Peach Magazine V4-22 - Pride: A Deeper Love

A DEEPER LOVE

LADY BUNNY GETS C*NTAGiOUS PRE-APOCALYPTiC LAUGHS SUPPORTiNG BLACK LiVES MATTER ACTiONS TO HELP END POLiCE ViOLENCE TORi AMOS AND HER MUSES HOW THEY MET iN QUARANTiNE

@outfronttheatre outfronttheatre.com

BLACK LIVES MATTER

Contents MAY 27, 2020

V4-20

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PEACH MEDIA 925b Peachtree St. NE, #168 Atlanta, GA 30309

MANAGING PARTNER Brian Sawyer brian@peachatl.com

OPERATIONS Jeff Anderson Sales and Development Director

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EDITORIAL Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director

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mikkel@peachatl.com Brian Sawyer Graphics

From the Editor

SALES | DISTRIBUTION Andrea Dwyer

With civil protests happening all across the country, I urge you to support these organizations that provide support for people who are arrested at protests.

andrea@peachatl.com

CONTRIBUTORS Chris Azzopardi

“Protest is vital to a free society, but with resistance comes repression.�

Matthew Blanco Max Jimenez

- Atlanta Solidarity Fund

Atlanta | atlsolidarity.org Chicago | chicagobond.org/donate Louisville | actionnetwork.org NYC | brooklynbailfund.org/donate NYC | thebronxfreedomfund.org Philadelphia | phillybailout.com/donate

NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media | 908.232.2021

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

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The ReRe-Release of Rigel Gemini s “I Can’ Can’t” - because it turns out that Gemini CAN After Atlanta-based Rigel Gemini premiered the video for his femmeforward song “I Can’t,” YouTube abruptly removed it based on a complaint from an online troll. Now, more than a month later, Gemini is relaunching the video to counteract the sentiment that caused the claim in the first place, namely homophobia, and transphobia.

Rigel Gemini’s recognizes that the relaunch of his video comes at a time where there are much more significant and more critical stories. However, since the underlying issue of the removal was fueled by homophobia and transphobia, it still has relevance.

“I do not want to put my story before others, so please prioritize stories of black lives. Since this is an issue targeted at LGBTQ+ people, since the video includes many queer and trans people of color, and since the video was uplifting for so many, I wanted to share while timely.”

The music video, which featured celebrities Alyssa Edwards and Gia Gunn, was getting substantial momentum and reached 110K views on YouTube and over 100K plays on Spotify. The cast of the video included an army of influencers, family, and friends jamming out to the video. A celebration of queer and trans culture and community, the video quickly went viral during the 2020 quarantine. Shot as a “Zoom”-

of savings could vanish from the internet right as it was reaching its peak. There have been reports from other YouTubers that recent complaints and removals have especially targeted LGBTQ+ content creators.

“I was shocked. The video was removed a few days before my birthday, so that was extra sad. I had spent weeks preparing the song and building the video with a cast of 15 amazing people, including some of my icons and queer and trans people of color from the community. The video was a celebration, and it was getting such a positive response from the queer and trans community for spreading joy in a time of darkness, that is the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine. It was crazy to me how much power these social media companies have over the lives of artists and creators… with the click of a button. No rules were broken, nothing was done incorrectly, so it was really unfair and unfortunate.”

“A troll who made themselves known to me did not like the video because, in my opinion, they are homophobic and transphobic.

They called the video sexualized and inappropriate. The person was not connected to the video.

It was a privacy complaint, but I had talent releases for absolutely everyone in the video. YouTube never even allowed me to appeal or provide my side of the story, so I had no options.”

Very much in tune with the positive message of the song, Gemini decided to say that ‘I Can’t’ with YouTube’s lengthy complaint and appeal process and took it upon himself and his team to re-release the video. “I can’t get caught up in the upset of the moment, I just need to try to bring this video back into the world.”

After being down for nearly a month, the video is now available on all streaming platforms, including YouTube, and you can catch the “I Can’t” video at PeachATL.com.

style party, the video features individuals dancing, lip-syncing, and spreading the sassy message of “I Can’t.”

With no response from YouTube when the video was reported or after the video was taken down, Rigel was devastated that something he had poured his entire life into and that he had invested a substantial amount

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50 TH ANNIVERSARY ATLANTA PRIDE CELEBRATION

OCT.10-12,2020 | atlantapride.org

LADY BUNNY is

CUNT-AGIOUS

BY MATTHEW BLANCO

In her new comedy show, Cuntagious, demented drag diva Lady Bunny shamelessly interrupts your isolation in an attempt to give what may be your last laugh before the apocalypse. The show, that premiered Friday, June 5 at VossEvents. com, showcases Bunny’s raucous LaughIn inspired joke routine that goes from deranged to filthy, with Bunny showing off her signature dance moves (well, the ones the old gal didn’t forget decades ago). With an emphasis on COVID-19 humor, expect brand new song parodies from artists as varied as Lizzo, Justin Bieber and Madonna.

Drag sensation Christeene will join Bun-Bun for a duet of her updated version of Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is” and Bunny’s gal pal RuPaul will get worked over in a parody of “Sissy That Walk” called “Sissy That Cough.” Three new skits will show off Bunny’s comedic chops in non-musical ways and showcase the hilarity of co-writer Beryl Mendelbaum.

Can Lady Bunny’s COVID clowning be categorized as too soon or too early? Only one way to find out!

Lady Bunny is best known for creating Wigstock, the outrageous festival of love, peace and hair grease which became the subject of two documentaries: Samuel Goldwyn’s Wigstock The Movie in 1995 and HBO’s Wig in 2019.

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While she has enjoyed hosting both of Werq The World’s livestreams with Bianca Del Rio, Cunt-agious is Bunny’s first fulllength online offering during self-isolation.

“I’ve downed some special loads, but I’ve never downloaded a special!” she quips.

“When your income involves audiences and dance floors packed together tightly, then your income has stopped for the foreseeable future. And my wigs are too mammoth to permit me to fit onto a Facebook live video format.”

She’s trying something new with Cuntagious; she even wrote a theme song for it! And as viewers will soon see in this new “viral” video, Bunny’s hefty talents have grown even larger—thanks to the fact that she’s an excellent cook. Get ready to laugh your masks off! And for all those dying for a glimpse of Bunny out of drag, this is your moment.

packed into 35 minutes. This floozy offers unhinged Tips to Survive A Pandemic, and a visit to a fake newsroom for headlines we’d all like to see.

Laughter, not Clorox, is the best medicine, so tune into Cunt-agious for an overdose Masks and mascara make a great of it. Tickets are $9.99 and available combination, along with four giant at VossEvents.com. wigs and twelve costume changes

TORi AMOS MEETS THE MUSES iN QUARANTiNE

By Chris Azzopardi Photos: Des Willie, Paulina Otylie Surys, Amarpaul Kalirai

I

n her second book, Resistance: A Songwriter’s Story of Hope, Change, and Courage flaming piano queen Tori Amos shares her personal stories against a worldin-crisis backdrop and discusses how they’ve shaped songs from her three-decade career.

She ruminates on personal and collective grief and traces her social and political activism as an outspoken LGBTQ activist, feminist and democrat back to Washington D.C. There, as a teenager, with a seat on the stage of a seedy political underworld, Amos played for immoral, powerful political officials; these men, she writes, were “laying the groundwork for a compromised future.”

Recently, I spoke with Amos on the phone from her home in Cornwall, England, where she is quarantining with her producerhusband, Mark Hawley, and their daughter, Tash. On this afternoon, Amos was comforting and jovial as she talked about bad days, how the Muses (capital M, in Tori’s world) showed up one recent morning, where she falls on the Winnie the Pooh pantheon, and the healing power of licorice.

Tori, I had a bad day yesterday and, to be honest, I didn’t think I was in the right headspace to do this interview. That feeling brought me to a part of Resistance, when you write, “I have looked up and out desperately talking to anyone saying, Help, please help

– I am not prepared for what is in front of me.” So, I put on my big boy boots today; you taught me how to do that.

I’m so proud of you. It’s not easy for anybody.

And yeah, I think everybody, Chris, in different ways because of different circumstances are being challenged.

How are you being challenged?

The unknowns. There are so many unknowns.

One of the main things I’ve been doing since I can remember is playing live for people, whether that was as a little girl at church, then weddings and funerals, and then turning pro at 13.

First, gosh, and you know this story: first place that gave me a professional chance, a venue, was a gay bar (Mr. Henry’s in D.C.).

And then from then on playing all kinds of different establishments. So not being able to play live with that kind of connection and collaboration with an audience has been a bit of a grief process, just knowing that that’s off the table for a while.

What you create thrives on having those in-person interactions and hearing people’s stories. When that doesn’t exist, where do you go?

Well, that’s a good question. I’ve compiled a lot of emotions from this experience, and hearing from people. People have been sending me questions with all the virtual sessions we’ve been doing. We’ve done about six virtuals, I think; my

brain’s hazy. But a lot of questions have come in. And people’s state of mind has really shown me the depth of this cataclysm and how people are being shaken to their core either emotionally, mentally or spiritually. And some people have physical issues that have really opened my eyes. I heard from somebody who doesn’t have antibodies, or I heard from somebody that they have real concerns of leaving their apartment.

There’s so many different ways people are feeling overwhelmed.

I get the impression the energy of the album you’re working on has shifted from the time you wrote the book. Where is the energy for this work currently?

The energy is whatever was true before the pandemic because it was talking about events that had happened and that were real whether that was someone’s personal experience or an observation about the corruption and our loss of democracy, and having a fragile democracy.

And it’s been shaken. Really shaken. And those foundations, some are being gutted from the inside out, as we know. So that material can still resonate. But there are other elements that have to get woven in because, like you said, you’re wrestling with having bad days. Everybody is.

And these are the kinds of bad days that have to be addressed in the music and what takes people to a bad day, and then addressing those things.

And with other songs it’s about how to help bring somebody out of that.

and the station there. That doesn’t exist.

One recent morning I was really missing my mother; we’re social distancing right now.

So I sent your song “Promise” to her, which you sing with Tash. She called me because she was so moved by the song and the purpose it was serving on that particular day. It brought us closer in that moment. It made me think of what you write about “Girl” in the book and how that song bent to the times in 2017 because it, you write, “understood that America was under attack.” Are there songs that you are aware of in your catalog that are currently experiencing a shift?

I’m waiting to hear that one. It’s happening right now, so I think there’s a little delay in me getting that info from the gang. But yeah, I’ll be curious to know what that is.

In the book, you talk about “Reindeer King” from your last album, Native Invader, and how it was, in part, written with your mother Mary in mind. For me, now, I hear it as a message to my mind to get back where it was before the pandemic.

That’s fair enough. And yeah, “Reindeer King” was many, many years in the making. It started as tiny fragments in 2006 for the Doll Posse rebellion (laughs) in a song called “Crystalline” and then it morphed and moved and was kind of just dormant. Dormant until it wasn’t anymore.

And there was a moment of Tash evolving and finding her voice, and Mary losing hers. And it I’ve been thinking about grief as it applies to was that paradox, that tension of the opposites our various experiences with this pandemic. that just shot me from either side, like an arrow What have you learned from your experience with grief, both personal and beyond, that could serve anyone and everyone facing grief in letting go of normalcy?

I have to thank (my mother) Mary for taking me through it because I went to a really dark place when she died in May of last year. It didn’t settle in until two weeks later when I was there with Tash and we were back in Florida on our own, and then it just took me to a place where I think people are going right now. Having been there recently, it’s been a long haul out of it.

I just came out of it around the new year, and then this happening and being thrown back into something we never experienced. We won’t be the same, and we can’t go back to where we were, Chris. It’s not back. We have to move forward. And we will see each other again. But not for a while, not in the way that we might have hoped it would be sooner.

So knowing that, there is a place for grieving.

I think it’s the right answer because by doing that then we realize that something bigger is happening to all of us. A change to our world.

We have to remember that with 9/11 a lot changed. War. All kinds of things. There were cities intact; there were other places that were physically decimated and the infrastructure had to be rebuilt. And this is the whole globe. There’s no place for us to go. We can’t hop onto Mars

made of light. So it didn’t wound me, but it kind of took me to the reindeer king.

What do you do as a creative person when your mind can’t hold space for anything but taking care of yourself?

Go eat some licorice. (Laughs.)

And that cures you?

(Laughs.) Well, you know, it might be licorice.

It might be popcorn. As everybody knows: microwave popcorn with some pepper. And then life can maybe just get a little bit better. But then, look, there’s some days it’s gonna be useless.

Then I go research and I get my notes down. I try to read something, whether I’m looking at an art book or a book of photographs. Drawings, paintings. If I’m reading, researching about something.

It could be anything. Tash comes in and tells me about some documentary she’s watching about how they’re building environmentally friendly houses somewhere and she says you have to check this out. (Laughs.) Then you kind of go, “OK. So that took me out of, ‘There’s no live music, kind of my Eeyore (mood).’” And I’m traditionally not an Eeyore. If we’re on the Winnie the Pooh pantheon, Chris, I don’t know who you are, but I’m not Eeyore, normally.

farm country. And I looked out the window and it was just a moment when this music was coming and I wasn’t writing it. That doesn’t happen all the time, but it was happening this morning. It was just one of those things where I thought, “Yeah. The Muses. They’re still there.”

Tori, thanks for this. You are one of the threads connecting me to home and the feelings of home and the people who remind me of home. I wish you and your family well.

I wish you and your mom and everybody well.

And guess what? I’m gonna see you when we’re out again. And God knows, it might be a year; it might be a little longer than a year. It might. But it won’t be endless, you know? When we can, we’ll be out there. And listen: Thank you, Chris, for putting those big boy boots on because I so enjoyed this. And I’m gonna tell Tash that your mom called you about “Promise”; that’ll give her a real twinkle.

As editor of Q Syndicate, the 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.

I’m a Piglet.

You’re Piglet? I love Piglet!

Who are you?

Tash thinks I’m a hybrid of Owl and Roo. She thinks I’m Roo when I get into my jumpy-jumpy side.

You seem a little Roo-like right now, actually.

I can’t see you, but I can feel your Roo energy.

It’s making me very happy, I will say.

Today was a good morning. That’s because the Bösendorfer that I tour with has not been well.

I can’t describe why; it’ll take too long. But just trust me: She needed some help. She had to wait until she was allowed to get the help she needed by the tuner; that’s been social distancing and going to the studio and then the touring piano is in the back … not a storage place, it’s got books.

It’s a nice storage. It’s a little library kind of place. I wouldn’t call it storage, but it is where it is stored, OK? So it’s in a little room, and it got fixed. It got helped. It was like the piano hospital back in the back.

And so I got up before the sun was up, really early, and I raced out. I just put on some trainers and raced out into this space on my own and started playing. I was playing something I’ve been working on for a little while for the new record, and then after a half hour this thing started to come through. And it’s called … hold on. I couldn’t hum it to you if my life depended on it. I just called it something. I think I called it “Bluebell Forest.” But the mist was coming in, and the sun was coming up. I saw rabbits in the distance. It was barely sunrise, and it was foggy.

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Joey is a Nashville native, and he moved to Atlanta in 2018. He works for Microsoft helping academic medical centers like Vanderbilt, Emory, etc. move their research and clinical work into Microsoft’s cloud platform called Azure. He describes himself as a huge geek whose gears get grindin’ over scifi, historical fiction, and Rick and Morty. So far, his life in Atlanta has been relatively low-key, but after this lockdown and pandemic are over, he is ready to extend his roots and build his next chapter in Atlanta. @kfprugger

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BY MAX JiMENEZ

A DEEPER LOVE THiS YEAR’S PRiDE WiLL BE DiFFERENT FOR ALL OF US. FOR MOST, iT WiLL BE A SOLO CELEBRATiON HAPPENiNG iN LiViNG ROOMS AND BEDROOMS AROUND THE WORLD. THAT DOESN’T MEAN iT HAS TO BE ANY LESS OF AN OCCASiON OR LESS MEANiNGFUL. THE SHOW WiLL GO ON! WE SPOKE WiTH SOME OF THE GAY TALENT WHO WiLL BE PERFORMiNG THE DiGiTAL PRiDE EVENTS TO SEE HOW THEY WiLL CELEBRATE THiS DiFFERENT BUT STiLL AWESOME PRiDE YEAR.

DAViD HERNANDEZ AMERiCAN IDOL WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF THiS YEAR? I’M SUPER PROUD OF THE COMMUNiTY OF ARTiSTS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER DURiNG THiS DiFFiCULT TiME. MOST OF US MAKE OUR MONEY OFF OF TOURiNG SO WE HAVE HAD TO ADJUST OUR WAYS OF EXPRESSiNG OURSELVES AND DOiNG BUSiNESS. HAS THE FiGHT FOR LGBTQ EQUALiTY ADVANCED OR FALLEN BEHiND iN THE LAST YEAR? I THiNK iN MANY WAYS WE HAVE ADVANCED, BUT WE NEED TO BE MORE PROACTiVE iN THE VOTiNG PROCESS AND ELECT PEOPLE THAT HAVE OUR LGBTQ RiGHTS AT HEART. PEOPLE ARE STiLL BEiNG KiLLED OR TAKiNG THEiR OWN LiVES BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE.

XCELLENCE! OUT RAPPER HAS THE FiGHT FOR LGBTQ EQUALiTY ADVANCED OR FALLEN BEHiND iN THE LAST YEAR? WHEN I CAN TURN ON HBO AND WATCH SHANGELA BREAK DOWN BARRiERS AND WALLS ALL OVER TRUMP’S AMERiCA ON WE’RE HERE HERE, I WOULD SAY YES, ADVANCES HAVE BEEN MADE. OF COURSE, THE BATTLE iS FAR FROM OVER! WiTH NOVEMBER’S PRESiDENTiAL ELECTiON AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT iS YOUR ADViCE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY? BUCKLE UP, BUTTERCUP!

LADY BUNNY

COMEDiAN, “CUNTAGiOUS” WHAT iS YOUR PRiDE MESSAGE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY THiS YEAR? STAYiNG CONNECTED WiTH MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNiTY iS EXTRA iMPORTANT NOW. IF YOU’RE GOiNG THROUGH iT, TEXT ME YOUR NUMBER. I HAVE NO COUNSELOR TRAiNiNG WHATSOEVER, BUT I GUARANTEE THAT A FEW MiNUTES ON THE PHONE WiTH ME WiLL MAKE YOU FEEL SANE BY COMPARiSON. WiTH NOVEMBER’S PRESiDENTiAL ELECTiON AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT iS YOUR ADViCE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY? HEALTHCARE iS A HUGE iSSUE FOR OUR COMMUNiTY DUE TO EXPENSiVE PREP AND AIDS TREATMENTS, GENDER REASSiGNMENT SURGERiES, AND TREATMENT FOR DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE. TiME TO HOLD POLiTiCiANS’ FEET TO THE FiRE

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PROJECT MOSES

OUT SiNGER, “BETTER MAN” WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF THiS YEAR? I’M PROUD OF HOW MY TEAM AND I ACCOMPLiSHED AND ALBUM THAT’S REALLY BEAUTiFUL AND I CAN’T WAiT TO SHARE iT WiTH THE WORLD. WHAT iS YOUR PRiDE MESSAGE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY THiS YEAR? I WAS SOMEONE WHO STRUGGLED WiTH MY SEXUALiTY SO MY MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNiTY iS TO SHOW COMPASSiON FOR THOSE WHO ARE STiLL TRYiNG TO FiND THEMSELVES.

JAY MAQ OUT SiNGER, “NO LOVE” HAS THE FiGHT FOR LGBTQ EQUALiTY ADVANCED OR FALLEN BEHiND iN THE LAST YEAR? TV, MUSiC, POLiTiCS, AND SOCiAL MEDiA ARE SATURATED WiTH DiVERSiTY SO THAT iS TRUE ADVANCEMENT! IT’S HARDER TO DiSCRiMiNATE AGAiNST SOMEONE WHOSE NARRATiVE YOU UNDERSTAND. WE HAVE TO KEEP LiViNG OUT LOUD! WiTH NOVEMBER’S PRESiDENTiAL ELECTiON AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT iS YOUR ADViCE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY? IT iS TiME WE RECLAiM OUR BEAUTiFUL COUNTRY!

MiCHAEL FAiRMAN

OUT SiNGER, “OTHER SiDE” WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF THiS YEAR? I AM MOST PROUD THAT I REMAiNED STRONG AND ViGiLANTE DURiNG THE CORONAViRUS PANDEMiC. I TOOK THE ANXiETY AND THREW iT iNTO MY WORK WiTH SOME COOL MUSiC PROJECTS I WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED. WHAT iS YOUR PRiDE MESSAGE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY THiS YEAR? LET’S BE GOOD TO EACH OTHER AND SET AN EXAMPLE AS A

UNiFiED FRONT.

BiG DiPPER

OUT BEAR RAPPER AND PRODUCER HAS THE FiGHT FOR LGBTQ EQUALiTY ADVANCED OR FALLEN BEHiND iN THE LAST YEAR? OUR CURRENT LANDSCAPE iS GRiM AND LEADERSHiP iS BiGOTED, BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN I’M NOT OPTiMiSTiC FOR BiG STRiDES TO COME iN THE NEAR FUTURE. PROGRESS WiLL HAPPEN, THE BiGOTS WiLL DiE OUT, AND CHANGE WiLL CONTiNUE TO HAPPEN. WiTH NOVEMBER’S PRESiDENTiAL ELECTiON AROUND THE CORNER, WHAT iS YOUR ADViCE TO THE LGBTQ COMMUNiTY? IF YOU’VE NEVER VOTED BEFORE, GET REGiSTERED. FiND OUT WHO YOUR REPRESENTATiVES ARE, YOUR LOCAL LEADERSHiP POSiTiONS, AND VOTE FOR THOSE WHO YOU BELiEVE WiLL REPRESENT US FAiRLY AND EQUALLY. YOUR VOiCE iS iMPORTANT AND YOUR VOTE MATTERS. GO TO PEACHATL.COM TO SEE MORE ON HOW ALL THiS OUT GAY TALENT WiLL CELEBRATE A DiFFERENT BUT STiLL AWESOME PRiDE THiS YEAR.

June 10 - June 17

Due to the ongoing pandemic, events on this page may get canceled or postponed, so don’t forget to keep up to date by visiting Facebook pages and websites to keep yourself informed on the status of an event.

Pride Month Virtual Film Festival Georgia Equality and Out On Film team up for an online film festival that kicks off June 11 with the immigration documentary “Unsettled.” The film series will premiere on watch.eventive.org and will feature several LGBTQ+-themed films and documentaries. The festival is free, but donations are accepted.

June 11, 7 pm watch.eventive.org

XION with Karlitos XION resident DJ, Karlitos, returns to nightlife after months of quarantine. Social distancing guidelines apply. Limited occupancy and online ticket sales only!

Sunday, June 14, 3 – 7 am BJ Roosters

The Armorettes The Armorettes emerge from their isolation pods to revive the longest-running camp drag show in Atlanta and beyond - and as usual, it is all for charity.

Saturday, June 13, 8 – 10 pm Heretic Atlanta

Protest Medic Training The one-day training will cover street safety, medic tactics, organizing, and how to treat the primary injuries we’re seeing in the streets. No registration needed.

Saturday, June 13, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm The Bakery Atlanta

Purple Rain at the Plaza Drive-In You can choose between two screenings of the classic cult rock musical, Purple Rain. Get your tickets through Eventbrite.

Wednesday, June 10 8:45 pm at Plaza Theatre Drive-In 9:00 pm at Dad’s Garage Theatre Drive-In

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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

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

clubs 13 Atlanta Eagle

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

fitness

retail 8 BarkingLeather

9 10 11 12

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

spa/bath 15 Flex Spa

28 | follow us @ peachatlmag

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

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When the world throws you Let be your savedandgay.com

Cheshire

ansley 21

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NE

Piedmont Park BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd

32 33 34 35 36

Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's

1510 Piedmont Ave Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd

Fitness 2201 Faulkner Rd NE

Spa / bath 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

clubs

30 Gravitee Fitness

e. nt mo ed

d.

Retail

28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino

39

36 38

Dining

26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

41

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20

BARS

24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

Av

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28

25 r eB

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26 35

24

20 BJ Roosters 21 Sequel 22 Tripps

42 The Den

40

32

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27

33

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29

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31

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34

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Manchester St. NE

Piedmont Rd. NE

22

42 L

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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 The T Woof's

1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE 465 Boulevard SE 494 Plasters Ave NE

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Bars & Clubs

& EDGEWOOD

MIDTOWN

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MARY’S

AMSTERDAM

1287 Glenwood Ave SE

502 Amsterdam Ave. NE

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ATLANTA EAGLE atlantaeagle.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

BLAKE’S ON THE PARK

SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH 466 Edgewood Ave SE

SWINGING RICHARDS swingingrichards.com

1400 Northside Dr NW

blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE

BULLDOGS

893 Peachtree St NE

FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

Dining MIDTOWN

Retail MIDTOWN BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com

306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

CHESHIRE SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

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

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10TH & PIEDMONT

GCB & PLEASURES

MY SISTER’S ROOM

991 Piedmont Ave NE

1510 Piedmont Ave. NE

66 12th St NE

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EINSTEIN’S

BARKING LEATHER

TEN ATLANTA

1077 Juniper St NE

1510 Piedmont Ave Suite A

FROGS CANTINA

Fitness

931 Monroe Dr

MIDTOWN

736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

tenatlanta.com

990 Piedmont Ave NE

THE T

modeltatlanta.com

frogsmidtown.com

465 Boulevard SE

G’S

CHESHIRE

gsmidtown.com

URBAN BODY FITNESS

219 10th St NE

urbanbodyfitness.com

HERETIC

HENRY’S

500 Amsterdam Ave NE

2069 Cheshire Bridge Road

132 10th St NE

BJ ROOSTERS

JOE’S ON JUNIPER

hereticatlanta.com

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CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com

bjroosters.com

joesonjuniper.com

2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

1049 Juniper St NE

SEQUEL

LA HACIENDA

1086 Alco St NE

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Spas/Baths/Adult

TRIPPS

900 Monroe Dr NE

MIDTOWN

1931 Piedmont Circle N

CHESHIRE

FLEX SPA

ANSLEY

LAS MARGARITAS

flexspas.com

lasmargaritasmidtown.com

76 4th St NW

1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

CHESHIRE

MIDTOWN MOON

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

FELIX’S

ROXX

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

THE HIDEAWAY

DEKALB

1544 Piedmont Ave NE

LIPS ATLANTA

MIXX

3011 Buford Hwy NE

mixxatlanta.com

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

THE DEN

thedenatlanta.com

2135 Liddell Drive NE

atldragshow.com

1492 Piedmont Ave NE

OSCAR’S

oscarsatlanta.com

1510 Piedmont Ave NE

WOOFS

woofsatlanta.com 494 Plasters Ave NE

EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK 30 | follow us @ peachatlmag

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10 THiNGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP BLACK LiVES MATTER END POLiCE ViOLENCE

Here is a list of action items to help this movement in the fight against systemic racism and the historical oppression of the Black community. Black Lives Matter.

REGISTER TO VOTE DONATE – iF YOU HAVE THE MEANS - TO FUND AND SUPPORT ANTi-RACiST iNiTiATiVES ASK YOURSELF, WHAT CAN YOU TO SUPPORT POC iN YOUR COMMUNiTY? CHECK iN ON YOUR BLACK FAMiLY, FRiENDS, COWORKERS, AND PARTNERS SHARE RESOURCES TO EDUCATE THOSE AROUND YOU READ UP ON WHAT iT MEANS TO BE ANTi-RACiST IDENTiFY YOUR PRiViLEGE AND CONDEMN iT STOP SUPPORTiNG CORPORATiONS THAT SUPPORT AND PROMOTE HATE BE A FiERCE ALLY AND ADVOCATE EVEN AFTER ALL THE PROTESTS END CONTiNUE TO DONATE TO THE ORGANiZATiONS YOU CARE ABOUT – THE FiGHT iSN’T OVER, EVEN THOUGH iT iSN’T HAPPENiNG iN THE STREETS! 32 | follow us @ peachatlmag

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The River’s Edge is open and invites you to come, relax and enjoy an escape in the country.

We practice social distancing and work to provide a safe environment.

RV Sites, Cabins, & Tent Sites Available!

Pool is Open!

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The Rivers Edge Campground, 23111 Pulliam Mill Road, Dewy Rose, GA 30634

E-mail your Peach Pits to mikkel@PeachATL.com

Will you stop posting thirst traps for 30 seconds and recognize the moment we’re in? Read the room!

Just tried making my own hand sanitizer and it came out as a margarita

2020 has been a nightmare, but a silver lining is that circumstances are forcing people to show who they really are. Take note!

That photo you posted of your gym progress in isolation didn’t make it quite to your legs yet, huh?

If your phone doesn’t ring.

It’s me.

I am also available for curbside pick-up!

Daddy Joke Alert Coronavirus is like a husband in the 50s - makes you give up on your dreams so you can start cooking and cleaning!

These days, daydreaming is my new form of planning for the future 34 | follow us @ peachatlmag

www.peachatl.com

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21) People will be drawn to you like paparazzi to a Kardashian today and, after being isolated for months, you won’t mind the attention. You’ll appreciate that the bars are reopening so you can do a few social rounds and enjoy the company of those you meet. They’ll like you, too, until you inevitably start stinging them with that pointed tail. Then they won’t be so enthusiastic.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21) It’s good to use your dreams as an insight to what’s going on in your subconscious. In your case, you may want to call a therapist. Perhaps he can best explain the type of dreams that would have Freud, Dr. Phil and the Amazing Kreskin baffled.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20)

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19)

During lockdown, your ability to take risk has decreased even more, but today, you might have to probe into unknowable depths today – like it or not! It’ll be strange and new, and you may stumble along the way, but you’ll enjoy the feeling of familiarity and confidence it brings.

You’ll know that you have made the right choice and that you have moved yourself and others along the way.

Today’s a good one for decision making. You’ve spent the last few months in isolation to build you confidence and do your research, so what you choose now is likely the right thing and a sure-fire winner. Word of this gift may filter to friends, who will ask you to make decisions for them. Kindly decline, because your superpowers only work on yourself.

CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18)

Your emotions will rage like a storm at sea today. The world is racing at an incredible pace and good news is becoming more and more scarce. The churning and upheavals of life will be enough to make a normal man nauseous. But you’ve navigated through tough times before, and this will run its course too. So take solace in the fact that smooth waters will come, and you’ll be even better prepared for rough waters when they blow in again.

During these difficult times, sentiments run high, and a fight with a friend or lover may have you feeling emotionally exposed today. There’s nothing worse than a knock down drag-out brawl with another to make you feel like crap. Offer an olive branch today, and maybe you can talk without coming to blows.

LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22)

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20)

You are fired up by the need to work for the greater good right now but be careful not to shift all focus to you. Yes, people will see that you put in the effort to make a change whether you post it to social media or not. Remember that all change ultimately starts with you, but it doesn’t have to be all about you…

In light of recent events, you need to prepare for a coming onslaught as your emotions begin to rage. You’ll question every aspect of your life shortly before bursting into tears. You’ll scream at people who ask what’s wrong with you, then fall into a pitiful display of self-loathing and despair. You know, just an average day.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22)

ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)

With all the things going on the world right now, your emotions will determine whether you’re prancing through fields of flowers today or shaking your fist at the storm clouds. It could go either way and the truth is, you won’t be able to control it. You’ll have people around you walking on eggshells, not knowing with which ‘you’ they’re dealing with.

The world is a rough place right now, so take some time to chill out and find some balance.

Today, focus on long-term goals and how you can work towards them to give you a renewed sense of purpose. Your mind has been one-tracked lately so expand your horizon, so you can smell the lovely roses you have zoomed by along the way too.

LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)

TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)

You’ve been pouring out of your empathy, because you feel thee world needs a bit of balance. But you know what? It’s okay to just do you and be selfish today. Do unto yourself today what you have done towards others, because no one else is going to. Make a list of your five favorite things to do, and rank them in terms of how recently you’ve made time to do them. Then do the one that is at the top of the list - you deserve it!

You have a tendency to cling to boyfriends with the strangling intensity of an anaconda. Strange, though, that no matter how tightly you coil, they still manage to get away. Perhaps a looser grip will keep them from running away in the first place.

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 have been married to my partner for many years, but some months ago, I had a brief and very intense affair with another man. We decided to break it off quickly, because we are both in longterm relationships, and we realized that what we were doing was putting too much at risk. But here’s the kicker: the sex was absolutely mind-blowing and a bit of a sexual awakening for me. I realized that I am into a lot of kinky stuff! Now, that I’m isolated with my husband, it has become very clear to me that the sex he and I have is just very bland, and I just don’t get turned on about it. We’ve talked about kinks before, and he has expressed that his comfort zone is limited. So, how do we move on?

I want to talk to him about my sexual awakening, but can that happen without mentioning the affair?

I want to be happy with him, but right now I am not being satisfied.

Sincerely Mind F**k Dear Mind F**k One thing is clear; you need to talk to your husband about something! Somehow, you have to make it clear that you have to start doing things differently in the bedroom if this is going to last. Apart from having a mind-blowing affair, there are plenty of other ways to realize new kinks and discover new desires - like the freakin’ internet! Where you can start the conversation is to make a list of desires and kinks (be honest now!), and when you compare lists, there may be dross-references! Plus, it’s a good conversation starter either way, and you need to start talking to each other about sex and desire, because you had an affair because of it, and that will likely happen again if this isn’t resolved. And there are several options to consider and weigh in when it comes to fulfilling sexual needs in a longterm relationship. Have thought about opening up the relationship or maybe seeing a sex therapist together (just to mention a few options)? Even though you have been together a long time, there are plenty of ways to expand both of your comfort zones.

I have a ‘lockdown sex buddy’ and during quarantine, we have hooked up a couple of times. He is very hot and sexy, but the last few times, I have noticed that he wasn’t quite clean ‘back there.’ I don’t demand that guys douche their guts out, but I do prefer that they are somewhat clean, because poop anywhere near my penis is the biggest boner killer there is. How do I bring up the subject of cleanliness or ask him if he’s clean? I don’t want to shame or embarrass him, but this is kind of important to me.

Again, I don’t demand that he is squeaky clean, just nice and fresh, I guess?

Sincerely Don’t Want to be That Douche Dear Don’t Want to be That Douche I once had a boyfriend who didn’t wear deodorant, so if he weren’t freshly showered, I would start our sex in the shower. Maybe that could work for you too?

Without so much as telling him, you are showing him that when he is clean, you are so much more turned on by him. You can even go as far as to comment on how much you enjoyed that he was fresh and clean, and hopefully, that will sink in. It certainly worked for me with that ex-boyfriend! Once you are both more comfortable with each other, you can possibly bring up that you – generally speaking – like when guys are clean but that you don’t expect a full-on douching regimen. You are already very aware of the fact that something like this can be embarrassing for someone, so keep that level-headed sense of sensibility, and you’ll be just fine.

NEED ANSWERS? SEND YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS TO MIKKEL@PEACHATL.COM 36 | follow us @ peachatlmag

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