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06.11.10
NEWS
OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS

Publicity photo
Screen on the Green gay audience
target of melee? Page 4
Atlanta Police chief finalists
meet in town hall forum. Page 4
Gov. candidate Karen Handel
dogged by past gay support. Page 6
ARCA seeks volunteers for
historic HIV vaccine trial. Page 8
U.S. House, Senate committee
vote to repeal DADT. Page 10 “Every man I know is watching
No Georgia hospitals rated this show — this live show — about
‘top performers’ by HRC. Page 10 lesbian lovers of Miami!”
Longtime LGBT volunteer —Man-hungry “Golden Girl” Blanche, played by
Greg Barrett remembered. Page 12 Rue McClanahan, lamenting when ditzy Rose
casts Blanche and Dorothy on a local TV segment
VOICES about “women who love each other and sleep
together.” McClanahan died June 3 at age 76.
Guest column: Sylvia Rivera Community (Advocate.com, June 3)
“I promise you I did not kiss her and it is ridiculous that two
Publicity photo

Brunch is important to Pride. Page 14

Mike Ritter Cartoon: Scandal entertainers can’t even rock out with each other without the
in the Wind. Page 14 media making it some type of story.”
Speaking Out: Readers react to new APD — Pop singer Miley Cyrus, 17, defending her recent performance on “Britain’s Got Talent,” in
gay liaison, anti-bullying bill. Page 15 which the Daily Mail reported she simulated a kiss — but did not actually touch lips — with a
female backup dancer. (Us Magazine, June 5)
A&E Photo by Nora Feller Photography

BY THE
POP QUIZ
Chely Wright comes out of the country

WITH JZ
closet. Page 16 “If you are straight, gay or bisexual,

NUMBERS
The road to country music’s first openly I want to walk through the scrip-
gay star. Page 17 tures with you.”
Art: Gay artist tackles homophobia in

1
— Rev. Ted Haggard, who lost his conservative
black community. Page 18 Times for a man to have had sex mega-church in 2006 after a scandal with a male
Books: ‘Mama Deb’ finds happy ending with another man since 1977 in prostitute, on the new church he is founding
to grim fairy tales. Page 20 order to be permanently banned with his wife, Gayle. Haggard maintains he is
from donating blood straight and his same-sex desire came from being
Across the Table: Best tacos molested by a man. (The Guardian, June 6)

1
under the sun. Page 21 Years that a person who has had
heterosexual sex with someone

Photo via Facebook

Theater: ‘Little House’ may have special
meaning to LGBT fans. Page 23 who is HIV-positive is banned from
giving blood
COMMUNITY

27
Years since the lifetime ban
Atlanta’s Stonewall Week honors Pride’s on gay male blood donors was
beginnings. Page 25 instituted in 1983, during the
Georgia celebrates Pride month. Page 26 height of the HIV epidemic. PRINCESS CHARLE
S
DR AG PE RS ON AL

219,000
Milestone: Erica French and Nina Gooch IT Y & EM CE E
Photo via Facebook

celebrate 21 years. Page 26 View the full interv “One thing I stand for is hip hop
iew
CALENDAR
t h e GAVO IC E .co mat music. And hip hop music knows no
race, no color, no age, no gender, no
Estimated pints that would be added to the US blood
supply per year if the gay ban is lifted sexual orientation — none of that.”
Pages 28-30
“I get to perform me.
2
Times the Food & Drug Administration has — Hip hop artist Wale speaking from the stage at

facebook.com/thegavoice
reconsidered the gay blood ban. In 2000
and 2006, the FDA decided to keep the It’s androgynous. I don’t DC Black Pride over Memorial Day Weekend. The
performance drew controversy when one of Wale’s
twitter.com/thegavoice policy; it is set to be studied again in
meetings June 10-11.
have to wear hip pads staffers initially canceled it, claiming he didn’t know

Sources: CNN, HRC, The Body.com, Williams Institute

and look all feminine.” Black Pride was an LGBT event. Wale apologized for
the mishap. (Metro Weekly, June 1)
 4 GA Voice June 11, 2010 News
Gay slurs cited in Screen on the Green melee
Violence causes
delay of Piedmont
Park film showing
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
The same day the Atlanta police chief fi-
nalists met in a town hall forum, the popular
“Screen on the Green” movie showing in
Piedmont Park ended abruptly after several
fights broke out and there were unconfirmed
reports of gunfire.
Jesse Rhodes, who is openly gay, said what
happened at Screen on the Green on June 3 was
an “insult” to the people of Midtown, including
its gay residents. He lives at Post Parkside and
walked to the park with a group of gay friends.
While the fights and rowdy behavior broke out
around them as they tried to watch “Transform-
ers: Revenge of the Fallen,” he and his gay
friends felt very vulnerable, he said.
Gay issues mentioned in forum for Atlanta police chief finalists
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
At the recent town hall forum to let the
public meet the three finalists to be the next
Atlanta police chief, Mayor Kasim Reed ac-
knowledged that many believe there has been
a breach of confidence between the city’s resi-
dents and the police department.
“Tonight we begin repairing that breach,”
Reed said during opening remarks on June 3
at the Atlanta Civic Center.
The three candidates are interim Chief
George Turner; Dr. Cedric Alexander, head of
the Transportation Security Administration at
the Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas International Air-
port; and Robert White, the Louisville, Ken-
tucky Metro police chief.
Reed said he would make an announcet-
ment of his choice to lead the APD between 10
to 12 days after the June 3 town hall meeting.
Gay issues were addressed briefly dur-
ing the nearly two-hour forum by emcee Bill
Nigut, southeast regional director of the Anti-
Defamation League.
“How do you balance, in these times espe-
cially, your force’s ability to be tough on crime
but sensitive to the concerns of various elements
in the community. For instance, being able to
deal with various constituent groups who feel
discriminated against. We had the Eagle bar raid
which the gay community believes was a slap in
“We felt like sitting ducks,” he said. “They
were definitely targeting gay people. One of
my good friends, who is gay and works at
Swinging Richards, got jumped by five people
and beat up.”
The friend did not file report of the incident
to police.
Rhodes added that when he was walking
out of the park he was called “faggot” and other
obscenities and said women at the event were
also called lesbians.
“I was called a faggot. There were a couple
of fights in front of Blake’s [the gay bar on 10th
Street] — it was all pretty pathetic,” he said.
“I was verbally discriminated against based on
my sexual preference.”
Rhodes said he was called the anti-gay slur
while walking along 10th Street from Charles
Allen toward Piedmont Avenue.
He said the people causing the problems
were not from Midtown.
“They were young and definitely looking
for trouble,” Rhodes said.
“It went from the people with Chick-fil-A
being overwhelmed to females being called les-
bians. It was more of an insult to the people of
Midtown regardless of who we are,” he said.
The three finalists for Atlanta Police Chief participated in a recent town hall forum. From left are
Dr. Cedric Alexander; interim APD Chief George Turner; and Robert White. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
the face,” Nigut said, adding that Hispanics and
Muslims also complain about alleged bias.
Turner responded by acknowledging the
department gets “a number of complaints on
Red Dog on how we deal with citizens.”
The Red Dog Unit, a paramilitary narcotics
street force, was utilized in the Atlanta Eagle bar
raid in September. Some patrons and employ-
ees of the gay bar alleged they were roughed
up during the raid and also had anti-gay slurs
hurled at them the Red Dog Unit. Many in the
bar during the Sept. 10 raid are plaintiffs in a
federal lawsuit against the city and police.
Turner defended the Red Dog Unit’s work
without mentioning directly its participation
in the Atlanta Eagle raid.
“Our Red Dog officers arrested as of to-
day more than 1,000 people and made those
arrests where people are being challenged to
Screen on the Green’s showing of ‘Dream Girls’ in
Piedmont Park was postponed from June 10 to June
17 after violence erupted at the June 3 event, which
featured ‘Transformers: The Revenge of the Fallen.’
(Photo courtesy Dreamworks)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quoted a
Newnan man as saying he and his friend were
victims of a “hate crime” during the melee, and
later clarified that the man felt targeted because
he is white and his attackers were black. Josh
live in their own homes.
“[But] we have to be responsible to citizens,
we have to treat people correctly … we have to
make sure we have officers that the citizens are
pleased to have on the street,” Turner said.
White answered by saying the police de-
partment must treat all citizens the same.
“It’s a leadership issue. People have to be-
lieve that there’s a department that cares about
its community and treats everyone … regard-
less of their station in life the same. The flip
side is they have to believe in a department that
can hold officers accountable,” he said.
Alexander said police have social respon-
sibilities as well as being firm on crime.
“We have to be clear about the line that
does not get crossed. It doesn’t give officers
the right to mistreat people, to degrade peo-
ple,” he added.
www.theGAVoice.com
Hice and his friend were hit while they were in
Hice’s open Jeep driving past Piedmont Park.
Sgt. Curtis Davenport, public information
officer for the APD, told the Georgia Voice he
looked through numerous reports from June 3
and said nothing in the reports stated anything
about a hate crime against anyone at the park.
“I have not heard anything about that and
nothing is mentioned in any of the reports,”
he said.
Acall to Officer Patricia Powell, the new LGBT
liaison for the APD, was not returned. A follow-up
email this week was also not answered.
‘Take Back Screen on the Green’
Davenport said the APD was not providing
security for the event. Screen on the Green is
sponsored by Peachtree TV in conjunction with
the Piedmont Park Conservancy and the spon-
sors are required to provide security. The spon-
sors submitted a security plan to the APD for
approval, Davenport said.
“We are investigating whether what was ap-
proved was actually what was in place,” he said.
APD Interim Chief George Turner said there
were 23 off-duty officers providing security for
the approximately 10,000 people who showed
up to watch the movie.
When the fights became very disruptive, the
security company on site asked APD for assis-
tance, Davenport said.
“This was an off-duty event [for the APD].
They [the sponsors] provide security. APD was
called in when the event was canceled and we
deployed nine or 10 officers and had the park
cleared out in 15 minutes,” he said.
Police cannot confirm whether there was gun-
fire as reported by some attendees. Davenport said
the APD did receive reports from the prior week’s
Screen on the Green that fireworks were used.
Davenport added that it appeared there were
two groups of females and a group of males that
were causing the disruptions and fights.
Rhodes, who said he was distressed there
was not more of a police presence at the park to
provide security, started a Facebook group ask-
ing people to “Take Back Screen on the Green.”
“It’s time to stand up as a community and
boycott Screen on the Green. This past Thurs-
day’s event was full of hatred, and unlawful
people. Midtown is home to a proud, and di-
versified group of people who already fight
social prejudice, we don’t need to invite it into
our own backyards,” he states on the page.
The APD public information office could not
be reached this week for a follow-up interview to
find out if there were any actual incidents reports
as a result of Screen on the Green, but the AJC
reported June 7 only one was filed. The report
was filed by a teen whose purse was stolen.
The June 10 Screen on the Green showing of
“Dreamgirls” was postponed due to the June 3
violence. The series will resume with “Dream-
girls” on June 17, according to Peachtree TV.
Have your beer
and enjoy
it too.
™

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 6 GA Voice June 11, 2010 News
Gay baiting in GOP primary for governor
Under attack by Deal,
Handel tries to deny past
support for gay issues
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrown@thegavoice.com
The gay Republican activist who stated in a
2003 interview that Karen Handel supports gay
adoption and domestic partner benefits told the
Georgia Voice that he stands by the quote, and
provided email exchanges with the GOP politi-
cian that show her desire to win gay support.
Meanwhile, another gay Republican leader
noted that the staff of Nathan Deal, who is attack-
ing Handel on gay issues as they battle in the GOP
primary for governor, welcomed and helped him
when he visited Washington, D.C., for the gay
Log Cabin Republicans national conference.
“We will be continuing our support for Kar-
en Handel,” Marc Yeager, then-president of the
Georgia Log Cabin Republicans, told Southern
Voice newspaper in an article published Aug.
15, 2003. “She demonstrated in her last run that
she was supportive of domestic partner benefits,
and she’s supported same-sex adoptions on the
basis of the best interest of the child.”
At the time, Handel was running for Ful-
ton County Commission chair.  The quote has
dogged her in her race for governor, with Deal
— a former congressman and one of Handel’s
five opponents in the July 20 GOP primary —
using it to paint her as not a true conservative.
“Records prove Handel’s support of gay
adoption, domestic partner benefits,” reads a
May 11 press release from Deal’s campaign.
Handel’s camp now says the comment from
Yeager was inaccurate, but she never asked
Southern Voice for a correction or retraction.
Yeager told the Georgia Voice on June 7 that
Handel, with whom he had frequently talked and
emailed, never told him that it was wrong, either.
“As closely as I was working with her at the
time, I certainly would not have made any state-
ment like that if it had not been expressed from
herself and clearly understood that that was her
position,” Yeager said.
Yeager said at the time he had personal rea-
sons for being concerned about gay adoption,
adding to his certainty about Handel’s position.
“I had friends who are same-sex parents,
and at the time my partner and I were also con-
sidering adoption, so it was a personal issue,”
he said. “Certainly if she had the position she is
affirming now, I would not have been as active
in her campaign as I was at the time.”
Yeager also confirmed that Handel was a
dues-paying member of the Georgia Log Cabin
Republicans, noting that the LCR database
shows she became a member in July 2002 and
As the G0P gubernatorial primary heats up, Nathan Deal is attacking Karen Handel on her previous
stands on gay issues — positions Handel and her campaign are trying to refute. (Handel photo from
campaign Facebook page; Deal photo from U.S. Congress)
he remembers receiving a check for the mem-
bership from Handel at the LCR booth at the
Atlanta Pride Festival, held at the end of June.
“She definitely was a member of Log Cabin
and she was for at least two years,” said Yeager,
who is no longer a leader in the group.
Neither Handel nor Deal’s campaigns re-
sponded to interview requests by press time.
Emails show relationship
between Handel, Yeager
Handel lost her bid for an at-large seat on the
Fulton County Commission in 2002, then won
the Fulton County chairmanship in a special
election in 2003 after Mike Kenn resigned.
Handel’s outreach to gay voters in her Ful-
ton County races included seeking endorse-
ments from Log Cabin and Georgia Equality,
the state’s largest gay political group.
This week, Yeager provided copies of three
email exchanges with Handel from 2002 and
2003. They show the two had a friendly as well
as political relationship, with Handel inquiring
about Yeager’s vacations while also telling him
about gay endorsement interviews and seeking
advice on the Georgia Equality survey.
The first exchange, from July 2002, shows
Handel sending Yeager a draft of her answers to
Georgia Equality’s candidate survey, and Yea-
ger responding with recommendations.
“As I’ve told you, I do support domestic part-
ner benefits, and confirm my position here, al-
though I do have concerns about a domestic part-
ner registry,” Handel writes in the email. “Bottom
line is that I will work with you and other GLBT
leaders to develop workable legislation. Give me
a call if you have questions.”
In an exchange in mid-October 2002, Han-
del and Yeager discuss her interview for Geor-
gia Equality’s endorsement and her stand on
domestic partner benefits. Handel said she sup-
ports the benefits for county workers, but has
privacy concerns about a DP registry open to
all Fulton residents.
The third exchange, from September 2003,
came after Yeager’s comment to Southern Voice
about Handel’s support for gay adoption, and
shows Handel continued to seek his advice after
that interview. In these emails, Handel responds
positively to Yeager’s invitation to join Log Cabin
in the Atlanta AIDS Walk, and recounts more dis-
cussions with Georgia Equality.
As part of Southern Voice’s election cover-
age, the newspaper invited political candidates
to submit statements from a gay supporter. The
Oct. 31, 2003, issue included a statement sub-
mitted by Handel’s campaign. In it, Log Cabin
member Mike Horton noted that Handel “has
long supported domestic partner benefits” and
was a member of Log Cabin.
Changing stands
Handel has tried to disavow her outreach to
gay voters in her bids for state office, including
her successful 2006 campaign for Secretary of
State and her current gubernatorial race.
In 2006, Bill Stephens, one of Handel’s GOP
primary opponents for Secretary of State, also
made an issue of her past stands on gay issues.
On June 7, her current campaign spokesper-
son, Dan McLagan, told the Atlanta Journal-Con-
stitution that despite being written in the first per-
son and signed “Fondly, Karen,” the email with
the draft of the Georgia Equality survey was sent
by her campaign manager, not Handel, and did
not accurately reflect her positions.
He did not comment on the veracity of the
other email exchanges, which also showed
Handel actively courting gay votes.
Handel would not speak directly to the AJC.
McLagan also told the daily paper that the
Georgia Equality survey was never submitted.
www.theGAVoice.com
However, the same August 2003 Southern
Voice article that included Yeager’s comment
on gay adoption included a quote from then-
Georgia Equality Executive Director Allen
Thornell, who referenced the survey that Han-
del submitted the year before.
Reads the article: “In the candidate survey
Georgia Equality distributed last year, Handel
indicated support establishing a domestic part-
ner benefits policy, but opposed creating a do-
mestic partner registry, citing privacy concerns,
Thornell said.”
Thornell passed away last year.
McLagan also noted that “the one opportu-
nity [Handel] had to vote on the issue, she voted
against them.”
The Fulton County Commission approved
domestic partner benefits for county employ-
ees in 2003, when Kenn was chair. The issue
Handle voted against was whether to also expand
the county’s pension plan to include domestic
partners — and that vote came in 2006, the same
year she ran for Secretary of State.
Log Cabin leader welcomed
by Deal’s congressional office
Asked about Handel’s past stands on gay
rights, the current president of Georgia Log
Cabin Republicans, Jamie Ensley, focused on
Deal’s decision to attack Handel on the issue.
“I’m extremely disappointed with former
Rep. Nathan Deal using the same tired old gay
boogeyman scare tactic against Karen Handel,
and I think it reflects a losing campaign,” Ens-
ley said. “I would rather former Rep. Deal ad-
dress his corruption accusations instead of this
nonsense, it really makes his campaign appear
to be a few clowns short of a circus.”
Deal consistently opposed LGBT issues in
Congress, but Ensley noted that Deal’s U.S. House
office “was very helpful to me” when he attended
the national Log Cabin conference in April 2006.
“His office staff gave me a private tour of
the capital, and arranged a tour of the White
House for me, so I’m totally baffled by his new
bipolar political affliction,” Ensley said.
Other GOP candidates for governor include
Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxen-
dine, who tried unsuccessfully to bar private
insurance companies from offering domestic
partner benefits; Eric Johnson, who opposed
gay issues in the Georgia General Assembly;
Jeff Chapman and Ray McBerry.
Log Cabin does not plan to make an en-
dorsement in the primary, Ensley said.
Note: Southern Voice shut down on Nov.
16, 2009, when its parent company filed for
bankruptcy, causing its archives to no longer
be available online. A separate company pur-
chased the assets in bankruptcy court in Feb-
ruary 2010 and sporadically publishes a new
newspaper with that name.
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 8 GA Voice June 11, 2010 News
First therapeutic HIV vaccine trial underway
AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta seeks volunteers for testing
By Matt Schafer
The AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta
is currently seeking 10 to 12 volunteers to help
test the safety of a vaccine that shows the poten-
tial of reversing HIV viral loads in HIV-positive
individuals.
The 77-week trial of a vaccine from Ge-
oVax, a biotechnology company based in
Smyrna, Ga., that specializes in developing an
HIV vaccine, is the first of its kind.
This study is “the first therapeutic trial ever
conducted using a promising HIV vaccine can-
didate from GeoVax, Inc.,” according to a May
18 press release from ARCA. “Although the
GeoVax vaccines are currently being studied
for HIV prevention, this is the first study using
the same products for treatment of persons who
already have HIV infection. ARCA is the only
site for this trial.”
The GeoVax vaccine boosts the body’s im-
mune system by increasing T-Cell counts and
anti-HIV antibody response. Dr. Harriet Rob-
inson began her research in the 1990s and has
been moving the vaccine through the clinical
trial process.
Data from Robinson’s primate trials show
GEORGIA EQUALITY PRESENTS
EVENING
FOR
EQUALITY
see politics from a new perspective
June 24, 2010
Ventanas atop the Hilton Garden Inn.
FOR TICKETS/INFORMATION VISIT WWW.GEORGIAEQUALITY.ORG
that the vaccine was effective in preventing
simian HIV from spreading, and controlling
HIV in positive primates. The animal studies
were conducted at the Yerkes National Primate
Research Center, an affiliate of Atlanta’s Emory
University. The preventative portion of the vac-
cine is currently in a Phase II human trial.
“We were very impressed with the animal
data that GeoVax has for this vaccine… Mon-
keys aren’t people, but it’s very impressive data
and we wanted to work with them to design a
study to see if this would be applicable to hu-
mans,” ARCA principal investigator Dr. Mela-
nie Thompson said.
Thompson helped found ARCA 21 years ago
to perform HIV clinical trials and has helped to
investigate 27 HIV drugs now licensed by the
federal Food & Drug Administration. For the
GeoVax trial, the non-profit organization needs
a very narrow group of people.
“They are people with very special char-
acteristics, and so we know it is not going to
be easy to find these people,” Thompson said.
“Based on study in monkeys it appears that
people who are earlier in their infection are
most likely to benefit from the vaccine, so what
we are looking for is people who know roughly
ARCA principal investigator Dr. Melanie Thompson
is seeking a narrow group of HIV-positive people for
a new HIV vaccine trial. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
To be considered for the ARCA study:
404-876-2317
arca@arcatlanta.org
when they were infected, and have that docu-
mented with a negative test and then followed
that up with a positive test.”
Specifically, ARCA is looking for volun-
teers who tested negative for HIV six months or
less before a positive HIV test. Volunteers must
have gone on medication within six months of
the initial test and that medication must have
successfully suppressed their viral loads. Be-
www.theGAVoice.com
cause of the amount of testing required volun-
teers must live in the Atlanta metro area or be
willing to relocate to the city.
GeoVax CEO Dr. Bob McNally is confident
that the vaccine will reproduce its effects in hu-
mans the way it did in the primate tests.
“One of the objectives of a trial like this is
to ultimately wean people off their meds and
let their immune system fight the virus on their
own,” he said. “It’s the meds that have the huge
cost and over time some of them stop working,
and so it’s really not a long-term solution.”
The study consists of four vaccinations
given about eight weeks apart. After the vac-
cination stage there would be an interruption
of medication so that researchers can monitor
if the vaccine suppresses the viral load and a
T-Cell count to gauge how the immune system
handles the HIV virus.
After this information is gathered, volun-
teers will go back on their medications.“We
have gone through of effort to make sure that
people are very well observed during the in-
terruption phase,” Thompson said. “We have
built-in safeguards to make sure that if they get
into a situation where they could be in trouble
they will be returned to their medication, but
based on the data we saw in primates we don’t
expect that to happen.”
NOT ALL HOSPITALS
ARE EQUAL

DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE HOSPITALS IN

ALL 50 STATES THAT DO NOT FULLY PROTECT LGBT
PEOPLE FROM HEALTHCARE DISCRIMINATION?
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation researched 200 of the largest healthcare facilities in
the country as part of our HEALTHCARE EQUALITY INDEX and found that 93 percent do not
have fully inclusive policies to protect LGBT patients from discrimination.

By working directly with hospitals, clinics and healthcare networks, HRC is leading the way to
establish policies that support and affirm our families. Until there is full legal recognition and equal
treatment across the country for all families, HRC will fight for you.

Find out how healthcare facilities in your area are rated. Visit WWW.HRC.ORG/HEI for more
information and to find resources on how you can protect your healthcare rights.
10 GA Voice June 11, 2010 News
U.S. House, Senate committee vote to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Two Ga. Democrats cross
party lines to vote ‘no’
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrownt@thegavoice.com
Efforts to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell” policy gained significant momen-
tum May 27 when both the U.S. House and
the Senate Armed Services Committee passed
amendments to repeal the ban.
“Just like the military helped end segrega-
tion based on race, we should have put an end
to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ long ago. It is an af-
front to human dignity and to the dignity and
the worth of every man and woman serving in
our military,” U.S. Rep. John Lewis said during
debate on the House floor.
   “We cannot wait. We cannot be patient,”
Lewis said. “We must end discrimination in the
military, and we must end it now. Discrimina-
tion is wrong, and we must end it now.”
Both the House and Senate efforts would
add “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal to the mas-
sive Defense Department authorization bill.
No Ga. hospitals rated ‘top performers’ in Healthcare Equality Index
Emory, Piedmont hospitals cite some gay-supportive policies
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrownt@thegavoice.com
The Human Rights Campaign, the na-
tion’s largest gay political group, released its
annual Healthcare Equality Index on June 7.
Two Georgia hospitals, both in Atlanta, were
among the 178 facilities rated on policies af-
fecting LGBT patients and staff.
Emory University Hospital received credit
for having an equal employment opportunity
policy that includes sexual orientation.
Piedmont Hospital received credit for hav-
ing a gay-inclusive Equal Employment policy,
as well as visitation policies that give same-
sex couples the same access as opposite-sex
couples and next of kin, visitation polices that
give same-sex partners the same visitation for
their minor children as opposite-sex partners,
and cultural competency training that includes
healthcare issues that impact LGBT people.
It is not included in the survey, but Pied-
mont Hospital has also partnered with the At-
lanta Lesbian Health Initiative to provide free
health screenings.
According to the Healthcare Equality In-
dex, neither Atlanta hospital offered a patients’
bill of rights that includes sexual orientation
or gender identity, or an equal employment
The Defense bill still has to pass the full Sen-
ate, where debate could begin as early as June
18, and some Republicans, including Sen. John
McCain (R-Ariz.), have threatened filibuster.
After the Senate, the bill would then go
through a conference committee to resolve
any differences between the House and Sen-
ate versions, and then the House and Senate
would have to vote to approve conference re-
port, according to Servicemembers Legal De-
fense Network, before it would go to President
Obama for signing.
The full U.S. House voted 234-194 May 27
in favor of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” repeal
amendment, which was sponsored by Rep. Pat-
rick Murphy (D-Pa.) and needed 217 votes to
pass. Only five Republicans voted in favor of
repeal, while 26 Democrats voted against it.
All of the Republicans in Georgia’s del-
egation voted against repeal. Two Democrats
from Georgia, Reps. Sanford Bishop and Jim
Marshall, were among the 26 Democrats who
crossed party lines to oppose repeal.
Kingston said he opposes repealing “ Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” because it would somehow
lead to recognizing gay marriage.
“With homosexuals serving openly in the
policy that include gender identity.
Nationwide, some 42 facilities answered
“yes” to all of the gay and transgender-inclu-
sive policies. That includes the Kaiser Per-
manente Network, which includes several
locations in Georgia, although none are listed
individually in the index.
Kaiser Permanente updated its patients’
bill of rights to include LGBT patients and
their families, with the new policies taking ef-
fect June 7, according to HRC.
The new policies make Kaiser Permanente
the first health network, as opposed to an in-
dependent hospital, to earn HRC’s “top per-
former” status, the group notes.
“The healthcare landscape for LGBT pa-
tients and their families is about to change
dramatically,” Joe Solmonese, president of the
HRC Foundation, said in a press release.
“We all know horror stories of loved ones
torn apart, already heart-wrenching decisions
made even harder, and basic human rights
denied. Bold action by the president and the
Joint Commission mean many of those stories
will be a thing of the past — and not a moment
too soon, because as of right now huge chal-
lenges remain on the books.”
In April, President Barack Obama issued
a memorandum directing the Department of
During debate on the House floor, Rep. John
Lewis (D-Ga.) called the ban on openly gay peo-
ple serving in the military ‘an affront to human
dignity.’ (Courtesy photo)
military … there would be no option but to rec-
ognize a man’s husband or a woman’s wife and
to provide spousal benefits thus contradicting
the federal law,” he said in a press release.
Kingston also suggested chucking DADT
would “lead to further acts of censorship and a
clamp down against religious freedom.”
“What happens when clerics are told they
can no longer preach against a practice their
Please see MILITARY on Page 12
Health & Human Services to create policies
requiring all hospitals that receive federal
funding through programs like Medicare and
Medicaid to treat LGBT people fairly in visi-
tation and other services.
In addition, HRC reports, “the Joint Com-
mission, which accredits and certifies health-
care facilities, has announced new, fully inclu-
sive patient non-discrimination standards as
part of their accreditation process.”
Grady partners with Pride
Atlanta’s non-profit Henry W. Grady Health
System, which includes Grady Hospital, was
not included in the Healthcare Equality Index
Lisa Borders, president of the Henry W. Gra-
dy Health System Foundation, said she could not
determine by press time if the survey was sent
to the hospital, but Grady is working to build its
relationship with the LGBT community.
Borders previously served as Atlanta City
Council president and was endorsed by Geor-
gia Equality in her unsuccessful mayoral bid
last year.
“Clearly the LGBT community is im-
portant to me, personally and professionally.
I have always been LGBT inclusive, and I
continue that approach with my presidency at
Grady Health Foundation,” Borders said.
www.theGAVoice.com
How Georgia’s U.S.
House delegation voted
YES on repeal
DEMOCRATS
District 4: Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Lithonia)
District 5: Rep. John Lewis (D-Atlanta)
District 12: Rep. John Barrow (D-Savannah)
District 13: Rep. David Scott (D-Atlanta)
REPUBLICANS
none
NO on repeal
DEMOCRATS
District 2: Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Albany)
District 8: Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Macon)
REPUBLICANS
District 1: Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Savannah)
District 3: Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Grantville)
District 6: Rep. Tom Price (R-Roswell)
District 7: Rep. John Linder (R-Duluth)
District 10: Rep. Paul Broun (R-Athens)
District 11: Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta)
Note: District 9 seat is vacant
Lisa Borders, president of the Grady Health
System Foundation, notes that for the first time,
Grady will provide medical services for Atlanta
Pride this year. (Courtesy photo)
Grady Health System will be the medical
vendor for Atlanta Pride this year, a relation-
ship Borders said she brokered and hopes to
build on for the future.
“We’re very excited and want to continue
to grow it into an even more impactful rela-
tionship,” Borders said.
Grady includes sexual orientation in its
non-discrimination statement and offers do-
mestic partner benefits to employees, accord-
ing to Borders and Georgia Equality.
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12 GA Voice June 11, 2010 News
Greg Barrett
remembered for
community work
Friends and family of Greg Barrett came to-
gether at Christ Covenant MCC in Decatur June
7 to honor his life and remember his community
volunteerism. Barrett died June 3.
Attendees remembered Barrett, 43, for his
dedication to local nonprofit organizations as
well on the impact he had on friends and family.
A long-time Atlanta Pride volunteer, Barrett
was actively involved with several Atlanta-based
nonprofit organizations, including the Atlanta
Gay Men’s Chorus and AIDS Walk Atlanta.
JP Sheffield, executive director of Atlanta
Pride, said of Barrett, “Greg was a really, really
good man. I know Pride was really important
to Greg, but everything he did was important.
That’s the kind of character he had.”
“I can’t count the number of times Greg
Barrett was there for me,” Sheffield said at the
memorial service.
Barrett also staffed the bar at the Atlanta
Eagle every other week and donated his tips to
Atlanta Pride.
“It’s because of people like Greg that we
have a voice in this town,” Atlanta Eagle co-
owner Robby Kelley said at the service.
Barrett leaves behind his partner, Tim Garrett,
and many other family members and friends.
Memorial donations are requested for Atlanta
Compromise plan delays implementing DADT repeal
MILITARY, continued from Page 10
faith tells them is wrong,” Kingston asked.  National LGBT groups heralded the votes
Bishop issued a statement explaining that
he voted against repealing “Don’t Ask, Don’t
Tell” through the Defense bill, even though he
supports repeal, because he wanted Congress to
wait until a Pentagon study is complete.
“I agree with the Secretary of Defense and
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that
the time has come to repeal the current ‘Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy, which dishonors men
and women who are willing to give their lives in
service to our country and also prevents capable
men and women with vital skills from serving
in the armed forces.  However, I believe a vote
today is premature,” Bishop said.
In addition to Lewis, Democratic Georgia
Reps. Hank Johnson and John Barrow voted
for the amendment.
The House vote came just hours after the
Senate Armed Services Committee voted 16-
12 in favor of a similar amendment.
The Human Rights Campaign had called on
Georgians to call Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.),
who serves on the Armed Services Commit-
tee, to ask him to vote in favor of repeal.
But only one Republican on the committee,
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), voted in favor
www.theGAVoice.com
Pride and the Atlanta Gay
Men’s Chorus.
Originally from Dora,
Ala., Barrett was a 1984
graduate of Corner High
School and a 1987 gradu-
ate of the University of
Alabama at Birmingham.
According to a police
Greg Barrett report obtained by Proj-
(Photo via Facebook) ect Q Atlanta, Barrett was
visiting a friend on June 2
and inhaled the recreational drug poppers and
took a tablet of Levitra, a prescription drug for
erectile dysfunction. When he did not wake the
next morning, the friend called an ambulance;
Barrett was dead at the scene.
Levitra warns that it should not be used with
poppers. Police do not think Barrett’s death was
the result of foul play, but they are awaiting the
results of a toxicology report, Project Q reported.
Barrett was chair of the Atlanta Pride Op-
erations Committee, putting him in charge of
the golf carts, radios, and tens of thousands of
dollars worth of equipment needed to put on the
annual festival.
In an interview, Sheffield estimated Barrett
had been volunteering with Atlanta Pride for at
least 15 years.
“He was the one always doing the work and
all our organizations have people like him,” he
said. “They’re not in the paper or getting awards
and Greg was a shining example of that. Even if
people didn’t know him, we should all be grate-
ful for his work.”
—Ryan Watkins & Dyana Bagby
of the repeal amendment. Only one Democrat,
Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), voted against it.
as a significant step towards ending “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell.”
“The importance of this vote cannot be
overstated — this is the beginning of the end of
a shameful ban on open service by lesbian and
gay troops that has weakened our national secu-
rity,” said Human Rights Campaign President
Joe Solmonese in a press release.
The current amendments  are a compro-
mise plan that attempts to reconcile the desire
of  LGBT rights advocates  and congressional
supporters to repeal the ban now, before the
end of this Congress when vote counts could
be impacted by the November elections, with
Pentagon leaders who want repeal to wait until
after the military completes a study on remov-
ing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The study is not
expected to be finished until December.
The White House announced support of the
compromise early in the week before the vote.
It would delay implementation of the repeal un-
til the Pentagon study is complete; the presi-
dent, Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff certify that repealing the
policy will not negatively impact the military;
and then after a 60-day waiting period.
14 GA Voice June 11, 2010 Voices
The Georgia Voice
1904 Monroe Dr., Suite 130
Atlanta, GA 30324
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www.thegavoice.com
EDITORIAL
Editor: Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrown@thegavoice.com
Deputy Editor: Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
Web Manager: Ryan Watkins
rwatkins@thegavoice.com
Art Director: Bo Shell
bshell@thegavoice.com
Contributors: Jim Farmer, Shannon Hames,
Shannon Jenkins, Robin Kemp, Ryan Lee, Mike Ritter,
Matt Schafer, Christopher Seely, Steve Warren, Justin Ziegler
BUSINESS
Publisher: Christina Cash
ccash@thegavoice.com
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tboyd@thegavoice.com
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mgraham@thegavoice.com
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BOARD OF ADVISERS
Richard Eldredge, Sandy Malcolm,
Lynn Pasqualetti, Robert Pullen
All material in the Georgia Voice is protected by federal
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VOICES OPINION & REACTION
Honoring Pride’s true roots
Today, our movement’s
leadership rarely
reflects those who
started our revolution
Guest column
By Cain Williamson
I’m not missing a minute of this, it’s the rev-
olution. That’s what Sylvia Rivera said of the
Stonewall Riots. And she was right. Not just
about the beginning of the revolution but about
a lot of things.
We commonly credit the Stonewall Riots with
being the tipping point for the modern gay rights
and Pride movements. And it was. But what we
don’t commonly acknowledge is that the demog-
raphy of the rioters is not the demography of the
contemporary leadership of the movement.
Sylvia started life as Ray, a Hispanic boy who
was abandoned by her father, orphaned when her
mother committed suicide when she was 3 years
old, and maligned by her grandmother for being
an effeminate boy and wearing makeup to school
in the 4th grade. Living on the street from the age
of 11 as a gender non-conforming Latina in early
Since the Stonewall Riots, Pride has
been the most visible aspect of the mod-
ern gay rights movement, a movement
that has bettered the lives of gay people
around the world. But unfortunately, it is
also a movement that has left the margin-
alized in a similar place from which they
started the movement — marginalized. Sylvia Rivera (right), a participant in the 1969
Trans people still find themselves fighting Stonewall Riots, speaking at the Stonewall Inn in
for acceptance, much less for equality. 2002 (Photo via Sylvia Rivera Law Project)
1960s New York, she lived life as one of the most
marginalized segments of society. So you can
imagine that she did not have an easy life.
Nor did the drag queens and transgender
people who raised her and helped to keep her
safe. But these are the people to whom we owe
our movement. These are the people who said
“Enough!” one night in June of 1969. And for
the past 40 years, Pride events across the globe
have commemorated the riots at Stonewall.
Since the riots, Pride has been the most vis-
ible aspect of the modern gay rights movement,
a movement that has bettered the lives of gay
people around the world. But unfortunately, it is
also a movement that has left the marginalized
in a similar place from which they started the
movement —marginalized. Trans people still
www.theGAVoice.com
find themselves fighting for acceptance, much
less for equality.
So this year, on our 40th anniversary, At-
lanta Pride is going back to our roots. With Jux-
taposed Center for Transformation and Trans-
gender Individuals Living Their Truth (TILTT),
Atlanta Pride is co-sponsoring the Sylvia Rivera
Stonewall Community Brunch. The event will
focus attention on the issues still faced by the
most marginalized segments of our community
in hopes of moving us all forward toward full
equality and acceptance.
Pride will still be the open, honest, and vibrant
celebration of the gains our diverse community
has made over the last 40 years or so. But it will
be in October, adjacent to National Coming Out
Day. After all, the world doesn’t change if we
don’t make ourselves known and what better
way to do that than with a Pride celebration.
The world has evolved since Sylvia and her
sisters took the first step on the long road to equal-
ity. We’ve not reached the goal yet and hopefully
more change is to come. And for our part, Atlanta
Pride is changing our approach this year.
By cosponsoring the Sylvia Rivera Stonewall
Community Brunch on the last weekend in June
and moving Pride to coincide with National Com-
ing Out Day, we feel we are honoring our history
as a movement and remembering how far we have
yet to go, while simultaneously casting a hopeful
eye to the future and the better times ahead.
I hope you will join us for both.
Cain Williamson is chair of Atlanta Pride’s
board of directors. He can be reached via this
publication.
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Sylvia Rivera Stonewall Community Brunch
June 26, 11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Central Presbyterian Church
201 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
www.atlantapride.org
www.theGAVoice.com
SPEAKING OUT
Atlanta police still need
to apologize for Eagle raid
Re: “Atlanta police want to sweeten relation-
ship with LGBT community” (News, May 28)
Of course they want to sweeten the relation-
ship. They are tired of being sued.
Except for [GA Voice Deputy Editor Dyana
Bagby’s] astute, articulate articles, and [Eagle
lawsuit attorney] Dan Grossman’s comprehen-
sive legal expertise, there has been no sense that
anyone, including the APD, the City of Atlanta,
or our local LGBT so-called leaders have had
the slightest clue about the seriousness and le-
galities of what happened at the Eagle. If the
police and the city had, even after the fact, real-
ized the gravity of their actions, they wouldn’t
have taken the “underwear dancing” case to
trial. And the police would have apologized
formally by now for their Gestapo-like actions
in September.
We need to insist on the police having “sen-
sitivity training,” and we need to insist that the
police spend some time helping with Gay events
and causes, so they will get to know us as “nor-
mal citizens” and not as “freaks with problems.”
Bullying bill a good first
step, but more needed
Re: “Governor to sign anti-bullying bill”
(thegavoice.com, May 27)
A day for everyone to celebrate. Now if we
can just get it enforced. Bullying is more than
“getting beat up.”
Wonderful news. Hurray for Rep. Mike Ja-
cobs and Gov. Sonny Perdue!
One small step for the “lost” governor of
Georgia, but the bill still does not say anything
about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Georgia’s second most
LGBT-friendly city is…
Re: “What Georgia city should get second
place as the best for LGBT residents?” (Dis-
cussion at facebook.com/thegavoice, May 23)
Decatur. And no Decatur is not Atlanta.
Since Decatur is so close to Atlanta, I would
have to go with Savannah.
Augusta is having its first large-scale Pride
Voices June 11, 2010 GA Voice 15
Editor’s note: These comments on Georgia
Voice articles were submitted via our
Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thega-
voice). Want to weigh in? Follow us there or
submit comments on our website.
on June 19. We have a long way to go before
we’re anybody’s Mecca, but hey, we’re trying!
East Point. Yes, we are a separate city.
Decatur (despite being surrounded by Atlan-
ta). Savannah is also decent; gay people always
find a niche in any city basically run by old
white women who control the old white men
they married… Meet any real Steel Magnolia
and you know who sets the pace in any South-
ern city or town. And Steel Magnolias all have
gay friends; they admire our class and “spunk”
as my late aunt used to describe gay men.
LETTER
HRC award winner is
trans, but not ‘activist’
To the Editors:
Re: “HRC Dinner seeks equality ‘Every
Day’” and “Out of the ballrooms and into the
streets” (news and editorial by Laura Douglas-
Brown, May 14)
I want to voice my disappointment that the
Human Rights Campaign seemed not to be able
to find a transgender person more worthy to
award the “Community Service Award” to, and
your Laura Douglas-Brown to apparently see
this as deserved and calling Vandy Beth Glenn
an “activist” of all things!
This a further spotlight on the division of the
“privileged” from those who are “in the trench-
es” for transgender rights. Vandy Beth has not
been an activist for any transgender rights but
her own.
Her face has, however, become known as
the “privileged” who lost it when she lost the
job it allowed her when she began transition.
She has eschewed participation in any activities
that would strive toward advancement of other
transgenders but herself, while quietly accept-
ing public support from other transgenders.
What “community service” has she pro-
vided, besides her image as the “Poster Trans-
gender” for job discrimination? I suppose she
would/should be “humble,” Ms. Douglas-
Brown!
Cheryl Courtney-Evans
Atlanta
18
2 GA Voice June 11, 2010 A&E
ART by DYANA BAGBY
‘Incendiary’ art
Black gay artist tackles
homophobia head on
As a gay, black, HIV-positive man, Michael
Morgan finds solace in his art.
From his painting “In the Garden” that de-
picts the shame of being gay and resorting to
finding sex in Piedmont Park, to his “Jack in the
Box” series with dolls caged behind chicken
wire to symbolize struggles with drugs, sexu-
ality and poverty, Morgan wants the African-
American community to address taboo topics
and not hide from them.
“The last eight years I started focusing my
work on my environment, things that have af-
fected me for so long. I did a lot of artwork on
social commentary, civil rights and the family,”
he says.
“Then I turned it around — I wanted to see
me projected, my life projected in what I did. So
I started focusing on more social commentary
on gay life and being black and a minority.”
Morgan’s work is currently on display at the
Hammonds House Museum with the works of
Daryl Harris, a straight artist who also tackles the
social taboos of contemporary African American
culture, explains Hammonds House Museum
curator Kevin Sipps. The exhibit, “Incendiary
Exposure: The Works of Daryl Harris & Michael
Morgan,” continues through June 27.
‘Thug mentality’ and
men having sex with men
Morgan, 54, loved art as a boy growing up
in the public school system of Charlotte, N.C.
When he became a senior in high school, he
wanted more, so he transferred to North Caro-
lina School of Performing Arts in Winston-Sa-
lem. In 1976, he moved to Atlanta to study at
the Atlanta College of Art, now known as the
Savannah College of Art &Design.
The black men Morgan paints and draws are
often sad, angry and indifferent. They reflect the
young men he says he sees on the streets near
his home on North Avenue — often mixed up in
drugs and alcoholism as well as having sex with
men and women. But these men don’t want to be
labeled gay or bisexual, Morgan says. They just
don’t care who they have sex with.
Oppression and repression contribute to the
malaise of many of Morgan’s characters, who
are desperate for understanding and acceptance
but feel trapped in a culture where they cannot
be who they truly are.
Many of the men Morgan meets on the
streets, who have a “thug mentality,” are in-
telligent and compassionate, he says, but are
afraid to show their true character because of
www.theGAVoice.com
D
the rough environment in which they live.
The black church also makes appear-
ances in Morgan’s “Jack in the Box” series,
where a pastor may be preaching damnation
to homosexuals but in the
background has his own
group of young men
who are his lovers. The
hypocrisy is blatant,
Morgan says, and con-
tributes to the confusion
many young, gay black
men grapple with.
Repression of
desire lurks as
dark figure
In Morgan’s paint-
ing “In the Garden,” a
dark figure hovers in
the background while
another shadowy figure Gay artist Michael Morgan, whose work is currently on display at the
stands to the side. In Hammonds House Museum in West End, depicts the struggle against
the foreground are men homophobia among African Americans in many of his pieces. (Photo
openly having sex. The by Dyana Bagby)
shame and guilt of being
gay, of wanting to love
another man, lurks in the
background for many as
they seek to express their
desires.
“This piece ‘In the Garden’ is dealing with
sexuality and shame around sexuality we, I, ex-
perienced growing up as a gay male,” he says.
Morgan, who used to live near Piedmont
Park, recalls seeing men going in and out of the
park seeking sex.
“When you repress a lot of stuff, he [the
dark figure] appears. I was thinking in the park,
meeting in the park, how some men don’t feel
safe, don’t have enough esteem to form a rela-
tionship in a so-called ‘normal’ way.”
And while Morgan has been out to friends
and family for more than 30 years, he says “com-
ing out” is still an ongoing process in his life.
“I’m still learning about myself as I go on,”
he says.
For Sipp, the curator, combining Morgan’s rooted in ancient scripture,” says Sipp, who is MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
work with Harris’ work was meant to provoke straight. “It is much older — it is one of the ear- “Incendiary Exposure: The Works of Daryl
dialogue in the African-American community as liest civil rights movements. And both artists are Harris & Michael Morgan”
well as the community at large about how black dealing with racism and sexism. They were both Continues through June 27
people express themselves in today’s society. speaking to social taboos and confronting them Hammonds House Museum
The friction in the African-American com- head on and not burying them under the rug.” 503 Peeples St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30310
munity about homosexuality — how some With immigration phobia, homophobia and www.hammondshouse.org
black people believe the gay rights movement people believing we live in a post racial country
is superceding the civil rights movement while with Barack Obama as president, there is still the last thing we need to be doing is basically
the progressive black community is accepting plenty of discrimination and racism going on discriminating against people who want to love
— was something Sipp wanted to address. that is causing people harm, Sipp says. another. We have so many other problems in
“In my opinion the gay rights movement is “Of all the problems we have in the world the world,” he says.
www.theGAVoice.com June 11, 2010 GA Voice 19

DIRECTORY LISTINGS To advertise, email sales@thegavoice.com

www.OffhandPhotography.com
404.312.5392
20
2 GA Voice June 11, 2010 A&E www.theGAVoice.com

BOOKS by RYAN LEE

Motherly wisdom
Debi Lowry, AKA Mama Deb,
spreads message of
unconditional love in new book
Debi Lowry is already a bit of a legend
in gay Atlanta: a fixture on dance floors and
at charitable fundraisers, a surrogate mother
to the dozens of gay men who affectionately
know her as Mama Deb. As much as Lowry
revels in her popularity and being able to of-
fer a compassionate shoulder to those who feel
turned away from their biological families, she
was unsatisfied by the thought of her legacy be-
ing limited to her being a social butterfly.
“When I’m gone, when I die, I want to have
had an impact on someone else’s life — I don’t
want it to be just, ‘Oh, she was a really nice
person’ or ‘She made me laugh,’” Lowry says.
“If I can change their lives for the better, I ab-
solutely have to do that.”
Lowry, the heterosexual mother of two adult
children, one of whom is gay, is on a crusade
to remind other parents about unconditional
love, and to challenge the subtle and aggressive himself and show his parents who he was, and
ways that they deny their children happiness. he committed suicide,” she recalls. “The ex-
She recently published her first book, “Three tremes that people go through emotionally to
Grim Fairy Tales and a Happy Ending,” which avoid or mask themselves based on what they
she hopes will be “a tool to start the dialogue” perceive the expectations are from their family
about parents being more accepting. are very painful to me.”
“I wanted to talk with parents, I wanted to The will be a July 7 book signing at Outwrite
knock on their doors and say, ‘How come you for “Three Grim Fairy Tales,” which is aimed
don’t get it? What do you see as wrong with not only at openly hostile parents, but also those
your child?” Lowry says. “When they were ba- who take a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” approach to
bies, you loved them and you never questioned their children’s sexual orientation, Lowry says.
your love and affection and your loyalty for “Sexuality is only a part of who they are,
your child, and so when they become sexual but it does affect who they give their heart to,
beings, why does that stop? and so it’s a major part of who they are,” she
“What’s important to remember is when says. “If you fall in love with somebody, how
they were babies, when they were learning to do you not tell your mom?”
walk, when they were learning to talk, when However, the themes in “Three Grim Fairy
they went to elementary school,” Lowry adds. Tales” transcend sexual orientation, and “apply
“Those are the milestones you remember and to everybody who doesn’t meet their parent’s
cherish, and then they go, ‘I’m gay.” How do expectations.”
you wipe the slate clean and say that that was “Parents need to remember in regards to
all good but now you’re different? No, they’re their children, my ambitions for you are not
still the same person.” your ambitions, and that doesn’t change the fact
All proceeds from “Three Grim Fairytales that you’re an amazing person,” Lowry says.
& a Happy Ending” are being donated to the
Atlanta-based For The Kid in All of Us and MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
CHRIS Kids’ Rainbow Program, and the Gay
‘Three Grim Fairy Tales & A Happy Ending’
& Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The
By Debi Lowry, $12.95
book is divided into two sections, with the first www.mamadebatlanta.com
part chronicling heartbreaking stories of some
of the gay men who Mama Deb bonded with Book Signing
over the years. July 7, 7:30 p.m.
“The first one was someone who lived his Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse
entire life pleasing his parents, and in the end 991 Piedmont Ave., 404-607-0082
was still so unhappy and couldn’t be true to www.outwritebooks.com
www.theGAVoice.com
by ROB ANDREWS
ACROSS THE TABLE
Best tacos under the sun
Great food, scene
make Taqueria del Sol
perfect for summer
There are certain Mexican restaurants in
Atlanta that have a great vibe plus stellar food,
and Taqueria Del Sol is definitely one of them.
As summer heats up, who doesn’t like Mexican
food on a patio with a tasty cold beverage?
As an Atlanta native, I remember when the
only Mexican food you could get was at El Chi-
co and Chi Chi’s. We didn’t even know what a
Taqueria was and now thankfully upscale Latin
food is everywhere.
Don’t be put off by the long line you are
likely to encounter at any of Taqueria Del Sol’s
locations. It moves quickly, and you will be re-
warded with some of the best Mexican/South
Texas/Taqueria fare in Atlanta because it’s chef-
driven by the very talented Eddie Hernandez,
who creates creative from-scratch cuisine.
Taqueria Del Sol has one of those menus
where you can’t go wrong. This is not a Mexi-
can place where you order the number 21. The
menu is inexpensive ala carte
so you can have as much or
as little as you want. I love the
$3.20 enchiladas with tender
shredded beef brisket, topped
with an addictive deep red beef
chili sauce, which is paired
with a roasted chicken enchi-
lada topped with green chili or
a melted gooey cheese version
with a light cream sauce.
The chain also has artisanal
$2.19 street tacos like the crispy
fried chicken taco paired with
cool jalapeño lime mayo, and the Memphis taco
with smoked pork, crunchy jalapeño slaw and a
tequila barbecue sauce. There are also daily spe-
cials and vegetarian options.
Whatever you order, start with chunky fresh
guacamole or creamy rich shrimp and corn
chowder and their special West Side margarita.
You know how some margaritas taste like sour
dishwater that burns your stomach? Available
by the glass or pitcher the TDS margarita is
smooth and strong — like I like my men — be-
cause our people hate weak margaritas.
There is also an enormous tequila selection
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Taqueria Del Sol
www.taqueriadelsol.com
Westside
1200-B Howell Mill Road
Atlanta, GA
404-352-5811
Decatur
359 West Ponce De Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA
404-377-7668
Cheshire Bridge
2165 Cheshire Bridge Road
Atlanta, GA
404-321-1118
Athens
334 Prince Ave.
Athens, GA
706-353-3890
if you feel crazy and want to do shots, and we
all know how those nights end. They also have
a good beer selection and a small but effective
wine selection. Alcohol prices are inexpensive,
and if you don’t drink you can have an amazing
meal for under $10.
The people-watching scene in Decatur is, of
course, more family oriented during the week,
but features plenty of spicy ladies on the week-
end. The Westside location has a postcard view
of the city and has a mostly straight crowd, es-
A&E June 11, 2010 GA Voice 21
pecially at lunch. Here, you can see hot guys in
designer suits relaxing with a delicious meal.
The Cheshire Bridge location is likely the
most popular with the gay set, and particularly
popular for those seeking a light meal before hit-
ting the clubs. I was on the patio at the Cheshire
Bridge TDS on a recent weekend and the vibe
was kinetic, but not rowdy.
It was mainly gay men, but also peppered with
some straights and lesbians. But really, no one
cared who was who. It’s amazing when a group of
strangers laugh and connect with each other after
having superior food on a beautiful day.
So the food is terrific, on a nice day or night
the patio scene is happening, plus you just
might meet Mr. or Ms. Right. What are you
waiting for? Vamanos!
Other Latin restaurants
with hot summer patio scenes
Las Margaritas (Cheshire Bridge): The
gayest patio in the city; food is good but the
people watching is better.
Pure (Inman Park): Mixed scene; amaz-
ing crab fritters, chipotle mussels and Baja
fish tacos
Frogs Cantina (Midtown): Very gay, friend-
ly cute staff, excellent inexpensive Tex-Mex
Agave (Grant Park): Mixed scene, small
patio, the absolute best Southwestern in the
city, great first date place
Raging Burrito (Decatur): Eclectic scene,
huge inexpensive burritos and Tex-Mex
22
2 GA Voice June 11, 2010 A&E
East Point Dating men was ‘sin’
Possums
Chely Wright hopes her coming out will inspire struggling gay youth.
WRIGHT, continued from Page 16
her. This isn’t going to be easy, but I am going
to come out to her.”
You made a statement when you were
on Oprah where you were talking about the
gay children in this country who are hearing
churches preaching that they are damaged
goods and that their parents are echoing that
in their homes.
Do you think that if the parents and church-
es would just let these children know that they
are unconditionally loved and accepted, they
wouldn’t grow up thinking that they must at-
tempt a “normal” life where innocent people
are dragged into their attempts to “be normal”
like this poor man and his family?
The parents are quite as culpable as the
church. When parents take a child to a church
and say, “This is my baby, help me raise them,”
they’re well-intentioned. I don’t want to point
fingers but I do want to identify where we
13 thAnnual BENEFITING ATLANTA PRIDE AND THE are going wrong. We need to start looking at
churches where kids are hearing this message
SHOW ATLANTA LESBIAN HEALTH INITIATIVE of “You are broken.” This whole “Love the sin-
ner, hate the sin” — I’m so tired of that. That’s
a problem for me. Isn’t that so empty?
Yes, because a gay person rarely, if ever,
sees any “love” from someone who uses that
On the Commons, Downtown East Point phrase.
After Party hosted by the East Point Corner Tavern Sin is decision-making. I don’t have a choice
to love a man. It’s a sin for me to try to love a
man. I will mess a man up. I will mess me up
Visit www.EastPointPossums.com for show information & details and I will leave a wake of carnage behind me.
Do you get the feeling that country music
was ready for your coming out?
Not entirely. People who are supportive are
so excited that there is someone who has fi-
nally stepped out. That’s been so amazing that
people are posting positive comments on my
Facebook page.
On the other side, people really hate quietly.
Barb Rowland
Let that not go unnoticed. Some of the most
Dr. CHIP HILL damaging hate in history has been done pri-
advanced dentistry of atlanta LLC vately behind closed doors or with hoods over
their heads.
www.theGAVoice.com
Photo by Michael Granberry & Laura Crosta
For the first time in 10 years, my char-
ity concert, “Reading, Writing and Rhythm,”
[on June 8] isn’t sold out. Only about half the
tickets have been sold. It could be that because
Nashville had the flood, people might just be all
charitied-out.
I can tell you this, though: We’ve been beg-
ging the other acts to please put the event on
their social networking sites. That’s never been
a problem in the past to get them to help us
advertise it to their fans. Other than Rodney
Crowell, SheDaisy and Jann Arden, nobody
else is telling their fans that they are performing
at my event.
That’s eye-opening.
Isn’t it? I think that they don’t want to cancel
because what would it say about them if they
canceled? So they just want to quietly slip in,
sing their few songs and get out of there.
Next week is Fan Fair in Nashville. [The of-
ficial CMA Music Festival is June 10-13.] Are
you expecting to get a better feel for the reac-
tion from country fans when you’re there?
Nashville whispered about me for years. I
didn’t come out to confirm it to the people in
Nashville who had heard that I was gay. I came
out for the 14-year-old kid sitting in church be-
ing told, “Don’t be that, because you’re doomed
to a life of ruination. You’re not going to be a
good human being if you’re going to be that.”
When you and your dad recently ap-
peared on Oprah, your dad spoke of his im-
mediate change of heart when you came out
to him.
When I told my dad that I was gay and he
heard that word “gay” next to his daughter’s
face, name and heart, it changed that word for
him. My dad was more effective in moving a
million small mountains on the Oprah show
than I was.
Oprah asked him, “Stan, what changed? You
went from thinking that gay meant sinful, per-
verted and sick to being accepting the moment
Chely said she was gay. What changed?”
He looked at Oprah and he said, “I know
her heart.”
www.theGAVoice.com
THEATER by JIM FARMER & DYANA BAGBY
Out on the ‘Prairie’ stage
Gay performer says ‘Little
House’ may have special
meaning for LGBT fans
For out performer Tony Vierling, the news
that “Little House on the Prairie” was being
adapted into a stage musical came as something
of a surprise — at first.
“I was surprised but after thinking
about it, it made total sense,” he says. “As
literature and as a TV show it has such a
legacy. The stories were written so well
and were so successful. I’m very excited
to be part of it.”
Like millions, Vierling read Laura In-
galls Wilder’s “Little House” books, first
published in 1932, as a child. He was not
a regular watcher of the television series,
although he did see certain episodes.
Melissa Gilbert, who played Laura
for 10 years in the series, has come full
circle and is playing “Ma” in the produc-
tion. The musical tells of the family’s
pioneering spirit as they settle into their new
home in Kansas.
Vierling admits to being a longtime fan of
Gilbert and says her contributions to the show
have been invaluable.
“What she brings to it is a sense of history,
a real sense of connection,” he says. “We
worked together for many months before the
tour began and now we are all a family. She is
so down to earth.”
Although Gilbert’s professional singing ex-
perience has been limited, Vierling feels she has
nailed that aspect.
The beloved character of Nellie Olsen also
appears.
“She shows up about halfway through the
first act,” Vierling says. “She is the comic relief,
the levity of show.”
“Little House on the Prairie” has its darker mo-
ments, such as elder daughter Mary going blind
and the family struggling with a long winter.
“It has an epic quality, but it’s not in the line
of something as dark as ‘Les Miserables,’ Vier-
ling says. “You need to have dramatic effects to
show the struggles with the prairie life.”
The musical premiered in 2008 in Minne-
apolis where it promptly sold out for 12 weeks.
As a member of the ensemble, he has played
virtually all the male characters at one time or
another. He is also the show’s dance captain.
Gays and lesbians can especially relate to
“Little House,” Vierling says.
“We can certainly appreciate the struggle of
finding a new home, creating a family and feel-
ing safe,” he says. “That is universal.”
A&E June 11, 2010 GA Voice 23
Melissa Gilbert (center) played Laura Ingalls in the iconic television
series ‘Little House on the Prairie,’ and portrays Ma Ingalls in the
musical. (Photo by Carol Rosegg via Theater of the Stars) Nicholas
Koperski plays the lead in LeBuzz’s production of ‘Hedwig & the
Angry Inch.’ (Photo courtesy Koperski)
‘Hedwig’ comes to LeBuzz ‘A Funny Thing’ at Lyric
AtlantaLite Entertainment and the Marietta Atlanta Lyric Theatre opens “A Funny
gay bar LeBuzz host a one-night version of Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”
John Cameron Mitchell’s musical “Hedwig and this weekend with a gay touch: Both its di-
the Angry Inch” as a fundraiser for AID Atlanta rector Alan Kilpatrick and main actor Glenn
on June 25. Rainey are gay. Rainey stars as Pseudolus,
“I’ve loved this show, the movie, forever,” a role he first tackled back at GSU when he
says Nicholas Koperski, who plays the lead in was 25.
the musical. “It’s such a timeless show, with vaudeville
“Hedwig” tells the story of a gay man who shtick type comedy and great music by Stephen
seeks to marry another man but must have a sex Sondheim,” he says.
change to do so. The surgery is botched, how- Rainey and Kilpatrick worked together in
ever, leading Hedwig, a punk singer, on a jour- Aurora Theatre’s recent “Kiss Me Kate” and
ney of self-discovery. will share the stage in the Lyric’s upcoming
“The story, the music, the idea of search- version of “Hairspray” in July.
ing for your other half but in essence that is in “We’ve known each other for a long time
yourself is completely original,” Koperski says. and as an actor too, he has a great feel for what
“That idea of being comfortable in your own works on stage,” says Rainey.
skin by giving up a piece of yourself — literally
doing so in this production — and this spiritual
journey you go on is what struck a rich chord MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
with me.”
“Madonna had her ‘Evita’ and I have ‘Hed- ‘Little House on the Prairie’
wig,’” he adds with a laugh. June 15 – 20 at the Fox Theatre
Koperski, one of the Atlanta Eagle patrons 660 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30308
800-982-2787, www.theaterofthestars.com
in the bar the night it was raided, has never per-
formed on stage before but knew this role was ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’
made for him. June 25 at LeBuzz
585 Franklin Road, Marietta, GA 30067
“I’ve been singing since I could open my 770-424-1337, www.atlantalite.biz
mouth and performing is something I’ve al-
‘A Funny Thing Happened
ways loved, but this is the first musical/play
on the Way to the Forum’
I’ve been in,” he says. “And once I got the June 11 - 27 at The Strand Theatre
role, I started digging deeper and deeper into 117 North Park Square, Marietta, GA 30060
the character and a force greater than me has 404-377-9948, www.atlantalyrictheatre.com
taken over.”
24 GA Voice June 11, 2010 www.theGAVoice.com

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www.theGAVoice.com
COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE
Georgia
celebrates
Pride month
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrown@thegavoice.com
The Atlanta Pride Festival, by far the
largest Pride festival in Georgia, may not
take place until October, but there are
plenty of other events around the state to
mark June, which President Obama offi-
cially declared as LGBT Pride Month.
“As Americans, it is our birthright that
all people are created equal and deserve
the same rights, privileges, and oppor-
tunities.  Since our earliest days of inde-
pendence, our Nation has striven to fulfill
that promise.   An important chapter in
our great, unfinished story is the move-
ment for fairness and equality on behalf
of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans-
gender (LGBT) community,” the presi-
dent’s proclamation reads.
Pride month is observed in June to
mark the anniversary of the 1969 Stone-
wall Riots, when patrons of the Stonewall
Inn, a New York City gay bar, fought
back against police harassment.
The rebellion is frequently seen as the
launch of the modern gay rights move-
ment, and in 1970, activists in cities
around the country began holding march-
es and rallies during the last weekend in
June to commemorate it.
“This month, as we recognize the
immeasurable contributions of LGBT
Americans, we renew our commitment
to the struggle for equal rights for LGBT
Americans and to ending prejudice and
injustice wherever it exists,” Obama’s
proclamation declares.
Atlanta’s Stonewall Week honors Pride’s beginnings
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
It all started in someone’s backyard 13 years
ago over the Fourth of July weekend and has
now grown into one of the largest drag shows
in the Southeast, organizers say.
The 13th annual East Point Possums Show
kicks off Atlanta Pride’s Stonewall Week on
June 19 in East Point with, well, a sashay —
perhaps a clumsy sashay at that.
Rick Westbrook, a.k.a. Shenitta Lott, is one
of the founding members of the show along
with his partner, John Jeffrey (a.k.a. Prissy Cil-
la), Chuck Jenkins (a.k.a. Rococo Baroque) and
Chesley Thurman (a.k.a. Dina Daintymouth).
For Westbrook, the show’s popularity is a testa-
ment to people’s desire to come together for a
good time and for a good cause.
This year, all money made at the Possums
show will be donated to the Atlanta Pride Com-
mittee and the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative.
“Last year we made $11,000 and this year
we’re hoping to make $20,000,” Westbrook says.
And people tip well at the Possums show —
but you just don’t know where the money’s been.
“I can’t tell you how many $20 and $50 dol-
lar bills I’ve pulled from the crack of my ass over
the years,” he says. “This is unlike any other drag
show — this is good work through bad drag.”
The show includes 20 to 30 acts and include
favorites like Ginny Tonic, a drag legend who
now only performs at the Possums show, and
Alexandria Martin and her infamous roller
skates, as well as new acts from such shows as
Sukeban, now held at My Sister’s Room.
“This show is off the hook,” Westbrook
promises.
There will be surprises, he adds, including a
“rumor” that the Atlanta Pride Committee itself
will perform a number.
The crowd for the show grows each year
with East Point residents as well as those from all
over metro Atlanta attending. And women like to
make their husbands dress in drag just to watch
the shownumerous families — gay and straight
— gathering as well to help LGBT causes.
“This is truly a community event, and at the
same time, we are proud to promote that our
event has now become the largest drag show in
the Southeast,” boasts Thurman.
Remembering 1969
Stonewall Week continues through June
26 with a host of events to celebrate the 1969
uprising at the Stonewall Inn, a gay New York
City bar, that is credited with starting the mod-
The East Point Possums Show on June 19 kicks off
Stonewall Week in Atlanta. (Courtesy photo)
ern gay civil rights movement.
A new organization is joining in this year’s
activities with a picnic in Piedmont Park on
June 26. Named the “Queer Justice League,”
the group is made up of anonymous young ac-
tivists who are asking people to join them in the
park that afternoon for food and fellowship.
“They are an anonymous group of young ac-
tivists — they are not about any one individual
and are about coming together for the good of the
community,” says Westbrook, who said he was
asked to speak for the Queer Justice League. “We
need to put together a united front.”
The picnic is the Queer Justice League’s
“coming out” event — the first of many it hopes
to hold in the future, Westbrook says. But the
picnic is simply a way for people to gather on
the day of Stonewall and “celebrate our libera-
tion,” Westbrook adds.
The picnic in Piedmont Park on June 26 fol-
lows a full day of activities beginning with the
first Sylvia Rivera Community Brunch spon-
sored by Transgender Individuals Living Their
Truth (T.I.L.T.T.) and the Juxtaposed Center for
Transformation, in conjunction with the Atlanta
Pride Committee.
The brunch is named for trans activist Ri-
vera, a veteran of the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
The community brunch includes speakers Tra-
cee McDaniel, founder of the Juxtaposed Center,
and Cheryl Courtney-Evans, founder of T.I.L.T.T.,
both noted Atlanta transgender activists.
Courtney-Evans recently was a panelist
at the first Matthew Shepard & James Byrd
Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act community
Community June 11, 2010 GA Voice 25
Celebrating a MILESTONE? Share your engage-
ments, weddings, births, adoptions, anniversaries,
birthdays and other events! Announcements can be up
to 200 words and can include a photo. E-mail editor@
thegavoice.com with your milestone and contact info
to see your name in print!
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Stonewall Week
Saturday, June 19
The East Point Possums Show
8 -11 p.m.
Downtown East Point, on the Commons across
from City Hall at 2727 East Point St.
East Point, GA 30344
www.eastpointpossums.com
Wednesday, June 23
Out and OutLoud: Stories of Love & Community
7-9 p.m. at Radial Café, 1530 Dekalb Avenue NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
www.storycorps.org
Thursday, June 24
Evening for Equality
6:30 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn
275 Baker St, Atlanta, GA 30313
www.georgiaequality.org
Friday, June 25
Out on Film Screening: “Stonewall Uprising”
Tentative times 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe Drive
Atlanta, GA 30308
www.outonfilm.org
Saturday, June 26
Sylvia Rivera Stonewall Community Brunch
11:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Central Presbyterian Church
201 Washington St., SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
‘Be Visible, Make a Statement’
Rally & Community Photo Shoot
2-3:30 p.m. at State Capitol
100 Washington St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30334
www.atlantapride.org
Stonewall Pride Picnic
3 p.m. at Piedmont Park
In the meadow by Park Tavern
www.queerjusticeleague.net
Out on Film Screening: “Stonewall Uprising”
7 p.m. at Midtown Art Cinema
931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308
www.outonfilm.org
Panel discussion about Eagle bar raid follows
conference at Georgia State University on May
18 and spoke about the violence transgender
people face for simply being who they are.
McDaniel also recently spoke at the first In-
ternational Day Against Homophobia in Atlanta,
organized by Betty Couvertier and her LGBT ra-
dio show, “Alternative Perspectives,” that airs on
Please see STONEWALL on Page 26
26 GA Voice June 11, 2010 Community
June Prides heat up around Ga.
First Augusta Pride draws well-known
entertainers, support from mayor
The first Pride festival in Augusta got off to a
rocky start earlier this year, when some citizens of
the city on the border of South Carolina contacted
the mayor to protest a gay event in their town.
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver respond-
ed by seeking a legal opinion confirming his
belief that the First Amendment would prevent
banning an LGBT event on city streets and
property. And since then, it’s been full steam
ahead for planning the June 19 parade and fes-
tival, according to Christopher Bannochie, PR
and marketing director for Augusta Pride.
“There has been no further public response
to the parade and festival,” Bannochie says,
noting that “no requests for a protest demon-
stration permit have been received by the sher-
iff’s office.”
Copenhaver has also issued a proclamation
declaring June 19 as “Augusta Pride Day” and
urging “all citizens to recognize and applaud
the numerous contributions of the Augusta
Pride Committee as well as all gay and trans-
gender community members.”
“Gay and transgender citizens contribue to
the fabric of diversity within our community,”
states the proclamation, which also notes that
LGBT people “contribute to the success of our
employers and businesses,” “donate their time,
talent and labor to community organizations,”
and “express the full range of faith traditions as
other members of our community.”
Bannochie said Pride organizers are plan-
ning for about 2,000 attendees, and some 60
vendors are scheduled for the festival.
The event begins with a parade that steps off
at 10:30 a.m. from 10th and Jones Street, com-
MILESTONES
Erica French and Nina
Gooch were joined in holy
union (married) 21 years
ago on May 20, 1989, at the
Metropolitan Community
Church of Boston. They
have been together since
they met over 25 years
ago as interns at the
Virginia Stage Company in
Norfolk, Va.
ing down 10th Street along Broad Street to 6th
Street, where it will disband at Reynolds for the
festival to start at the Augusta Commons.
The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with
a variety of theater performances, musicians
and guest speakers, including Elke Kennedy,
whose son, Sean Kennedy, was killed by an at-
tacker who used anti-gay slurs.
“American Idol” Frenchie Davis and Gram-
my winner Thelma Houston headline the festi-
val. Davis performs at 4:45 p.m.; Houston takes
the stage at 6 p.m. to close out Augusta Pride.
And with all that is scheduled, Bannochie
says he is most excited just that “it is finally
happening.”
“There has been tremendous growth in the
overall community in accepting this event and
by the LGBT community in coming forward
and supporting it,” he says. “We’re already
working on making 2011 Augusta Pride bigger
and better.”
— Laura Douglas-Brown
East Side Pride seeks to unite LGBT
community beyond Atlanta
Lorrie King jokingly describes herself as “a
drag queen trapped in a bio woman’s body,” and
more seriously as an LGBT rights advocate. So
when her husband, Adam White, was elected to
the City Council in Clarkston, the couple saw
the opportunity to help unite gay residents of
the area.
“We wanted there to be a recognized pres-
ence of the LGBT community,” King says.
The result is the first-ever East Side Pride, a
picnic and potluck set for June 26 that focuses
on Clarkston, Avondale Estates, Tucker, Stone
Mountain and other areas east of Atlanta.
Stonewall Week
STONEWALL, continued from Page 25
WRFG 89.3 FM. McDaniel spoke of transpho-
bia that is rampant in society, not just homopho-
bia, and often talks about how many people re-
fuse to see transgender people as humans.
But it cannot be forgotten, or erased, from
the history of the LGBT movement that trans
people were at the forefront, including at Stone-
wall, both women often stress.
After the brunch, the public is invited to
gather on the steps of the state Capitol for
the “Be Visible, Make a Statement” rally and
community art project. Pride photographers
will be on-hand to take pictures of attendees,
which local artists will turn into a work of
art that will be displayed at the 2010 Atlanta
Pride festival in October. Participants are en-
couraged to bring their own materials.
King says she reached out to her friend,
Georgia Equality Jeff Graham, who offered to
send out information about the picnic to mem-
bers in those cities.
“The response we got was amazingly pos-
tive,” King says. “Come to find out there is an
awesome, thriving LGBT community on the
east side that wants to be active socially, and it
just took somebody to say, ‘Hey, let’s do it.’”
Last year, Clarkston added sexual orienta-
tion and gender identity to its non-discrimination
policy. King says the “old guard” in Clarkston
still might not be excited about the Pride event,
but it is drawing some support from city leaders.
According to King, while the city declined
to officially sponsor the picnic and list it on the
city calendar, Mayor Howard Tygrett has said
he will attend, as will another City Council
member in addition to White.
The picnic is mostly informal, with attendees
asked to bring items to grill and a side dish to
share. There will also be a DJ, door prizes, and
remarks from Georgia Equality’s Graham and
State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale), who
was Georgia’s first openly gay state lawmaker.
“This is our first event out of the chute, so
we will use it as a yardstick for how we will do
it again next year,” King says. “We want it to be
a regular thing.”
— Laura Douglas-Brown
East Point declares June as
Gay & Lesbian Pride month
Close to a dozen gay and lesbian East Point
residents gathered around Mayor Earnestine
Pittman as she read a proclamation at the May
17 City Council meeting declaring June 2010
as Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.
“The city of East Point embraces diversity
and understands that the Gay and Lesbian com-
munity is an important part of East Point’s diver-
sity...” Pittman read as part of the proclamation.
Other events taking place during Stonewall
Week include the Out & OutLoud StoryCorps,
an oral history project, on June 23 at Radial
Café from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. StoryCorps, part of
National Public Radio, has collected thousands
of life stories LGBT people and their families
and friends.
On June 24, Georgia Equality hosts its
premiere event and fundraiser, “Evening for
Equality,” at the Ventanas atop the Hilton Gar-
den Inn. This year’s honorees are Ken Britt,
Phillip Rush Community Builder Award;
Fulton County Commissioner Nancy Box-
ill, Guiding Star Award; Maru Gonzalez and
Austin Lauferweiler, Champions for Equal-
ity Award; and state Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-
Atlanta), recipient of the first Allen Thornell
Political Advancement Award, for his work
in gaining bipartisan support in the passage
of the anti-bullying bill this year, now signed
into law by Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Out on Film will screen “Stonewall Up-
www.theGAVoice.com
Thelma Houston and Frenchie Davis headline Au-
gusta Pride on June 19. (Publicity photo)
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Augusta Pride
June 19
Parade: 10:30 a.m., assemble at 10th & Jones Street
Festival: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Augusta Commons
www.prideaugusta.org
East Side Pride
Saturday, June 26, 1-5 p.m.
Milam Park, Pavilion One
3867 Norman Road, Clarkston, GA 30021
awhite@cityofclarkston.com
The mayor also thanked residents Erik Friedly
and Joel Tucker for their help in helping write the
proclamation. The two openly gay men are also
on the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission and
Tucker serves also on the Ethics Board.
The proclamation was Pittman’s idea, Friedly
and Tucker said.
After the acceptance speech was finished,
Eric Morrow, who ran unsuccessfully for East
Point City Council last year, presented Pittman
with a Pride rainbow flag.
“The mayor has done a great thing for our
community,” Morrow said.
— Dyana Bagby
rising” on June 25 at the Midtown Art Cin-
ema. Told by those in attendance of the 1969
Stonewall Inn raid, including patrons and po-
lice, the film looks at the political and social
climate that led to the raid.
The movie will also be shown on June 26
and after the 7 p.m. screening that night, a
public discussion will take place at the theater
with patrons and employees of the Atlanta Ea-
gle, who will discuss how the bar’s police raid
on Sept. 10 compares to Stonewall, says Jim
Farmer, executive director of Out on Film.
And while Atlanta Pride now takes place
in October, the Atlanta Pride Committee
knows the importance of commemorating
the Stonewall Riots through events that build
community, says JP Sheffield, executive di-
rector of Atlanta Pride.
“If we look at where the movement has tak-
en us since Stonewall, we can see the growth
of a variety of causes championed by the queer
community,” he said in a statement.
www.theGAVoice.com
GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT
The Journey MCC
The Journey Metropolitan Community
Church holds services at 10 a.m. on Sundays in
Conyers. The congregation is part of the Metro-
politan Community Churches, a denomination
founded in 1968 by Rev. Troy Perry to provide
an inclusive church for LGBT Christians.
The Journey MCC was founded as an out-
reach of First MCC in Atlanta. The church’s
mission is to reach people in Conyers, Coving-
ton and other cities south of Atlanta.
“We believe in the call of Jesus to make
disciples of all nations; we believe there are
many outside of the Metro Atlanta area who
want and need to hear the message of God’s
all-inclusive love as only MCC can deliver,”
the church states on its website.
The Journey MCC is led by Rev. Renne
Evolution Center
Evolution Center, a project of AID Atlanta,
is a community center created for young black
gay men ages 18-28. Located on Auburn Av-
enue, the center is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Monday through Thursday.
Evolution Center was founded in 2006. In
addition to free HIV and STD testing, it offers a
variety of social and support groups designed to
empower young black gay men, who often face
both high degrees of discrimination and high
rates of HIV.
“Throughout the City of Atlanta, young
black gay men are emerging as a diverse culture
with complex identities, backgrounds, talents
and aspirations,” the Evolution Center explains
on its website.
“Like other historically oppressed groups,
they are often in conflict with the dominant cul-
ture that imposes unjust social, cultural, sexual,
religious and political barriers.”
Community June 11, 2010 GA Voice 27
IT’S SUMMERTIME AT THE BARK. GET READY TO
CHASE SOME TAIL! ³6DOVD
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MORE INFO
The Journey MCC
Sundays, 10 a.m.
1509 Suite C General Arts Drive
Conyers, GA 30012
www.thejourneymcc.org
DON’T WAIT! BOOK YOUR SUMMER
Shawver, who served as pastor of Atlanta’s & HOLIDAY RESERVATIONS TODAY!
Christ Covenant MCC before joining the pas-
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 404-873-5400 • MIDTOWN ATLANTA, AMSTERDAM WALK, 501 AMSTERDAM AVE, ATLANTA, GA 30306
toral staff at First MCC, and Music Director
Gregg Tomlinson.
In 2009, the church moved to its current, larg-
er and more accessible location. They also “re-
ceived their first Sunday offering over $1,000 to
help them meet their obligations,” the MCC Im-
pact newsletter reports in the May 2009 issue.
In addition to Sunday services, the Jour-
ney MCC fields a softball team in the Deca-
tur Women’s Sports League and hosts events
like potlucks.
MORE INFO
Evolution Center
250 Auburn Ave., Suite 601, Atlanta, GA 30303
404-524-5441, www.evolutionprojectatl.org
Activities at Evolution Center include
professional development, leadership develop-
ment, art classes, a book club and game night.
The center hosts Brother 2 Brother, a peer-led
discussion group, as well as Brothers Speak,
a professionally moderated group that is “fun,
friendly and fabulous.”
“The primary goal of the Evolution Project
is to address the prevailing rates of HIV infec-
tion among young black gay men,” the project
states. “Utilizing a science-based methodol-
ogy, the project will address HIV prevention,
testing, and treatment in a way that is culturally
competent, sound and engaging to the program
participants.
— Laura Douglas-Brown
28 GA Voice June 11, 2010 Calendar www.theGAVoice.com

BEST BETS 06.11 - 06.25 Friday, June 11

ADD YOUR EVENT
There are two ways to add your events to
our online and print calendars. Submit your
info to www.theGAVoice.com or e-mail
details to editor@theGAVoice.com.

SPOTLIGHT Enjoy coffee and dinner with the Southern Bears &
Friends. 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m., Starbucks, 3983 LaVista Road,
Tucker, GA 30084, 770-270-0611, southernbears.org

Congregation Bet Haverim, founded by gay and

lesbian Jews, celebrates 25 years with a “Silver
Jewbilee.” Early members will be honored and
stories of the congregation’s origins shared. 7 p.m.-9
p.m., Central Congregational UCC, 2676 Clairmont
Photo courtesy CHRIS Kids

Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, 404-315-6446,

Saturday, June 12
The popular Premiere Party returns
with DJ Chris Griswold spinning and
an open bar included with admission.
www.congregationbethaverim.org
Friday, Juneof 18
the month, “Who?”
Held the third Friday
First Metropolitan Community Church presents dance party. This
is a live artist showcase and
the “Spirit of Broadway,” a production of Broadway Woods, Catherine
month’s artists include Eryn
show tunes set in an original story line. 8 p.m.-9:30 ni Stephens and
Striplin, Jed Drummond, Sun
p.m., 1379 Tullie Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, o performing will
members of Le Sexoflex. Als
404-325-4143, www.firstmcc.com JLR. $6 cover. 10 p.m., My
be Barry Brandon and
Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA
Sister’s Room, 1271 Glenwood
No rest for DJ Vicki Powell as she spins at the 30316, www.mysistersroom.com
Blackout Party. 10 p.m. at Bellissima, 560 Amster-

Photo by Dyana Bagby

Proceeds benefit CHRIS Kids and its
programs to help LGBT homeless youth
transition to self-sufficient adults.
Festive white attire is suggested. After
party at Las Margaritas. $60 at the door.
6 p.m.-10 p.m. Mason Murer Fine Art, 199
Armour Drive, Atlanta, GA 30324.
www.premiereparty.org
Photo courtesy Augusta Pride
dam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306. 404-917-0220,
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
Friday, June 11-Sunday, June 13
SouthEast LeatherFest continues through the
weekend with workshops on piercing and sadistic
bondage as well as how to bootblack and erotic
waxing. There will be speakers, parties and numer-
ous other events for those who embrace the
leather lifestyle as well as competitions to select
the next SouthEast Master/slave, Mr. SouthEast
LeatherFest, SouthEast LeatherFest boy, Ms.
SouthEast LeatherFest,and SouthEast Bootblack.
SELF is held at Holiday Inn Select – Decatur, 130
Clairemont Ave., Decatur, GA 30030, secure.
MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS www.theGAVoice.com
Looking for more events? Visit our website for our extensive daily calendar, including nightlife
schedules and community organization meetings, provided by our friends at ProjectQAtlanta.com.
The Atlanta Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlanta’s LGBT in California that made it illegal for same-sex couples
community orchestra, holds its Summer Pops con- to marry. 9 p.m., 585 Franklin Road SE,
cert. Tickets are $20 and $15 at door. 7:30 p.m., North Marietta, GA 30067, 770-424-1337, thenewlebuzz.com
Decatur Presbyterian Church, 611 Medlock Road,
Decatur, GA 30033. www.atlantaphilharmonic.org Hotlanta Soccer hosts a beer bust and fundraiser
while cheering on the USA as they play their first

Saturday, June 19
Augusta holds its inaugural Pride
event in the downtown Commons area
with three blocks of festivities over-
looking the Savannah River. A parade
begins at 10:30 a.m. coming down from
10th Street along Broad Street to 6th
Street and disbanding on Reynolds
Street where the festival takes place. A
free concert featuring Grammy winner
Thelma Houston and Grammy nominee
Frenchie Davis closes Pride. 11 a.m.-7
p.m., www.prideaugusta.org
www.seleatherfest.com
The 2010 Indiegrrl Fest will be in North Georgia
at Jonica Gap Campground. Weekend pass is
$60 for adults, $30 for children 6 to 17, free for
children ages 5 and younger. Musicians participat-
ing include Vicki Blankenship, Renee Mixon and
Virago. Jonica Gap Campground is located at 1412
Haygood St., Mineral Bluff, GA 30559, 706-374-5465,
www.jonicagapcampground.com
Saturday, June 12
The 15th annual Reynoldstown Wheelbarrow
Festival includes entertainment as well as vendors in
arts, fashion, food and beverages. The Wheelbarrow
Festival is the Reynoldstown Neighborhood’s biggest
fundraiser of the year. Proceeds from the festival
go to senior programs, youth programs and public
safety. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Reynoldstown Neighborhood at
the intersection of Gibson and Kirkwood,
www.wheelbarrowfestival.com.
The Armorettes present “Wild Cherry Sucret: This
Is It?” to honor the retirement of Wild Cherry Sucret,
aka Tony Kearney, after 10 years with the popular
camp drag troupe that raises funds for HIV/AIDS orga-
nizations. 8 p.m., Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road, Atlanta,
GA 30324, www.armorettes.com
The queer-friendly third annual “Art B Que” in Avon-
dale Estates opens tonight including a performance
by local band Snagglepuss. 9:30pm, The Alcove Gal-
lery, 2852 East College Ave., Decatur, GA 30030,
www.alcovearts.com
It’s a Hot Mess with DJ Homosexual spinning the
beats to make you gay. 10 p.m., Mary’s, 1287 Glenwood
Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30316, www.marysatlanta.com
LeBuzz hosts a party for a screening of “8: The
Mormon Proposition” with hostess Nicole Paige
Brooks and a photo booth for partiers to have their
pictures made with the movie logo. The movie hits
theaters June 18 and is an in-depth look at the Mor-
mon Church’s participation in the passage of Prop 8
game of the 2010 World Cup against England.
Meet the team and learn about soccer. $10 bottom-
less beer, $6 Patron margaritas. 5:30 p.m., F.R.O.G.S.
Cantina, 931 Monroe Drive #A107, Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.hotlantasoccer.com
Sunday, June 13
“Splish 2010,” a fundraiser for GLAAD, will have
DJ Brian Beck spinning and models wearing the
latest trends in swim wear from Boy Next Door. $20
suggested donation includes open bar. 1 p.m.-6 p.m.,
388 4th St., Atlanta GA 30308. www.glaad.org
The men of Second Sunday invite the public to at-
tend a special discussion of the new book, “Visible
Lives,” a tribute to groundbreaking black gay au-
thor E. Lynn Harris. The book contains three original
novellas by authors Stanley Bennett Clay, Terrance
Dean and James Earl Hardy and the authors will be
on hand for the discussion. While Second Sunday of
Atlanta is typically geared toward black gay men,
this meeting is free and open to everyone. 2 p.m.,
www.theGAVoice.com Calendar June 11, 2010 GA Voice 29

Publicity photo
Wednesday, Ju ne 16
Movie and TV star Pa
m Grier, known for
starring roles includ her
ing “Foxy Brown,” “Ja
Brown” and Showtim ckie
e’s “The L Word,” sig
book “Foxy: My Life ns her
in Three Acts” from
-7:30 p.m. at Outwrit 5 p.m.
e Bookstore & Coffe
991 Piedmont Ave. NE ehouse,
, Atlanta, GA 30309,
outwritebooks.com www.

Fulton County Central Library (basement level), 1

Margaret Mitchell Square, Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-
730-1700, www.secondsundayatlanta.org
SUNsets on the Patio @ Noni’s returns with DJ
Vicki Powell, DJ William Roman and a special early
set by DJ Kyle Keyser. 5 p.m., 357 Edgewood Ave.,
Atlanta, GA 30312. www.nonisdeli.com
Monday, June 14
The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Com-
merce hosts a business builder luncheon. $20.
11:55 a.m., Cowtippers, 1600 Piedmont Ave. NE,
Atlanta, GA 30324, www.atlantagaychamber.org
Atlanta, a gay running, walking and
Front Runners Atlanta
social club, meets for its weekly Monday run at 7:15
p.m. at 905 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30309. www.
eteamz.com/frontrunnersatlanta
Tuesday, June 15
A memorial for Phil Hickman, former doorman at
Blake’s on the Park, will be held at the popular gay
bar. Hickman worked the door at Blake’s for about 10
years, ending in 2005. He died May 27. 9 p.m., Blake’s
on the Park, 227 10th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.
www.blakesontheparkatlanta.com
Wednesday, June 16
AID Atlanta’s Gay Men’s Outreach Group hosts
“The Writings on the Wall: A Look at Public Sex.”
Discussion will center on the historical precedence
for public sex in the gay community, its decline due
to increased visibility and acceptance and the recent
incidences of police crackdowns. 7 p.m. Free. Call
Steven Igarashi at 404-870-7763 or email steven.
igarashi@aidatlanta.org for more information. 1605
Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.aidatlanta.org
Thursday, June 17
The Atlanta Executive Network and Stonewall Bar
Association partner to host openly gay State Rep.
Simone Bell at the monthly AEN meeting. 6:30 p.m.-7:30
p.m., Alston & Bird, 1180 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309
Caroline Aiken, Dede Vogt and Caroline Herring
perform together at Eddie’s Attic from 8 p.m.-11
p.m., 515 N McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030,
www.eddiesattic.com
Friday, June 18
Enjoy cocktail hour with the piano stylings of David
Reed from 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. at Mixx, 1492 Piedmont
Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309.
Grammy-nominated storyteller and Atlanta native
Milbre Burch presents “Changing Skins: Folktales
about Gender, Identity and Humanity.” Sponsored
by the congregation’s LGBTQ and Allies Interweave
group, the gender-bending tales from around the
world are aimed at adults. Tickets for “Changing Skins”
($10 in advance and $15 at the door) may be reserved
by calling 404-634-5134 ext. 216. Event at 8 p.m. at
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, 1911 Cliff
Valley Way, NE, on the I-85 access road just north of
North Druid Hills Road. www.uuca.org
Fortify Fridays is presented every Friday by Wassup-
NAtl with DJ Truz and MC Scotty. Doors open at 11 p.m.
Free admission. Steel, 950 West Peachtree St., Atlanta,
GA 30309, 404-246-9000, www.wassupnatl.com
Saturday, June 19
Stop and Smell the Rosés is a wine tasting
fundraiser to benefit the Audubon Nature Institute
and it efforts to care for the wildlife affected by the
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Tickets are $15 for one,
$20 for two. Raffles include prizes from the Georgia
Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, Horizon Theatre, Six Feet
Under and Watershed. 2 p.m.-6 p.m., Whole Foods at
650 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306. Call 404-
853-1681 for more information.
CONTINUED
ON PAGE 30
30 GA Voice June 11, 2010 Calendar
“Sunrise was
our first and
very best
choice”
- Cathy Luce, Magical
EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
Michelle Malone Banned CD release party. Doors
open at 6:30 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Eddie’s Attic,
Meals Personal Chef Service 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030,
www.mychefsite.com/magicalmeals www.eddiesattic.com
Families trust Sunrise as their
Traxx Girls presents Secret Party hosted by Twee
and DJ M every Saturday. Free before 11 p.m. and $5
before midnight. Endenu (aka Inferno), 393 Marietta
choice for Senior Living. Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30313, www.traxxatlanta.com
Sunday, June 20
My mother has been lovingly cared for at Sunrise of Decatur Traxx Atlanta presents Scores @ Underground
every Sunday. 10 p.m. 50 Upper Alabama St., Atlanta,
for ten years now. There is an inexpressible comfort to GA 30303, www.traxxatlanta.com
know she is happy, peaceful, content and lovingly cared for Wednesday, June 23
in the safety of Sunrise of Decatur. It has been such a bless- Dine at La Tavola and 20 percent of the night’s
food sales will be donated to For the Kid in All of
ing to my partner and me to see my mother’s contentment Us, the non-profit behind the annual Toy Party and
Backpack in the Park. 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m., La Tavola,
and happiness. It allows us to sleep well at night knowing 992 Virginia Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306, latavolatrat-
she is “at home” and that my partner, our son and I are toria.com, www.forthekid.org
always welcomed and communicated with as a family. The Queer Literary Fiction Group discusses “Sa-
-Cathy Luce, Magical Meals Personal Chef Service, www.mychefsite.com/magicalmeals
cred Country” by Rose Tremain. 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,
Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta,
GA 30307, www.chariscircle.org
Call 404-377-6111 to schedule
The popular NPR StoryCorps invites LGBT
a personal tour today! residents to record their stories and have them
archived. Hosted by John Lemley of WABE’s City
Café. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Radial Café, 1530 DeKalb Ave. NE,
Atlanta, GA 30307, www.storycorps.org
Thursday, June 24
Georgia Equality holds its annual Evening for
Equality Awards & Silent Auction. General admis-
sion is $75, VIP and Host Committee: $150- $250.
Sunrise of Decatur 404-377-6111 920 Clairemont Avenue 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m., Ventanas atop the Hilton Garden
Inn, 275 Baker Street Atlanta, GA 30313. To purchase

ÃÈÃÌi`ʈۈ˜}ÊÊUÊÊi“œÀÞÊ
>ÀiÊ tickets, visit www.georgiaequality.org community art project is held at the State
For more information and a FREE online newsletter, visit www.sunriseseniorliving.com
Indulge with the hottest men at the W Midtown At-
lanta Hotel. Held every Thursday by Chris Coleman.
9 p.m., 125 10th St. NE, Atlanta, GA 30309,
Color www.chriscolemanenterprises.com
40436 Friday, June 25
Sunrise Senior Living “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” will be performed
Community: Decatur at LeBuzz with proceeds benefiting AID Atlanta.
PUB: GA Voice
Purchase $5 tickets online at www.atlantalite.biz. 8
p.m., 505 Franklin Road, Marietta, GA 30067
Title: Ellis Testimonial
Size: 4.917”X 7.583” Out on Film screens “Stonewall Uprising.” Told by
Insertion: 6/11, 7/9, 8/6 those in attendance of the 1969 Stonewall Inn raid,
including patrons and police, the film looks at the po-
Material: 6/4 litical and social climate that led to the raid. 7 p.m. and
9 p.m., Midtown Art Cinema 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta,
GA 30308, 678-495-1424, www.outonfilm.org
www.theGAVoice.com
Photo courtesy Showtime
Sunday, Junewat20
ch the premiere
Join HRC Atlanta to
series ‘The
of the new Showtime reality
the cre ator of the
Real L Word’ — fro m
ies, with
but
original ‘L Word’ lesbian ser
actual L.A. women. 5 p.m . to 8 p.m., with
g at 6 p.m . 502 Amster-
the show startin
dam Ave., Atlanta , Ga. , 303 06
UPCOMING
Saturday, June 26
The Sylvia Rivera Stonewall Community
Brunch brings together the Juxtaposed
Center for Transformation, the Atlanta Pride
Committee and Transgender Individuals Liv-
ing Their Truth to highlight transgender com-
munity involvement in the 1969 Stonewall
Riots. $5 suggested donation. Proceeds go to
the 2010 Transgender Day of Remembrance
and the 2011 Bayard Rustin-Audre Lorde Com-
munity Breakfast. 11:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m., Central
Presbyterian Church, 201 Washington St. SW,
Atlanta, GA 30303
“Be Visible, Make a Statement” rally and
Capitol following the Stonewall Community
Brunch. Participants are asked to dress for a
photographic project “that represents all our
queer colors” with the final results displayed
at Atlanta Pride in October. 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
The new Queer Justice League presents
“Stonewall Pride: Picnic in the Park” at
Piedmont Park. Bring your own food and
blankets and enjoy a day of fellowship.
Gather in the meadow near Park Tavern. 3
p.m.-6 p.m., www.queerjusticeleague.net
Join the Flaming Sugarbaker Sisters for
“Stonewall, Sisters and Spirits!” $10
bottomless beer and raffles. 4 p.m.-8 p.m.,
F.R.O.G.S. Cantina, 931 Monroe Drive #A107,
Atlanta, GA 30308
www.theGAVoice.com June 11, 2010 GA Voice 31

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