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EDITOR’S NOTE
The assault on journalism should frighten us all
COLLIN KELLEY
The assault on journalism and free speech continues with Congress’s defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, putting NPR and PBS affiliates at risk.
Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) and WABE have both put out calls for donations to help keep vital news and arts programs on the air. Read more about this terrible news below and consider donating if you can. Both stations are media partners with Georgia Voice and our parent company, Rough Draft Atlanta, and employ some of the best journalists in the state.
That move came on the heels of CBS canceling “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which the network called a financial decision. However, the cancellation came after the network came under fire from Colbert himself for its $16 million payout to Trump to settle a lawsuit
COMMUNITY
against “60 Minutes.” After Trump gloated about the firing on social media, Colbert responded directly to the camera, “Go f*ck yourself.”
After Colbert was canned, the Federal Communications Commission approved CBS owner Paramount’s $8 billion merger with media production company Skydance. The deal includes a chilling condition: the installation of an ombudsman, or “bias monitor,” to ensure news reporting meets standards demanded by Trump. This is on the level of North Korea-style state-run media and will make the once-vaunted CBS News operation an unreliable source for unbiased news.
In the same vein, Trump threatened to take away comedian/actor/talk show host Rosie O’Donnell’s U.S. citizenship (which is prohibited by the Constitution) after she lambasted him on social media. O’Donnell moved to Ireland after the election, but has continued to call out his actions, especially around the Epstein Files scandal.
The failure of the Department of Justice to release the “client list” and files pertinent to dead child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has blown up in the
administration’s face. Trump has tried every distraction – releasing the Martin Luther King Jr. surveillance files, accusing former President Barack Obama of treason, tussling with the Federal Reserve Bank chairman – and grown angrier that the media – and many of his own supporters – won’t take the bait.
Trump filed a $10 billion libel lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and its owner Rupert Murdoch (an on-again, off-again ally) after it reported that he had allegedly written a birthday note, complete with a drawing of a naked woman, to Epstein in 2003.
I’ve been a journalist for nearly 40 years, and this level of threat to the Fourth Estate is unprecedented in my lifetime.
I’ve said it before, but let me say it again: Providing timely, accurate news and features for the LGBTQ+ community is more vital now than ever. Support Georgia Voice’s mission and reach potential customers
by purchasing an advertisement in this publication, on our website (thegavoice. com), our weekly Crosswalk newsletter (scan the QR code), or the annual Destination Gay Atlanta tourism guide. You can reach our sales team at sales@ thegavoice.com.
Local NPR and PBS stations call for public support after federal cuts
By Logan C. Ritchie
Local NPR and PBS budgets will take a big hit after the July 18 vote by Congressional Republicans to claw back $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
After passing the House of Representatives with a vote of 216-213, President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill that will take 13% – or $1.9 million per year – away from Atlanta NPR and PBS affiliate WABE’s budget. The station, which is a Rough Draft media partner, has been on the air for 76 years.
Jennifer Dorian, WABE president and CEO, said her team is aligned in the importance of local news and local programming. The nonprofit media organization serving metro Atlanta receives 87% of its funding from the public. Losing federal funding that was expected to be distributed in November will be a shift, she said.
“We’ll be looking at new economic models for our partnerships with PBS and NPR, and more ways that the local community could fund our work,” Dorian said. “Amplifying Atlanta is our calling, and making sure Atlanta understands itself and that the wider world understands Atlanta is job one.”
If the community wants accountability journalism, local news, arts and culture coverage, “we’re going to have to place a value on that civic infrastructure,” she said, calling for support in the short and long term.
“At WABE, we’re really lean. I know 13% doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s very impactful, because we operate every year on a break-even basis,” Dorian said. “There’s only one IT person, there’s only one broadcasting engineer, there’s only one managing newsroom director, you know. So, losing 13% of this money is significant.”
The state of Georgia does not provide funds to WABE. Federal cuts are set through 2027, but it remains to be seen how Congress will budget in 2028 and 2029.
Lobbyists and individual stations have been fighting the bill in Washington, D.C. Dorian said meetings with Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock were held, and both understood “how much we do for the local economy, how much we do for civic education, how much we do for community affairs.”
Sen. Ossoff told Rough Draft that now is not the time for Congress to focus on “defunding ‘Sesame Street.’”
“I’ve vigorously advocated in public against this defunding of public television and Public Radio, which Georgians rely
upon, not just for news, but also for emergency weather information and emergency services,” Ossoff said. “We need to be bringing Republicans and Democrats together to do what’s in the national interest, not fight these culture wars.”
Broadly speaking, Dorian estimates that cuts will cause the closure of stations that heavily depend on federal funding. While those outlets are mostly rural, there is a risk that they will not be able to get emergency alert information on extreme weather events, power outages, cyber cybersecurity problems.
“That’s not our situation in Atlanta, where I don’t think there’s going to be closures, but we will see across the country newsrooms weakening, the shrinking
of local reporting, local arts and cultural programming, and local educational programming. We also could see the weakening of PBS and NPR nationwide as the stations don’t get the money to pay them,” Dorian said.
News networks rely on local stations for on-the-scene reporting of extreme weather events in Asheville, N.C. and Kerrville, Texas. And it’s vital for public radio to maintain the Emergency Alert System, Dorian added.
WABE launched a new appeal to listeners to make donations to make up the budget shortfall.
Georgia Public Broadcasting, a statewide network operating nine TV stations and 18 radio stations, receives funding several sources, including the Georgia General Assembly. In fiscal year 2024, the state legislature gave GPB $12.9 million.
“For the past 65 years, Georgians have relied on Georgia Public Broadcasting to bring them high-quality educational programming, unbiased local news, homegrown sports and entertainment as well as emergency public safety messages,” GPB said in a statement. “GPB leadership anticipated a rapidly changing federal funding environment and in response, has conducted careful scenario planning in preparation for multiple outcomes.”
Colbert delivers a message to Trump. (Courtesy CBS)
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Fulton County Board of Health to restore HIV prevention jobs
By Rebecca Grapevine | Healthbeat Atlanta
The Fulton County Board of Health will restore at least 14 jobs in HIV prevention and sexual health after laying off workers in May citing a lack of federal funding, officials told Healthbeat on July 24.
The layoffs of 17 workers came amid delays in funding for HIV initiatives to state and local health departments from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those funds have since arrived, said Chris Rustin, interim district health director for Fulton County.
The Georgia Department of Public Health received $25.9 million for the second year of a CDC grant aimed at improving HIV surveillance and prevention. Of that, $5.9 million is allocated to Fulton, which covers the positions, DPH spokesperson Nancy Nydam Shirek said.
Fulton has also received other federal funds, including for the Ryan White program, which focuses on treating and supporting people living with HIV, and the CDC’s teen pregnancy prevention program, Rustin said.
The jobs will be reposted, and the former workers can reapply, though they will not automatically be rehired, he said.
Rustin said the county health agency is still working out the details of the budget with the state DPH, but that getting the job opportunities posted soon is “a priority,” and he hopes that will happen in the next couple of weeks.
Fulton health officials said in May that the layoffs would have no impact on services. At a town hall organized in response to the firings, Atlanta HIV advocates said they were concerned about how services would be affected.
“If there were any services eliminated that are critical for the community, we’re
going to work to bring them back,” Rustin said.
The firings created an unnecessary disruption, said Leisha McKinley-Beach, a longtime HIV prevention advocate and CEO of the Black Public Health Academy, a training institute. She attended the July 23 meeting.
“It is an action that should have never happened,” she said. “Many of the staff that were released are necessary for implementation of the HIV prevention program.”
HIV testing services are vital in metro
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Atlanta. Fulton, DeKalb, and Clayton were among the 15 counties in the United States with the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses in 2022, according to the latest available data from AidsVu.
Health leaders return from administrative leave
Two Fulton health leaders – district health director Dr. Lynn Paxton and human resources director Carol Lawrence – were put on administrative leave after the layoffs, which “were done without the prior knowledge or approval of the Georgia Department of Public Health,” Nydam Shirek said. Both are state employees assigned to county work.
Paxton has since been reassigned to DeKalb County, where she is serving as the interim district health director, replacing Dr. Sandra Valenciano, who left to accept the position of health officer for public health in Seattle & King County, Washington. Rustin, who formerly served as a deputy commissioner at the state DPH, has stepped away from those duties to serve as the interim district health director for Fulton.
On July 23, Lawrence was back at work in Fulton, attending the board meeting. DPH determined she was not involved in the layoff decisions and was reinstated on May 24, Nydam Shirek said.
From left, Fulton Commission Chair Robb Pitts, Fulton Health Board Chair Jack Hardin; Fulton Interim Health Director R. Chris Rustin; and Deputy District Health Director Brian Easom. (Photo by Rebecca Grapevine)
Attorney urges LGBTQ+ families to protect legal parental rights
By Katie Burkholder
With the election of President Donald Trump and the rise of anti-LBGTQ+ conservatism nationwide, many LGBTQ+ families fear the overturning of marriage equality and threats to their families.
According to adoption attorney Lori M. Surmay, these fears are “rational,” and LGBTQ+ families should be protecting themselves to the full extent of the law, because without a legal adoption, a nonbiological parent risks their rights to their child – even one born within marriage.
“The scary thing about President Trump is his unpredictability. No one knows what he’s going to do on any topic, at any moment of any day…” Surmay told Georgia Voice. “Absolutely, people need to not be complacent.”
Surmay has worked as an adoption attorney for more than 30 years and in the ‘90s was part of a group of lawyers advocating for second-parent adoptions within LGBTQ+ families.
The Georgia adoption code, as established in 1981, does not speak to the adoption of a child by an unmarried couple; it does not prohibit it, nor does it explicitly grant it, so the code had been interpreted differently by different lawyers. Since same-sex couples were unable to marry, Surmay advocated for the non-
biological parent of the shared child to be able to become the legal parent of the child through adoption.
This changed in 2015 with the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hobbes decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.
“We had some judges who said, ‘Hey, Jane and Joanie, you’ve just had a child together, and you’re asking for the nonbiological mother to be made an equal, legal parent with a biological mother, but you’re not married,” Surmay said. “Now that you can marry, we think that you must marry in order to file an adoption for this child.’”
While both parents’ names will now be on the child’s birth certificate, this does not guarantee legal rights to the non-biological parent in Georgia, even if the child is conceived within the marriage and through a mutually consenting reproductive process.
The biological parent will have the full legal rights to their child – custody; choices regarding medical care, education, and religious practices; military and/or Social Security disability benefits to share with their child; and the recognition of their child as their legal heir – while the non-biological parent, in the event of their spouse’s death, divorce, a move to a state with different parental laws, or other extenuating circumstances, will have
none without an adoption.
“When my clients say to me, ‘Lori, why on earth do I have to do this?’ I say the same reason you buy life insurance: just in case,” Surmay said. “It’s relatively straightforward and relatively inexpensive compared to the amount of money a lot of people spend on fertility methods. Why wouldn’t you protect your family so that you both have legal rights and legal responsibilities?”
The process, which Surmay prefers to refer to as a “confirmatory adoption,” is known in Georgia law as a “stepparent adoption”: one legal parent consents to their legally married spouse adopting their legal child. While the term, as well as the fact that parents in same-sex marriages have to adopt their own child at all, is offensive to many of Surmay’s clients, she says it’s “glorious” that queer parents are able to legally protect their families.
“I totally get [why people get offended], however, with my lawyer hat on, you have
no idea how glorious it is to have a legal avenue to be able to protect families,” she said. “I try to always explain to clients: don’t get offended by the name. Keep your eye on the prize.”
For LGBTQ+ parents interested in legally protecting their families, Surmay says to start earlier rather than later. Instead of waiting until the baby is born, reach out to your attorney “when the child just a twinkle in [your] eye.”
“It behooves everyone who has had a child through adoption or reproductive medicine to protect themselves and their children in every single way they possibly can,” she said.
Courtesy Pexels.com
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Celebrate Atlanta Black Pride
By Katie Burkholder
Since the 1980s, Black queer Atlantans have gathered during Labor Day Weekend to celebrate their own Pride. What started as pop-up picnics hosted at alternative spaces to the white-dominated Pride celebrations has since grown into a blowout weekend attracting Black LGBTQ+ people from around the world.
Last year, Atlanta served as the host city for Global Black Pride, and this year, while the global celebration travels to Paris, Atlanta
Black Pride will build on the momentum of last year’s success with new events and returning favorites from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1.
“As we stand looking at the scope of what legislation is doing to us, Atlanta Black Pride has always been an opportunity to reflect on queer existence from the Black and African-American perspective, because it’s really different,”
George Daigle, the radio personality and performer bringing his show “Disco Heat: A Sylvester Musical Tribute” back to Atlanta for Black Pride, told Georgia Voice. “... Atlanta Black Pride gives us the opportunity to exist and enjoy Pride with our own perspectives in mind.”
Daigle steps into the shoes of Black queer disco icon Sylvester on Saturday, Aug. 30 at The Atrium to raise money for HIV/ AIDS prevention. The one-night-only
event will feature live performances of hits like “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Do You Wanna Funk,” and Daigle brings Sylvester’s voice and spirit alive to recount the history of his life and music.
“Before there was a Billy [Porter], before there was a Little Nas X, there was Sylvester, all alone on the stage, touring the country and wowing people,” he said.
Tickets to “Disco Heat” are available via Eventbrite. But before the disco fun, Atlanta Black Pride, a recipient of Atlanta Pride’s Pride Across the Peach State 2025 grant, kicks off its official events with the annual Mayor’s Reception at City Hall on Thursday, Aug 28, before the party starts at Truth Midtown at 11 p.m.
The celebration continues on Friday and Saturday with the vendor marketplace at the Starling Hilton Midtown Atlanta from noon to 8 p.m. before the family-friendly Pure Heat Community Festival makes its return on Sunday, Aug. 31, at Piedmont Park from noon to 8 p.m. The festival will include live performances, celebrity appearances, a ballroom and voguing showcase, vendors, and more; keep up with the lineup on Instagram @pureheatcommunityfestival.
Also making its return this year is the 5th Annual Trans Life Awards on Saturday, Aug. 30. The community will gather for the formal gala honoring the accomplishments and contributions of the Black trans community with awards, dinner, and drinks at 6 p.m. at The Starling. RSVP for the free event at thetranslifeawards.com.
The fun continues with the annual We Rock Pride drag brunch at Truth Midtown on Sunday at 1 p.m., featuring performances by Stasha Sanchez, Niesha Dupree, Jazelle Royale, and Akeria C. Davenport and hosted by Ms. Sophia; the return of the Andro Fashion Show Sunday evening; the annual Booze Cruise at Lake Lanier on Monday; and, of course, parties, day and night, all weekend long.
Atlanta Black Pride Party Calendar
Friday, Aug. 29
Atlanta Black Pride Day Party: Cirque Daiquiri Bar, 4-8 p.m.
SheFest: Naked Hustle: Onyx Gentleman’s Club, 4-9 p.m.
LUXE: Friday Night Grown Folks Takeover (25+): Truth Midtown, 9 p.m.
White Diamonds: Lore, 10 p.m.
3 a.m.
Saturday, Aug. 30
Saturday WetHer Pool Party: Bamboo Atlanta, 3-8:30 p.m.
Heavy Hitters Day Party: Mixx Atlanta, 4-8 p.m.
KWN Live: Opium Nightclub, 7:30 p.m.
All White with a Splash of Color: Belly Restaurant and Lounge, 9 p.m.
Upgraded Saturday Pride Edition Nightlife Party: 11 p.m. - 3 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 31
Goodies R&B Day Party: Palm Beach ATL, 3-8 p.m.
Down to the Bar: Truth Midtown, 5-9 p.m.
LGBTQ+ Caribbean Fete: SIA Lounge, 9 p.m.
Pride Mixtape: SIA Lounge, 10 p.m. Massive Night Life Party: 11 p.m. - 3 a.m.
Monday, Sept. 1
Annual Pride BBQ/Day Party: Location TBA, 3-8 p.m.
Annual White Party: Revel, 10 p.m. - 3 a.m.
For the full Atlanta Black Pride weekend calendar, visit atlantaprideweekend.com.
Official Influencer Dinner Afterparty: Opium Nightclub, 11 p.m. -
Courtesy Atlanta Black Pride
George Daigle is bringing “Disco Heat: A Sylvester Musical Tribute” to Black Pride.
Rising hip hop/rap star KWN is performing during Black Pride.
Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! While their boss remains “otherwise engaged,” the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down. Hey, a girl can scheme, can’t she? With music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, based on the iconic 1980 hit movie, 9 to 5 is a hilarious story of friendship and revenge that is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic.
Actor’s Express staging award-winning musical ‘A Strange Loop’
By Jim Farmer
On Broadway, “A Strange Loop” – with a book, music and lyrics by Michael R. Jackson – won virtually every Best Musical award possible in 2022, including the Tony.
Hailed for its inventiveness, the Pulitzer Prize-winning show tells the story of Usher, a Black gay man who is writing a musical about a Black gay man, who himself is also writing a musical about a Black gay man. It may sound confusing, but rest assured “A Strange Loop” is full of terrific music, joy, and Black queerness.
Actor’s Express Artistic Director Freddie Ashley has wanted to stage the show for quite some time, and he’s finally getting his chance. “A Strange Loop” will run at Actor’s Express July 24 through Aug. 31.
Director Amanda Washington, a veteran of several shows at Actor’s Express, and actor Eddie Weaver, who headlines as Usher in his first Atlanta production, spoke to Georgia Voice recently about the upcoming musical. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What drew both of you to this material?
Eddie Weaver: I saw it on Broadway, and I related so much to the story, to Usher. I remember the first time I heard the
soundtrack I thought it was so new and fresh. I knew once the opportunity came up, I needed to audition for it. It’s a story I think everyone can relate to. They can find bits and pieces to take away from it.
Amanda Washington: I did not see it on Broadway, but Freddie [Ashley] told me he thought I’d enjoy directing this. My response was, “We’ll see – it’s a musical.” I listened to it, and I think the next day I came to him and said, “Sign me up!” It’s fresh but raw, open and vulnerable. The approach and how we get there is a whirlwind, and that is the part I really liked. It felt like a beautiful challenge I wanted to take on.
Eddie, can you tell us about Usher?
Weaver: Usher is a beautiful character. He is complex and a product of his environment. He is a 26-year-old queer gay man who is a Disney usher who is a musical theater writer on this journey to write this beautiful piece. He is very emotional and wears his heart on his sleeve. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun to share him with an audience.
Who are the other characters in the show?
Washington: They are Usher’s thoughts. How I described it to the cast is that they’re little seeds that grew up too fast and became
their own beings until Usher is able to get them under control. There are good ones, and then the bad things that we think about ourselves, and they are all heightened almost to exaggerated levels.
Why did this show catch on the way it did?
Washington: It’s not a linear story. We think we are getting a story about a playwright who is emerging into the world and that is what we get, but we also get the root of how we got there and see the things he is struggling with. We don’t know if he is going to make it, but we do know by the end of the play that he is one step further in terms of his journey and where he wants to be in his life.
a good job of showing that everyone has those thoughts in the back of your head, and those doubts.
Weaver: I think this show is crucial right now because of the times we are living in and the [presidential] administration we have. I feel now there is a lot of erasure of a lot of communities, and I think this show does a wonderful job of shedding light on the queer community, being queer and Black in spaces where there aren’t a lot of queer Black people. I think this show also does
Washington: It’s a particular niche here. Usher is a man of size, he is Black and he is queer. In a way he is also on this timeline – his parents are asking him when he is going to get married and get them some grandbabies. But it’s also about when his career is going to launch, getting to see that aspect of not just trying to find love, but to try and find stable income and figure out when you’re going to hit the “mark of success.” That story’s all in one, that I think a lot of people can relate to. That story from a queer lens needs to be amplified as well.
Out On Film makes first selections
By Georgia Voice Staff
Out On Film has announced its first selections for the upcoming LGBTQ+ film festival set for Sept. 25 to Oct. 5. Here is more about the announced films.
Exit Interviews
Directed by Garrett Abdo Robert, a middle-aged gay man, begins a personal documentary project following his long history of failed relationships. As a professional but emotionally vulnerable individual, Robert decides to interview six of his ex-boyfriends, each of whom represents a distinct chapter in his love life. His ultimate goal is to find out why these relationships ended and to use the documentary as a means of personal growth—or so he believes.
Lesbian Space Princess
Directed by Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese
In Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese’s crowd-pleasing, Teddy Awardwinning animated feature, a space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens.
▲Assembly
Directed by Rashaad Newsome and Johnny Symons
“Assembly” follows visionary artist Rashaad Newsome as he transforms a historic military facility into a Black queer utopia, blending art, AI, and performance. Through stunning visuals and deeply personal performances, “Assembly” captures the transformative power of creativity as a fractured community comes together to find strength, solidarity, and liberation.
The Librarians
Directed by Kim A. Snyder
As an unprecedented wave of book banning largely addressing race and LGBTQ+ issues is sparked in Texas, Florida, and beyond, librarians under siege join forces as unlikely defenders fighting for intellectual freedom on the front lines of democracy.
Tickets are available at outonfilm.org.
Eddie Weaver in ‘A Strange Loop.’ (Courtesy Actor’s Express)
Best Bets
Onstage Atlanta is presenting the stage version of The Rocky Horror Show on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, Aug. 1-24, on its main stage at 3041 North Decatur Road in Scottdale. Get tickets at onstageatlanta.com.
to Metropolitan Studios Aug. 15-17. Get tickets at candyboxrevue.com.
Monster Show for Monsters: A Variety Show will feature music, comedy, burlesque, drag, storytelling, magic, and more at Red Light Cafe on Aug. 18 starting at 8 p.m. Get tickets and more details at redlightcafe.com.
▲Transgender comedian Roz Hernandez is bringing her standup show to Out Front Theatre for one night only on Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Get tickets at outfronttheatre.com.
Candybox Revue is bringing “Little Shop of Horrors Burlesque Parody”
Athens Pride & Queer Collective is hosting its annual prom ‘Welcome to Planet Queer’ on Aug. 23 starting at 8 p.m. at the 40 Watt Club. Dress in your best alien extravangaza and get spaced out at this end-ofsummer dance party. Get tickets at eventbrite.com by searching for the event name.
Looking for a fresh fit, a fresh cut, and a fresh new headshot photo? Look no further! Come on out to Queer Threads! A Pop-Up Thrift Shop & Barbershop happening Aug. 30 at Wild Heaven Brewery, 1010 White Street SW. Browse, buy, and peruse from an eclectic assortment of clothing, electronics, media,
and more. Plus, enjoy sliding-scale haircuts and headshots by amazing queer and trans barbers and photographers. Get more information at southernfriedqueerpride. com.
◄Comedian Jenn Snyder brings her “One Night Only” show to The Wormhole in Savannah on Aug. 29 at 8 p.m.Topics range from her days growing up as gay in a “good ol’ boy” town to dealing with the public daily as a 5’2 lesbian. More information at wormholebar.com
▼Dragon Con, the massive pop culture and gaming convention, returns to Atlanta over Labor Day weekend with celebrity guests, cosplay, and more. This year’s event runs from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1. Plenty of celebrity guests are expected to be in attendance, such as actress Chloe Bennett from “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Marvel comics artist Joshua Cassara, actor Mike Colter from “Luke Cage,” and the legendary character actor Vincent D’Onofrio, who is known for his role as Wilson Fisk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Dragon Con’s iconic parade will take place on Aug. 30, starting at 10 a.m. along Peachtree Street in Downtown Atlanta. For more information about all Dragon Con events and tickets, visit dragoncon.com. For even more events, visit thegavoice.com and be sure to sign up for our weekly Crosswalk newsletter while you’re there.
These regulars are ‘the lifeblood’ of The Colonnade in Atlanta
By Laura Scholz
Open since 1927, The Colonnade has long been a destination in Atlanta for its classic meat-and-three fare. But over the last decade, the Cheshire Bridge Road restaurant institution has weathered several challenges—a series of bridge fires that cut off access roads for weeks (or months) at a time, a forced closure due to the global pandemic, and in 2024, a transition to new ownership.
But as The Colonnade approaches its 100th birthday, Atlanta’s second-oldest restaurant is more popular than ever, thanks to new leadership and a group of loyal regulars who can’t get enough of its fried chicken plates, ice-cold martinis, and the connections they’ve made with fellow diners.
“People sit at the same tables every week, introduce themselves to new people, and it’s a very welcome and lovely thing,”
said co-owner Paul Donahue of The Colonnade’s enduring charm and appeal.
He and his partner, Lewis Jeffries, were longtime regulars themselves before purchasing the restaurant last fall. Jeffries dined there frequently with his grandmother as a child, and his uncle was instrumental in securing The Colonnade’s current location when it had to relocate from its original spot on Piedmont Road.
“Regulars are the lifeblood of any restaurant,” Donahue said. “Yes, the special occasion people are great and an important part of the business, but it’s the people there every week that keep the doors open.”
One of those people is J. Brian Crawford, a Midtown-based real estate coach who’s been a regular at The Colonnade for the last 20 years.
He and four other close friends even have a group chat called “Grumpy Old Ladies of the ‘Nade,” complete with a weekly check-in to get a roll call for their
standing 7:30 p.m. Friday dinner date.
“The food here is like the food I ate as a kid,” said Crawford, an Alabama native who’s a fan of dishes like prime rib and fried chicken. “It’s affordable, and the cocktails are fantastic, some of the best martinis in Atlanta.”
“Plus, where else in the world can you get salmon croquettes besides here or your mama’s kitchen in the 1970s,” he added.
When he’s not gathered with friends at
a round table by the windows, Crawford sits solo at the bar or wanders around the restaurant chatting with other patrons and staff, often with a Vesper in hand.
“The people here are not just your servers or waiters, you know their stories, and they’re like family,” he said of longtime staffers like Rhea Merritt, who’s been managing the restaurant’s front-of-house for over 50 years.
That family-like vibe is what has kept another Friday night regular, Patsy Moss, coming back week after week since moving to Atlanta in 1970.
Donahue calls Moss The Colonnade’s “queen bee,” and she can often be found holding court with friends at one of the half-moon banquettes in the cozy, woodpaneled dining room.
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The bar at The Colonnade is frequented by regulars who sip martinis, vespers, and Manhattans. (Provided by The Colonnade)
The Colonnade is known for its popular Southern fried chicken. (Provided by The Colonnade)
Paul Donahue (left) and Lewis Jeffries (left) purchased The Colonnade in 2024. (Provided by The Colonnade)
JAM’n DESIGNS
Continued from page 17
“She is always checking in on others, and always greeting new people,” said Donahue of Moss’s welcoming demeanor and popularity with other Colonnade diners.
Like Crawford, Moss is a fan of The Colonnade’s retro, Southern-style food, including obscure menu items like tomato aspic, a nostalgic, gelatin-based dish that reminds her of eating at friends’ houses as a teen in South Georgia.
“Yes, The Colonnade is country cooking, but it’s so much more than that,” said Moss, who praised the updates Donahue and Jeffries have made to the restaurant’s menu and décor.
While the couple—who also own Lingering Shade Social Club in the Old Fourth Ward—never intended to get into the restaurant business, Donahue said he and Jeffries couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase a restaurant steeped in so much personal and collective history.
“It was appealing because it’s a restaurant we knew extremely well, and we knew what the potential could be,” said Donahue.
“The staff had almost become like family to us, and it felt like a very good fit,” he continued. “Plus, it’s just five minutes from our house in Brookhaven/Pine Hills, so it’s very convenient.”
Since taking over, Donahue and Jeffries have revamped the menu, adding old favorites like fried oysters, spinach salad, and
prime rib to the nightly menu. They also launched the restaurant’s first-ever wine list and updated the menus, cocktail napkins, and placemats with a playful, green-and-pink Palm Beach-inspired color scheme.
“It’s funny, because the colors were a little shocking to some people after all that beige, but when we were redoing the bar and replacing equipment, we found some old laminated placemats that were that same pink and green, probably from the 1970s or 1980s,” explained Donahue.
Crawford appreciates the “fresh energy” the new owners have brought to the beloved restaurant. He said while Friday nights were always busy, it’s now common for the line for the bar to wind all the way from the back wall to the front door at peak dinner hours—now seven nights a week for the first time since the pandemic.
As former regulars, Donahue and Jeffries understand how cherished The Colonnade is to multiple generations of Atlantans. It’s something they take very seriously, as for many people, including Jeffries, the restaurant is tied to family histories and deep-rooted friendships akin to family.
Over the next couple of years, Donahue and Jeffries plan to refresh the interior space with new carpet and wall coverings in time for The Colonnade to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027—and many of its longtime regulars plan to be there for the party.
Friday night regular, Patsy Moss, is the “queen bee” of The Colonnade. (Photo by Ryan Fleisher)
Jay Skinner has been with The Colonnade, slinging its famous martinis, for 27 years. (Provided by The Colonnade)
