goqnotes.com/to/news
news
In Memoriam
Raymond Guy Lanier Life celebration held on May 6 by Lainey Millen :: qnotes staff
R
aymond Guy Lanier, 64, died suddenly at his home in Raleigh, N.C. on April 30. Mr. Lanier, a longtime resident of the Boylan Heights neighborhood, was a lover of life, his fellow mankind, all God’s creatures large and small and all types of music — especially that of cathedral classical pipe organ. A graduate of Sandhills Community College in 1973 in Landscaping Gardening, Mr. Lanier inherited his passion for gardening from his great grandmother, Cora Stephenson, and mother, Rachel Massey. His love for the beauty of all flowers and plants was abounding, and his knowledge of flora was very expansive. He worked for many years at Fallon’s Florist and furthered his gardening knowledge from working in Fallon’s greenhouses and in floral design. He later opened his own florist shop, Raymond’s Flowers
and Gifts. He also considered all the gardens of his Boylan Heights neighborhood under his charge and focus, often taking care of numerous yards and gardens for his neighbors. A sign on his front porch proclaimed, “This isn’t a garden…It’s a botanical masterpiece!” qnotes’ publisher, Jim Yarbrough, said that Mr. Lanier would be greatly missed and that his longtime dedication and thoughtful handling of
delivering the newspaper to the Triangle area was immeasurably appreciated and valued. Mr. Lanier is survived by his sister, Lynn Lanier Lanigan, and brother, George Worth Walker, both of Memphis, Tenn.; cousins David and Bill Massey of Burlington, N.C.; cousin Tom Massey of Mt. Pleasant, S.C.; faithful friends Elizabeth and Dan Dunbar of Boylan Heights; lifelong family friend Mike White and his sister, Pat, of Durham, N.C.; long-time friends John Markey of Raleigh, N.C., and Buck Mauney of Durham, N.C.; his Aunt Mary Lanier Hornsby of Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; cousin Stephanie Lanier; and many cousins. A celebration of life and picnic for Raymond was held on May 6 at the Boylan Heights DuPont Circle Park, which he designed and created for the neighborhood’s enjoyment. Memorials in his memory for the ongoing beautification of his beloved neighborhood may be made to the Boylan Heights Neighborhood Association, to the attention of Corny Motsinger, Treasurer, 906 West South St., Raleigh, NC 27603. : :
Pride Celebration
qnotes connect May 19-June 1, 2017 Vol 32 No 02
arts. entertainment. news. views. goqnotes.com twitter.com/qnotescarolinas facebook.com/qnotescarolinas
contributors this issue
Maria Dominguez, Torie Dominguez, David DuFault, Jack Kirven, Lainey Millen, Mikey Rox, Trinity
front page
Graphic Design by Lainey Millen Photography: Reyn Spooner Mission:
Out! Raleigh ends early due to weather damage LGBT Center of Raleigh staff ‘resilient,’ focused on the future by Maria Dominguez :: qnotes staff RALEIGH, N.C. — After nine months of preparation, the seventh annual Out! Raleigh festival faced an unfortunate closure due to extreme weather. High-speed winds in the early afternoon of May 6 blew down vendors’ tents and threatened injury to attendees. Organizers decided to cancel the festival on Saturday, which was scheduled for 11 a.m.-6 p.m., at 2 p.m. The event is organized by the LGBT Center of Raleigh and is the non-profit’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The 2016 festival drew more than 51,000 people from across the state. James Miller, the center’s executive director, said that a rough head-count at the time of the closure measured around 30,000 attendees. The day began with a chilly drizzle, according to Miller. By the time the festival opened, the sky had cleared and the day promised sun. Unfortunately, extreme wind picked up in the afternoon.
Q
“By 1:30, vendors were having to hold onto their tents,” Miller told qnotes. “It broke my heart because when I went up on stage, it was sunny and about 67 degrees.” The wind blew at 22 miles per hour that day, with gust speeds of 31mph, the National Weather Service reported. The Southeast Regional Climate Center noted that the average wind speed for Raleigh in May is 7.7mph. The staff of the LGBT Center of Raleigh are “devastated” that the disaster prompted them to shut down their most vital event. “We’ve all shed a few tears, and rightfully so,” said Miller. “It’s hard to know you’re doing the right thing when it feels so wrong.” Nevertheless, a joint discussion among key parties led to the decision that all agreed was the most responsible choice. “Deep South (our production company), Raleigh Police Department and the Executive Committee of the LGBT Center all huddled and discussed the issues,” Miller said. “Safety always comes first, and we had seen some damage start to occur. Nothing is worth risking the harm of our community, so we made a joint decision to close early.” Though the LGBTQ community of the area understood the unfortunate events, there was some concern over the economic impact of the cancelation. Supporters of
the center particularly worried that the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year fell short of its goals. The funds raised by events such as these go toward the center’s many community support programs. “We do have insurance, but it is all based on expenses,” Miller mentioned. He added sarcastically, “that and we all know how easy it is to deal with insurance companies, right?” Nevertheless, the LGBT Center of Raleigh has high hopes for future events and next year’s festival. Miller teasingly mentioned “surprises up our sleeve” regarding the 2018 celebration, even suggesting that the organization was considering a new location for its annual event. “I think an interesting idea has been to move the festival to Dix Park after the renovations,” Miller said. “Who knows when it’ll be done, but ‘Pride in the Park’ always has a nice ring to it!” On May 16, the LGBT Center of Raleigh continued its “Dine OUT” series at the Oro Restaurant in downtown Raleigh. The venue’s chefs planned a custom menu just for the event, staff said. The organization is looking forward to future events and further service to the LGBTQ community. “What I love most about this community and this center, however, is how resilient we all are,” Miller said. “We’ll debrief, learn our lessons, and come back stronger than ever.” : :
The focus of QNotes is to serve the LGBT and straight ally communities of the Charlotte region, North Carolina and beyond, by featuring arts, entertainment, news and views content in print and online that directly enlightens, informs and engages the readers about LGBT life and social justice issues. Pride Publishing & Typesetting, Inc., dba QNotes P.O. Box 221841, Charlotte, NC 28222 ph 704.531.9988 fx 704.531.1361 Publisher: Jim Yarbrough Sales: x201 adsales@goqnotes.com Nat’l Sales: Rivendell Media, ph 212.242.6863 Managing Editor: Jim Yarbrough, editor@goqnotes.com Assoc. Editor: Lainey Millen, specialassignments@goqnotes.com Social Media Editor: Jeff Taylor, jeff@goqnotes.com Staff Writer: Maria Dominguez, maria@goqnotes.com Production: Lainey Millen, x205, production@goqnotes.com Printed on recycled paper.
Material in qnotes is copyrighted by Pride Publishing & Typesetting © 2017 and may not be reproduced in any manner without written consent of the editor or publisher. Advertisers assume full responsibility — and therefore, all liability — for securing reprint permission for copyrighted text, photographs and illustrations or trademarks published in their ads. The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, writers, cartoonists we publish is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or photographs does not indicate the subject’s sexual orientation. qnotes nor its publisher assumes liability for typographical error or omission, beyond offering to run a correction. Official editorial positions are expressed in staff editorials and editorial notations and are determined by editorial staff. The opinions of contributing writers and guest columnists do not necessarily represent the opinions of qnotes or its staff. qnotes accepts unsolicited editorial, but cannot take responsibility for its return. Editor reserves the right to accept and reject material as well as edit for clarity, brevity.
charlotteobserver.com/1166/ a local news partner of The Charlotte Observer
upcoming issues: 06.02.17: People & Their Pets Advertising Space Deadline: May 24 06.16.17: Gay & Gray/Nat’l Pride Month Advertising Space Deadline: June 7
May 19-June 1 . 2017
qnotes
5