Peach v2_i52

Fashion

Dapper & Disco

Grooming

Get Ready & Repair It

Interview

Ellen Page Makes Herstory

Screen Savor

All Wet Aquaman

SANTA FE

SANTA FE FEATURES

ABOUT RICK CASE! SCOTT MCMILLAN

TWITTER: @SCOTTMTHECARGUY VOICE/TEXT: (404) 725-0540 SCOTTMCMILLAN@RICKCASE.COM

SOUTHEASTERN PREMIERE! A suspenseful examination of an alienated young man’s life filled with mystery and murder.

By Chay Yew FEBRUARY 7-23, 2019 Tickets: $15 and up Out Front Theatre Company 999 Brady Avenue, Atlanta

www.OutFrontTheatre.com

CONTENTS

DEECEMBER 26, 2018

V2-52

PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC 1874 Piedmont Ave NE Suite 580-E Atlanta, GA 30324

OPERATIONS Jeff Anderson

18

8

Sales and Development Director

jeff@peachatl.com

EDITORIAL

Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director mikkel@peachatl.com Rodney Belcher Graphic Designer

rodney@peachatl.com

EVENT MARKETING

32

Thomas Le tomthomas@peachatl.com

SALES Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com

From the Editor Ok, that went fast! I can’t believe that we are already turning the page to 2019!

Looking back, this hasn’t been an uneventful year by any account. In fact, everything has seemed to have sped up even more, and it can sometimes be challenging to even grasp a single moment in the constant stream of sound bites, clicks, text messages, emails, news stories, TV shows, woofs, likes ...

So, while we celebrate 2018, let’s also welcome 2019, and let’s try to slow things down just a smidge in the new year. Let’s put our phones down a little bit more and engage more with the people around us in a non-virtual manner.

At Peach, we will continue to present you with the best of gay Atlanta, and hopefully, our weekly issue will be not only your premier guide but also a welcome break in your busy schedule. That is one of our main goals in 2019 – see you next year!

CONTRIBUTORS Chris Azzopardi Mirza Muftic Gregg Shapiro

NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media 908.232.202

EDITOR PHOTO

Rikke Falck-Larsen

Happy New Year and be safe, Peaches!

Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director

ONLINE

peachatl.com

PRINT

At Distribution Points Across the City

SOCIAL

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 | 12.26.18

A Safe and Happy New Year’s Eve! Atlanta knows how to party – and New Year’s Eve is no exception! All the bars and clubs are preparing for another epic night to welcome in the new year, and we hope they are all well patronized for their efforts to make this night a memorable one. So, here are a few tips on how to make your New Year’s Eve both happy and safe.

• Patronize your local gay bars and clubs • Tip generously – the staff are at work for you on this night • Plan your night in advance to your best ability • Make sure you get a good and wholesome meal • Make plans for transportation – a designated driver, carpool, or a shared ride • Keep your eyes on your friends • Don’t use fireworks (or firearms!)

• Know when enough is enough – do you really need that last drink?

Happy New Year!

8 | 12.26.18

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Party-Prep Your Skin

Boost

Exfoliation is the fastest and best quick-fix to freshen up the skin before the festivities. As an added bonus, it is the ideal prep for moisturizing because the skin is open and ready for nourishment. Use on wet skin and scrub lightly in circular motions to remove dead skin cells on the surface.

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt There is no reason why your skin should reflect all the merry you have been participating in this Holiday.

With some targeted products and a little self-love, your skin will look amazing as we enter a new year.

Urth Face Scrub, $38 Ole Henriksen Transforming Walnut Scrub, $28

Photo: PR

Hydrate

Alcohol will inevitably dry out your skin, so build a good defense with plenty of moisture in the skin. A moisturizer is good, but combine it with a serum, and you are doing great!

L’Oréal Revitalift 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, $30 Rugged & Dapper Age + Defense Men’s Moisturizer, $25

Glow

A little extra radiance is never a bad thing, and a face mask or intensive treatment will give you just that!

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After the Party Repair Your Skin

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Ideally, you should start helping your skin recover from a night of partying already when you get home and stumble to bed – but how often does that happen, right?

Here are a few remedies to help rehydrate and repair your skin, so the nightly shenanigans won’t even show.

Cleanse

If hand and face coordination allows it, do this before you go to bed. Your skin will love you for it and look considerably fresher in the morning.

Black Wolf Charcoal Activated Face Wash, $14 Neutrogena Invigorating Face Wash, $5

Rehydrate

Consumption of (a lot of) alcohol leads to dehydration, and that shows on skin. Another unfortunate affect is the blood vessels dilate, and you can get that flushed skin tone. Plenty of moisture and calming ingredients will help your skin get back in balance.

Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Serum, $56 Dermalogica Calm Water Gel, $48

Eye Fix

Eyes never lie when it comes to showing the signs of a good time. The eye area is sensitive because the skin is thinner, which makes is receptible to showing a little wear. Luckily, there are little helping wonders out there.

Sisley Eye Contour Mask, $145 Peace Out Uner-Eye Patches, $25

12 | 12.26.18

Updated Dapper

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Photo & Styling: MH You can never go wrong with wearing a good, dressy shirt to the party. You can go for a fitted, white shirt with elegant details, or update your look with subtle textures, bold prints, or a modern silhouette. Pair it with a good coat and jeans with a festive tuxedo stripe.

All styles are from Boy Next Door Menswear.

Check out their Piedmont location or go to boynextdoormenswear.com to shop.

14 | 12.26.18

From left to right: Candor Plaid Military Trench Coat, $170 | Maceoo Wall Street White Check Performance Shirt, $168 | Maceoo Fibonacci Paisley Shirt, $168 | Oxford Lads Cotton Denim Shirt, $110 | NXP Baseline Pant Wax Black/Red, $130

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Unapologetic Disco

By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Photo & Styling: MH

New Year’s Eve is the night to go all out and express yourself to the fullest. Sparkly sequins, silver threads, velvety fabrics, and shiny objects will make you stand out in any crowd.

All styles are from Boy Next Door Menswear.

Check out their Piedmont location or go to boynextdoormenswear.com to shop.

16 | 12.26.18

From left to right: Manstore Pullover Body Blue, $79 | Manstore V-Neck Tee Arabesque, $77 | LASC Sequin Sparkle Shorts, $129 | Mission Bedazzled Aztec Hoodie, $50 | Mission Silver Horizon Stripe Button Shirt, $65

Ellen Page Makes Herstory of History ‘Tales of the City’ star on her LGBTQ fundraising, not watching movies and a gayer ‘Whip It’

By Chris Azzopardi Actress and social activist Ellen Page recently witnessed history repeating itself while revisiting acclaimed classic Casablanca. Page noted the 1942 film’s eerie modern-day relevance, “the Nazi presence, but the sort of neutrality of people,” while watching the fraught and tense events – as well as “the romanticism of sacrifice” – unfold as Humphrey Bogart’s Rick Blaine, former freedom fighter and nightclub owner in Casablanca, protects his old flame, Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa, and her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) from Nazis. What stood out after taking another look at director Michael Curtiz’s WWII-set romantic drama: “You have these scenes in this cafe where they’re being shown respect because there’s these officials, even though, needless to say, they’re completely disagreeing.”

Page and writer-filmmaker Jason Reitman, who directed the actress in her Oscar-nominated breakout role in 2007’s Juno, set out to reimagine Casablanca for our Trump-led times, which are similarly fraught and tense for those desperately seeking life in America – and for disenfranchised groups already there. Simply titled Live Read of Casablanca and part of the Live Read Series, this is what Casablanca looks like in 2018 thanks to the diversified scope of Page and Reitman’s Dec. 13 live-read of the classic film at Los Angeles’s Ace Theater: female-led, and very queer. Before the event, a benefit for Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, a philanthropic organization working exclusively to advance LGBTQ human rights around the globe, Page was eager to perform with an “inclusive” cast who are “fucking awesome.”

Photos: Sam Jones 18 | 12.26.18

Continued on pg. 20 >>>>

peachATL.com | 19

“It’s one of the most iconic love stories with some of the most memorable lines of any film ever,” says the 31-year-old actress by phone. “It just seems perfect to sort of recreate it in the way that we are.”

Live-streaming future reads to reach a larger audience is a “good suggestion,” she acknowledged, but for now, “I really encourage people to go to (Astraea’s) website and learn more about their work and what they do, and if they’re able to support in any way at all that would obviously be really amazing.”

Page’s queering and feminizing of Casablanca marches in line with a Hollywood movement bending to minorities as they occupy the narratives of famed and noteworthy but classically cisgender, straight, white works, from the allblack cast remake of Lifetime’s Steel Magnolias to the Latinx-led One Day at a Time, on Netflix, and women taking on roles first depicted by men in Ocean’s 8 and Ghostbusters.

“In some ways, people are almost just realizing it,” Page remarks on efforts to portray underrepresented minorities on screen.

She says, until recently, the “privileged” American public (see: white people) “haven’t been cognizant” of giving every kind a seat at the table.

says. “I love that film, just wanna be clear. Love that film, had a fucking blast, met two of my best friends in the universe on the film. But yeah, of course looking back on that, that’s a bummer.”

Released in 2009 by Fox Searchlight Pictures, Page adds, “It’s a reflection of the time. I’d like to think that it would be different now, and I think it actually does show not much has changed, but some things have.”

As demonstrated in recent years, it’s not too late for past works on the wrong side of diversity, so perhaps the unrealistically heterosexual-laden Whip It could be remedied: “If you made a sequel, I would love it,” Page enthuses. “I wish there was a Whip It 2, and she was lesbian.” She giggles, delighted by the thought. “And living in Austin.”

Page, who came out in 2014 and married professional dancer and fellow Canadian Emma Portner in 2018, is forthright about the lack of diversity in some of her own films. “A movie like Whip It, you know, should be more queer,” she says, blatantly.

“It’s just that simple.”

Cut on roles in 2005’s Hard Candy and Juno, Page’s career has dipped into multiple genres: high-budget thrill rides (two X-Men films, Inception), zombie dramas heavy on queer subtext (The Cured), and gay-themed true stories. In the 2015 lesbian biopic Freeheld, Page portrayed Stacie Andree, the partner of Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a gay police officer who fought to have her pension benefits transferred to Andree after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Early the following year, the actress’ collaboration with gay friend and co-host Ian Daniel, Viceland’s Gaycation, aired. The show had the activists traveling to countries like Japan, Brazil and Jamaica to investigate the horrific challenges and distinct cultural characteristics of being LGBTQ abroad.

Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, Whip It featured Page as Bliss Cavendar, a Texan teenager living in a fictional town called Bodeen and joining a roller derby team, which includes derby girls played by Barrymore, Kristen Wiig, Eve and Juliette Lewis. “It wasn’t a realistic reflection of the derby world, and I wish that was different,” the actress

After two seasons, the show returned in April 2017 for a special presentation that examined LGBTQ life in America post Trump. No more episodes are planned, Page apologetically reveals, but she and Daniel are in the early development stages of “a different project that’s similar,” but “less in terms of a travel show, more focused stories.” She adds,

20 | 12.26.18

“Not that they’ll be in America, by any means.”

Looking back on Gaycation, Page was humbled by the experience, which she says “changed me.” “I mean, you’re meeting people who, every day, are risking their lives, are activists spending their lives doing that, and sacrifice so much to do that. That’s a level of bravery and courage that I’d like to think I’m capable of, but I’m probably not.”

Meeting transgender activist and famed Stonewall rioter Miss Major for the first season’s finale was an unforgettable moment for the actress when thinking of “a force and a person who is someone who’s ultimately been responsible for so much change for the community.”

After Gaycation, Page has continued to tackle projects that are extensions of her own lesbian identity, such as this year’s The Cured, an allegorically queer zombie film from out filmmaker David Freyne. Recent LGBTQ films evade her simply because “I’ve, like, literally barely watched movies.

It’s been a problem.” She immediately retracts: “Not a problem – but the last year or two, quite frankly, I don’t know, but just for some reason I haven’t really watched movies.” Apologizing for missing this year’s impressive slate of LGBTQ films (she did ask for recommendations), Page says she thoroughly enjoyed the “stunning” Tomboy, a 2011 French drama she says is still fresh on her mind.

Seemingly more queer-content creator than consumer, she just wrapped shooting the revival of Armistead Maupin’s 1993 TV adaptation of his Tales of the City books, where she joins original cast members Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis in the 10-part Netflix series, due in 2019. Page refrained

from sharing specific details as requested by showrunners, but Netflix’s contemporary Tales is set 20 years later, as Mary Ann (Linney) returns to San Francisco to her ex-husband Brian (Paul Gross) and daughter Shawna (Page), as well as Anna Madrigal (Dukakis) and a motley crew of other 28 Barbary Lane residents.

“I have a love interest, played by Zosia Mamet,” Page says of her co-star, best known for her role on HBO’s Girls. “Zosia’s amazing. She absolutely blew me away. I had such a wonderful time working with her. She is such a phenomenal actor, so yeah, that was awesome.”

And acting alongside Dukakis and Linney: “It’s crazy, right? Yeah, walking in and working with someone like Laura Linney, who is absolutely one of my favorites of all time – and, of course, Olympia – I felt so welcomed,” she says. “You couldn’t be working with more lovely, sincere, they-do-this-jobbecause-they-just-fucking-love-it (people).”

Says Page, “It’s about connecting with another actor, not to sound all actor-y and cheesy, but that is such a joy, to be in an environment like that. So to have the opportunity to be able to work with someone like Laura, and to be a part of this in terms of the stories and the narratives and the representation, yeah, I feel very lucky that I was included.”

As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).

peachATL.com | 21

CHRISTMAS HEIFER REVIEW AT COWTIPPERS PHOTOS: Andrea Dwyer

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Tuesday-Thursday 5:30pm til 10:00pm Friday & Saturday 5:00pm til 10:30pm Sunday Brunch 11:00am til 4:00pm

TRIVIA TUESDAYS

FIRE-IT-UP FRIDAYS

TRIVIA W/RON SCOZA 1ST PRIZE $50 TAB 2ND PRIZE $25 TAB 3RD PRIZE FREE APPETIZER $5 SUMMER STORM $3 DRAUGHT & DOMESTIC BEERS

$5 CHERRY TREE FIREBALL $5 FUZZY FIRE

WINE-DOWN WEDNESDAYS 1/2 PRICE BOTTLES OF WINE

THROWBACK THURSDAYS $5 OLD-FASHIONED MARTINI $5 ROSE KENNEDY

SALSA SATURDAYS $5 HOUSE MARGARITAS & MOJITOS $5 HONEY BADGER

SUNDAYS SUNDAY DRAG BRUNCH BOTTOMLESS MIMOSAS OR BLOODY MARYS

1/2 PRICE APPETIZERS TUESDAY-SATURDAY UNTIL 7:00PM ASK ABOUT OUR DINNER SPECIALS 1425 Piedmont Ave NE, Ste B, Atlanta, GA 30309

peachATL.com | 23

SEEN AT OUT FRONT THEATRE COMPANY PHOTOS: Andrea Dwyer

COME BE YOURSELF WITH US

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE STAFF OF TIJUANA GARAGE

COME VISIT US IN THE NEW YEAR! LITTLE 5 POINTS • 404.475.8888 • WWW.TIJUANAGARAGE.COM

24 | 12.26.18

peachATL.com | 25

TOY PARTY AT OPERA PHOTOS:MH

26 | 12.26.18

- since 1997 -

- since 1997 -

Named People Magazine’s “Best Wedding Cakes in Georgia!” www.metrobakery.com

Thank You, Atlanta!

Our mission is to bridge communities to brighten the lives of Georgia's children in need.

24,372 Backpacks Donated Since We Started

See you next year!

hčĴƓƎƬ ëƘ ÜƧ ³ƀŴ

53,10

Toys Dona

Since We St Thank You, Atlanta!

Over

Toy Part

3,000 Toys

donated from this year’s event!

We want…

...to hear your feedback! ...you to apply to our all-volunteer board! ...you to volunteer at our next event!

Email us at Support@forthekid.org or find us online: forthekidatl

Dustin is originally from Blue Ridge, but he has lived in Atlanta for ten years now. He is currently taking classes all around the city to become a makeup artist, and you can definitely also catch him at one of the many concerts or festivals Atlanta has to offer. Dustin loves spending time with his close group of friends and his dog Gizmo, and his outdoorsy side is satisfied when he goes camping or hiking.

Dustin Holt

@dustinholt

30 | 12.26.18

All Wet

By Gregg Shapiro When it comes to “Aquaman” (WB/DC), this origin story has it all; and by all I mean every possible detail packed into a screenplay bulging as tightly as anything covering Jason Momoa’s upper body. While it’s as faithful as it can be to Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris’ original creation, it also takes its share of liberties.

Like Marvel’s “Black Panther”, much of “Aquaman” is about protecting an ancient civilization from the encroachment of outsiders. In this case, it’s the thriving but threatened Atlanteans of Atlantis who are being led into doing battle with the destructive land-dwellers by a misguided king. Amongst the land-dwelling evildoers are a team of pirates including the soon-to-named Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), who is hell-bent on avenging his father’s death, which he blames on the adult Aquaman (Momoa, of the severely limited acting range).

Years before, on the night of a brutal thunderstorm, lighthouse-keeper Tom (Temuera Morrison) discovers the body of a female washed up on the jagged rocks. She is, as you might expect, no ordinary woman. Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) has left her home and family because she doesn’t want to be the bride in an arranged marriage. Once Atlanna adjusts to her new surroundings, she and Tom begin a life together, resulting in the birth of a half-mortal son named Arthur. But their bliss is short-lived after Atlantean soldiers arrive and take Atlanna them back to Atlantis, where she is supposedly put to death.

As he grows up, it’s obvious to Arthur (as well as the school bullies) that he’s not like anyone else (something LGBTQ viewers will appreciate). Over time, as Arthur goes from boyhood to adolescence, he is tutored by Vulko (Willem Dafoe), an Atlante32 | 12.26.18

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Peach.

Photo:DC Comics, DC Entertainment

an adviser who somehow locates him on land, and develops the skills he will need as he matures into Aquaman.

Meanwhile in Atlantis, King Orm (a never-prettier Patrick Wilson) is preparing to start his war with the unsuspecting land-dwellers. A therapist might trace some of his anger issues to the fact that he’s jealous of his half-brother Aquaman, whom he calls a halfbreed, and the attention being paid to him by Mera (queer actress Amber Heard), Orm’s betrothed.

As luck would have it, Orm has secretly recruited Manta (and given him a pretty cool and deadly outfit, to boot) to do his bidding, which the pissed-off pirate is more than happy to oblige. This leads to numerous seemingly endless submerged fight and chase scenes, which are no doubt a CGI wizard’s dream come true. With the exception of the aforementioned fight scenes, the underseas sequences are the best parts of the movie, and seeing it in IMAX also helps with creating the submerged feeling.

Regardless, the combination of the shockingly bad acting (even for a comic book movie), the general hokiness (see previous parentheses), the aforementioned tiresome fight scenes, and ridiculous length (the 2.5 hours are a watch-checker’s delight), add up to a soggy mess. Not even Momoa’s ripped body can keep “Aquaman” from being all wet.

peach rating: 2/5 Peaches: Rotten peach

Membership Required.

Must be 21 to Enter.

Get the details on these and other great upcoming events on our website calendar.

We’re closer to Atlanta than you think!

1/2 price winter rates in Dec, Jan & Feb! Regular rates apply for extended New Year’s Weekend.

Friends & Family Weekend, Dec. 7 - 9 Volunteer Campground Cleanup, Dec. 15 - 16

New Traditions Every New Year’s Eve, I travel with some of my closest girlfriends to a remote mountain cabin to ring in the next three hundred sixty-five days of our lives. We drink, sit in a hot tub and ritualistically burn dolls that we dress-up beforehand; the traditional things most people do. As I sat in the hot tub this year, turning into a raisin, I realized that I hadn’t bought the dolls I needed to burn! I wondered if there were any traditions others did that my group of friends could incorporate at the midnight hour?

I got onto to the questionable Wi-Fi that the cabin provided and hit up select individuals to get some inspiration.

The first response I got came from a dear friend and second cousin twice-removed: Frieda Lexington-DaPaige. She was a full-time aerialist and a part-time call girl. Her former venue of employment, The Slipper Room, combined her two best talents into one amazing show. She suggested I get some bed sheets and tie them to any ceiling that was strong enough to hold two adults. Then, as one adult is hanging in the air, the other performs all manners of sexual acts. Her favorite position is The Shooting Star. Just as the hanging partner is about to climax, you quickly cut the sheets off the ceiling so they look like a shooting star. Make a wish! (And please have soft padding on the floor to impact the fall).

I went to pull out some bed sheets and get them ready, when I got another response. This one came from my local Anesthesiologist Assistant: Dianne Bates. She recalled her best New Year’s tradition was sneaking out a few bottles of Ketamine from work and having a game of Russian K-roulette at her party. In the game, you gather a circle of friends and give everyone a bottle to hold. You pass the bottles around clockwise during the last 10-second countdown till midnight, and whatever bottle you have as you shout “Happy New Year”, you toast with by ingesting its contents. The real fun is that every bottle has some Ketamine in it. The party continues until everyone passes out. For extra fun, swap one bottle out with pure cocaine so you can have an unexpected nanny to be wide awake while everyone else passes out! This ensures safety and that no one is in the bathtub when they go to sleep. I luckily brought along a good friend who moonlights as a drug dealer, so I had the ingredients for her game if I chose to do it, but I wasn’t fully sold on it yet.

My Wi-Fi went out, but not before I got one final suggestion. It was from my old friend Joanna Jones.

She is a kindergarten teacher and nighttime drag performer. A few years ago, her friends discovered a fun game by accident: Bobbing for Bottoms. The game is simple and only required a hot tub! You have until midnight to “bob” for random food that was thrown into the hot tub, while you’re being rammed from the back. The first group to collect the most food and finish off both partners, wins!

For an added challenge, she said to lube up the food so its slippery. Try not to ingest the tub water if it was used before the game started.

I felt confident that my friends could choose at least one of these great ideas for this year’s festivities! As the remaining friends showed up to celebrate, I was shocked that one brought an entire box of dolls with decorations to adorn them with! We got to keep our tradition after all. But I had a feeling we would incorporate some of these new ones as well. And I hope you do too!

Yours in 2019, 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 shortly after dropping out of college. Her late husband’s fortune allows her to travel the world and have a sense of enlightenment one normally gets from actually working for their money. Mirza has had none of those experiences in his life. On occasion, Mirza will perform as Mitzi around Atlanta. His other interests/day job include film editing, retouching, and stop-motion animation.

34 | 12.26.18

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

peachATL.com | 35

Dec 26 – Jan 2

7th Annual Beards, Bears, and Otters on Ice

Countdown to NYE 2019

Thursday 27, 7 pm – 11 pm

The Atlanta Eagle

Get the party started early and kick off the countdown Come skate or just hang out at this special holiday to New Year’s Eve 2019 to the beats of DJ Daniel Weaver tradition with a great group of guys and for a great cause! and DJ Aaron Fries that will give you a musical year in Each year the event raises money for an Atlanta charity review. or nonprofit.

Saturday, December 29, 10 pm - 3 am

The Rink at Park Tavern STAFF PICK!

AIDS VACCINE 200 New Year’s Day Ride Ring in the New Year with a bike ride for a cause and get started on your new year’s resolutions early! Updated route maps and details via their Facebook page.

Tuesday, January 1, 10:30 am The Carter Center

Queer AF

QUEEN BUTCH

Come out for a special end-of-the-year edition of this QUEEN BUTCH is back New Years Day with DJ William new Sunday funday favorite that is simply queer AF! Francis and DJ Cuntrera. The NYC duo will be spinning disco and house music back to back at the only under Sunday, December 30, 9 pm the sea New Year’s Day party in Atlanta.

My Sister’s Room

Tuesday, January 1, 11 am – 6:30 pm Midtown Tavern

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STAMPEDE AT HIDEAWAY PHOTOS: Andrea Dwyer

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Peachtree St. NE

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Charles Allen Dr. NE

12 W. Peachtree St. NW

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

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

9 10 11 12

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

clubs 13 Atlanta Eagle

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

spa/bath 15 Flex Spa

42 | 12.26.18

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 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

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Piedmont Park 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

32 33 34 35 36

Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's

805 Lambert Dr. NE, Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spa / bath 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

Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness

NE

.

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino

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39 38

Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

41

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28 20

Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

Av

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E

Ches

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.

25

BJ Roosters Opus 1 Tripps Woof's

31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den

35

24

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BARS 20 21 22 23

40

32

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36

nr

dm

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31 er

Mo

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29

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27

33

. NE

Manchester St. NE

Piedmont Rd. NE

22

42 L

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34

x Rd

Fa

26

BL

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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

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

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

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

BARKING LEATHER

1400 Northside Dr NW

805 Lambert Dr NE

BULLDOGS

Dining

2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

MIDTOWN

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

MODEL T

991 Piedmont Ave NE

699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

einsteinsatlanta.com

modeltatlanta.com

EINSTEIN’S

MY SISTER’S ROOM

1077 Juniper St NE

66 12th St NE

frogsmidtown.com

mysistersroom.com

TEN ATLANTA

tenatlanta.com

990 Piedmont Ave NE

CHESHIRE

SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO

ANSLEY BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1447 Piedmont Ave NE

GCB & PLEASURES

brushstrokesatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

FROGS CANTINA

Fitness

931 Monroe Dr

MIDTOWN

G’S

gsmidtown.com 219 10th St NE

HERETIC

HENRY’S

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road

132 10th St NE

BJ ROOSTERS

JOE’S ON JUNIPER

hereticatlanta.com

barkingleather.com

henrysatl.com

URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com

500 Amsterdam Ave NE

CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com

bjroosters.com

joesonjuniper.com

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

1049 Juniper St NE

OPUS 1

LA HACIENDA

Spas/Baths/Adult

900 Monroe Dr NE

MIDTOWN

1931 Piedmont Circle N

CHESHIRE

FLEX SPA

WOOFS

LAS MARGARITAS

76 4th St NW

2425 Piedmont Road NE

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

CHESHIRE

ANSLEY

ROXX

MANIFEST 4U

MIDTOWN MOON

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

ANSLEY

FELIX’S

COWTIPPERS

1086 Alco St NE

TRIPPS

woofsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

lahaciendamidtown.com

lasmargaritasmidtown.com

cowtippersatlanta.com

THE HIDEAWAY

1600 Piedmont Ave NE

1544 Piedmont Ave NE

DEKALB

MIXX

LIPS ATLANTA

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

3011 Buford Hwy NE

mixxatlanta.com

OSCAR’S

oscarsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

44 | 12.26.18

atldragshow.com

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

flexspas.com

manifest4u.org

2103 Faulkner Rd NE

THE DEN

thedenatlanta.com

2135 Liddell Drive NE

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IT’S THE TIME OF YEAR TO PREPARE FOR A BETTER VERSION OF YOU! NEW YEAR, NEW YOU, RIGHT?

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Read more

Drink less

Spend more time with loved ones

Learn a new skill

Less screen time 46 | 12.26.18

Get better at keeping resolutions

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Text your Peach Pits to 540-30-PEACH, or e-mail mikkel@PeachATL.com

Him: So, we’re at the same NYE party

Me: Yeah, so we are!

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I didn’t become a better person!

Him: So, what are your plans when the clock strikes midnight?

Me: Probably make out Him: With me?

My resolution this year is to make better bad decisions

Me: Maybe but probably with alcohol

It’s time for that “new year, new me” bullsh**t in 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year!

Year after year the phrase “I’m too old for this s**t” makes more and more sense to me.

I love a good dose of holiday spirit! Please pour me some more!

Asking for a friend: Can you get healthier while still drinking lots of alcohol?

48 | 12.26.18

Didn’t go to the gym, but the cashier’s name at the drive-thru was Jim, so that counts, right?

2019

dj fernando from

argentina free champagne toast at midnight

306 ponce de leon ave, ne, atlanta, ga 30324

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20) Keep your possessions close today as being selfish will be a good thing. Don’t care what people think as you refuse to share anything with them.

That’ll include recent juicy gossip. Use that as your ace card today. With the possession of gossip comes great power!

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22) The 50’s sci-fi version of your life would feature a giant marauding crab, and you’d be playing the crab! Keep your larger than life emotions to a low roar today. The movie could end with scientists inventing a really big pot of boiling water, and an equally big ramekin of melted butter.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

When you see what your partner serves for dinner tonight you may wish you were somewhere else.

Like on an airplane bound to destinations of culinary delights. Uh-oh, that means you’ll have to eat whatever they’re serving on the flight. Hmmm, maybe dinner won’t look so bad after all.

Your subconscious may play tricks with your mind today. How else to explain people suddenly morphing into chickens, cows and swordfish? The office will be like something out of a Pink Floyd album! You may want to take an early lunch today. Either that or a whole lot of sedatives.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) There may be times today when thinking won’t do you any good at all. It’ll be better to close your eyes and let instinct guide you. When you reopen them you’ll see that the worst is over, and you were able to get down the meatloaf at the company cafeteria. Keeping it down could be another story.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20) Playing the strolling minstrel at the park or Renaissance Fair is one thing. Bringing that character to work is another. Coworkers wouldn’t mind the Jethro Tull costume and lute playing if your rhyming weren’t so awful, and you didn’t have bits of food hanging from your beard.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22) Don’t let dinner with friends turn into a therapy session tonight. Sometimes you just want to enjoy a nice meal without listening to everyone’s problems. Turn the tables on them. At the first sign of whining let them know that dinner will cost ninety dollars an hour. That’ll shut ‘em up!

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22) A recent intellectual connection has inspired you to break outside your box and try something new.

It’s a good day to get creative, and look no further than your own home. Maybe it’s time to change the color scheme of the bedroom, or look through swatches for the perfect curtain fabric. Feathering your nest will give you the feeling of comfort and security.

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

You may need an emotional outlet today, but don’t get it through food. Being in the dumps could have you losing control, and the next thing you know you’ll be clearing out your refrigerator.

Seek comfort of a friend instead, but avoid their invitations to talk about it over lunch.

Let go of your emotions today and take in a weepy movie. ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ is a guaranteed three-hankie tearfest. Don’t be afraid to cry; it’s a great release. Have plenty of Kleenex close by or your popcorn will be coated in tears rather than processed butter substitute and salt.

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)

You’ve inherited many traits from your mother, namely her hair, hips and cooking skills. You can work on those first two, but let the third one shine today. Invite friends to your table, whip up an extraordinary feast and make sure everyone leaves with leftovers. She would be so proud!

Monitor your moods before you follow them today. Be active and social if you wake up happy and sunny, but clear out at the first sign of storm clouds. The heavens will let loose with lightning and thunder, and then a hard rain’s a-going to fall! Don’t subject others to that storm if you don’t have to.

50 | 12.26.18

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.

My boyfriend has a massive following on social media. He’s been on a couple of TV shows, and is now quite the social media star, posting selfies in various states of undress and posting about the things that happen to him more generally as funny or food-for-thought anecdotes. But lately, I have noticed that he is posting more half-naked selfies and some of the claims he makes in his posts simply aren’t true. Or at least it didn’t happen when he was with me, and he certainly didn’t tell me about any of the crazy things that went down. I’m starting to get a little worried that he is doing this for extra attention, and I also think he is engaging a lot by messaging with the guys that comment on his sexy selfies. Another thing is that I am completely absent from his feeds even though we’ve been together for years at this point. It’s like getting likes is becoming more important than actually being in a relationship with me. How do I break this weird attention spell he is in?

Sincerely Unfollowed Love Dear Unfollowed Love Social media has changed our lives and the way we interact with each other. Think back to not that long ago where sharing your thoughts and feelings was restricted to a few people that held your confidence.

Certainly not the case anymore! It sounds like your boyfriend has become addicted to popularity and the numbers game it has become to obtain and sustain popularity. It could also be that he thinks that his online life is entirely different from his actual life which explains why he may not see his posts as bending the truth – and also why you are not represented in his feeds! He may want to keep the two completely separate. Now, to the topic of his posting untrue things. Are they flat out lies or simply a bit of embellishment? Instead of calling him a liar, maybe you can inquire about the nature of his posts, ask him to elaborate about what happened – and then maybe ask him why he didn’t mention it to you earlier? The fact that he is posting before anything else is probably just another 21stcentury condition. And once you’re done asking

him the questions, maybe you can ask yourself why he is craving the attention of online strangers and not from you? Has he had bad IRL experiences, perhaps a fear or history of being overlooked?

Finally, it may be a good idea if you practice a little digital shutdown together, so instead of it all being his fault, you proactively disconnect together. His online following probably won’t get smaller, so you need to start talking about how you can both cope with that.

I just met this guy, and he is really great and very sexy. Well, sexy to look at because we haven’t had sex yet because he is very shy. We’ve made out a lot and done a bunch of on ‘top of clothing’ touching, but we haven’t even come close to going to the next level – and now it’s been three months! I’m sexually pretty free, so this was initially a turn-on, but now it is becoming frustrating. I don’t want to be too forward with him, but I also want to take it to the next level and make him more comfortable around me. How do I show my interest without pushing too hard?

Sincerely Moving Past Shy Dear Moving Past Shy There are a lot of things to consider here. Did he come out late? Does he have a job that keeps him from being open and honest about his sexuality (they still exist, you know), or has he had bad experiences opening up and pushing past the shyness? You are doing the exact right thing with this guy by sticking to it and not applying pressure, so keep that up. Switch things up to create an environment that makes him more comfortable.

Invite him to your house for a homemade meal or delicious takeout and let him know that you are very attracted to him, but you want to wait for him to overcome his shyness. If he is going through some issues with insecurity, you could be the person that he could open up to in more ways than one.

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

52 | 12.26.18

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