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The 25th Anniversary of the World’s Largest Pride Celebration commenced this past Labor Day Weekend with a host of community engagement, informative panels, cultural hightlights and numerous nightlife events. As always, Meak Productions’ National Black LGBT Division, History of Black Gay America was present and on the scene, along with other known photographers and media outlets, to capture “History In The Making”.
While many events have already been documented, many are being displayed for the 1st time in this publication, such as Atlanta Black Pride’s 25th Anniversary Reception, Blue Diamond Entertainment, Poison Ivy Ent & The Cartel, A Taste of Ebanman Network Event Preview, Kevyn Mines’ Book Signing, Superman & Friends Final Fantasy Exotic Revue, iElevate Fashion Show and many others.
A Special SHOUT OUT and Thanks to Peach ATL Media, and Seven Photography for your contributions to our Atlanta Black Pride 25 Recap! More Photo Coverage Online at: www.peachatl.com and www.facebook.com/historyblkgayusa.
ATLANTA BLACK PRIDE 25TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION!
Photos By Meak Productions,
FOR MORE EVENT PHOTOS, VISIT: www.facebook.com/historyblkgayusa
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY, BUDgET-FRiENDLY WEEKNigHT MEALS
by Mikey Rox
For some full-time career folx, making dinner after a long day at work (yes, even WFH) is the last thing they want to do.
It’s much easier to call for takeout or click through Grubhub and have it delivered. But we all know what’s wrong with that: It’s neither healthy nor cost-efficient.
Believe it or not, making good-for-yourbody-and-bank-account meals isn’t difficult. It does take a little more effort, however, than ordering in. To help you establish a routine that will have you eating better and spending wiser, consider these easy tips.
Research meal ideas and write them on a board. In my kitchen there are no less than 25 cookbooks and culinary magazines, the pages of which are packed with recipes. If you’re stockpiling titles from your favorite foodies, dust them off and dive in. Each week, choose five simple, five-ingredient (if possible) recipes that you can make in under a half hour. When you’ve chosen your meals, earmark or photocopy the pages and write the names of the dishes next to days of the week on a dry erase or chalkboard. Assigning meals to certain days will take the guesswork out of the what’s-for-dinner dilemma and it’ll help you get excited to try something new.
Schedule time to go to the market each week. If you’re not going to the market once a week, you’re not going enough. The problem with food shopping every two weeks or once a month is that the healthy items won’t last until your next trip, which means that in the meantime all you’ll have to survive on are processed products. Schedule an hour or two to fill your fridge with healthy foods each week, say, on a Sunday morning. Just be sure to go after you’ve chosen your recipes for the week (and eaten breakfast) so you can be sure to get all the ingredients you’ll need (and not fill your cart with unnecessary items because you’re hungry while shopping).
Keep healthy foods at your fingertips. My boyfriend is the perfect example of why this works; he only eats what he can see without moving anything in the fridge. It’s sort of an out-of-sight-out-of-mind thing for him – and it’s beneficial. By keeping healthy foods close (strawberries don’t last in my fridge if they’re in plain view) and the junk food tucked away (but neither do Cheez-Its, so I try to hide them), you’re more likely to pick up a carrot stick than a potato chip.
Host a mini-dinner party so you have a reason to cook. Cooking for one is a daunting task, and it’s not that fun. But it can be if you cook under the mindset that you’re pampering yourself with a delicious, doesa-body-good dinner. Still, there will be times when you have two pork chops in the package but only one person to eat them. Whenever this is the case, invite over a friend or two for dinner. You can even let them get in on the action by helping you in the kitchen. If a mini-dinner party isn’t possible, no worries. But don’t make both pork chops, because then you’ll run the risk of overeating. Prepare one and put the other in the fridge for another meal.
Prepare smaller portions on smaller plates. Ask any nutritionist and they’ll tell you that we eat too much. And why? Because our dinner plates are too big. Therein lies the Catch-22. When the plates are large, so are the portions. The solution? Downsize your dinnerware. Tapas or appetizer plates are perfect for one-person weeknight meals. You’ll probably feel the hunger pangs immediately after you make the switch, but they’ll go away in a week or two – because your body has a remarkable ability to adjust. Eventually your stomach will shrink to accommodate the smaller portions, which will leave you feeling less hungry after time.
Limit eating out to the weekends. This requires discipline – and it’s easier said than done, but if you’re committed to eating healthier and saving money, you’ll find a way to make it work. First, throw out the take-out menus. You know what you want from your favorite places and it’s easy enough to go online to find the menu, but if they’re not staring you down and whispering your name, you’re more likely to forget about them. Another way you can avoid eating out during the week is to make a week’s worth of meals in advance. Spend a few hours on Sunday preparing several chicken breasts that you can cut up and add to dishes like lettuce wraps, salads, wholegrain pastas, and soups. If the good stuff is handy and ready to eat, chances are you’ll eat it instead of waiting 30 minutes or more for the junk to arrive at your door.
TINA DEVORE
ATLANTA DRAG LEGEND & TRAILBLAZER
Sunset: September 5, 2021 Memorial Tributes written by Miko Evans for Meak Productions, Inc.
Born Cliff Taylor, Ms. Tina Devore was one of the 1st Black Female Impersonators to intergrate the White Gay Clubs in Atlanta, and 1 of the TOP Performers to be billed with Drag Legends, Charlie Brown, Lilly White, and many others as part of Charlie Brown’s Cabaret.
Tina was also the mentor & best friend of the late Lady Chablis. She introduced Chablis to the Art of Drag when she was 18 at the FoxTrot Club in Tallahassee, FL. Tina is also the 1st Ms. Black America 1985, and has numerous pageant titles.
I remember the 1st time I met and performed with Tina back in the mid 90’s. This was after I won the weekly Wednesday night Talent Showcase that used to be held at Backstreet, where you had to Sing LIVE. Tina was a part of the Gospel Girls on Sundays at the old Crazy Ray’s (now known as Mixx Atlanta). I was invited to come and share the stage with her, and Tina CAN SING!!!
That was the 1st Time and last time I saw Tina in person. A Moment I Will NEVER FORGET. Rest In Paradise, Tina. You Have TRULY EARNED your place amongst our Ancestors. R.I.P.
Archbishop Rev. Carl Bean (Sunrise: May 26, 1944 - Sunset: Sept. 7, 2021) was the Founding Prelate of the Unity Fellowship Church Movement, the world’s 1st Black Liberal Affirming Denomination welcoming the LGBTQ+ Community and Allies, founded in Los Angeles in 1982. Before starting his historic church, Bishop Carl was known as a renowned lead singer, songwriter, performing artist, and producer working with some of the music industry’s greatest projects and legends. It wasn’t until his record deal with the historic Motown Records that made him an icon in the LGBTQ movement. He recorded the historical classic & 1st Gay Anthem, “I Was Born This Way.” The song became one of the first club hits of the gay liberation movement, popularized by disco DJs around the country throughout the 80s. The song also became the title of his first book, released in February 2013. Bean founded the Minority AIDS Project (MAP) in 1985 to address individuals’ needs within the Black and Latino communities living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles. On May 26, 2019, the Los Angeles City Council designated the intersection of Jefferson Blvd. and Sycamore Ave. as “ARCHBISHOP CARL BEAN SQUARE.” to honor his numerous contributions to the L.A. LGBTQ Community. The Father of Black Gay Spirituality will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! Rest Well, Bishop!
REV. CARL BEAN
SPIRITUAL
LEADER, PIONEER & LEGEND
Known as the 1st Black Actor to make Black Queer Masculinity Iconic, Micheal Kenneth Williams (Sunrise: November 22, 1966 - Sunset: September 6, 2021), originally from Brooklyn, NY, began his career as a performer by dancing professionally at age 22. After numerous appearances in music videos and as a background dancer on concert tours for Madonna and George Michael, Williams decided to seriously pursue acting.
MICHEAL K. WILLIAMS (ALLY)
VETERAN ACTOR, FORMER DANCER, TRAILBLAZER
Williams made his feature film debut in the urban drama Bullet, after being discovered by the late Tupac Shakur. He is best known for his remarkable work on the HBO 5 Season series, The Wire. The wit, humor and sincerity that Williams brought to the Black Gay gangster character named Omar, earned him high praise in the Industry and the LGBT+ Community as a genuine Str8 Ally.
He’s final Gay Role was in the cancelled but popular HBO series, LoveCraft County, where he played a closedt Gay Father. R.I.P. Brotha,
JT EVENTS - LIVE AT THE MARQUETTE LOUNGE! (Photos by Meak Productions)
Peach Scene @
LET’S giVE ’EM SOMETHiNg TO TALK ABOUT
by Jamie Kirk
Many people have perfected how to appear like everything is “fine,” while in reality their life is literally falling apart. The art of being able to avoid the question, “How are you doing?” even though they ask everyone else is a work of art. Dodging the questions around “What’s up for the weekend?” or “Do you want to come over and hang out?” are seamlessly answered with, “I wish I could, but I’m busy.” Busy with their mind analyzing events that have already happened, could potentially happen, or may never happen. The busy option is just a default that we use when we really don’t want to do it in the first place. Additionally, being busy is a distraction and/or avoidance from what we don’t want to face.
In the African-American community, mental illness is real yet often unclaimed. And by unclaimed, I mean not acknowledged. This is not about the medical diagnosis, but more about feeling overwhelmed, having anxiety, or just an unsettled feeling that your life is out of balance.
Even though it may not seem like many people are suffering from mental illness, just look at these numbers.
Almost 13.4 percent of the United States population identifies as Black or AfricanAmerican, which among the U.S. population is roughly estimated to be 42 million people. Of which, reported mental illness is just at about 16 percent. To give you a visualization, that is a number that equates to the number of people that live in Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia combined.
It is important to note that the numbers being reported are surely less than the actual. In the African-American community being known as the “crazy cousin” or “the one that got sent up North or down South” or “the aunt that had the breakdown” is shameful. At holiday events, people stare and whisper. You are asked questions by the little people under age 5 but old than age 2, like “Where do you live?” or”My mommy said you talk to yourself sometimes.” You are positioned as the Black sheep of the family that just could not cope with life’s reality like everyone else. No one bothers to explain how it happened or when it happened, they
just know you are perceived to be off your rocker.
The data suggest that overall, mental health conditions occur in the African-American community at about the same or less frequency than in White Americans. However, based on a history of mistreatment, a legacy of being “tired of being tired,” Black people are exhausted from protesting, fighting (not physically), and having to prove that equality is for all (not just some), can cause trauma and stress-related illnesses more often than our white counterparts. These stressors absolutely impact the emotional and mental health of both youth and adults. So, yes, the data suggest one thing, but the reality is very much different for those that struggle to make it through the day.
There are so many options now for people that seek help. For those people that admit to themselves “something feels off” – there is help. There are advocacy groups, support groups, counselors, doctors, preachers, etc. that are able to offer medicinal help.
Sometimes that is a medicine that can be prescribed, therapy sessions that can be attended, so yes, there are strides being made. However, despite all of the progress made over the years, systemic racism continues to have an integral part in the mental health of African-American people. Many of the negative stereotypes, attitudes of rejection and oppression, have decreased, but continue to occur with measurable, adverse consequences. The current state of police mistrust is layered with bad memories and horror stories that have not seen African-American’s best interests.
Mental illness is real. Being depressed is real. Feeling down is real. It is not your imagination. It is not a dream. The bad feelings are truly bad feelings. The stigma of mental illness needs to go away. The narrative around seeking out help makes you weak, needs to be diffused, and not given the power to be viewed as truth. The only thing that will help fight mental illness in ALL communities is to acknowledge it, accept it, treat it and recover from it.
No judgment and no quick fixes. We are all in this together.
A
TASTE OF EBANMAN PREVIEW SOCIAL (Photos by Meak Productions)
IVY ENT & THE CARTEL feat. K.MICHELLE (Photos by SEVEN Photography)
POISON
SUPERMAN & FRIENDS - LIVE AT 840ATL (Photos by Meak Productions)
KEVYN MINES’ BOOK SIGNING @MIXX ATLANTA (Photos by SEVEN Photography)
BARS
4 Fr iend s 736 Ponce De Leon Ave
6 My Sister’s Room
BARS & CLUBS
MIDTOWN
ATLANTA EAGLE CLOSED atlantaeagle.com
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St 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
modeltatlanta.com 465 Boulevard SE
hereticatlanta.com 2069 Cheshire Bridge Road
of Gay
bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
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
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 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
DEKALB
LIPS ATLANTA atldragshow.com 3011 Buford Hwy 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
FITNESS
URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com 500 Amsterdam Ave N
CHESHIRE GRAVITEE
STAY iN ‘TRiP’-TOP SHAPE WHiLE TRAVELiNg
5 WAYS TO KEEP THE DOCTOR AWAY WHiLE YOU’RE ON VACAY
by Mikey Rox
Falling ill on a getaway – whether for work or pleasure – is the pits. Save the wheezing and sneezing for the comfort of your own bed (and your boo’s bedside manner) with these healthy travel habits.
1. Boost your immunity and proactively protect your health while on public transportation
Up your vitamin C intake before departure; carry a water bottle to stay hydrated; and use hand sanitizer to reduce the amount of germs to which you’re exposed from tray tables, door handles, and bathroom facilities. Bring your own relaxation essentials, like pillows, small blankets, and eye masks, to avoid carrier-issued items that have been handled by others.
2. Skip the sugar; choose snacks of substance instead
While there’s plenty of opportunity to indulge away from home, keep your diet in check (at least while you’re en route) by stuffing your carryon with healthy nuts like almonds, protein-packed granola bars, beef jerky, and other munchies that travel well and help you feel fuller longer.
3. Limit alcohol consumption, and defend your system against its dehydrating effects
Dr. Carolyn Dean, a California-licensed MD and nutrition expert, recommends taking B1, B3 and B5 supplements pre-flight if you plan to drink, and magnesium during the flight to support the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme that breaks booze down and eliminates it from the body.
4. Find time to exercise, even if it’s quick
Staying active will help you avoid that recreational rut that leads to feeling run down. To stay on track, Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute Expert Adam Friedman suggests taking the stairs whenever possible and doing body-weight exercises, like pushups, wall sits, squats and lunges, right in your room. Some hotels are making it easier to stick to your regimen, too: In addition to $5-a-day workout clothing and shoe rentals if you forgot to pack your gear, Westin Hotels provide “Running Concierges” at select locations who lead groups and advise guests on the best places to jog around town, while all Kimpton Hotels provide Gaiam yoga mats and a yoga channel in every room.
5. Remember, you still need your Zzzs
Getting proper shuteye on the go is a feat unto itself, but a good night’s sleep is essential to keeping immunity at peak performance.
“When choosing a hotel, get a room away from the elevator or ice machine, and make sure the window shades work properly,” says Dr. Robert S. Rosenberg, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day.
“Avoid bright light within a few hours of falling asleep at your destination,” he adds. “Bright light will hinder your ability to fall asleep; however, exposure to bright light in the morning at your destination will help to facilitate sleep at night.”
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels
September 15th - 21st
Ritual: Hocus Pocus @ Heretic | Sept. 17th (10 PM)
Goth Industrial Night. $10 Cover. 21 and up! Vaxx card required!
DJ Lechter and DJ Cazio!
Opening Day Beer Bust @ The Hideaway | Sept. 18th (4 PM)
Happy SSL - Opening day!
Dropdead “Just Fun” & “competitive fun” are hosting an opening day beer bust at the Hideaway. Come have fun and enjoy opening day shenanigans for the 2021 fall ball season!
Our charity organization is AWARE!
$10 beer bust, Jello Shots, Raffles, And more!
If you can’t make it but would like to send a donation… you can send to: Venmo - dropdeadatl | Cash app - $dropdeadatl
GayBowl Beer Bust/Cornhole Tournament @ Oscars | Sept. 18th (4 PM)
$10 All You Can Drink Beer. Cornhole Tournament ($40/Team)
Jell-O-Shots. Raffles throughout the event benefitting National Flag Football League of Atlanta
Leather Luncheon @ WOOFS (Chris' Birthday) | Sept. 19th (1-5 PM)
Join World Cub 2019/2020 Chris Gonzalez for our Leather Luncheon at Woofs! It’s September so we are celebrating all our Virgos, and it’s Chris’ birthday party!
So come celebrate in your leather with music by Mister Richard! It’ll be sure to be a fun time!
Bottom's Up! A Drag Brunch @ City Winery | Sept. 19th (11:30 AM)
Wussy Mag presents Bottom’s Up! A Drag Brunch with Trinity K Bonet, Tamisha Iman & Aiden Zhane from RuPaul’s Drag Race on September 19, 2021
Enjoy a boozy brunch and a show with some of Atlanta’s best drag performers including Trinity K Bonet, Aiden Zhane, Tamisha Iman, Nicole Paige Brooks, Ellasaurus Rex, Malachi and more!
Doors open at 11:30AM, show starts at 1:00PM.
Music Midtown | Sept 18th - 19th (12 PM
Music Midtown features a diverse lineup of over 30 artists across 4 stages. Be it rock and roll, hip hop, pop, electronic, or anything in between, Music Midtown has been Atlanta’s premier festival for music lovers of all kinds since 1994.
Dear Peach,
The past year has been incredibly difficult for me emotionally. I have lost friends and it feels like it is never ending. Every week it feels like we lose someone else in the community.
How can I start to take better care of myself emotionally so as to not feel down trodden as much as I do now? It's really worrying me that I am becoming more and more depressed. I've never struggled with depression before.
So first things first; let's normalize depression a little bit
What you gotta understand is that there is definitely a wave of depression across the world with the lack of human interaction that we have had. That being said, there are ways to gather without feeling isolated in your home. You can still go out and socialize, but be safe when doing so. Covid has completely changed the way we go about things and how we interact, but the human spirit needs interaction to survive. So, find a way to do just that. Connect and make friends that can be part of your Covid bubble if you choose to go that route.
Secondly, in the normalizing of depression, we need to normalize getting help from a licensed professional. There are apps out there like TalkSpace that you can find help through; virtually. I believe there are also apps that work on sliding scales based off what you can afford. But feel free to talk to someone. Mental health is important and needs to be discussed.
You have an amount of love and patience for people that can often be taken advantage of, until you dont. People are upsetting you fast lately but you still have hope that things will change soon too. Your peers are going to either treat you better, or they are going to feel your wrath soon.
You need to disconnect from everyone's drama this week. You have done enough to try and help everyone around you but you can only do so much before you are truly exhausted. This week, fill your life with the friends who do not bring the unnecessary drama and fill your life with joy rather than drama.
You have been focusing on the negatives too much. This week, try to focus on the way that you can put a positive spin on things in your life. If you choose to restructure your thinking, there will be an abundance of joy coming to you in the coming week. Spread love and you will see how the universe rewards you.
Everyone around you is rethinking their career path, and it is making you wonder if it is time to rethink yours as well. While you are content in your job placement currently, there might not be a ton of room for growth which is getting under your skin. How you proceed with this decision is going to impact a great deal of aspects in your life, so make sure that you actually weigh your pros and cons first!
During this new season, your curiosity is piqued by new endeavors. You have been taking a lot of new information in and you are finally starting to really understand it all. You have an interest in learning new things, so why not try and learn as much as you can? You never know what lies ahead. You might make a great teammate for trivia this week!
This season is all about rebirth for you! While you are sitting at home wondering where your life is heading, make sure to take a moment and see where the toxicity is coming from in your life so you can cut some of that out. There is no need for the negativity and you certainly dont want to carry that over into the next stage of your life. Act fast, but rationally.
This is a time for you to reflect. You have so many people in your life that have contributed to your successes, and many who have contributed to some negativity. However, your hindsight makes you see the positive aspects of their involvement in your life and you have done nothing but strived for greatness. Continue down this path in lieu of some negative news that you are going to receive this week.
You love to help others by providing constructive criticism, but you often flinch at the idea of receving it yourself. Take your lens of criticism and turn it on yourself in order to see if you are truly practicing what you preach this week, Aries. You may find that your advice needs to be applied to your life in some aspect.
This week is a week for creativity, Taurus. You are going to feel a burst of creative energy at the beginning of this season and it will slowly carry through the entirety of Virgo season. Find different ways to express yourself freely and authentically so as to not waste this wave of expression!
Selff-care is at the top of the priority list this week, Gemini. Virgo season calls for you to take time for yourself and enjoy just being a bit of a homebody. Do not feel pressured to go out or be social any more than you are prepared to do. Others can often drain you of your energy, and this week is a week for replenishment!
This might be a good time to get away for a weekend, Cancer. While you are thoroughly enjoying being around other people in apost-lockdown world, you are also realizing that you are spending a lot of unnecessary energy on people who are not contributing to your life. Take some time to recooperate and enjoy the time away. You need it.
Splurge just a little this week, Leo. You have some extra cash saved up and it's time to indulge in that thing you've wanted for some time now. However, make sure that while you are getting ready to make that purchase you are also looking to the future and setting aside more money for your personal future. Don't get crazy!
