterlouisaschurch.com 466 Edgewood Ave SE

SWINGING RICHARDS swingingrichards.com

CHESHIRE BARKING LEATHER barkingleather.com 805 Lambert Dr NE

1400 Northside Dr NW

SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO

Dining

2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

MIDTOWN

ANSLEY

10TH & PIEDMONT

BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR

communitashospitality.com 991 Piedmont Ave NE

EINSTEIN’S einsteinsatlanta.com

boynextdoormenswear.com 1447 Piedmont Ave NE

GCB & PLEASURES brushstrokesatlanta.com

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road

1077 Juniper St NE

1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

JUNGLE

FROGS CANTINA

Fitness

jungleatl.com 2115 Faulkner Road

BJ ROOSTERS bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

OPUS 1 1086 Alco St NE

TRIPPS 1931 Piedmont Circle N

WOOFS woofsatlanta.com 2425 Piedmont Road NE

frogsmidtown.com 931 Monroe Dr

G’S communitashospitality.com 219 10th St NE

HENRY’S henrysatl.com 132 10th St NE

JOE’S ON JUNIPER joesonjuniper.com

MIDTOWN URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com

1049 Juniper St NE

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

LA HACIENDA

Spas/Baths/Adult

lahaciendamidtown.com 900 Monroe Dr NE

MIDTOWN

BURKHART’S

CHESHIRE

FLEX SPA

burkharts.com

LAS MARGARITAS

76 4th St NW

ANSLEY 1492 Piedmont Ave NE

FELIX’S 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

THE HIDEAWAY 1544 Piedmont Ave NE

lasmargaritasmidtown.com

flexspas.com

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

CHESHIRE

ROXX

MANIFEST 4U manifest4u.org

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

2103 Faulkner Rd NE

THE DEN thedenatlanta.com 2135 Liddell Drive NE

44 | 9.06.17

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10 FALL 2017 TRENDS YOU CAN TOTALLY ROCK

1

2

3

4

5

90s Nostalgia

6

Silk Bombers

7

Military Green

8

Turtlenecks

9

Oversized Layers

10

Political Statements

Quilting

Graphic Knitwear

Wide Leg Slacks

Patterned Suits

46 | 9.06.17

Text your Peach Pits to 256-60-PEACH, or e-mail Mike@PeachATL.com Illustrations by: Jerel Ely

Not giving AF is so much sweeter than revenge.

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.

‘Years are only garments, and you either wear them with style all your life, or else you go dowdy to the grave.’ –Dorothy Parker

All that you are you owe to your parents. Why don’t you send them a penny and square the account?

Just when I thought I’d seen the bottom of bat shit crazy, you go and build bat shit crazy underground garage.

The biggest mistake I ever made was putting the key to my happiness in someone else’s pocket.

Hey. You. You’re amazing. Shine on.

48 | 9.06.17

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peachATL.com | 49

ARIES (Mar. 21 - Apr. 19)

LIBRA (Sep. 23 - Oct. 22)

Stand your ground this week. You may not feel

You can see every side of every issue—but that very

right if you’re not moving forward all the time, but

positive trait can sometimes lead to unfortunate side

right now, you need to just hang tough and make

effects! Make sure you avoid the paralysis that is

sure you don’t end up moving backward.

staring you in the face.

TAURUS (Apr. 20 - May 20)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)

You’ve got good friends, and that counts for more

You need to harness your imagination now—and it’s

than you can imagine. It’s a really good time

much easier to access it! You should be able to get

for you to give them the thanks and props they

your friends or coworkers to follow along as you lead

deserve—life is too short to put off the important

them to awesome new heights.

stuff!

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun. 20)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)

You need to find new ways to handle frustration—

It’s time for you to stop thinking and start acting—

or you could boil over and explode at whomever

you’ve got plenty of material to work with. Your own

is handy, which could also work. Your maturity is

life is a canvas, and you’re an artist with a deep well

being tested, but you don’t know who’s grading.

of inspiration to draw from.

CANCER (Jun. 21 - Jul. 22)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19)

Avoid the temptation to force yourself into

All that good energy has to be put to some good use—

repetitive or detail-oriented tasks—daydreaming

so go for it! You may be able to push forward in a new

and brainstorming are much more appealing and

direction, but no matter what happens, you’re likely

worthwhile this week!

to feel quite good about it.

LEO (Jul. 23 - Aug. 22)

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18)

Don’t fall into the trap of going along with a too-

You’ve got to make a conscious effort to lend a hand

big plan just because your business or romantic

when friends or colleagues need you this week—but

partner is on board. In fact, that’s exactly the kind

it’s worth it! Even if you’re emotionally overdrawn, you

of thing you need to avoid at a time like this!

can still expect some good karmic interest in your future.

50 | 9.06.17

VIRGO (Aug. 23 - Sep. 22)

PISCES (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20)

Your most important relationships need attention

It’s a long way off from your birthday, but that doesn’t

right now. That’s not to say that you’re in big trouble

mean you can’t give yourself a little present anyway.

or that you need to walk away, but that you’ve just

Find something you’d never think to buy for yourself

got to spend extra time and energy building bridges.

and then force yourself to get it.

often perfect.

Still, I did upend my life. Now he has announced that his dream is to live in another city, and that he’s already landed a job there. We move in a month. I’m not ready to unsettle yet again. Then again, my devotion to him is non-negotiable.

Situation Ugly But Marriage Idealized Totally

Dear SUBMIT: There’s a line between dominant personality and control freak. You’re husband crossed it a long time ago. Control freaks are actually more about “freak” than “control,” and you already know where he stands on the continuum.

He’s been grooming you for this role, and you consciously or unconsciously decided to go along with it as the noose tightened on your individuality.

It’s a tough knot to loosen when it gets this far, as you already know, but not impossible.

LIVING MY PARTNER’S LIFE… Hey, Daddy!

My husband of one year, who I adore with every fiber of my being, controls my life.

On the surface, yours is like a traditional dominantsubmissive relationship. The Dom is in charge, and the Sub lets him call all the shots. The difference is that Sirs and Boys have a predetermined agreement and adore their roles. You and yours shaped your relationship into something you would have never agreed to at the start.

You can either formalize your dom-sub interactions if you realize that’s what you wanted all along, or you can pull yourself up by the insecurities to change your situation. Either way, it’s crucial that you come to an understanding. You probably can’t fix it before you move, but try to sort out what you really want before approaching your husband.

Before we were married, it was little stuff. When I would make suggestions on anything, he’d shoot them down. I got used to it.

After a whirlwind courtship, including leaving my job, my belongings and my friends to move to his city, it has evolved into his making every decision for both of us. He even approves (or more accurately, disapproves) my clothing choices.

He is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. I never thought I’d find one like him who was as into me as I am into him, but I did, and it’s

52 | 9.06.17

DADDY LOVES HIS BOYS He knows the answers you need, and you’re going to get them. Reach out to him with your burning questions via our editor, Mike@PeachATL.com.

Warning: Advice given in this column is intended for entertainment and novelty purposes. Please proceed at your own risk.

54 | 9.06.17

56 | 9.06.17