I am really concerned about my relationship right now. I am definitely not feeling great and it might be coming to an end. I am being as transparent about my feelings as possible but I am also increasingly worried about the outcome of things.
What should I do and how should I take care of the fact that they might not love me anymore?
There will always be a bit of caution in new relationships. What you need to ask yourself is the following:
Am I concerned about the relationship because of something my partner said or because of a previous trauma of instance that I am projecting onto the relationship? What kind of trouble is at hand? Is it a situational issue, emotional issue, personal or work related? If you can control it then great, but if not then it might just be manifesting itself in your relationship. What do I want to ultimately happen and do I see myself moving forward in a way that is going to make BOTH of us happy?
While you might want to hold onto a relationship that started really great, unless there is an even amount of effort being put on both sides... you can't assume that the relationship will ever be as it once was.
by Mikey Rox
Ways to Experience Orlando (Mostly) For Free
Looking for a quick getaway to boost your dark deep-winter mood? Say hi to our gaybors down in sunny Florida on seriously inexpensive trip to Orlando.
1. Stroll around Winter Park on a Sunday
Winter Park, a swanky-ish neighborhood a short drive northeast of downtown Orlando, offers a Sunday Funday’s worth of activities that starts with a farmer’s market where you can pick up justharvested vegetables, fresh-cut flowers, local honey, and more. Afterward, cut through the area’s Central Park, featuring fountains and a rose garden, to stroll along South Park Ave., where you’ll find a mix of high-end retailers, art galleries, and restaurants, some of which offer everybody’s favorite brunch deal –bottomless and BOGO mimosas. Add some culture to your afternoon by visiting the Cornell Fine Arts Museum on the Rollins College Campus, where you can enjoy a docent-led tour of the Alfond Inn at no charge; there’s no admission at the museum either. Best of all, abundant free parking is available just west of the Winter Park Amtrak station.
(one hour south of the city), is home to more than 1,000 plant and animal species on 11,500 acres. Hikers can enjoy several well-maintained trails that range from an easy halfmile trek around an upper pond to a six-mile hike that covers a large swath of The Nature Conservancy’s land; pack your sunscreen because most of the hike is under the open sky. There’s a welcome center with all the information you’ll need on making the most of your time, plus clean restrooms, and plenty of shaded lawn space to practice your birdwatching skills (I spotted a yellowbreasted chat while I was there) and throw out a blanket for a relaxing picnic.
3. Visit the Swans at Lake Eola Park
2. Hike the Disney Wilderness Preserve
While not technically in Orlando, the free-to-visit-and-park Disney Wilderness Preserve, in Poinciana
There are several features you’ll love at Lake Eola Park, including the Walt Disney Amphitheater (which hosts community events and performances on occasion), a fountain, playground, and Chinese pagoda (a nice backdrop for selfies), but what you might be most surprised by is the abundance of gorgeous swans and other waterfowl that call the lake home. When I visited in February, I spotted several duckling families and clusters of eggs in nests, which
signify a healthy breeding ground for these birds that can’t be found in many places. Take a lap around the park to enjoy this inner-city gem then pop into World of Beer just off the paved loop for a refreshing pick-me-up.
4. Resort Hop at Walt Disney World
I’m not a huge fan of all things Disney (don’t take away my gay card), so my trip to Orlando wasn’t going to include waiting in endless lines at its over-priced parks, but I did want to experience at least some of the “magic,” so I researched how to do Disney for free and produced two options – Disney Springs and the Disney Boardwalk, both of which offer free parking, no park pass or resort stay required. Once parked, you can experience these areas on foot (which feature restaurants and other entertainment options – I saw a movie at the AMC Dine-In at Disney Springs with a free pass I had saved) or you can travel from resort to resort via Disney’s sevenmonth-old Skyliner, free (and super fun!) to ride, which will zip you between five stations, including three resorts.
To access resorts not served by the Skyliner – like Animal Kingdom, where you can view safari animals, like giraffes, zebras, and gazelles –take one of Disney’s buses or boats (completely free) to create an entire day of fun without spending a dime.
Oh, and here’s a pro-tip if you’d like to have cocktails during your travels: Prepare your drinks ahead of time, bring along your favorite
Disney-branded cup, and ask for free ice at restaurants when you’re ready for a fill-up. Nobody will check your bag, and Disney allows opencarry adult beverages throughout its resorts.
5. Watch a movie with Chip ‘n’ Dale
Want to sing along and watch a movie with Chip ‘n’ Dale? Head to the Disney Wilderness Lodge and tell the parking attendant that you have a reservation at the Whispering Canyon Café or Trail’s End Restaurant. They’ll direct you where to park for free. Instead of going to the restaurant, however, hop a free shuttle bus to the Fort Wilderness Campfire and Movie area, where you’ll join the singalong and enjoy a visit from the beloved chipmunks. A full-length Disney movie will follow. A food truck is on premises along with a camp store that sells snacks and booze, but there’s no rule about bringing your own. Stock your backpack ahead of time, sit back, and relax.
Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He currently lives in his van, saving money and traveling the country. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyroxtravels
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PHOTOS
Jawbreakers Serve Delicious New Beats in Debut
EP, “Just A Taste’”
Featuring New Single and Video, “Boyfriend”
Just A Taste, the debut EP from the drag-duo DJ-production team known as Jawbreakers, dishes out dance, pop and tech house songs suitable for clubs and partygoers at home enjoying a late-night kiki. “ e EP is a sampling platter of beats with something for everyone,” says Kali Forni-Kate of Jawbreakers. “It’s Just A Taste, because there is 100% more to come,” adds her collaborator, Sabrina Babyslut. With songs like “ is Is Dirty” and “Ciao Bella,” the EP re ects the group’s live DJ shows that emphasize how Jawbreakers are not only playing the party, they are the party. “Boyfriend,” the EP’s rst release, is a modern-day remake of Ashlee Simpson’s 2005 hit that chronicled her stealing Wilmer Valderrama from Lindsay Lohan. e Jawbreaker version features vocals from Amunda (formerly from Operator Please). Its accompanying music video, directed by Nyssa Mitchell, conceptualized by Jawbreakers with editing and FX by Zachary McSweeney, is a technicolor dream, with Kali and Sabrina dressed in eye-catching lewks. e Just A Taste EP is being distributed through Extrovert Music, a division of Vicious Recordings, and will be available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms on April 1. Jawbreaker’s “Boyfriend” music video will be available on YouTube on January 21.
Kali and Sabrina rst met in 2016, performing in a Britney Spears tribute show in Melbourne. ey immediately clicked as both came from similar middle-class, nuclear family backgrounds, discovered drag via their passions for musical theatre, and began their individual adventures into the art form a er high school. When they learned of their shared interest in music production, they decided to join forces as a DJ duo. ey bought a mixer and six months later they were in business.
“ e biggest hurdle was deciding who stands where in the booth,” Kali explains. “Sabrina is le -handed and I’m right. We had to ght over who uses the le and right DJ decks. Swapping throws o our groove!”
eir Jawbreakers name harkens back to the iconic candy from their childhoods and the 1998 teen lm that starred Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart and Julie Benz as the “it” girl clique who reign supreme in their high school. “It’s a re ection on how the drag that we do is heavily inspired by pop culture,” Kali continues. “Like the girls in the movie, we dress to have fun and through the music we play and the energy that we exude, it makes everyone want to party with us!”
e duo has already headlined several international festivals including Sydney Mardi Gras and Milkshake Festival in Netherlands. eir next big gig will be Summer Camp Festival where they will perform alongside Years and Years, Big Freedia and e Veronicas. ey are also slated to perform the next Goodlife U18 event, as well as Adelaide Festival, St Kilda Festival and Melbourne Pride.
“We have been keeping an eye on Jawbreakers for several years,” says Damien Platt of Extrovert Music, a division of Vicious Recordings, the label that discovered Avicii when he was a teenager, and released his rst ten records. “When Kali and Sabrina presented us with demos of the EP, we were instantly fans of the music. It’s fun, its camp and its quality music.”
Jawbreakers is not Extrovert Music’s rst foray into gay dance oor music. Label co-founder Andy Van, of the band Madison Avenue, had a #1 dance anthem with “Don’t Call Me Baby”. More recently, Sgt Slick’s recut of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” went gold and has become a major queer anthem. “Extrovert Music is focusing on dance pop/disco/commercial/ cross over releases,” Platt continues. “A majority of our new signings and existing roster who identify as LGBTQIA+ are producing this sound.”
While Jawbreakers’ unique look has helped attract attention to their work, Sabrina admits that performing as hyper feminine drag artists has made it harder for fans and the music industry to take the duo seriously. “We’ve had straight DJs hit on us and others wonder who the random chicks were in the booth,” she explains. “But way more people have shown their support and their desire to see us succeed.”
“We’re lucky to live in an era when queer culture is proving that we can be a force in any and every industry,” Kali adds. “Never underestimate what a queen can achieve. It only makes us work harder.”
Jawbreakers’ “Just A Taste” is being distributed through Extrovert Music and is available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. e “Boyfriend” video will be available on YouTube on January 21. Follow on Instagram @ JawbreakersDJ
Winter Wonderland
By Scott King
Cold is not your enemy. It’s the wind chill that’ll get ya. The trees are bare. The grass is matte. It’s cold and gray outside. Atlanta is a different city in winter, and by winter I mean January and February.
That’s a good thing. Would you really want all year round to be summer, when the pretty boys are showing it off and making no apologies? Would you really want the only sport to be baseball? Would you really want the only food to be barbecue? I love a good pool party, but that chlorine really messes with my hair’s natural curl.
Embrace the winter. Embrace the cold. Embrace the changing seasons
while we still have them. Winter is a time for contemplation. A time for staying indoors, not that we haven’t learned anything about that in the last two years. But staying indoors on purpose. Leaning into our inner hobbit and finding a warm space in our respective holes in the wall that we can call the hearth, the home.
This all reminds me of an iconic scene from Season 6 of “The West Wing.” Josh Lymon has just walked into the lobby of a fancy hotel in New Hampshire. It’s January, and it’s snowing gently outside. In the lobby, he spots his ex-girlfriend Amy, who is greedily licking a thick ice cream cone stacked high with Rocky Road. Her tonguing motions are vaguely sexual. Maybe it’s just me.
Josh: Hi.
Amy: Hi.
Josh: A little cold for ice cream, isn’t it? I mean, you could have bought just cream.
Amy: I embrace the cold.
Josh: Okay.
Amy: I luxuriate in the cold.
Josh: Can I ask you...?
Amy: I fight cold with more cold.
Josh: What are you doing in New Hampshire?
Amy: I could ask you the same thing, but in your case it’s more of an existential question, now isn’t it?
Josh: When I want dark depressing thoughts about alienation and nothingness, I watch cable news.
Right on, bro.
learned to aim for the sweet spot of social life. Go out, do your thing, and then close your tab at 1:30 a.m. I swear to you it is the best feeling in the world. It is salvation. I’ve got all the extroversion out of my system for the next 48 hours. I know that once I close that tab and my escort and I go our separate ways in separate Ubers, I will be home shortly to play with my phone and watch “Golden Girls” until I fall asleep.
This iconic scene begs the question. What are we doing here? How are we adapting to our environment? Are we shivering in submission and acquiescence or are we fighting cold with more cold? Where’s my Rocky Road?
Binaries are underrated. You can get a lot out of life by seeing it as a study in opposites. Of transitions. Change is the only constant in the universe. Did you really expect the fall weather to hold?
It’s called white privilege. And it sure beats the hell out of this depression and anxiety everyone’s gossiping about.
As you’re counting all your hashtags and blessings, focus on this moment. The privilege that you have to travel about the world freely, and the pleasure you get from returning to your home, your cave, when the day’s pleasure cruise is done.
And celebrate winter. Where I come from, if someone has an accidental pregnancy, a common thing to say is, well, that’s why God gives you nine months, to get used to the idea of being a parent. Same thing with winter. Beach bodies don’t happen overnight. Especially after Christmas. Eat, drink, and be merry. For tomorrow we die. I hear it’s supposed to snow at least two inches.
I’m an extrovert. I love connecting with people, and I LOVE going out. And then coming home. I’m 40 years old. So, at the end of the day, I don’t have time for this bullshit. I’ve
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HORSE MEAT DISCO
PHOTOS BY MiK HYLDEBRANDT
Peach Scene @
Rouss commands front and center in ESCollectionUSA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock in white while Richard awaits his return in ESCollectionUSA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock in navy blue. $31 each.
Their boots are made for walking. Darrien pairs his westerns with ES ollection USA’s Recycled Rib thong while Caleb opts for ESCollectionUSA’s 7 Days 7 Colors jock, both in black. $34 thong, $31 jock.
It’s a cowboy draw with Jeb and Davide wearing opposing colors of ES CollectionUSA’s recycled . $38 each
Howdy partners! Felix and TY buckle up in matching colors; Felix in ESCollectionUSA’s recycled rib jock and Ty in ES CollectionUSA’s recycled rib bikini. $38 jock, $41 bikini
B
ARS BARS not on map
BARS & CLUBS
MIDTOWN
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE
BJ ROOSTERS bjroosters.com 2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
A
of
868 Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW
Joseph E. Boone Blvd NW
MOON 1492 Piedmont Ave NE
1510 Piedmont Ave NE THE HIDEAWAY 1544 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
G’S gsmidtown.com 219 10th St NE
HENRY’S henrysatl.com 132 10th St NE
LA HACIENDA lahaciendamidtown. com
900 Monroe Dr 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
MIDTOWN
URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbody tness.com 500 Amsterdam Ave N
CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com 2201 Faulkner Rd NE
SPAS/BATHS ADULT
FLEX SPA exspas.com 76 4th St NW CHESHIRE
Darrien plays the villainous outlaw in his black hat and matching ES CollectionUSA’s recycled rib bikini. $38.
Ken, Darrien and Alvaro are the red bandana posse in their ES CollectionUSA’s recycled rib thongs. Ken wears green, Darrien black and Alvaro is in blue $31 each
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January 26th - February 2nd
Party w/ Troy and David @ Guac Y Margy's | January 27th (5 - 8 PM)
Have you ever ordered a "Party" on our drink menu? It basically means Bartender's Choice. On Thursday, Jan 27th, GyM owners Troy and David will be behind the bar serving up whatever they feel like making for $5! Yep, just $5 per drink!
You pick the spirit, they pick the drink. Come hang with David and Troy while they experiment with some new cocktails that might even make it to the Spring/Summer menu
Sweet Tea! A Queer Variety Show @ Eyedrum Art & Music Gallery | January 27th (9 PM-1 AM )
Sip it up! Atlanta’s longest running queer variety show is BACK with a fresh batch of queer talent to quench your thirst. Happening Thursday, January 27th at 9PM at Eyedrum (515 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd, Atlanta, GA 30312), SWEET TEA features some of Atlanta and the South’s most eclectic performers - ranging from music, to drag, to comedy, and more! Come out to see performances from:
Featuring: Boy Blue & The Bandits, Brejahnia, Evangeline Laveau, Jay Kwellyn, SHI, DJ sounds by La DJ Cochino, Hosted by TAYLOR ALXNDR Doors & music at 9PM. | Show at 10PM.
Mutation Brewing Grand Opening | January 28th (6 PM - 12 AM)
We are proud to present the Grand Opening of Mutation Brewing Company! Come check out our new brewery and enjoy the exquisite styles of beers on tap. Our food partner, Spiced Right BBQ, will be serving up some delicious old school BBQ. Velvet City Sound will be jamming live music from 8:00 pm -12:00 am.
The G8YTIES Dance Party @ Heretic | January 28th (10 PM - 3 AM)
The G8YTIES 80's Dance Party.
$10 Cover all night long to ring in the New Year 2022!!!
DJ Mike Pope spins all your favorite 80's original dance songs with an ultra fresh pure energy sound. Come ready to dance!!! All the hottest hits including Girls just want to have fun, Get into the Groove, Safety Dance, Hungry like the Wolf, Simply the Best, Let's Dance, You spin me right round, I wanna dance with somebody, Let the music play, and more.
Bearracuda Atlanta Winter Beef Ball! @ Heretic | January 29th (10 PM - 3 AM) WINTER BEEF BALL 2022!
With DJ Matt Consola & our hot dancers all night! Join 100s of guys on the dance floor and on the patio on Saturday, Jan. 29th, 2022.
Proof of full Covid vaccination required (more than 2 weeks after your 2nd shot). Please bring your vax card, a picture of it or a digital copy.
The Gaga Ball: A Dance Party @ Basement | January 29th 10 PM - 3 AM) 21+ / DOORS OPEN 10PM / KIMBER IS THE DJ / VACCINATION REQUIRED
Calling all Little Monsters! Let’s have some fun, this beat is sick!
It’s a whole night of music and fashion inspired by Mother Monster herself. Kimber will be playing all of your favorite Gaga songs so you can Just Dance and freak out, freak out, freak out (look at me). This is our dancefloor, we fought for.
Serve your very best Gaga-inspired looks because there can be 100 people in a room and 99 don’t believe in you, but if just one judge says your look is the best, you could win an amazing Gaga prize. We cannot wait to see what you bring because you were all born superstars.
Keep it cool, what’s the name of this club? The Basement. East Atlanta.
Come check out the state of the art sound system, amazing dance floor and fun crowd at this Downtown Atlanta destination located at Underground.
Spiral Rhythm Video Shoot & Show @ Heretic | January 30th (3 PM - 9 PM)
Spiral Rhythm invites you to our Music Video Shoot & Show!
January 30th, 3pm until 9pm!
We will be shooting for a music video new release, raising money to put out a new album, playing new music from our upcoming (in progress) album, and we will be celebrating the return of the light - Imbolc / Candlemas!
There will be some seating, a wonderful dance area, an outdoor deck, and we will conclude the evening with a drum circle!
Purchasing an advanced ticket ($10) will be your RSVP, it will be $15 at the door. Tickets are limited - we highly recommend advance reservations!
Join us at Lingering Shade on January 30th from 6-8 pm for an intimate mixology class with bar manager and expert bartender Spencer Patton. Spencer will be taking you back to the basics while teaching you how to make some of the most popular cocktails: Old Fashioned, Dirty Martini, and French 75. Watch while Spencer makes the cocktails, then try your hand at it (all supplies provided) and enjoy it for yourself. Each table will be supplied with hors d'oeuvres from the Lingering Shade southern snack menu.
graphic design / digital
strategies / branding / web design / content
creation / business
identity / banners / graphic design / branding
printing / web design / social media management
advertising / project
content creation / wide
format printing / branding
printing social media management / project
window graphics / branding / printing /
Time to reconnect to home, Aquarius. But what does that mean to you? Find time to reconnect with your past, but be careful because you don't want anything negative to arise. Find things that bring you joy and allow you to reconnect with "home" whether it be your biological family or your chosen one.
It is time for you to speak up, Pisces. You have kept your shut for too long on something near to you. Speak up and le voice be heard. This season is about living your truth, an includes standing up for what you believe in, whether p seem to love you or hate you mouth et our nd that people u for it.
your moral compass, Aries. You more than anyone know ou are and what you stand for. Do not allow anyone else to d change you for the sake of a relationship or anything else. onvicted in your morals and stay true to you. If you can true to YOU, then nothing else will matter and all will fall into rust y who tr and Sta co stand place.
You are in a time of change this season, and you can feel are confident in the person that you are about to becom have some changes in mind for your future but you've nervous to take the jump. It might be time to follow your d and see where they tak it. You me. ou e been dreams ke ou!
t is t pushin to foc new t ou n empty
time for you to take a breather, Gemini. You have been ng yourself so hard over the past few months that you need us on recharging and your self-care. Maybe find something hat brings you joy and remember that you can say "no", if eed to. People may be upset, but you can not help with an y tank.
Call up your pals, Cancer! You have been neglecting them for a while now and it's time to reconnect. You have an amazing amount of energy this season, but it is going to go to waste if you don't find a good work/social life balance! And with the state of the world the way that it is, you need to fogure it out now before it could be too late.
Put the pedal to the metal. You have the opportunity this s to really make your dreams a reality, and have people be inspired as they follow suit. You will enter a period of clea this season, and that will allow you to release all those ne things in your life that are preventing you from whom you w become. season ecome ansing egati e want to ecome.
urious, Virgo! You have always been the forever student, and eason is no different. You have questions about new vors and things that you have really shown a keen interest ly. Take those interests and curiosities and continue to grow arn. It might come in handy soon! yo ta cu this se endeav in latel and lea
It's time to show who you truly are, Libra. You have a tende keep to yourself for protection. Whether it be the fear of fail the general hesitation towards others, you haven't shown true colors lately. Take a step out of the box and get to others through listening and sharing your story a enc to ure or n our o kno as well.
is in the air for you, Scorpio. This season is all about sites attract with you. So that might mean someone who has een on your radar is now available and of inte e and see what happens! c o o e oppos not be chance
ave to be vulnerable to be powerful, Capricorn. If you decide ep these walls up, you will never truly be in control of your destiny. This season you will disclose a fear, desire, or truth t yourself to someone who truly needs your guidance. well-being ou h to kee own d about
Take a seat and relax, Sagittarius! You are stressing far too about things that are out of your control and it's time to down and breathe. Reach out for help on how to take care o well being and see how others are doing just that! Take up hobby that is calming t rest. ake a much o settle of our a new to you.
