WUSSY Rag - Issue 6 - Early June

REMEMBERING PULSE 6.12.16 ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE 2017

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

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

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contents: UPCOMING ATTRACTIONS:

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

ATL SPOTLIGHT:

QUICK LOOK @ ROWDY DOWDY—THE QUEENIEST DIY VENUE IN ATL - MATT J.

FINISH HIM:

FUSS ABOUT THE FIGHT ISSUE—QUEER TAKEOVER @ THE ATL CONTEMPORARY - NICHOLAS G.

INTERVIEW:

EUREKA ON DRAG RACE + FATPHOBIA IN THE GAY COMMUNITY - JON D.

FOR THOUGHT:

QUEER DATING, POLYAMORY, + WANTING YOURSELF FIRST - IFY A.

COVER STORY:

ONE YEAR LATER—QUEER, LATINX + LIVING LOUDLY - KENNETH F.

MISSED CONNECTIONS:

LOVE + LIGHT WITH THE DREGS - STEVIE K.

EVENT PHOTOS:

ICON:MADONNA + LGBTQ FAMILY DAY @ GLENLAKE PARK - ROSE RIOT PHOTOGRAPHY

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

CHOPITUPATL PRESENTS: COLLECTIVE IMPACT DINNER SERIES NO. 2 6/2 6PM @STUDIO NO. 7 (393 MARIETTA ST NW)

#ChopitupATL is serving up spirit, mind and body at a delicious dinner party. The ingredients: Good food, knowledge of where it comes from, art, beauty and community. Highlighting the need to support LOCAL, benefiting Carver's Produce downtown.

Catered by Mouthfeel Culinary Company with dessert from The Naked Fig! $45 includes three course meal.

EAST POINT POSSUMS

6/3 7PM @THE COMMONS IN DOWNTOWN EAST POINT

“Doing good work though bad drag,” East Point Possums has been going for 20 years but this is apparently going to be their last show! Over the years theyve raised tens of thousands of dollars for local charities including one of our favorites Lost'n'Found.

These ole' queens have a killer lineup in store so bring a blanket and pop a squat on the knoll and be ready to laugh. All entertainer tips and drink sales go to charity. Free / All Ages

OPENING RECEPTION: SARA SANTAMARIA 6/3 7PM @EYEDRUM

Sara Santamaria's first solo exhibition features sculptural works that address the idea of immigration and tap into themes of memoir, displacement, and identity. “Who comes today and stays tomorrow” explores the aspects of dislocation and adaptation generated by the difficult decision to uproot oneself and cross borders in search of a new home. Free / All Ages

HOGTIED III WITH EUREKA FROM RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE 6/3 10PM @HERETIC

Legendary Children's HOGTIED returns to Heretic and your favorite little shitpiggies are back for more. This year they're joined by EUREKA!, your favorite elephant queen from RuPaul's Drag Race season 9 (and 10!) Dust off those dog masks and come in your best fetish/leather/bondage/latex gear! $10 / 21+

QUEER COMMUNITY CIRCUS AND PERFORMANCE JAM! 6/4 2PM @SKY GYM ATLANTA

Melissa Coffey is hosting a wonderfully delightful workshop on anything and everything from circus and burlesque to make-up and lighting. “We will create safe space and play games that teach us how to tell authentic stories with movement and other means, we can communally share skills, healthy snacks, massage trade, and make music.” Think Phys Ed but with acrobatics in drag. Anyone LGBTQIA identified is welcome. Free / All Ages

TUNES FROM THE TOMBS 2017

6/10 12 - 8PM @OAKLAND CEMETERY

My second favorite cemetery in town is throwing its 7th annual music festival, showcasing local rock bands and musicians. 3 stages will set up across grounds featuring over 20 artists throughout the day with buskers wandering the park to serenade you next to a mausoleum. All entry, food, and drink sales benefit Historic Oakland Foundation's mission to preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery. Bring your parasol. $15 Admission / All Ages ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 3

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ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 4

ATL SPOTLIGHT:

QUICK LOOK @ ROWDY DOWDY—THE QUEENIEST DIY VENUE IN ATL Written by: Matt Jones / Photos by: @RowdyDowdy

“ ...EXPECT A DIY ART CIRCUS AMBIENCE RESEMBLING A TIM BURTON, REBECCA BLACK MOLLY EXCURSION...”

Nestled in South West Atlanta lies an unassuming building on the fringes of a quiet neighborhood. The road itself doesn’t look like much—a couple auto shops, a corner store, an abandoned BBQ spot that I have personal qualms with being closed—but this warehouse space brings more than just a random bonfire pit and lawn chairs to the street’s appeal. Here lies Rowdy Dowdy: the artsiest, queeniest DIY venue sporting space for inclusivity and the eclectic.

ICYMI: The Rowdy crew are known for offering an array of entertainment including live music, theater, film and other forms of performance and visual art. If you’re planning on attending one of their events, be prepared to enter a space that promotes community, fun, and drag queens.

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“You can expect a Diy art circus ambience resembling a Tim Burton, Rebecca Black Molly excursion that features original art realness and omni scenic views hosted by our sexy group of gender-friendly volunteers,” says the Rowdy crew.

Rowdy Dowdy’s origin story takes place in Athens, GA, where it aptly gained its name in a secluded farm house on Dowdy Road—real cute, y’all.

Tenants of the farm, Durham Henderson and David Iduate, took advantage of the land behind the property by building a stage and thus the original Rowdy was born. Eventually the group moved back to their hometown of Atlanta, and with the help of local artists, found their current home to continue the tradition. Past the modest facade and the bustling crowd,

“DRAG IS MANDATORY, DON’T FEED THE DRAG QUEENS, AND NO DYING PLEASE.”

this space takes an astoundingly transformative appearance upon entry.

Beginning with a portal-esque hallway, you notice the walls lined with paintings and other visuals from top to bottom. Occasionally, you can find the young, the activist, the artist congregating in line for the bathroom or just getting caught in conversation, but generally an air of genuine interest and community pervades the atmosphere. After this sometimes intoxicating entry, you make it into the main room, where every inch is laced with visual stimulus—paintings, light, and sculptures.—preceded by a lounge space stage, and of course a bar sported by the resident drag queens. It’s an over the top experience, but inviting nonetheless. The queens do have some wishes they’d like to profess.

“We follow three simple rules: Drag is mandatory, don’t feed the drag queens, and no dying please.”

So far, talent coming through has ranged far and wide and has yet to disappoint. Rowdy makes a point to foster local talent, while also bringing touring acts that are as diverse as they are inspiring. Local bands including rap duo Coco & Clair Clair, post-rock/jazz improvisational act LONER, and to electronic solo act Common Blood, amongst so many others have graced the staged. Also a line-up of touring bands like The Van Allen Belt, and 100% Electronica George Clanton and Negative Gemini have performed bringing full productions to the space.

Besides just music Dowdy’s movie screening range from one offs, to partial music shows, to full film festival status with series such as Cinema Novo, and the crew has also begun to dabble into theater their first original murder mystery musical called The Man Downstairs this past Memorial Day Weekend. The future looks bright for DIY ATL.

art, and home videos for our Dowdy Channel on RowdyDowdyNow until we have inspired every cis and non cis child in America, and then the world.” say the Rowdys.

Coming up on June 29th, Rowdy Dowdy’s aptly named event, The Big Thing, will bring a big ass queer line-up of local acts, so remember to mark those calendars.

Featuring queer punk band Bitter, unapologetically queer, black rap from headliner Zé and Dandy Warhol, as well as acts from many other local artists from R&B, Rock, and Electronic, this is something you definitely don’t wanna miss. Doors open at 6, music at 6:30, and entry is only $5 so get into the gig.

Rowdy Dowdy sustains itself through donations. For further information on how to donate to the play and establishment, check out their Gofundme

“We have a long lasting goal to produce shows, music, ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 6

FINISH HIM:

FUSS ABOUT THE FIGHT ISSUE—QUEER TAKEOVER @ THE ATL CONTEMPORARY Written by: Nicholas Goodly / Photos by: Aubrey Longley-Cook, Brian Barbieri, + Dirito Patrick

On June 8th, WUSSY hosts our Fight Issue Release & Discussion Panel.

Through Atlanta Contemporary’s signature program Contemporary Cocktails night, we will raise our glasses and elevate our thoughts as we explore the idea of fights of every nature. Whether it be fights with a cruel and heartless government, fights with our inner saboteur, or battling with our loved ones, this issue dives into the complex nuances of what it means to be in an uphill battle, to struggle and give all your efforts and heart to a cause that is worth your whole self and your whole voice.

narrative and who is leading us? Corian Ellisor, Jody Fausett, Liliana Bakhtiari, Leo Hollen Jr., Theresa Davis and our own Zaida J will give us their responses and bring the conversation into new light.

The evening is hosted by the Atlanta Contemporary and will feature a panel of some of the most talented and inspiring individuals in Atlanta’s community.

From arts activists and community-organizing advocates to choreographers, writers, and groundbreaking performance artists, WUSSY has gathered extraordinary minds to discuss the questions that provoke our community.

What is a southern queer narrative? Where does our story fit in the tapestry of the broader culture’s story? What is the direction of the southern queer

The Fight Issue will be available on site to purchase for $15. Specialty cocktails will be available at the cash bar and the night promises to be a party, a call to duty, and a memorable evening for Atlanta artists and supporters.

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There will be a reading from some of the artists featured in the issue. Anna Jones, Ming Vase-Dynasty, Danielle Wood, T K Haile, Ami Le, Theresa Davis and Carmen Laughlin. A mix of poems, essays, and spoken word will take over the night with stories of struggle, pain and victory.

Join us at the Atlanta Contemporary from 6-8:30pm. They are located at 535 Means St NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30318

WUSSY MAG VOL. 2 THE FIGHT ISSUE

6.8.17

ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 8

INTERVIEW:

EUREKA ON DRAG RACE + FATPHOBIA IN THE GAY COMMUNITY Written by: Jon Dean

“HONESTLY IF YOU’RE OBESE, UNLESS YOU'RE HAIRY AND STRAPPED IN LEATHER, YOU AREN'T SEXUALIZED BY THE AVERAGE GAY MALE.”

After nine seasons, RuPaul’s Drag Race has yet to crown a plus-size (or as Tyra would say, fiercely real) queen. Our favorite reality show drag competition has seen many big-boned fan favorites come close: Latrice Royale, Ginger Minj, Darienne Lake, and more. We were starting to lose hope that we would ever see a bigger gal represented on the sequence throne. However, at the onset of the latest season, one queen had us starry eyed and full of hope: Eureka O’Hara.

Full of body, glamour, and that southern Tennessee charm, Eureka made her presence known from the jump. After losing her mind over ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 9

Lady Gaga’s premiere appearance, ruffling some feathers during Untucked, and captivating the hell out of us, she became the first queen in RPDR herstory to get sent home due to an injury.

Eureka’s exit from the show came as one of the most shocking moments so far this season. After tearing her ACL during a strenuous cheerleading challenge in episode two, our favorite big boned queen needed crutches to complete the next runway challenge. Her doctors and the show’s producers eventually decided to send Eureka packing, emphasizing that it was not safe for her to continue this season. However, she does have

an open-invitation to slay next season.

After her sudden departure, Eureka underwent surgery and according to an interview with VICE, World of Wonder took care of all her medical expenses. Since then, she’s been traveling and performing for audiences around the world. On June 3, the Elephant Queen will headline our annual leather & fetish extravaganza, HOGTIED at The Heretic.

We spoke with Eureka about her time on Drag Race and her new single Body Positivity.

Your exit from Drag Race was a gut-wrenching moment, but we are excited at the idea of having you back for Season 10. What are you doing to prepare for this next go round?

At this point I'm focusing on my healing process. If my doctor does not release me from medical care then my return will be delayed. That is why I am working hard to keep my mental and physical health at the top of my list. On another note, I am saving money, trying to purchase wigs, costumes, anything I can to have on stand by. Also for current touring I have to maintain my wardrobe etc. I'm rewatching seasons and obsessing over techniques and paths of those that have won this competition. This is my dream!! I can only hope I stand up, fight for, and shine through to make the judges and viewers believe I am America’s Next Drag Superstar, as much as I do.

Do you have any regrets from your time on Season 9?

I never regret the past but simply look forward to the future. My injury is something I could have been ok without happening, but God and destiny have a path for us and I'm walking/ limping mine. Hopefully to the top.

Who are your favorite queens from seasons past?

I love Alaska, Alyssa, Morgan McMicheals, Latrice, Ginger, Stacy, Sharon OMG maybe all of them lol How would you describe the TN drag scene?

The TN drag scene is very Pageant oriented and glamorous.

The message behind your single Body Positivity is SO important. Do you think fatphobia and body shaming is especially prevalent in the queer community?

Yes, it's a struggle! Specifically in the Gay Male community, looks are the most important. Honestly if you’re obese, unless you're hairy and strapped in leather, you aren't sexualized by the average gay male. Specialization causes the treatment of other gay males to influence a lesser opinion by some. Sadly men are sexual mammals and constantly sexualize each other in the LGBT lifestyle. This can be true in Heterosexuals as well. I say love every inch, lb, shape, color, or anything in between of your Homosapien Sexual Self. Cause ultimately is that not what we all are, Humans? #bodypositivity Do you text people using GIFs of yourself?

I love to text people using gifs of me from the show. I have such animated facial expressions and they know that. So they get a giggle out of it. Plus I have Gifs of myself, I'm a mother fucking Shtarrrr lol Favorite pop star or icon and why?

Lady Gaga and Jessie J, both smart and incredibly talented. I relate with both in their music, Lyrics, and life stories and expression.

Tickets for this Saturday’s HOGTIED, featuring Eureka O’Hara and hosted by Dax ExclamationPoint and Brigitte Bidet, are available online or at the door. $10-15

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FOR THOUGHT:

QUEER DATING, POLYAMORY, + WANTING YOURSELF FIRST Written by: Ify Aiti

I’ve been mostly single for a little over three years now. Sitting down to write this, I was a little shocked that I pitched this. Then again, I’m not.

I’ve been terrorizing my friends with my thoughts and turning them over and over in my mind.

Being single and dating are experiences that so many people share, but are so difficult to talk about. It totally makes sense; speaking openly about wanting to love and be loved is such a vulnerable position to be in!

So many of the things that have been on my mind about dating are interconnected with my experience of coming into my queerness and finding community. As cliché as it sounds, I have learned so much about myself from being single.

I’m much happier and have a much better understanding of who I am now and what I want

than I did before I accepted my queerness. I’ve felt free to question everything that I previously accepted as the “right” way to do life. For me, this led to questioning what kind of relationship structure would be best.

I think a big reason why I’ve been unpartnered over the last few years is how vocal I’ve been about seeking an open or polyamorous dynamic in my next relationship. I understand that the idea of partnering with someone who is upfront about their desire to have sexual and or romantic attachments outside their primary* relationship might be off-putting. Others [wrongly] assume that I’m looking for a sexual relationship or outlet.

My going theory is that this is because many people I meet have a wildly different understanding of the word polyamory than I

intend. The definition of what polyamory I use is very much informed by the media I’ve taken in in the process of educating myself.

Whenever I was interested in trying something out (vegetarianism, for example) my librarian mother would make me read about it and do my research before I could make any major changes. Even now, that’s how I approach new information. I began toying with the idea of open relationships after getting out of a toxic and abusive monogamous relationship. I found myself in Charis poring over the sex and relationship section. On one special Saturday, I happened to pick up The Ethical Slut. A book I’d passed over for reasons I can’t even remember several times before.

“I’M MUCH HAPPIER AND HAVE A MUCH BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHO I AM NOW AND WHAT I WANT THAN I DID BEFORE I ACCEPTED MY QUEERNESS.”

The only “real” [read: monogamous, long-term] relationship I’ve been in was with a cishet dude that was interested in upholding and even aroused by the two of us acting out prescriptive gender roles. While none of that really sat well with me, I didn’t have the language to ask for what I wanted. Frankly, I didn’t even have a framework through which to explore another relationship style that might work better for me. Since finding The Ethical Slut, I’ve devoured any book, podcast, or blog post about polyamory – I want to know how people are making their own way.

In real life, there is a significant degree of dissonance

between what people say their relationship styles are and what’s happening in practice. Lots of queer folx didn’t (or still don’t) have models for how to treat each other well, because we learned how to date in relationships that followed a heteronormative script. Shit - some of us didn’t date at all until we were grown because the environments we live in are often inhospitable. While I have had some really wonderful experiences, I’ve been hurt and seen the people I care about hurt by lovers that claim to be poly, but behave badly. It honestly pisses me off to see how easy it is for people to forget how tiny this community really is. I want us to value each other more.

“I DIDN’T HAVE THE LANGUAGE TO ASK FOR WHAT I WANTED.”

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“I WANT US TO VALUE EACH OTHER MORE.” This list is an attempt to boil all that I’ve learned/experienced down into a few digestible morsels: 1. Choose yourself first, just like Grace Jones told you. Love yourself first.

IMPORTANT NOTE: “love yourself first” does not mean “no one can love you until you love yourself” - that is ableist bullshit. Loving yourself takes practice and all efforts in the positive serve your highest good.

2. Be good to each other. Should go without saying, but I am telling you it does not.

3. C-O-M-M-U-N-I-C-A-T-E. If you just want to be friends or you’re not looking for a relationship, you need to tell the person you’re sleeping with. If you’ve got a partner, and your new boo doesn’t know that – fix that shit as soon an possible. Don’t be chicken and get your partner to break up with someone for you. This happened to me. It was fucking awful.

4. Be honest. Get real about what you want. For a long time, I would tell new people that “I didn’t really know what I was looking for” and I want “to meet people and have fun”. To be clear I do wanna have fun. Fun is great. I’m also ready for partner to navigate and share with. It’s difficult get what you want if you don’t ask or tell people the truth.

5. Sex is only a part of the equation. Non-monogamy can be practiced in many ways. For some folx, non-monogamy or open relationships are kept strictly sexual – totally valid. For others, there are multiple loving relationships that are not sexual but deeply intimate – also totally valid.

Speaking of, safer sex is sexy. ;-) Queer dating and singlehood is and has been such a blessing for me. People that have been my lovers have become people that I consider to be a part of my chosen family. I don’t think I truly appreciated the fluid nature of relationships or the ability of queer folks to grow and support each other prior to having that dating experience. Even though being single does sometimes get lonely, I would never give this time back for anything Reading Materials: The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, & Other Adventures by Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy Redefining Our Relationships: Guidelines for Responsible Open Relationships by Wendy O-Matik Undoing Monogamy by Angela Willey The Short Instructional Manifesto for Relationship Anarchy by Andie Nordgren ISSUE NO. 5 - LATE MAY 2017 / PAGE 14

COVER STORY:

ONE YEAR LATER—QUEER, LATINX + LIVING LOUDLY Written by: Kenneth Figueroa

Barbara Poma and Ron Leglar opened Pulse Nightclub in Orlando on July 2, 2004. Poma's brother, John, passed away from a battle with HIV in 1991, compelling her to open the nightclub in his honor. Originally from Fort Lauderdale, Poma began frequenting the gay club and bar scene when she was fourteen. John would always offer a helping hand with styling her hair and make-up.

I think it’s safe to say that when you have a gay older brother as your mentor, the bond becomes a strong one. This was evident in Poma’s relationship with her brother, who helped her to

find this world she so adored. While Pulse did not open for over a decade after John’s death, Poma was fervent in dedicating the club to be a remembrance of his strong and encompassing will to live. Along with this, she wanted to create a place that not only offers a space for marginalized individuals, but also one that celebrated them. In their twelve year run, the nightclub became a haven for queers, trans, POC, weirdos and anyone in between that did not have a place to fit in Orlando.

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We all know what happened on the morning of June 12, 2016. It goes without saying that the shooting that occurred at Pulse was by far one of the biggest blows to the LGBTQ community and beyond. Volunteer of the music committee, Michael Criner, who relocated back to Atlanta to work as the music chair for Eyedrum, was living in Orlando at the time of the tragedy.

“I happened to wake up early that morning for some reason. I received several alarming snapchats from friends that were out that night,”

Criner says. This came to be a narrative shared by many friends and family of the victims. “The days after the event were very surreal, almost in slow motion,” Criner laments. “A lot people were stuck between rage and helplessness.”

The overwhelming combination of the holes torn through our hearts was palpable in Atlanta. As one of the biggest queer hubs in the Southeast, it was unfathomable that in a space dedicated to the freedom to live our truth, harm could still be lurking. I personally have never felt an imminent threat for my life in many of the spaces I have frequented. That day was also surreal to me. I kept my composure as best as possible until a candlelight vigil was held at Ten Atlanta.

Hearing actual names, giving actual identities to these victims was the most heartbreaking moment. As Criner reflects, “The moment Anderson Cooper read the names of the victims will forever be ingrained in my memory.”

Finally understanding the intersections of my queerness and my Latinx identity was a truly pivotal epiphany for me. The confusion and otherness I had felt was because I wasn’t allowing myself to truly flourish in the ways of my culture. In that moment, I vowed that I wouldn’t live in those shadows anymore. It was

As Latinx people, we share similar stories and struggles. We chuckle in finding the nuances that both our families do or say. We remember the dance parties that were constantly taking place at birthday parties, holidays, hell just a random Saturday night. As much as we are alike, we are just as different. Different dialects, different foods, different trends, different skin. We all have different stories about how we have ended up in this country. Some are easier than others. Yet, as soon as you hear that person speak Spanish it’s almost like an immediate bond formed. A comfort, if you will.

What I don’t think is realized often is how the effect of immigration can be truly traumatic for some. Pero siempre luchamos.

“IN THEIR TWELVE YEAR RUN, THE NIGHTCLUB BECAME A HAVEN FOR QUEERS, TRANS, POC, WEIRDOS AND ANYONE IN BETWEEN THAT DID NOT HAVE A PLACE TO FIT IN ORLANDO.”

In the weeks after the tragedy, I felt great pride in how the queer community and our allies in Atlanta rallied to help and support those lost souls’ friends and families as well as our own communities. Still, I felt stricken with a dissolution of identity. I cried myself to sleep so many nights. I couldn’t understand why I felt more hurt than others, almost more betrayed.

my duty to live that truth, for myself and for those brothers and sisters and cousins that I had lost in a nightclub that was celebrating us.

I think that it’s very important to always remember this fact: Not only did we lose queer family, we lost Latinx family.

Tragedy has a way of kicking your ass into a more active lifestyle. Forme, this tragedy wasn’t something that could be left to eventually become a dusty news article. I wanted to feel empowered and help others feel empowered by their brownness. I had noexperience in organizing or activism, but I knew that it was what I needed to do. With many drunken discussions and impromptu dance parties, La Choloteca: Ley de Latinx was born. Personally, it was my homage to those lost ones. Even though I had not known them personally, I could not let their spirits

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Art by: Josephine Figueroa

disappear. We are united as one beautiful cultural explosion of diaspora. As Latinx people, we grow up dancing and it is a healing mechanism. It is in el baile that we truly transcend our daily struggles and find a moment of peace.

The birth of this party truly became the birth of a revolution in Atlanta. While Latin communities have existed in Atlanta, it is often to the detriment of our queer, trans, POC, and even female identities. This adds a whole other level of struggle to what we’re constantly battling. By creating a space that truly celebrates and respects each and every one of us is radical.

Beyond that, it has helped so many people that were in the same predicament as myself. By creating and taking space, we have allowed people to truly express and love themselves.

That feeling is unlike any other and it is my belief that this was one of the reasons Poma ISSUE NO. 6 - EARLY JUNE / PAGE 17

opened Pulse: To create pillars of self-love.

A year later, Pulse has closed permanently. It will become a museum and national monument to the lost souls of that unfortunate evening. Poma has also begun the onePulse Foundation, which seeks to maintain the new memorial as well as provide community grants and scholarships.

“The community most impacted by this horrible event in our history should determine the future of the Pulse site and how their loved ones and the events of that day should be memorialized,” Poma said in a press conference.

I can only hope that the effect that night had on our community here in Atlanta has had a ripple effect all over the country. While our communities begin and continue to flourish we must not forget the constraints to that growth also. Currently, Latinx populations are

disproportionately affected by the US HIV epidemic. The rate of new HIV infections among Latinx men is three times that of white men, and if that rate continues then 1 in every 4 Latinx men who have sex with men will be HIV+.

Parallel to that, the rate of infection among Latinx women is also three times that of white woman. Much of this comes from a lack of education or even a fear of it. Let us take a vow to empower ourselves and others with knowledge and support. We are stronger in numbers. We are here to stay and we are here to continue making the world a beautiful place to be. As Junot Diaz said during his recent lecture at Emory University, “We may be fucked, but at least we’re in good company.”

So in closing, I ask one thing of you. Next are the names of the victims. Say them out loud.

Empower them from the other side. And most importantly, let them never be forgotten.

Stanley Almodovar III, 23 Amanda L. Alvear, 25 Oscar A. Aracena Montero, 26 Rodolfo Ayala Ayala, 33 Antonio Davon Brown, 29 Darryl Roman Burt II, 29 Angel Candelario-Padro, 28 Juan Chavez Martinez, 25 Luis Daniel Conde, 39 Cory James Connell, 21 Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25 Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32 Simón Adrian Carrillo Fernández, 31 Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25 Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26 Peter Ommy Gonzalez Cruz, 22 Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22 Paul Terrell Henry, 41 Frank Hernandez, 27 Miguel Angel Honorato, 30 Javier Jorge Reyes, 40 Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19 Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30 Anthony Luis Laureano Disla, 25 Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32 Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21 Brenda Marquez McCool, 49 Gilberto R. Silva Menendez, 25 Kimberly Jean Morris, 37 Akyra Monet Murray, 18 Luis Omar Ocasio Capo, 20 Geraldo A. Ortiz Jimenez, 25 Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36 Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32 Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35 Enrique L. Rios, Jr., 25 Jean Carlos Nieves Rodríguez, 27 Xavier Emmanuel Serrano-Rosado, 35 Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24 Yilmary Rodríguez Solivan, 24 Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34 Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33 Martin Benitez Torres, 33 Jonathan A. Camuy Vega, 24 Juan Pablo Rivera Velázquez, 37 Luis Sergio Vielma, 22 Franky Jimmy DeJesus Velázquez, 50 Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37 Jerald Arthur Wright, 31

EVENT PHOTOS: Taken by: Rose Riot Photography

ICON: A CELEBRATION OF MADONNA 5.20.17 @JUNGLE ATLANTA

EVENT PHOTOS: Taken by: Rose Riot Photography

LGBTQ FAMILY DAY 5.20.17 @GLEN LAKE PARK

MISSED CONNECTIONS: LOVE + LIGHT WITH THE DREGS Written by: Stevie King