Peach Magazine V5-I25 | SELF(ISH) by David Atlanta Magazine

SELf(isH) Pushing for Black ‘Femuline’ Acceptance Todrick Hall talks reinvention, industry bias and what drives his advocacy 7 Acts of Self-Care You Should Already Be Doing

There is no place like a new home

FTK is BACK(Pack)! By Mikkel Hyldebrandt

Atlanta’s season of fundraisers is in full swing – next up is For The Kids’ Backpack In the Park that raises money to buy backpacks for children, so they can get ready for school to start. Peach spoke to FTK President-Elect Stacy Brown, who has been involved with the organization for almost ten years, about the online fundraiser and upcoming (inperson?) events from FTK. Last year, For The Kid was forced to cancel all inperson events because of COVID but managed to do some substantial fundraising nonetheless. Can you tell us about the initiatives you have implemented in the last year? We are still using social media to promote our incredible organization and reach our community. This year, we are excited to launch our new website and new platforms to make fundraising efforts easier. We have introduced fundraising through PayPal and Cash App with recurring donation options along with the new website. Check it out at forthekid.org! Next up is Backpack In The Park, which will not be inperson but an online fundraiser with a silent auction. Why did you choose to keep everything virtual still? We made the decision to keep Backpack In The Park virtual in the spring before we knew any limitations on any in-person events. Our goal is the safety of all our beneficiaries and patrons during this time! So far, the fundraising seems to be going well. What have you done differently this year? We saw the success of last year’s fundraising via Facebook, and we decided to bring that aspect back to help support our needs. We encouraged our board to utilize social platforms to bring more awareness to For The Kid and set personal fundraising goals that were easily achievable. The generosity through all of our friends and family has been overwhelming! Can you reveal any details of the exciting silent auction for Backpack In the Park? Whether you enjoy sports or night at the theater, we’ve got you covered! Relaxing massages, dinners, and much, much more! Check out our online Silent

Auction from July 18 - 24, 2021, at forthekid.org. So, the question on everybody’s mind regarding charitable events: How about Toy Party? Will it be inperson this year? Maybe you should start shopping for that perfect Toy Party outfit. Stay Tuned! What would a dream scenario for Toy Party be? Our dream scenario is to have an in-person Toy Party this year and be able to mix and mingle with the community! Give hugs, and thank everyone in person. We’re so excited to learn what For The Kid has in store for us – anything you’d like to add? Thank you to all of our sponsors, our community of patrons, our donors, our beneficiaries, and our amazing volunteers. Your generosity of your time and love to ensure kids are ready for school or making a kid smile during the holidays warms all of our hearts at FTK! A special thank you to Ruby Redd and Midtown Moon for your love and kindness. Also, thank you to this incredible 100% volunteer board; without you, our success of For the Kid In All of Us would not be possible. For The Kid’s Backpack In the Park online fundraiser and silent auction is July 18-24. Please donate and place your bids at forthekid.org.

PRESENTS

2021 VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER

with the Please ﬁll it pplies: following su t Folders 6 Two-Pocke books 2 Spiral Note iller Paper 2 Packs of F (Wide Rule) Pencil 1 Hand-Held Sharpener lored Pencils o C f o k c a P 1 (12 Pack) Binder 1 Three Ring 1 Ruler 1 Glue Stick cils 12 No. 2 Pen yons 1 Box of Cra

VIRTUAL SILENT AUCTION JULY 18-24 DISTRIBUTION JULY 25

Help Georgia’s kids in need start the school year oﬀ right:

WITH A NEW BACKPACK AND SUPPLIES!

Donate today at forthekid.org!

@PEACHATLMAG

PEACH PEACH RECOMMENDS:

ontents

MEDIA & PRINTING

There's no place like a (new) home.

PEACH MEDIA

Guac Y Margy's Friends & Fam

at Amsterdam Walk

I PAGE 08 N

Starting the process a mere seven weeks ago, owners were excited to get to work on creating a new space that catered more to the Midtown clientele. As ATL continued to hear word of various businesses that had vied for the coveted spot at Amsterdam Walk but failed to secure the space, the new tenants are a pleasant surprise as opposed to another highrise off the park.

6050 Dawson Blvd, Ste O Norcross, GA 30093

MANAGING PARTNER & OPERATIONS Brian Sawyer brian@peachatl.com

The service was full of smiles and laughter SALES from old and new staff opening the| EVENTS new & BRAND location and the night went over well with all AMBASSADOR those who attended.

T H PAGE 14 I S

Their Friends and Family dinner which had full staffing, and ticketed entrees and drinks for attendees went over smoothly with servers and bartenders getting to know close friends of the owners, long time business supporters and members of the community that were invited by friends of the bar. The food came out relatively quick, with little to no mistakes from the kitchen which only speaks the the efficiency of the business owners in making the leap of faith in the space a mere 7 weeks ago.

JULY 14, 2021 V5-25

Josh King

Josh@peachatl.com Near the end of the evening after withholding his third cry of the evening, owner Troy Meyers addressed the big questionEDITORIAL on everyone's mind: What was going to become of the large MIKEY ROX space that had been closed for so long under Brian Sawyer previous ownership? Graphics "We hope to open the space soon and have Chris Gonzalez big plans for it", they said.

chris@peachatl.com Social Media & More

Plans for the space include a bacchae ball court and cornhole with the walls of the game SALES hall adorned with plaques of patrons| DISTRIBUTION who Andrea Dwyer purchase a $100 gift card to help the business andrea@peachatl.com get up and running. You receive your placard, a shot glass, a koozie and other accoutrement.

I PAGE 28 S S U E

CONTRIBUTORS

The community seems ready for the space to open and according to "gay-gossip" many MIKEY ROX organizations have reached out to theKING space SCOTT to host their next events atRUSS GYM, BOWEN-YOUNGincluding Socializers Club organized by Roger Rutkowski. BLOOD

EVE KUCHARSKI

The grand opening is scheduled for July 18th and will be full of tequila specials, of course! The bar has already announced their plans to NATIONAL AD participate in NAtional Tequila Day the Rivendell Media following weekend, as well.

REP

908.232.2021

From all of us at Peach Magazine: WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK GUAC Y MARGYS! -Christopher Gonzalez LaCorte

PAGE 38 ONLINE

peachatl.com

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.

WWW.KINETIC-HOMES.COM

HELPING OUR COMMUNITY GET HOME (404)531.5700

(404)713.4360

DARRYL@KINETIC-HOMES.COM

REALTOR. INFLUENCER. ENTREPRENEUR.

@DARRYLM_RESOURCEREALTOR

Pushing for Black ‘Femuline’ Acceptance

Todrick Hall talks reinvention, industry bias and what drives his advocacy By Eve Kucharski

Todrick Hall is serving bitch but making it, as he says on his latest record, fashòn. The album’s title, “Femuline,’’ is exactly as it seems: the blending of feminine and masculine attributes to create a greater, queerer whole. That theme serves as the perfect narrative for an artist who has made a music career out of reimagining classic stories like “The Wizard of Oz” and “Cinderella” through his own creative lens. The difference this time, he says, was that there was no “pre-existing blueprint.” “It may exist, but I’ve never heard a song talking about how you can be both: you can be a prince, you can be a princess; you can be the bride, you can be the groom. And that was very interesting for me to explore,” Hall says. “But it was uncharted territory as far as I know.”

imagined. Hall recalls a distinct moment on the Broadway stage when another Black performer in “The Color Purple” pulled him aside and told him that he was never going to get away with mediocrity. “And in every Broadway show that I’ve ever been in, I had to tumble,” he says. “I had to be doing backflips and leaping across the stage, and riffing and singing high, and understudying 8 billion roles while I saw my counterparts that were a different race come in and give, in some cases not even a mediocre performance, but the skill set that was required for them [to succeed] was lower,” Hall says. In some ways, Hall says he views the high standards society places on him as a compliment, as an expectation to only bring the best quality to his work. Yet he recognizes their deeply problematic nature, racist origins and the consequences those standards have on both himself and fellow Black performers.

Full of club-ready bangers that seem tailor-made for Pride season, “Femuline” is Hall’s “open love letter to the LGBTQ community,” he says. An already queer experience is made queerer thanks to both LGBTQ+ and allied icons like Brandy, Tyra Banks, TS Madison, Chaka Khan, “You expect Black women to get up and and, of course, Hall’s signature Broadway out-sing everyone on the stage. If she vocals. doesn’t sing ‘And I Am Telling You’ or ‘I Will Always Love You,’ then why is she So far in his career, Hall has been part of there?” he says. “To me, I think a Black multiple Broadway smash hits, secured a woman should be able to get up and sing spot as a recurring guest judge on “RuPaul’s ‘Part of Your World’ from ‘The Little Drag Race” and amassed a whopping 44 Mermaid.’ The reality is that there are million views on YouTube with his 2019 a lot of people who are musical-theater “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels” breakthrough performers that, if they can’t deliver single. Considering Hall only made the a gospel Jennifer Holliday-, Jennifer move to Los Angeles a decade ago, it’s Hudson-, Beyoncé-esque performance, all the more impressive that his hard-won their opportunities to perform and exist in successes have been so consistent and entertainment are almost nonexistent.” plentiful. Not even the vision board that To Hall, one of the keys to dispelling the he created upon his permanent move out stigma that still persists around identity, West could’ve prepared the Plainview, whether conscious or not, is to push for Texas, native for everything he has representation whenever possible – not accomplished at this point in his career. only of Black entertainers but those who “It wouldn’t have included any of these are LGBTQ+ as well. things because I wouldn’t have had the courage and the wisdom and the diversity “Some days I wake up and I’m like, ‘You and the acceptance and the permission should be grateful for the things that you from society to be able to put things on have.’ But then there are other days where there,” Hall says. “As a dreamer, I still I’m like, ‘You can count on one hand, even limited my dreams at that time.” without using most of your fingers, the He says that shortly after breaking into amount of gay men who have come out the industry he realized that, because and been gay when they were popular on of societal stigma and bias, his identity the radio,’” he says, lamenting that he’s as a Black gay man would only make never heard a man sing a love song to achieving his goals more difficult than he another man on mainstream radio.

He adds that Hollywood’s acceptance of Black queer artists in 2021 isn’t enough: “We’re accepting breadcrumbs when we should get a slice of bread at this point.” Hall believes that it should be a requirement and not an exception for radio stations to play same-sex love songs as a means of normalizing ideas of LGBTQ+ acceptance. Really, though, he’s out of patience for people who use a handful of examples of Black representation in popular culture as an excuse to say that visibility is equitable. “People can make the decision to be like, ‘Yeah, there wasn’t a lot.’ Or they can bring up the fact that Oprah existed and be like, ‘That’s enough,’ when that wasn’t enough,” Hall says. That extends to LGBTQ+ artists, too. He points to Lil Nas X’s “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” as an example of audacious content created by a talented Black gay artist who’s seeking to break free from societal expectations of what Black queerness should look like. “He probably knows singing a song that’s just a format that the Jonas Brothers, that Shawn Mendes, that James Arthur, that Ed Sheeran, that Sam Smith have been able to do would not be enough,” he says.

10 | follow us @ peachatlmag

His passion about this topic and advocating for representation in his work comes from a personal place. A place, he says, that was born of being told “no” because of his Black, queer identity. It’s those roots that inspired him to take on advocacy projects outside of music like being the face of Morphe’s “Live With Love” palette whose full proceeds will go to benefit The Trevor Project. But as vocal as he is about causes he cares about, Hall doesn’t feel every artist needs to be required to use their platform for advocacy — it’s just the “cherry on top” if they do. Looking ahead, it won’t be until 2022 that fans will get to see Hall perform “Femuline” live, seeing as how COVID-19 has thrown things off-kilter for nearly every touring artist’s schedule. But until then, there’s no question about what he needs to do next: “knock down walls and barriers so that the people that come after me are able to just strut without having to stress out [about] the things that I had to worry about that made me believe that I could never accomplish my dreams.”

www.peachatl.com

(404) 642-7350

12 | follow us @ peachatlmag

Atlanta’s #1 DUI Attorney

www.peachatl.com

| 13

7 Acts of Self-Care You Should Already Be Doing by Mikey Rox

Life comes at us fast, and it’s getting easier and easier to get lost not only in our circumstances but also in the world around us. Work, friends, family, politics, relationships, past relationships – they all affect us, and not necessarily in a beneficial-toour-wellbeing kinda way. That’s why it’s important to step back from it all on regular basis, take stock of our own physical, emotional, and mental health, and give ourselves the selfloving that we need. Here are seven ways to start today. 1. Cut the bullshit and get back to basics Sometimes you just need to reset, and that means concentrating on your necessities instead of the frivolous BS that consumes your time and energy and, in all likelihood, makes you love and enjoy yourself even less. Clear your head. Get enough sleep. Drink more water. Eat healthier. Exercise several times a week. These are your start-over

essentials; none of the other crap matters until your most primitive requirements are met to the best of your ability. “In addition, start each day with a self-care moment,” adds worklife balance expert Suzanne Brown. “Don’t check your phone first thing to avoid kick starting your stress. Instead, do a mental self-care check-in before you get out of bed. Take a few moments to see how you’re feeling. Then you can make mental adjustments so you’re in a better mindset for the day. It will help in your interactions with your family and co-workers.” 2. Set a daily reminder to take a deep breath I listen to a syndicated morning radio show, and one of the cohosts reminds listeners every hour of the show to take a deep breath. I look forward to it every day. Totally one of those things we take for granted, but which can help out a great deal when

we’re feeling stressed. Certified health coach and yogi Angela Rocchio agrees. “Breathing deep is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body,” she says. “This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body which slows down your heart rate and decreases your blood pressure.” To maximize the effects of your deep-breathing routine, Rocchio suggests sitting comfortably with your eyes closed after setting a timer for two to three minutes. Allow yourself to inhale and exhale; do each for the count of five seconds. “Try not to judge yourself for being distracted when distractions come up,” she continues. “Our brains are just doing their job. When distracted, bring yourself back to the breath. It gets easier over time. Just know that we all struggle with it – even those that have been practicing meditation for years.” 3. Power down and shut those screens off I’m a slave to my screens, and

you probably are too. That’s precisely the reason why I need to go on a social media hiatus occasionally – at the very least deleting the apps from my devices, but sometimes deactivating my accounts temporarily so I don’t tempt myself so easily. It’s worked in the past, and I feel infinitely lighter than when my face is glued to Facebook and Twitter, allowing myself to be affected by all the soul-eating negativity day in and day out. Dr. Colleen Carroll, bestselling author of Hooked on Screens, details more of the detrimental effects of our digital addiction. “Adults check their phones approximately150 times a day,” she reveals. “This is shortening our attention span, creating a tech dependence and and instant gratification cycle with social media and gaming, and, at the very least, causing ‘tech neck’ and other back problems. “Our relationships are suffering, too. We don’t talk to our spouses as much and we communicate with most friends via Facebook instead of picking up the phone. Strong interpersonal relationships are the key to a healthy emotional state at all stages in life. Screens are | 15

interfering with making, and keeping friends.” Start small – maybe an hour or two a day – and expand your time offline as you feel necessary. Put your devices away an hour before bed, too. It’ll help your brain relax and get into sleep mode for a more restful night. 4. Escape and let yourself be free Physically escape when you can – even a quick vacation can revitalize you – but also allow yourself to be yourself, and that might be off the beaten path. For instance, when I’m feeling particularly stressed and compressed, I like to get naked. But that doesn’t have to mean sex. Happy-ending massages and nude beaches are a great way to kick back and unwind, but I’ve also enjoyed getaways to clothing-optional resorts, like

the Grand Resort and Spa in Fort Lauderdale, where I can let it all hang out in privacy without anybody batting an eye. (A wink my way never hurts though.) 5. Find the sunshine – inside and out Make a list of all the great things about yourself and everything that’s going right in your life – even if it’s just a few things. Review that list and remember that while it may seem like you have it bad (or maybe not as good you’d like), there are people out there who have it much worse. Chances are you’re actually quite blessed with your lot in life, comparatively. When you put it into that sort of perspective, you won’t have much left to complain about. Get out into the sun too – with a proper SPF, of course. It’s scientifically proven that exposure to the sunlight

improves our mood among many other benefits, so when you’re feeling down seek the ’shine. 6. Learn to love being alone with yourself I’m an extremely social person, but I schedule ‘me’ time at least once a week. Usually that means taking my pile of magazines to a Starbucks to read, but I’m a huge advocate of doing all manner of things alone, including having lunch with me, popping into a nice restaurant for a couple glasses of wine with me, and seeing movies with me. I really enjoy it, because I’m a big fan of me. It’s time for you to be a big fan of you, too. 7. Practice gratitude, everyday

“Studies show that practicing gratitude has a multitude of good effects, and writing down what you’re grateful for each day can be particularly rewarding as well,” says Amy M. Gardner, certified professional coach with Apochromatik. “But even if the most you can muster is thinking of one thing each morning in the shower, do it. You can improve your mindset and outlook with just that simple exercise.” Words to live by. Mikey Rox is an awardwinning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels.

We all have so much for which to be grateful, but we rarely recognize it – and that has to change.

| 17

Peach Scene @ Photos by Russ Bowen-Youngblood MIDTOWN MOON LENA LUST BIRTHDAY & KIM BELL

graphic design / digital trategies / branding / web design / content reation / business dentity / banners / graphic design / branding printing / web design / ocial media management advertising / project ontent creation / wide ormat printing / branding printing social media management / project window graphics / branding / printing /

business is blooming. Let us help grow your brand.

Certified LGBTBE® 404.692.6980 / valiantmarketing.com @valiantmktg

IT’S with Host

DeWayne Morgan $5 Smirnoff Cocktails

TUESDAY !

Weekly at 8:30pm 1st place wins $50 bar tab, $25 for 2nd, $15 for 3rd

THE PLACE TO BE !

1544 PIEDMONT AVE, NE, ATLANTA, GA 30324 ANSLEY MALL BEHIND PUBLIX | 19

| 21

Peach Scene @ Photos by Russ Bowen-Youngblood MIDTOWN MOON LENA LUST BIRTHDAY & KIM BELL

CARSON COWAN REALTOR® c. 404.998.9944 / o. 404.874.0300 / carson@carsoncowan.com / CarsonCowanRealEstate

Atlanta Fine Homes, LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

LET’S CHAT

with Marci and Ginger

A Talk Radio and chat show by Atlanta legendaries Marci Alt and Ginger Nichols

Let’s Chat is an official Talk Radio Show of Peach Media and co-produced & sponsored by Meak Productions, Inc.

Join the dynamic duo as they explore current issues, share life experiences, and dive into the topics that you want to hear about!

Tune in to the next live show on Sunday

07.18.2021

Marci & Ginger chat together about topics you want to know about! With special guest interviews!

Available on peachatl.com, meakproductions.com, and Mixcloud.

Peach Scene @ Photos by Russ Bowen-Youngblood NEW FACES @ FRIENDS ON PONCE

Peach Scene @ NEW FACES @ FRIENDS ON PONCE

Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s 40

A life (so far) in four decades by Scott King

“Every 10 years or so, I feel like a brand new person.” -Grandmother of a friend, at her 90th birthday party The 1980s Childhood isn’t childhood. It’s actually just puberty biding its time. All the cute magical moments that your parents remember about your childhood are stuff that happened before you turned six. Stuff you can’t remember. Stuff you did that was adorable from the years before you got stuck in the matrix of school and education and the portion of childhood that is basically just pre-adolescence. My childhood feels like 14,000 years ago. It’s sunlit. It’s mobile. It’s long afternoons of TV in the den and sports outside and family and quiet time in my bedroom reading or looking out the window. It’s the drama of playing with the kids in the neighborhood. It’s the time when I was first realizing that I wasn’t a native-born resident of planet Earth. I was a sky goddess. I had a scooter and everything. We didn’t have selfies back then, but somehow we still knew what we looked like. “Selfie” literally wasn’t a word. Not that narcissism was frowned upon, it just had to be sneakier. Narcissism in the ’80s was exhibitionist. You had to pump iron in your basement (the gym was for bodybuilders and retirees only) in order to get people to look at you. Other people’s eyes were your selfie. So I did stuff. I played piano. I played tennis. I wrote short stories with droll endings. By the end of my childhood, I had become a very serious young homosexual. I studied classical music and opera and art and dreamed of a better life. The ’90s In order to look inward you must first look outward. As my body was experiencing puberty, I latched onto popular culture. I discovered rock music – R.E.M. and Nirvana had multiplatinum records just as my hormones were kicking in – and I got into subversive TV shows like “Roseanne” and “The X-Files.” Life was a mystery. I was ready to go searching. As most adolescents do, I started to move away from and mildly resent my family life while burrowing more deeply into my social life and friends, the identity roulette of junior high and high school. I quit playing sports and started punk bands. We were totally original and definitely didn’t sound at all like Nirvana or Bad Religion. It was really, really fun. Adolescence is an unnatural social construct of modern life, but boy is it a useful one. In my teens I got to make all the good and bad decisions I would continuing making in my 20s, but with a warm place to sleep and nervous-but-patient parents to guide me, even if part of that guidance was just to be a buoy to push away from. Anxiety is not a 21st-century invention. There was loneliness in the late-20th century. Alienation. Depression. There were also hormones.

our president just because he wants to. Looking back, outside the realm of politics, it was a harbinger for things to come. Desire creates reality. Preppy white thugs in south Florida bum-rushing a recount can reshape, in advance, the entire history of a century. That’s how it works, but I was not ready to handle it back then. I was self-medicating and joy riding through higher education. I loved it. I became self-consciously extroverted and a larger version of myself, and I still managed to jump through all the necessary hoops, with panache. Then I ran out of hoops. Adult life washed over me like a wave. I tried to remember how to swim, but nothing prepares you for the vastness of that ocean of adulthood. Nothing. Not a bad childhood. Not a good childhood. Not homelessness or boarding schools. So I waited tables and applied to grad schools and went to grad schools and graduated grad schools. More hoops, but they didn’t seem like hoops this time. They seemed like walls that I was scaling en route to reaching the mountaintop. By the end of the decade I had passed the Bar and moved to Atlanta and I had a job and everything. Life begins at 30. The 2010s, a pandemic, and the joy of turning 40 Looking back, my 20s were just a training ground for the independence and adult life of my 30s. My social life was different and took more effort now, but the quotidian realities of my 30s were smoother and much more pleasant. Work. Gym. Weeknights jamming on the internet. Weekends jamming on the pavement. It sure beat the hell out of writing term papers and figuring out what to do next with my life. I got very meta, before it was cool. I thought, I’m in the prime of my life, or a prime of my life, or at least a peak in the rollercoaster. Then the Trump era and the birther movement happened. Then the pandemic. I turned 39 in the summer of 2020, and I thought the world was going to end. I had good reason to believe it would, and having the age of 40 looming in the background didn’t help my outlook. As I got closer and closer to 40, something happened. Something snapped. In June of this year, the first post-pandemic Pride month, I realized how mainstream LGBTQ life had become. I looked back to June 1981, when I was born, and when, five days after I was born, the New York Times published its first article on a rare cancer found in homosexual men. It would later be called GRID and then AIDS. It was not a good decade for the gay community. Forty years later, I’ve only lived a small bit of time, but what a drastic change we’ve seen. Openly gay men are formidable candidates for president, and hardcore hip-hop radio stations are dedicating chunks of their programming to Pride month. I am overwhelmed by the progress and the present moment.

Sweet, sweet hormones. Pushing me to joy to rage to frustration On my 40th birthday, a weight lifted. I had been born again. and to sexuality. Trust me, I smoked every ounce of my hormones, Something about round numbers. I felt young. I felt fresh. I felt like and I looked at the cigarette butts with instant nostalgia. anything is possible. By high school I had come out to my clique of friends (there was no ubiquitous internet yet or button to push to tell the whole world something, anything). I was just then discovering the joys of being myself with my trusted companions and swimming through life together.

Biden is President, Trump is not, and I no longer have to wear masks in most public places. Whatever stress, anxiety and existential dread I feel is on me. There are still people out there who want to bum-rush democracy and the rule of reason and law, but there always will be.

Being a teenager is the transition from the kiddie-pool clusterfuck of childhood to the ocean of the adulthood. It’s like swimming laps next to the boardwalk, knowing that there will be furtive smokes and Skee-Ball afterwards. Forever.

I may live to be 140. I may live forever (look it up, it’s called “postmortality”). In the next 10 years, my goal is to figure out how to enjoy life for the next hundred years. Or forever. Whichever comes first.

Then you go to college.

Happy birthday to me.

The ’00s AKA “The N’aught-ies” On election night 2000, before everything changed, I was on a date with my boyfriend. We were very stoned. We went to dinner and snuck into the bar. I was 19, and saw on the TV that Al Gore had won Florida. Great! America and the Clintononian ’90’s would carry on into the next century, albeit in a much less groovy or intriguing form. Hadn’t Gore said something about getting legal recognition for civil unions? That would be cool. Anyway, let’s roll another joint. We went from dinner to see a little film called “Meet the Parents” in the theater. When we came out of the theater and back down to earth, we got in the car and on the radio it was Bush’s voice saying, “I’m not ready to concede. I’m not ready to concede. I’m just not ready to concede Florida.” I was so stoned, I just assumed I was tripping. I still kind of do. This cannot be real. This dumbass prep school punk cannot actually be

“Scott King writes and lives in midtown Atlanta. He likes to go for long, long walks with no destination in mind. If you see him out walking, please say hello.”

Amsterdam Ave.

12th St. NE

NE ve . tA

Piedmont Park

Pi e

Juniper St. NE

14th St. NE

Monroe Dr. NE

MIDTOWN

10th St. NE

. NE

oe Dr

e. NE Piedmont Av

Juniper St . NE

Peachtree St. NE

Monr

Charle s Alle n Dr . N E

W. Peachtree St. NW

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

Spring St. NW

4th St. NE

Ponce De Leon Ave. NE

Dining

BARS 2 Blake's 3 Bulldogs 4 Friends

227 10th St NE 893 Peachtree St NE 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

6 My Sister’s Room 7 Ten Atlanta

66 12th St NE 990 Piedmont Ave NE

9 10 th & Piedmont 10 Campagnolo 11 Einstein's

fitness 14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE

spa/bath 15 Flex Spa

30 | follow us @ peachatlmag

991 Piedmont Ave NE 980 Piedmont Ave NE 1077 Juniper St NE

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

www.peachatl.com

When the world throws you Let be your savedandgay.com

Cheshire

ansley

NE e.

ge Rd Brid Ches

36 38

on tC ir .

Piedmont Park BARS

20 BJ Roosters

2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd

22 Tripps

1931 Piedmont Cir NE

Dining 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd

Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights

BARS

24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx

25 ge

26 35

id Br

hire

hir

e ll D

. NE

Pi e

Lidd

x Rd

Manchester St. NE

Piedmont Rd. NE

Le no

Lambert Dr.

St.

A l co

1510 Piedmont Ave Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd

32 33 34 35 36

Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's

1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 1544 Piedmont Ave NE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

Retail 39 Boy Next Door 40 Barking Leather

1447 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

Fitness 41 Equilibrium Fitness

1529 Piedmont Ave, Suite L

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

clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino

2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd

Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness

2201 Faulkner Rd NE

| 31

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

SNAPS BARS & CLUBS

ANSLEY

MIDTOWN ATLANTA EAGLE CLOSED atlantaeagle.com 306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE

MIDTOWN MOON 1492 Piedmont Ave NE

BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE

THE HIDEAWAY 1544 Piedmont Ave NE

BULLDOGS 893 Peachtree St NE FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR friendsonponce-atl. com 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE MY SISTER’S ROOM mysistersroom.com 66 12th St NE TEN ATLANTA tenatlanta.com 990 Piedmont Ave NE THE T modeltatlanta.com 465 Boulevard SE CHESHIRE HERETIC hereticatlanta.com 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road BJ ROOSTERS bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE

FELIX’S 1510 Piedmont Ave NE

MIXX mixxatlanta.com 1492 Piedmont Ave NE OSCAR’S oscarsatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave NE WOOFS woofsatlanta.com 494 Plasters Ave NE EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD MARY’S marysatlanta.com 1287 Glenwood Ave SE SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH sisterlouisaschurch. com 466 Edgewood Ave SE

DINING MIDTOWN 10TH & PIEDMONT 10thandpiedmont. com 991 Piedmont Ave NE EINSTEIN’S einsteinsatlanta. com 1077 Juniper St NE FROGS CANTINA frogsmidtown.com 931 Monroe Dr G’S gsmidtown.com 219 10th St NE HENRY’S henrysatl.com 132 10th St NE

RETAIL MIDTOWN BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com 1510 Piedmont Ave NE CHESHIRE SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE ANSLEY BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1447 Piedmont Ave NE GCB & PLEASURES brushstrokesatlanta. com 1510-D Piedmont Ave. NE

JOE’S ON JUNIPER joesonjuniper.com 1049 Juniper St NE LA HACIENDA lahaciendamidtown. com 900 Monroe Dr NE CHESHIRE LAS MARGARITAS lasmargaritasmidtown.com 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

ROXX SWINGING RICHARDS 1824 Cheshire swingingrichards. Bridge Rd NE com 1400 Northside Dr DEKALB NW LIPS ATLANTA atldragshow.com 3011 Buford Hwy NE

FITNESS MIDTOWN URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com 500 Amsterdam Ave N

CHESHIRE

GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com 2201 Faulkner Rd NE

SPAS/BATHS ADULT FLEX SPA flexspas.com 76 4th St NW CHESHIRE

CLASSIFIEDS

Atlanta’s premier for as little as

LGBT MAGAZINE

P R E M IE R G R O U P E N T E R P R IS E S IN S U R A N C E

855-435-6565

UP TO $100,000

GUARANTEED ISSUE LIFE INSURANCE

35 per week! $

IF YOU CAN ANSWER “YES” TO THIS QUESTION DO YOU WORK MORE THAN 20 HOURS PER WEEK AND ABLE TO PERORM THE DUTIES OF YOUR OCCUPATION?

YOU ARE INSURABLE! Email jeff@peachatl.com for more information.

IMMEDIATE DEATH BENEFIT NO HEALTH QUESTIONS! GET COVERED TODAY BY SIMPLY USING THE LINK BELOW https://enrollment.enroll1st.com/products.php?id=100047566 www.premiergroupentins.com

THE PEACH TEA

weekly bar schedule

BLAKES

BJ ROOSTERS

BULLDOGS Hookah Night @ 8 PM

**NIGHTLY DANCERS**

Hookah Night @ 8 PM

T Latino Night

Hookah Night @ 10 PM

Taco/Tequila Tuesday @ 8 PM

Hookah Night @ 10 PM

Karaoke Night @ 8 PM

TR F S

FELIX'S

HERETIC

FRIENDS

S Featuring DJ KINZIE M

Stars of The Century @ 10:30 PM

Karaoke Night @ 10 PM

W Featuring DJ AF

WarpedZone @ 6 PM

TR Featuring DJ K2

Country Night @ 8 PM

F Featuring DJ AF

Check Facebook for Events

S Featuring DJ AF

Mix Tape Sunday Night w/ DJ Darlene

HIDEAWAY

LIPS

Check Facebook for Events

MARY'S

S 80s/90 Videos @ 12:30 PM, Honey Pot @ 7 PM M Nick at Night (Industry) @ 8 PM T Trivia w/ DeWayne Morgan @ 8:30 PM W Sex & The ATL Martini Night @ 8 PM TR Game Night w/ DJ Darlene @ 9 PM F Fuck It Fridays w/ DJ Mister Richard @ 10 PM

**CALL FOR NIGHTLY SHOW RESERVATIONS** Twisted Broadway

Hump Day @ Mary's | $5 Thicker, Longer, Fuller Thursdays | $5 Queer Bait | $5 Cover

S Love Saturdays w/ Tristan Hartman @ 10 PM

34 | follow us @ peachatlmag

www.peachatl.com

drinking schedule THE PEACH TEA

MIXX

MOON

Heifer Review @ 1:30 PM Other Side of the Moon @ 9 PM

MSR

2-4-1 @ 7 PM (No Cover)

M Flavors of The Moon @ 9 PM T

$3 Tacos (ALL DAY) Latina Divas @ 10:30 PM

Sessions ATL @ 8:30 PM, $5

W Ruby Redd's Birdcage Bingo @ 9 PM

Switch - A Queer Dance Party @ 10 PM

TR Kit Katt Karaoke @ 9 PM F

R&B Night @ 10 PM

Mama Mya's Talent Show @ 9 PM Madams of the Moonlight @ 11:30 PM

Fem Fridays @ 8 PM

S Divas & The Divo @ 11:30 PM

Secret Saturday @ 11 PM

OSCAR'S

TRIPPS

THE T

Live Music @ 5 PM

Free Lunch @ 3 PM

M Messy Monday Karaoke @ 10 PM T W Fireball, Trivia and Drag w/ Misti Shores @ 9 PM Karaoke @ 9:30 TR

DJ Lowe Ki @ 8 PM

"Friday Night Skin"

DJ Lowe Ki @ 10 PM

WOOFS

X ATLANTA

10TH & PIEDMONT/G'S

S M Poker Night @ 7:30, 1/2 Price Wine

Funk & Soul Martini Mondays @ 7 PM

T CLOSED WRetro Video Night w/Mister Richard & Wing Wed. TR$5 Burger Day (ALL DAY)

X After Dark| Show at 12 Midnight

F Sangria Fridays S

Party on the Patio @ 4 PM

Karaoke @ 10 PM

July 14th - 20th

The Devil Wears Prada (15th Anniversary!) @ Plaza Theatre | July 14th (7:30 PM) WUSSY Wednesdays returns indoors FINALLY with our monthly campy feature fantastico to celebrate the HERSTORIC 15th anniversary of "The Devil Wears Prada"! Hosted by local drag beauty, Molly Rimswell and Szn Alxndr! * Prizes for the best Miranda Priestly, Florals for Spring, September Issue worthy lewks! * All ages welcome * We encourage attendees to get rowdy, quote, & interact with the film. Doors open at 6:30pm. Arrive then, grab a cocktail, grab a snack & take some photos before the look contest. Film starts at 7:15pm. Switch!, A Queer Dance Party @ MSR | Wednesdays (10 PM) Make your way to SWITCH, a new queer dance party, happening Wednesday, July 7th - and every Wednesday after - to My Sister’s Room! Brought to you by the House of ALXNDR. Every week we SWITCH it up - new performers and new DJs. Come out to the debut of SWITCH, featuring the talents of: Brie Zee, Mavis Gary, Minty, DJ Lisa Couchlocker Hosted by TAYLOR ALXNDR Doors & music at 10PM.  Show at 11PM.  21+. $5 cover. OutWorlders Happy Hour @ Sister Louisa's Church | July 15th (7:30 PM) Hosted by OutWorlders, Atlanta's premier LGBTQ+ Sci-Fi and Gaming group, Join us at Sister Louisa's Church bar for drinks, hugs, and chit chat.

Joining Hearts Weekend | July 16th, 17th & 18th Join us on July 17th and July 18th for the 34th anniversary of Joining Hearts iconic Main Event as we are reunited TOGETHER ATLast! July 16th | Kick Off Party DJ Arjun Reddy @ Heretic July 17th | Joining Hearts Pool Party @ The Greystone at Piedmont Park July 18th | Tea of Hearts @ the Greystone at Piedmont Park Tickets are very limited, get yours at www.joininghearts.org Leather Luncheon@ Woofs ATL | July 18th (1-5 PM) Join us at Woofs Atlanta for our Leather Luncheon Sundays! Atlanta’s local leather community has temporarily lost their gathering place, and we are ready to host! Join World Cub Chris Gonzalez as he hosts our monthly leather luncheon with shots, auctions and raffles all benefitting Rainbow Railroad this month. NO EVENT IN AUGUST, SO JOIN US THIS MONTH! **Cigar/Pipe Social at 2:00 on the front patio.

Dear Peach,

ta lately. I have so ly isolated in Atlan dib re inc g lin fee I have been tegory and I have the "pretty boy" ca o int l fal o wh ds many frien a few compliments self. Even getting my t ou ab t ... tha t never fel est to the majority never been of inter ve ha I , this re g the llin d ca an here So I have been ch as my friends. mu as st lea at ll, we phase... my "Ugly-Duckling" of thinking but and negative way al on ati irr s thi p I want to sto dont know how.

Reader, this is something that I believe a lot of people go through but dont necessarily feel like talking about it. More people that ever have been feeling the effects of body dysmorphia from their time spent on social media following celebrities and "influencers". The amount of people I know personally who are "big" on social media because of their hot bodies and picture perfect lifestyles but yet their lives are honestly in shambles, is staggering. People will pick only the best things to highlight about themselves on the apps and social media. So therefore, to think that they have some perfect life that you dont have is absurd! Take a second to realize that even if you feel like you're going through your uglyduckling phase (a term I personally hate), you and everyone else experience it. There are highs and lows to how we feel about ourselves... that doesnt differ from person to person. Even the most beautiful person you know probably had body or self image issues at one point in their lives.

PEACH RECOMMENDS: There's no place like a (new) home.

Guac Y Margy's Friends & Fam

at Amsterdam Walk

As bars continue to unfortunately close in Atlanta, new spaces and tenants are opening in the abandoned store fronts around town. However, in the old Amsterdam Bar location off Monroe and Piedmont Park, we will see Beltline favorites Guac Y Margy's opening their second location in this spot. Starting the process a mere seven weeks ago, owners were excited to get to work on creating a new space that catered more to the Midtown clientele. As ATL continued to hear word of various businesses that had vied for the coveted spot at Amsterdam Walk but failed to secure the space, the new tenants are a pleasant surprise as opposed to another highrise off the park. Their Friends and Family dinner which had full staffing, and ticketed entrees and drinks for attendees went over smoothly with servers and bartenders getting to know close friends of the owners, long time business supporters and members of the community that were invited by friends of the bar. The food came out relatively quick, with little to no mistakes from the kitchen which only speaks the the efficiency of the business owners in making the leap of faith in the space a mere 7 weeks ago.

The service was full of smiles and laughter from old and new staff opening the new location and the night went over well with all those who attended. Near the end of the evening after withholding his third cry of the evening, owner Troy Meyers addressed the big question on everyone's mind: What was going to become of the large space that had been closed for so long under previous ownership? "We hope to open the space soon and have big plans for it", they said. Plans for the space include a bacchae ball court and cornhole with the walls of the game hall adorned with plaques of patrons who purchase a $100 gift card to help the business get up and running. You receive your placard, a shot glass, a koozie and other accoutrement. The community seems ready for the space to open and according to "gay-gossip" many organizations have reached out to the space to host their next events at GYM, including Socializers Club organized by Roger Rutkowski. The grand opening is scheduled for July 18th and will be full of tequila specials, of course! The bar has already announced their plans to participate in NAtional Tequila Day the following weekend, as well. From all of us at Peach Magazine: WE WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK GUAC Y MARGYS! -Christopher Gonzalez LaCorte

Gay Camping with Southern Charm!

Get the details on our website calendar.

Membership Required * Must be 21 to Enter

August 6 - 7, 2021 706-213-8081 www.camptheriversedge.com

The Rivers Edge Campground, 2311 Pulliam Mill Road, Dewy Rose, GA 30634

Atlanta’s ONLY Certified Printer

Let Peach Media putLGBTQ+ Atlanta in Print

graphic design / digital strategies / branding / web design / content creation / business dentity / banners / graphic design / branding printing / web design / social media management advertising / project content creation / wide ormat printing / branding printing social media management / project window graphics / branding / printing /

business is blooming.

40 | follow us @ peachatlmag

Let us help grow your brand.

Certified LGBTBE® 404.692.6980 / valiantmarketing.com @valiantmktg

www.peachatl.com

Your week is here, Cancer! It is your time to shine and let your true colors show! You have so much positive energy in your life this week and you need to embrace it with everything that you can. Focus on a project this week that you can shine in. You will be surprised at how much you can achieve when you restructure your thinking! You are going to have some relationship drama coming up this week, Leo. If you are in the mood for a new relationship, you need to slow your roll toots! You are moving too quickly and trying to find THE ONE. What you need to realize is that they might be right in front of you but you haven't been paying them any mind...

Miscommunication is going to be your downfall this week, Virgo. You are focusing on your careera lot lately and you have been neglecting your personal relationships. It's time to take ONE DAY to sit back and focus on those around you rather than your next move. It'll rejuvenate you and this week that is definitely something that you need! Your week is all about your personal identity, Libra. It is time for you to loosen up and express yourself a bit more freely. You have the ability to play the duality with your rational decision making. So, use that duality to decide what is the best way for you to express who you truly are. You err on the side of caution, so maybe let loose this week!

Open up this week, Scorpio. You are stubborn, and you know it. But this week it is the moment for you to see other's ideas and feel how they feel. You don't always have to be right (no matter how much you think you have to be). Listen to those around you who have opposing ideas and see if they are willing to maybe meet you halfway or collaborate!

42 | follow us @ peachatlmag

www.peachatl.com

You are ready to take a massive leap of faith and you need to hold off for the moment, Sag. You are inclined to travel this week, but you also have to pay attention to all the other factors that may affect you.: finances, home life, work, etc. Be rational in your decision making this week It'll make all the difference! Finances are your enemy this month, Cap! Over and over we have reported about your finances, but you don't listen! Haha. Take this week and try to put some money aside as opposed to spending it all. If you have a joint bank account with someone you might need to have a serious conversation about how you're spending. Boundairies, Aquarius! You have a moment this week that is dictated by the fact that you NEED to feel NEEDED. But by imposing this on your partner or friends this week, you might be driving them away from you instead of bringing them in. Find a way to cope and spend some time on your own. FInd strength in your own being! A family member is going to royally tick you off, Pisces. Your family is going to meddle in your personal business that they have no business being in. Your creativity is your strength this week, so allow yourself a few moments to be as creative as possible and enjoy it. Find a new way to spend time with those closest to you that embraces this side of you as well. Your goals are a bit out of whack this week, Aries. Allow your long term goals to take priority again! You have been focusing on the fact that you want your immediate gratification, and you need to put in the work for the long term. Focus in and make those strides you want to! You are going to have some family issues this week, but you need to realize that it has nothing to do with YOU. It is time for you to reclaim your time and tell your family that you are grown and they should act as such. They have been babying you for too long and you need to take back your life. Breathe this week, Gemini! You are going to have a solid rumble in your life this week but you need to focus on how you can make rational decisions, enjoy your week regardless and move past the drama at work. Always clarify all the facts before jumping to conclusions!