Wussy Rag - Issue 5 - Late May

BAKHTIARI

FOR DISTRICT 5

LIMIT(LESS) SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN QUEERS ISSUE NO. 5 - LATE MAY 2017

GOT ME LIKE <3

THIRST TRAP WITH

RIFY ROYALTY

a magazine dedicated to covering the fringes of southern queer nightlife, politics, art, & culture Editor in Chief — Jon Dean Associate Editor — Zaida J. | Managing Editor — Ryder McEntyre Writing Editor — Nicholas Goodly | Graphic Designer — Blake England Featured Photographers — Rose Riot Photography, Haylee Anne Kitties, + Mikael Owunna Featured Writers — Matt Jones + Tyler Scruggs Cover Photo — Michael Schwarz BIG thanks to MAILCHIMP and our AWESOME sponsors!

Want to work with us? WUSSY is always open for proposals (editorial, art, photography, opinion) & written submissions: INFO@WUSSYMAG.COM

WUSSYMAG.COM

contents: UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS:

PLACES TO BE, PEOPLE TO DO, THINGS TO SEE - BLAKE E.

IN REVIEW:

LIMIT(LESS) BRINGS LGBTQ AFRICAN STORIES INTO THE LIGHT - MATT J.

ATLANTA SPOTLIGHT:

VIVID’S RETURN TO DEEJAYING - TYLER S.

THIRST TRAP

20 QUESTIONS W/ RIFY ROYALTY - JON D.

BLACK FRIDAY:

MTV AWARDS BEST KISS + THE DANGERS OF WHITE GIRLS IN HIP HOP - MATT J.

BLESS HER HEART:

CAFE + VELO: WHEN A BUSINESS + NEIGHBORLY TRADITIONS COLLIDE - ZAIDA J.

COVER STORY:

LILIANA BAKHTIARI’S INCLUSIVE VISION FOR ATL - RYDER M.

EVENT PHOTOS:

CELESTIAL FRIDAYS + GLITZ - ROSE RIOT PHOTOGRAPHY + JON D.

Want to advertise your business or next event?

Send all submissions, proposals, questions, or media kit requests to info@wussymag.com

UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS: PLACES TO BE, PEOPLE TO DO, THINGS TO SEE Written by: Blake England

ATLANTA FUNK FEST 2017

5/19 – 5/21 2PM @WOLF CREEK AMPHITHEATER

Funk Fest has been around for almost 20 years, delivering all-star line ups that incorporate “old school, new school, and everyone in between.” Erykah Badu, Brandy, and Ro James are just some of the artists featured with programming all weekend long. Hope you already got a ticket because it's looking SOLD OUT.

ART SCHOOL JOCKS / US WEEKLY / FAT SPIRIT / FEMIGNOME / YANKEE ROSES 5/20 9PM @529

A lineup that had me enjoying their soundclouds the whole way through will be playing at the East ATL hole in the wall 529 this Saturday. Featuring some garage and femme punk with “existensial basement pop” among other niches, this show's going to be a cute lil' banger that I wouldn't mind shuffling my feet around to. I predict no more than 3 beers will be spilled on me. 21+ / $7

OUR RIGHTS MATTER. OUR BODIES MATTER. 5/20 7PM @TILA STUDIOS

Georgia Artists for Progress + TILA Studios Presents: "Our Rights Matter. My Body Matters." An art show on reproductive justice and the female body.

They'll be raising awareness and cash for the Magnolia Fund, a non-profit devoted to identifying and eliminating the barriers to abortion access here in the south. Featuring female visual artists the works will be auctioned to support the fund. All Ages / $10 Suggested Donation

PERFUME GENIUS

5/20 8PM @TERMINAL WEST

One of our favorite musical queer sadboys is coming to Atlanta. If you haven’t heard his new album, Slip Away, give it a spin now on iTunes and Spotify.

And ICYMI: check out the last issue of WUSSY Rag for our exclusive interview with Perfume Genius. All Ages / Tickets $16-18

STUDIO GHIBLI SERIES: PORCO ROSSO & MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO 5/27 – 5/28 10:30 & 1PM @MIDTOWN ART CINEMA

The annual Studio Ghibli festival is back with the first movie I stole from Blockbuster, My Neighbor Totoro, and the beautifully overlooked classic about a flying pig, Porco Rosso. I try to never miss an opportunity to make Ghibli take my money and I certainly won’t miss this. Dubbed and Subbed showings are available, so if you'd like to feel like a child again without all the children around, I'd recommend subbed. All Ages / $9 Admission per film

ALBUM 88: WRASFEST 2017 5/27 6PM @THE MASQUERADE

Our favorite student run radio station is back for another year of WRASFest, celebrating local music and remembering the Album 88 good-old-times. This year they’re taking over Purgatory at the brand new Masquerade location downtown. Check their Facebook page for a full lineup announcement. All Ages / $10 General Admission

SADE'S STRONGER THAN PRIDE + OTHER SADE FAVORITES 5/27 10PM @ VENKMAN'S

ATL Collective presents a night of performances curated by Khari Cabral Simmons, showcasing “incredible recreations of this epic album from top to bottom.” Expect narratives and multi media experiences detailing why Sade's late 80's jazzy odyssey ambiance is so important. Probably even more relevant now than it was then. All Ages / $20 - $40

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IN REVIEW:

LIMIT(LESS) BRINGS LGBTQ AFRICAN STORIES INTO THE LIGHT Written by: Matt Jones / Photos by: Mikael Owunna

“...THE IDEA THAT BEING LGBTQ+ IS “UN-AFRICAN” AND CAUSED BY AN EXPOSURE TO THE WEST.”

Black Lives Matter. This will always be true. In this specific field, there is more that needs unpacking: anti-blackness, colorism, commodification—the list goes on. These discussions are more segmented through the African diaspora, that has uprooted and shifted the makeup of African and black identity globally. One example is the idea that being LGBTQ+ is “un-African” and caused by an exposure to the West. This Western exposure however, is the same that brought binary ideologies in theology and sexuality in tow. It’s also responsible for robbing, removing, and erasing cultures and resources from an entire continent throughout history.

LGBTQ+ lives do exist throughout Africa, but with decades of anti-LGBTQ+ evangelical crusdaes and colonization its subversion seeks a level of myth in the homes of deeply conservative Africans. With more work being done in areas to exhume these stories from the sunken place, it is becoming harder for naysayers to use the “absence” of evidence as a turning point.

As we explore African identity, the issue has another home away from home. LGBTQ+ in diaspora have an intersection of multitudes: from tribes to new nationalities, generational divides, and the scope of

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life and freedoms they must navigate within this vary greatly. These stories are pieces of a larger narrative that encourages and ultimately creates a more accurate view of our history.

Mikael Owunna’s Limit(less) showcases just that. The photo docu-series paints a portrait of African queer life that is sorely missing in the media. WUSSY had a Q&A interview with Owunna about the project and its aspirations moving forward...

What are some key inspirations in this project?

This project was born out of personal experiences. I am queer Nigerian-American and grew up feeling very torn up about having these two identities. When I was outed as a teenager, I was told that being gay was “not of my culture” and the antidote that was proposed was sending me back to Nigeria a lot to “get the gay out of me.” LGBTQ identities were construed as a “western” or “white” thing, and so- in many ways I was an inherent contradiction as a queer African person.

I started this project 3 years ago to break down this colonial binary that says that one cannot be both LGBTQ and African. And the project was directly inspired by the work of Zanele Muholi - a black lesbian South African photographer - who did a portrait series called Faces & Phases on black lesbians in South Africa. I wanted to connect the dots to our experiences in the LGBTQ African diaspora and tell a story of freedom and emancipation through my images.

What is the importance of sharing LGBTQ+ African stories?

It’s important because we have close to zero media representation, and the little representation we do have is overwhelmingly negative - showing us being brutalized, assaulted and oppressed in our home countries and around the world.

That psychologically affects you as a minority group.

When I heard from family members that it was “un-African” to be gay, I had no media representation to disprove that. No LGBTQ African friends at the time and nothing in the media that I could turn to and see “well, no, what they’re saying is wrong” So I’m excited to create and share images and stories that highlight my community and especially because the images are meant to uplift. They are meant to make you rejoice! And for people who grow up in a world telling us that we cannot and should not exist, that is the type of affirmation that can transform your experience. Just as seeing Zanele Muholi’s portraits of black lesbians in South Africa did for me.

How do you think the usage of style and symbolism plays into the overarching view of black identity and pride?

Well I think there has definitely been a really big revival in interest in traditional African clothing styles and traditions especially over the last 15 years or so.

It’s a huge space of reclamation, particularly for diasporic African communities. It’s a space of pride that pushes up against white supremacist myths that made us ashamed of our African-ness for generations.

“WITH EACH CLICK OF THE CAMERA I AM ENVISIONING WHAT A FREE WORLD FOR BLACK QUEER + TRANS PEOPLE COULD LOOK LIKE.” Part of this project aims past colonial borders to venture into the array of unique struggles experienced by the African diaspora. How does this shift interact with the work? What are some challenges being presented?

Looking in diaspora the recurring theme that comes up again and again is racism - particularly from white LGBTQ people. As LGBTQ African immigrants, we can end up in this weird space where we might feel denied our African identity by homophobic/transphobic Africans while simultaneously being denied our LGBTQ identity by the severe racism in white LGBTQ spaces. That is an aspect of our lives and identities that is present in almost every single interview I have done, and it dominates how we experience and walk through the world every day.

What is the general notion or feeling you wish to get across?

Joy. Emancipation. Freedom. With each click of the camera I am envisioning what a free world for black queer and trans people could look like.

How does one get involved in supporting the project?

I just launched a Kickstarter to bring Limit(less) to Europe and complete the project with a final round of shots of the LGBTQ African diaspora there. Any and all support is appreciated!

You can follow Mikael + Limit(Less) on Facebook @limitlessafricans + on Instagram @mikaelowunna ISSUE NO. 5 - LATE MAY 2017 / PAGE 6

ATLANTA SPOTLIGHT: VIVID’S RETURN TO DEEJAYING

Written by: Tyler Scruggs / Photo by: Jon Dean

The art of deejaying has, like most other art forms, revolutionized in the twenty some-odd years since the internet connected us all and computers became common household appliances. In the process, some art forms have become all but lost for good, like the mixtape or vinyl spinning; damned to a digital mimic of an endangered analog past.

Mark “Viv” Cassel is an Atlanta-based queer DJ better known by most as Vivid, and he’s spent most of this digital revolution away from his turntables. After having moved to North Carolina from Manchester, UK

“WE WERE ALL WELCOMING A BUNCH OF REJECTS, WHO WELCOMED ANYONE IN NEED OF A SAFE SPACE.”

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for college in the early 90s, Viv found a home and community with the local rave scene. While his classmates were gravitating towards Dave Matthew Band and Phish, Viv began making mixtapes containing elements of High Energy House and Vocal Trance music.

It was around this time late in college when he came out and not only found an artistic calling in the rave scene, but a community as well. Sexuality didn’t matter too much and people were free to express themselves however they wished, and Viv found comfort in that. comfort in that.

“FINDING QUEER LIFE HAS GIVEN ME A NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND TO GO BACK OUT, GET MORE INVOLVED, AND DO WHAT I LOVE DOING: MAKING PEOPLE DANCE.” “We were all welcoming a bunch of rejects, who welcomed anyone in need of a safe space.”

Soon he garnered a following and instead of being merely a fan, he became one of the more notable DJs in the area. Utilizing a classic twin turntable vinyl set up, he would layer sounds on one another to create unique vibes and atmospheres for the events he’d play. It was then he moved to Atlanta with his boyfriend began touring and in 2000 released the popular mix Delicate Sounds of the Underground Vol. 2 (available on Spotify & Apple Music).

Though, the extensive touring and straining schedule wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

Vivid took over Viv’s life and the traveling put a strain on him and his boyfriend. That, combined

with the dwindling rave scene and disappointing homogenization of gay culture in the early 2000s led Viv to leave the scene completely.

community-oriented, DIY, accepting spirit did Viv find the inspiration to bring out his turntables again.

For fifteen years, Viv kept a quiet life as an accountant, living with his partner in Atlanta.

During that time, the EDM scene exploded into what it is today. With the help of laptops, MP3s, SoundCloud, and more, DJs could share their mixes and perform more easily than ever.

Though, as we’ve come to learn, accessibility and tech does not equal talent. There’s no replacement for a live DJ who can read a room and compliment an event accordingly, and that’s what Vivid does best.

“The queer scene reminds me of the rave days of old which were all-inclusive and built on a sense of love, community and respect,” Viv continues. “Finding queer life has given me a new lease on life and to go back out, get more involved, and do what I love doing: making people dance.”

It wasn’t until the recent resurgence of queer culture in Atlanta fostered by a

Looking to the future, Vivid will be performing at Rock The Forest in August as well as some possible festival dates later this summer. You can find him on SoundCloud at VividUK and on Facebook under the name Viv Id.

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THIRST TRAP: 20 QUESTIONS W/ RIFY ROYALTY Written by: Jon Dean / Photo by: Jon Dean

WUSSY presents THIRST TRAP, a regular hottie column in which we attempt to glean a deeper understanding of select hotties through superficial yet tantalizing inquiries.

WUSSY had the opportunity to kick it with genderbending stud-muffin slash performance artist, Rify Royalty, before she made her way up to the annual Radical Faerie gathering.

Rify is the brains behind the monthly Brooklyn banger, Straight Acting, which just celebrated its 2-year anniversary at Metropolitan.

The party has featured so many of our favorite kittens, such as Sasha Velour, Mister Wallace, Aja, and Will Automagic.

In June, this self-proclaimed â&#x20AC;&#x153;body queen of Brooklynâ&#x20AC;? will be making a splash at the Life Ball, a special Vienna event aimed at promoting HIV+ awareness and boosting the voices of those affected.

Ya girl Rify knows how to serve a lewk, but we thought you all might enjoy these stripped-down, bare-ass photos from our brief time together.

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1. What’s your favorite app?

Anything that gets me laid. And Shazam.

8. Have you ever ghosted on a date?

Yes, but they probably deserved it.

15. Monogamy or naw?

Ew. Nah.

2. What’s your favorite position?

Missionary

9. What eating habit turns you off?

Someone who doesn't eat sweets.

16. Have you ever seen The Room?

No

3. Where were you when you found out Trump won?

Just left cirque de soleil and went to a eastern bloc to watch the results.

10. What's your Real Housewives tagline?

Next.

17. What's the gayest thing about you?

My existence

11. Could you live in NYC forever?

I never wanted to live in NYC in the first place, but I fell in love with it. I think about it leaving it all the time though. Maybe I'll cheat on her with London.

18. What’s your favorite meme right now?

Anything with Jasmine Masters. I tend to make my own.

4. Who is your favorite Spice Girl?

Ginger. We have the same birthday.

5. If you could blackmail a politician, who would it be?

Does Monica Lewinsky count?

6. If you could turn back time, what year would you live in forever?

The year Lil Kim had her purple pastie moment. I want to live in a time where things like that still shocked me.

7. Can you eat gluten?

Love it!

12. What do you smell like?

Sweat, but it's mild.

19. Favorite Meryl Streep movie?

Postcards From The Edge 20. Are you gonna call us back after this?

You gotta earn it!!

13. Biggest party no-no?

Republican Party 14. If you could be any anime character, who would you be and why?

I don't know much about anime but maybe Mega man would be fun. The look is cute.

For more on Rify Royalty, follow her @rifyroyalty on Twitter and Facebook.

And if you’re in Brooklyn on the first Thursday of the month, be sure to stop by Straight Acting at Metropolitan Bar.

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BLACK FRIDAY:

MTV AWARDS BEST KISS + THE DANGERS OF WHITE GIRLS IN HIP HOP Written by: Matt Jones

Welcome to Black Friday, y'all!

It’s not your one-stop shop for black news (prioritize black people all the time), but do check in for a corner of black-centric news—preferably of the queer and femme nature.

MTV Awards Best Gay Ass Kiss At this years MTV Movie & TV Awards, Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome took home the award for Best Kiss. The iconic scene from Moonlight adds yet another award to the movie’s belt and with it another milestone for gay black excellence. This win is very important as an identifier of social precedence and shows the profound impact of this film.

“WITH THIS, A LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE AND VALIDATION IS GIVEN TO LGBT YOUTH...”

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The Best Kiss award represents the power and pure emotion of human connection behind the iconic lip lock, but this is usually expected/used/reserved to preserve heteronormative romance structures—boy meets girl, hero saves damsel, etc. With this, a level of acceptance and validation is given to LGBT youth—especially for black gay youth—on a mainstream platform.

In a heartfelt acceptance speech, Ashton Sanders, who plays Chiron, said: “This award is bigger than Jharrel and I, this represents more than a kiss… This represents the kids who feel like others, the misfits.” ….AND NO I’M NOT CRYING OK.

“...WHITE WOMEN PLAYING BLACK CARDS GET WAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION.”

MILEY’S DONE CULTURE VULTURING

experiences that do not belong to you.

Wow Miley you really tried it.

While anyone can dabble into a culture, they are easily able to shed that old skin and evolve into what they see as more pleasant or beautiful at a whim. This commodification of identity and experience can be dangerous, and perpetuates a lofty level of moral aggrandizing and superiority—a tour de force in the scheme of white supremacy.

In an interview with XXL Mag, the young popstar states that she is distancing herself from hip hop. Cyrus said that she feels hip-hop oversexualizes women. Yet, during her stint of foam penises, tongues and hand vaginas, and hypersexual onstage displays this was all used as a display of empowerment. In the words of my favorite Oprah gif “What is the truth?”

The problem with this decided distancing is that it is a direct result of privilege that actively seeks the use and disposal of identity in the name of personal betterment. Especially identities and

A knee-jerk rebuttal to this is that she’s young and learning, so of course views change and mistakes are made. This still does not explain or excuse the extent of exposure and idolization given to her while performing her minstrel show. It’s

just another example, in a long line of Igloo Australia’s (Iggy Azalea), Rachel Dolezal’s and even that Dr. Phil girl, that shows white women playing black cards get way too much attention. After that, spinning a social justice movement on its head repeatedly to justify her actions and beliefs is also reckless. It really shows what is and is not held to high standards in mainstream pop charts. She used a culture as a costume, and in line with current practice in the entertainment industry, plastered her white face all over black mediums of expression. I guess the hoes really are laughing at this point huh? This culture vulture moment was brought to you by white feminism.

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BLESS HER HEART:

CAFE + VELO: WHEN A BUSINESS + NEIGHBORLY TRADITIONS COLLIDE Written by: Zaida J.

I am video chatting with Kayleen Scott and Becka Cowan; Scott is sporting shocking yellow hair, and Cowan a wise, kind smile.

Both women are fierce and have a lot to say regarding a recent incident at new Edgewood bike-friendly spot, Cafe+Velo. It takes us a while to get on track regarding the who, what, where, and when of the now infamous ejection of the pair’s guest, a homeless woman living on Edgewood named Alex that the two befriended months prior to their lunch date.

“I kept seeing her and I remember thinking, wow she’s really young,” says Scott. She was ready to help the young woman as soon as she learned her story, because at one point Scott herself was homeless. Now a working artist in the Atlanta area, Scott tries her best not to forget her time on the streets. What happened that day in April has sparked a conversation about what business owners

“WE DECIDED TO GET HER A HOT MEAL, AND OUT OF CONVENIENCE WE WENT INTO CAFE+VELO...”

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should and shouldn’t do when it comes to policing homeless presence on their properties. Legal points aside, community concerns within the tight-knit neighborhood of Edgewood Avenue—an eclectic mix of young professionals, business owners, and local artists—have dominated the discussion.

For the sake of fairness though, it’s important to understand exactly what happened before delving into that aspect of this story.

Becka and Kayleen were walking along Edgewood when the former spotted Scott’s friend Alex, a homeless Black woman in her early 30’s. The two got excited because they finally had a new chance to catch up with her and to see how she was doing.

“We decided to get her a hot meal, and out of convenience we went into Cafe+Velo,” says Cowan.

A long-time Edgewood resident, she was actually a professed and vocal supporter of Velo, having posted about the eatery on her own social media accounts. She was excited to finally have a place that was dog friendly and had a street-facing patio. The pair tell me that when they entered and purchased a sandwich for their friend Alex, the owner Jeff Demetriou, asked them if they wanted the food to go. According to the pair, then demanded that they take the food outside of the restaurant so as not to disrupt the other customers around them with the presence of a homeless person. Following this, Cowan took to social media and relayed the incident to her friends and followers. What happened next was nothing short of a PR master class in what not to do when faced with controversy.

As opposed to appearing contrite or requesting that the women have a private meeting with him, Demetriou decided to publicly post the internal policies of his business and go toe-to-toe with Cowan. It wasn’t pretty. The controversy proved so explosive that local news stations saw fit to cover it, with 11Alive producing a prime-time segment detailing the incident and resulting fall-out.

WUSSY reached out to Demetriou, hoping to provide him an opportunity to explain his side of the controversy and where he stands as a business owner. We did this bearing in mind that social media isn’t always the most accurate depiction of a person’s intention and character.

His response is below: “LAST MONDAY, I NOTICED A LADY AT HER OWN TABLE

BY THE GATE TO OUR PATIO SPEAKING WITH TWO OTHER CUSTOMERS AT A DIFFERENT TABLE WHO HAD ORDERED ABOUT 30 MINUTES PRIOR. THE LADY AT THE TABLE WAS PREVIOUSLY KNOWN TO ME, AS SHE HAS FREQUENTLY SOLICITED CUSTOMERS BOTH INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CAFE. UPON OBSERVING THE ABOVE, KAYLEEN (THE PERSON WITH WHOM I SPOKE) CAME TO ORDER A SANDWICH AND AN OJ. SINCE SHE HAD ALREADY EATEN, AND THINKING THAT THIS LADY WAS AGAIN SOLICITING CUSTOMERS, I ASKED IF THIS WAS FOR HER OR THE LADY OUTSIDE. SHE TOLD ME IT WAS FOR THE LADY OUTSIDE. I THEN POLITELY TOLD HER THAT WE WOULD PREFER FOR THOSE TYPES OF TRANSACTIONS TO OCCUR OUTSIDE OF THE CAFE, AS WE DID NOT WANT TO ENCOURAGE SOLICITATION OF OUR CUSTOMERS. SHE THEN SAID THAT SHE KNEW HER AND SHE WAS A FRIEND THAT SHE BUYS FOOD FOR HER WHEN SHE SEES HER. I SIMPLY REQUESTED AGAIN THAT WE WOULD PREFER THOSE TYPES OF EXCHANGES TO OCCUR OUTSIDE THE CAFE, AND ASKED IF SHE DIDN’T MIND GETTING IT TO-GO FOR THE LADY, AS WE DIDN’T WANT TO ENCOURAGE HER TO CONTINUE TO SOLICIT FUTURE CUSTOMERS. ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES DELIVERED THE SANDWICH TO KAYLEEN OUTSIDE TO THE TABLE THAT HER AND HER FRIEND BECKA (WHO HAD BEEN OUTSIDE THE ENTIRE TIME), WERE STILL SITTING AT BY THEMSELVES. THEY THEN APPARENTLY PROCEEDED TO LEAVE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY INTERACTION BETWEEN MYSELF OR THE LADY ON THE PORCH. NO ONE WAS TOLD TO LEAVE, REFUSED SERVICE. OR THAT THEY (OR ANYONE ELSE) WAS UNWELCOME. RACE HAD ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, AS WE DISCOURAGE SOLICITATION OF OUR CUSTOMERS BY ANYONE REGARDLESS OF RACE, CLASS, OR GENDER.”

The receipts of Demetriou’s comments and internal policy have been saved, and shared throughout the Edgewood community; they were also included in the 11 alive segment.

In one comment, Demetriou details his cafe’s “zero-tolerance” homeless policy, he then continues to explain that his reasoning lies in the tendency of the homeless to take advantage of people’s compassion: There is a lot to unpack here, and typically I wouldn’t shy away from voicing my own opinion on the matter, but I think it’s more effective to focus on the implications of the broader discussion prompted by this incident.

There are two sides to this situation. Demetriou’s clumsy behavior aside, there is a lot to be said regarding a business’s obligation to the neighborhood it occupies. Cowan assured me that Edgewood has always been a homeless-friendly area, that local businesses tend to co-exist with the already heavy homeless population of that strip. I reached out to long-time Edgewood entrepreneur and occasional WUSSY contributor Grant Henry (Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room and Ping Pong Emporium and its spin-offs) to glean more insight into the common practice of businesses along one of Atlanta’s most popular nightlife strips. In his response, Henry agreed that businesses have co-existed with the homeless, and he goes further to describe how he’d like to see that relationship grow in

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“...FIGURE OUT HOW TO HELP ALL PARTIES EVOLVE TOWARDS SOME GROWTH IN THE RESOLUTION OF THE PROBLEM.” the near future; he did not comment on the specifics regarding the controversy surrounding Cafe Velo: “I would say businesses have co-existed (I once bought one of the street musicians a new harmonica when he lost his) pretty much. However, I think that the city, business community, residents, and the faith communities could join hands with the people who are homeless and figure out how to help all parties evolve towards some growth in the resolution of the problem. It's a toughie.”

Grant Henry is right, it certainly is a toughie.

Considering Demetriou opened up shop in a neighborhood with a long-standing history of co-existing with the homeless, the complexity of marrying his own business strategy to the demands of locals now presents a glaring problem for his business’s future. How he decides to move forward is up in the air. Hopefully, he chooses not to let us know via social media because I’m sure at this point, both the residents of Edgewood and Cafe Velo’s employees could use a well-deserved breather.

Perhaps even, one that takes place on a street-facing patio that is also dog friendly?

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COVER STORY:

LILIANA BAKHTIARI’S INCLUSIVE VISION FOR ATL Written by: Ryder McEntyre

On a balmy Sunday evening in Atlanta’s fifth district, Liliana Bakhtiari was pleading with one of her beloved rescue dogs to not lick its paw for risk of infection. When I walked into her home, it was in a state of organized upheaval. Ahead of a vital campaign fundraising deadline, Bakhtiari’s partner, Kristina Brown, a dancer and artist, was cleaning and rearranging their home, which sits just south of Cabbagetown off of Memorial Avenue. Brown was fashioning a campaign headquarters for Bakhtiari out of what looked like a former bedroom and some desks. This in-home

headquarters is about to become the epicenter of their grassroots campaign to get the first out queer woman-of-color elected to Atlanta’s City Council.

That candidate is Liliana Bakhtiari and she is one of the most visible activists in the city, participating in international volunteer work and fighting for women's rights, environmental rights, water accessibility, affordable housing, and access to public transit. She announced her candidacy for Atlanta’s City District 5 over Facebook Live on March 23, 2017.

Photo by: Michael Schwarz

“...THEIR GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN TO GET THE FIRST OUT, QUEER WOMAN-OF-COLOR ELECTED TO ATLANTA’S CITY COUNCIL.”

Bakhtiari was born at Piedmont Hospital to an American mother and a first-generation Iranian immigrant father who expatriated during the Iranian Revolution. Her mother worked to support Mr. Bakhtiari through school at Georgia State University until he graduated and opened a pharmacy in what Bakhtiari calls the “breadbasket of the Civil Rights Movement” — Martin Luther King Jr.’s neighborhood on historic Auburn Avenue.

The pharmacy quickly became a pillar of the community: “He was the first pharmacist to provide free

delivery; talk about accessibility and the inability to navigate the city, combined with condensed poverty… You didn’t have Uber back then,” Bakhtiari told me. She “grew up outside the Grady Hospital trauma entrance handing out flyers” for her father’s business on the weekends, witnessing all kinds of strife. Grady, as we all know, has been the nexus of care for some of the most vulnerable Atlantans living in and around District 5. “The street where Piedmont is now – where all the Georgia State [University] housing is – that was some of the worst sex and drug trafficking in the city at

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the time, before GSU came and developed it out. They didn’t deal with it, they just brushed it under the rug, which is how city leadership deals with a lot of things here,” Bakhtiari told me.

While her father’s pharmacy served the community, her involvement in the family business sparked her interest in tackling these issues in bigger ways; it’s no surprise that Bakhtiari’s next step is running for City Council.

Some would say there has seen a shift in our city’s policies — from a focus on civil rights and inclusion to that of investing in bringing in outside talent.

This shift has left communities of color and indigent families behind, or worse, completely pushed them out of their generational homes, when these are the people who made Atlanta an attractive destination at the start. As the city has exploded in population over the last decade or so, density and inclusivity has become a central concern for many longterm residents.

According to Bakhtiari, “density is great, but density that isn’t inclusive isn’t something I can get behind. We see the disappearance of affordable housing fairly rapidly and what affordable housing there is is being held hostage by slumlords.” This is happening all across the city, but especially in the rapidly gentrifying fifth

district she hopes to represent. “The building blocks of everything we have in this country are based on the working class. If you

Bakhtiari recognizes the struggles facing these residents as they deal with possible expulsion from the communities that they built for

“I GOT INTO THIS RACE BECAUSE I SAW EVERY FACE I HAD EVER KNOWN AND ALL THE SPACES THAT SHAPED ME DISAPPEAR.” develop-out working class people without giving them a way to navigate back into the city to work, to continue participating in the economy, your economy will crash,” she said.

themselves and their neighbors. She says “A lot of the legacies of Atlanta, the faces that make Atlanta what it is, get forced out through property tax raises, eminent domain, lack of job

Photos by: Haylee Anne Kitties

ISSUE NO. 5 - LATE MAY 2017 / PAGE 17

availability because Atlanta is investing more in outside workers than it is in people who are already here.

She does not hold all of city government accountable for this shift in policy, referencing the recently elected Atlanta City Council member Andre Dickens. Bakhtiari believes Dickens “is working very hard for affordable housing and seems to be an all-around progressive individual.”

This is not to say that the more senior members of city government don’t reflect their districts, but with the type of projects being presented and completed, their commitment to current residents comes across as lip service. With the addition of things like the ferris wheel, streetcar, the Atlanta BeltLine’s track record and the idea of bringing a “Times Square” to downtown Atlanta, the policy shifts that frustrate Bakhtiari are glaringly obvious. These types of tourist-centric improvements are happening in the absence of investing in Atlantans that have always been here.

According to Bakhtiari, these projects are happening in opposition to necessary local improvements, including the expansion of public infrastructure so that “you aren’t putting out literal fires and having to

“...WE MUST BE INVESTING IN THE ATLANTANS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE AND THAT MEANS JOB TRAINING AND ENSURING AFFORDABILITY.” adapt to a bridge collapse.”

It’s clear there are things the city must do to continue creating an attractive atmosphere for all walks of life, not just propping up expensive mixed-use developments in every neighborhood. Bakhtiari believes that merely bringing people here is not the answer. The reality is much less fun. She says “It’s not sexy to say ‘Oh, we fixed this road today’ or ‘We added this bridge, and our water treatment system just expanded two-fold’ — These are not the exciting headlines the general public wants, but our residents will be able to turn on their faucets, drive and bike down our roads.”

Talking with Bakhtiari, it’s easy to gather that her

primary focus is on making the city’s promising economic future inclusive. Atlanta’s rapid growth over the course of the last decade was made possible in part by tax breaks for the film industry and historically affordable housing, but as the city grows and gentrifies, places for affordable housing are quickly turned into luxury condos and mixed-use developments that unsustainably raise property values across Atlanta. “Transient people are not bad,” she says, “but you must have a balance. We must be investing in the Atlantans that are already here and that means job training and ensuring affordability.” In addition to affordability, Bakhtiari says “Atlanta is cutting its progress off at the knees,” and considering how Atlanta is such a deeply car-dependent city, “Your public transportation system cannot just look

like an ‘X’”.

For Bakhtiari, economic and social inclusivity is the correct way forward. The idea of an Atlanta that works for all might sound like an obviously compelling choice for anyone, but judging by the fact that MARTA still hasn’t expanded rail service, traffic only ever seems to be getting worse, and property values and rents are approaching all-time highs, current city leadership might not be looking out for its more vulnerable residents. “I got into this race because I saw every face I had ever known and all the spaces that shaped me disappear. The people who made Atlanta what it is are being forgotten,” Bakhtiari says.

She refuses to forget.

ISSUE NO. 5 - LATE MAY 2017 / PAGE 18

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