HRC AND ERIC ALVA

ARE FIGHTING TO REPEAL

“DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL.”
Eric Alva was the first U.S. service member wounded
in Iraq. He lost his right leg to a land mine. He is a
proud Marine and a gay man.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” keeps patriotic women and

men like Eric from serving openly. He is working
with the Human Rights Campaign to repeal this law.
Join us and help to repeal it now.

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Over the past months, we have worked nationwide to

repeal DADT, focusing on 103 priority congressional districts.
Our efforts include:

★ More than 300,000 phone calls and e-mails to members of Congress.

★ 275 HRC members lobbied on Capitol Hill to repeal DADT and

pass ENDA and other key legislation.

★ Beyond the Beltway, our members conducted more than

250 in-district lobby visits.

★ In 41 cities, we held events that highlighted military veterans

opposed to DADT, and over the next several months we
will conduct dozens more.

★ On May 11, we will send hundreds of veterans to

Capitol Hill to lobby for repeal.

Join HRC and Eric to repeal DADT

Visit www.hrc.org/RepealDADT
04.16.10
NEWS
OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed speaks out on “And that, Marjorie — just so you will know,
Eagle, gay marriage. Page 4
and your children will someday know — is
Georgia Equality endorses Jason Carter
for state Senate. Page 6
the night the lights went out in Georgia!”
Macon rallies to support gay teens — Dixie Carter as Julia Sugarbaker in “Designing Women”; the
scene was so beloved by gay fans that it played regularly at Hoe-
going to prom. Page 6
downs, the gay Atlanta country bar. Carter, age 70, died April 10.
Lesbian Joan Garner seeks Fulton
County Commission post. Page 8
“That’s hard for me, because I’m
Trans man alleges restroom harassment
at Underground. Page 9 very old fashioned, very old-timey.
Retiring Supreme Court justice was key
So that idea is hard for me. On the
vote for LGBT rights. Page 11 other hand, maybe the most lov-
Kagan, Sears could be too gay-support- ing marriage that I’ve ever seen is
ive for Supreme Court. Page 11 a gay marriage.”
VOICES — Dixie Carter when asked in 1998 if she supports
gay marriage (Metro Weekly, Sept. 3, 1998)
Opinion: Mayor, City Council missed
Eagle opportunities. Page 12
Mike Ritter Cartoon: ‘Guns Don’t Kill.’
Page 12
Speaking out: Readers react to Catholic
Publicity photo

Church, more. Page 13

Photo via Oprah.com

A&E

POP QUIZ
Is Tyler Perry’s ‘Madea’ Atlanta’s most
BY THE NUMBERS

WITH JZ
famous drag queen? Page 14
‘Pink Peach’ brings LGBT flicks to Atlanta

6
Film Fest. Page 16 Members of Fred “God Hates Fags” “I would not be surprised if Oprah is
Theater: Joan Crawford has her say in Phelps’ family who protested gay. If she is, she is. It certainly fits.”
‘Christina Darling.’ Page 18 Drake University over a same-sex — Author Erica Jong, a friend of talk show maven
Books: Lesbian author Fiona Zedde bids marriage forum Oprah Winfrey, as quoted in Kitty Kelley’s new
book, “Oprah: A Biography.” (USA Today, April 11)
Atlanta farewell. Page 19

500
Events: Benefits offer fun while helping Protesters who turned
those with HIV. Page 21 out April 10 to counter
the Phelps clan
COMMUNITY

17
HRC Dinner honors Bravo’s Andy Cohen
and local heroes. Page 21
Photo via website

Your Milestones. Page 21

Photos: John Q’s ‘Memory Flash.’ Page 23
GA Spotlight: AIDS Resource Council/ Percent of white Tea Party supporters
STEVEN IGARASHI
AID ATLANTA’S
PFLAG Rome, Atlanta Women’s All About who favor gay marriage HEALTH & WELLNESS GAY MEN’S
COOR
Photo via Facebook

Business Networking. Page 24 DINATOR

View the full interv “People are often afraid of differ-

$120 million
CALENDAR iew at ence. They feel that anything that
t h e GAVO IC E .co m causes fear, should be turned
Pages 25-26
Estimated Social Security survivor benefits
away from. My brother repre-
theGAVOICE.com “I was on the debate team in school and was
sented fear for so many people,
that LGBT taxpayers are deprived of each on a trip. There were some girls in the hotel we
• Breaking news as it happens year; surviving partners lose were in and I had a pack of Oreo cookies and was but caused joy in my life.”
• Calendar and daily event highlights an average $5,700 each like, ‘hey baby, do you want a cookie?’ They said, — Actor Colin Farrell on his love for his gay
• Photo albums and video galleries ‘yeah’ so I pelted them with cookies. Later they brother, Eamon, who suffered intense bullying
Sources: Des Moines Register,
• Share ‘Your News’ and ‘Your Voice’ called my hotel room asking for ‘Oreo Boy.’’ while growing up in Ireland. (The Sun, April 12)
University of Washington study, PR Newswire
 4 GA Voice April 16, 2010 News
Reed seeks renewed relationship with LGBT Atlantans
Atlanta mayor hopes his actions
and record will mend rift from
bruising campaign
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrown@thegavoice.com
After more than a decade in the state legisla-
ture, new Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has some
advice for advancing LGBT rights: Don’t under-
estimate the value of allies and a good defense,
but also don’t be afraid to lose a vote on proac-
tive legislation.
“Even during times that the governor may
veto your items or the future seems a long way
away, you have to keep getting votes, because
that is how you develop a path to winning. Keep
putting it up there,” Reed told the Georgia Voice
in a wide-ranging interview last week.
“If you keep your test votes, you have a base-
line of where you are on an issue that is vital to the
community,” he said. “And by not pressing, you
lose the sharpness that is required for true change,
and you don’t know who your friends are.”
Reed knows of what he speaks. As a mem-
ber of the Georgia General Assembly, he spon-
sored the House version of the hate crimes bill
that passed in 2000. A longtime goal of LGBT
lobbyists, the measure was the first major piece
of pro-gay legislation in state history to become
law — and the last.
To avoid a fight over including sexual orien-
tation by name, the hate crimes law addressed
crimes motivated by “bias or prejudice.” In 2004,
it was struck down by the state Supreme Court
for being too vague, one of two major blows in a
brutal year for gay Georgians that also included
passage of a state constitutional amendment ban-
ning same-sex marriage.
Reed was elected to the state House in 1998,
and served two terms before running for the state
Senate, where he served from 2002 until 2009,
when he resigned to focus on his bid to move
down a block to Atlanta City Hall.
During those years, he was also part of a co-
alition of progressive legislators, mostly intown
Democrats, who fought hard to defeat the mar-
riage amendment. They also mobilized to fight
an expected ban on gay adoptions, which has
been rumored in every legislative session since
2004, but has not yet materialized into a full-
blown fight.
“If you did not have a cadre of individuals
[in the legislature] who support the LGBT com-
munity … you would have a level of hostility di-
rected at lesbian and gay people that would have
had a chilling effect citywide,” Reed said.
LGBT Georgians can’t take those lawmakers
for granted, he added.
“I think the first mistake is to not embrace and
treat your base well,” Reed said. “And if you be-
lieve that the work your base does is easy, then
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
• Video interview with Mayor Kasim Reed
you are creating an environment where you will
never get there, because folks that are with you in
their hearts don’t think that they are appreciated.”
‘Painful’ split
Reed’s advice that LGBT Georgians need to
value and support allies is partially personal: Giv-
en his record in the General Assembly, he hoped
gay voters would flock to his mayoral campaign.
But what constitutes being an LGBT ally in
the state legislature turned out to not be the same
as in the Atlanta mayoral race, where all of the
other serious candidates backed gay marriage.
While Reed insists that he believes in “abso-
lute full legal equality” for gay couples, he sup-
ports those rights through the separate status of
civil unions – not marriage.
“I believe that gay and lesbian couples should
have every right and benefit that married couples
have, but I do have reservations when it comes to
marriage — that is my position today,” Reed said
in his April 7 interview with the Georgia Voice.
“I continue to suffer the consequences that
come with it, repeatedly, and it is painful to me,
but I know that there are folks that feel that my
position is painful to them,” he said.
The stand was enough to drive many gay
and lesbian voters to support Reed’s two chief
opponents in the mayoral race, City Council
President Lisa Borders and City Councilmem-
ber Mary Norwood. Georgia Equality endorsed
Borders in the general election, then declined
to issue an endorsement in the runoff election
between Reed and Norwood.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he brings a phi-
losophy of ‘full integration’ to his administration,
while helping advance LGBT rights in the state.
(Photo by Bo Shell)
Still, many prominent gay leaders backed
Norwood, and Reed acknowledges that while he
won the election by the slimmest of margins, he
lost District 6 – home to Atlanta’s highest con-
centration of gay voters – by a landslide.
“Despite having a record that I think was
overwhelmingly stronger than any other indi-
vidual in the race, and having a record that is
stronger than any sitting elected official in the
state,” he added.
Months later, Reed is clearly still stung by
the rejection. During the course of a 45-minute
interview, he repeatedly returned to the subject,
stressing that he remains a strong ally on lesbian
and gay issues, and he hopes gay residents won’t
judge him only by his stand on their marriage
rights, which he continues to oppose.
“I look at my relationship with the LGBT
community as an 11-year relationship, not a six
month relationship so … I would hope that we
have a position going forward where we don’t
throw our relationship away over that issue,”
Reed said.
And there is plenty of work to be done. The
city of Atlanta is an oasis for LGBT people in the
state and the region, offering an inclusive non-
discrimination policy, a domestic partner registry
for city residents, and domestic partner benefits
for city employees.
While a handful of smaller jurisdictions in the
metro Atlanta area have enacted similar policies,
much of the rest of the state is a relative desert
when it comes to gay rights.
Reed says he is willing to use his bully pulpit
www.theGAVoice.com
to help change that.
After his administration is finalized and Atlan-
ta Pride is over in October, he hopes to convene
gay leaders to discuss the idea of putting on a gay
rights conference similar to Philadelphia’s Equal-
ity Forum, which the city would help sponsor.
“I want to see if it is something that leaders
in the GLBT community will both embrace and
support,” Reed said. “I don’t want anyone to feel
like my desire to do this is political in nature.”
Reed also hopes to continue to influence the
state legislature, listing “continued vigilance
about issues related to gay adoption” and a state
statute to end employment discrimination against
LGBT people as priorities.
“That’s why I hope that over time, through
the example that I live, that the citizens in the
GLBT community will understand that while
I haven’t taken the positions around marriage
equality [they would like] … I had a pretty good
record in the Senate and House that I think con-
tinues to be useful, and I am certainly willing
to be an advocate on a range of issues as I have
been,” he said.
Responding to the Eagle raid
There is also plenty to do here at the city lev-
el. Despite Atlanta’s progressive policies, Reed
took office with the city embroiled in its biggest
gay controversy in years.
Responding to two anonymous citizen com-
plaints alleging drugs and sexual activity at the
Eagle, a gay leather bar, the Atlanta Police Depart-
ment initiated a months-long undercover investi-
gation that culminated in a September 2009 raid.
More than two dozen officers, including
the paramilitary Red Dog unit, stormed the bar,
forcing patrons to lie on the floor for more than
an hour while officers searched them and ran
background checks on their identification. Sev-
eral patrons at the bar also said they were treated
roughly and endured anti-gay epithets in the raid,
which is now the subject of a federal lawsuit al-
leging civil rights violations.
Reed, who criticized the raid as a candidate,
drew fire from some LGBT Atlantans last month
when he referred to the lawsuit as a “financial
threat” to the city. The remark was made in a
much longer written statement about the raid is-
sued to WSB-TV.
Of the many lessons that Reed has learned
since becoming mayor, one is that he can’t speak
as freely as he did on the campaign trail.
“Once you become mayor, my actions and
my words take on a level of impact that you don’t
have when you are a candidate,” Reed said last
week, when asked about the comment. “There
is active litigation going on with monetary dam-
ages, and I lead a city that is in pretty tough fi-
nancial straits.”
“When we get a judgment against us, we are
just like a private company and we have to write
Please see MAYOR on Page 6
www.theGAVoice.com April 16, 2010 GA Voice 5
 6 GA Voice April 16, 2010 News www.theGAVoice.com

Ga. Equality backs Carter Macon rallies for

Special election for LGBT community, but also is conducting seri-
ous outreach programs to the LGBT commu- Derrick Martin
state Senate District 42 nity in his campaign.
“He has built a strong base of support with On April 17, Derrick Martin will finally get to fulfill the
dream that thrust him into the national media spotlight —
a number of individuals and organizations …
set for May 11 and has a good understanding of our issues,” take his boyfriend, Richard Goodman, to the prom in tiny
Cochran, Ga.
Graham said.
Martin’s decision and the resulting furor got him kicked
By Dyana Bagby “We believe he can build effective bipartisan
out of his home, but also won him support around the state
dbagby@thegavoice.com coalitions” to support LGBT issues in the legis-
and the world. On April 9, some 100 people rallied at City Hall
lature, Graham added. in Macon to show support for Martin and Deonna Sage, a drag
Jason Carter, the grandson of former Presi- On April 15, a fundraiser is scheduled for Cart- queen who drew derision from a local radio host after appear-
dent Jimmy Carter, picked up Georgia Equal- er at the home of Jimmy Paulk. It is hosted by sev- ing at Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival.
ity’s endorsement for the open state Senate Dis- eral of Atlanta’s gay leaders, including Ken Britt,
trict 42 seat. Lawrie Demorest, Georgia Log Cabin Republican (Photos by Jamie Roberts)
A special election is set for May 11. The President Jamie Ensley, Glen Paul Freedman, Hu-
state’s largest LGBT advocacy man Rights Campaign Religion &
organization announced the deci- Faith Program Director and for-
sion in an April 13 press release. mer Atlanta resident Harry Knox,
“I’m really excited and hon-
ored by the endorsement. LGBT
issues are important to this district
Atlanta City Councilmember Alex
Wan and Kyle Williams. Carter is
also holding an LGBT mixer at
Mayor pledges second LGBT police liaison
and important to me,” Carter told Radial Cafe on April 20 from 6:30 MAYOR, continued from Page 4 The raid, which generated large protests
the Georgia Voice. p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Eagle and City Hall, yielded no ar-
“The most important thing for Stubbs is an attorney in pri- the check,” he said. “So while my heart might rests on drug or sex charges, although eight
the LGBT community, and every- vate practice in Decatur and a feel one way, I have a responsibility to 565,000 employees were cited for business license
one else, is to seek out new coali- longtime resident and commu- citizens and I have to be more measured than violations related to alleged “adult danc-
tions for building broad support,” nity volunteer in the district. He I would prefer to be, and than I think the citi- ing.” All who appeared in court last month
he added. told Georgia Voice he was disap- zens of Atlanta would prefer me to be. either had their charges dismissed or were
“There are issues that Georgia pointed Carter received the Geor- “I think that certainly individuals in the found not guilty.
Equality deals with, such as HIV/ Jason Carter (Courtesy photo) gia Equality endorsement, but gay, lesbian bisexual and transgender com- Reed will not have a designated LGBT li-
AIDS, that are ripe for new coali- that if he won he would be “right munities would like for me to express how aison for his mayoral office, preferring instead
tions, where new partnerships can back at Jeff’s door asking what I feel in no uncertain terms, but were I to do a policy of full inclusion that puts gay people
be formed that maybe weren’t can I carry for you.” that right now, any expression of my feelings in prominent positions based on merit.
there in the past and where there “The dynamics of the Carter could be part of the evidence in active litiga- Of the eight top staffers he has hired since
have not been good advocates. We name will not have as much tion against the city of Atlanta,” Reed said. taking office, he noted that two are gay: Dep-
can grow the support for other is- of an impact as people think. Asked whether he is talking directly with uty Chief Operating Officer Luz Borrero, a
sues … in the LGBT community He’s a nice guy,” Stubbs said. the city law department about how to handle lesbian reappointed from Shirley Franklin’s
in particular.” “Anointing someone doesn’t do the civil case, and about the possibility that administration, and Deputy Communications
David Adelman served as a damn thing for people, Carter settling the lawsuit could actually save the Director Reese McCranie, who worked for
the state senator for District 42, or no Carter.” city money by avoiding months of legal fees, Reed’s campaign and is not only openly gay,
which encompasses parts of Stubbs ran an unsuccessful Reed was reluctant to answer — but hinted but openly married to a man.
DeKalb County including De- campaign for Dekalb County Su- that he isn’t taking a bystander approach. “When there is a meeting to set policy for
catur and Atlanta, until he was perior Court Judge in 2008 and “I just think that I hope that people will the city of Atlanta, there are eight people in the
recently appointed U.S. ambas- Tom Stubbs (Courtesy photo) also ran for Decatur City Com- give me time, I’ll just say that,” he responded. room besides me, and two of them are gay or
sador to Singapore. mission in 1999, when he lost During the interview, Reed also told lesbian; and it’s not even a thought — their
Other candidates qualifying to run for the seat to Kecia Cunningham. Cunningham, who was Georgia Voice he was troubled by some me- voices are part of the global discussion,” the
are Libertarian David Montane, Independent the first openly gay African-American elected dia coverage and comments that he felt lost mayor said.
Steve Patrick and Democrat Tom Stubbs. official in Georgia, still holds that seat and has sight of the fact that the raid occurred prior to But Reed said he plans to add another
Carter is an attorney at Bondurant, Mixson endorsed Carter. his administration. LGBT police liaison, so that in the future
& Elmore. In 2006, he co-founded Democrats Stubbs added he has a long history of sup- “If you read some of the coverage you there will be “a minimum of two.”
Work, a national volunteer organization for porting LGBT equality, including being a mem- would believe that the Eagle raid happened “I believe in the approach of full in-
Georgia residents wanting to work on commu- ber of the Atlanta Stonewall Democrats and when I was mayor,” he said. tegration, so the notion that an event like
nity service projects. He also founded Red Clay Lambda Legal. the Eagle raid would be done without [the
Democrats in 2002 for young professionals. Stubbs said he also lobbied the state legisla- ‘Full integration’ LGBT liaison] being aware of it would be
The only candidates seeking Georgia Equal- ture in 2004 opposing the constitutional amend- A raid like the Atlanta Police Department dealt with with an appropriate level of se-
ity’s endorsement were Stubbs and Carter, said ment to ban gay marriage. As president of the conducted at the Eagle won’t take place in At- verity,” Reed said. “That will not happen in
GE Executive Director Jeff Graham. DeKalb Bar Association, in 2005 he published a lanta again, or those involved will face “dire my administration, and if it did, there would
“Because of the short time period before the column in which he compared “the bigotry per- circumstances,” Reed pledged. be dire circumstances as a result.”
election, we knew we wanted to make a quick petuated in our laws against same-sex couples” Although the Atlanta Police Department Reed also reiterated the promise he made
decision,” he said. The decision was made after to the laws reviewed in U.S. Supreme Court rul- employs an LGBT liaison officer, she was not as a candidate that a raid like the Eagle would
the candidates filled out questionnaires and were ings, Dred v. Scott and Plessy v. Ferguson. included in the investigation into the Eagle, not take place under his leadership.
interviewed by Georgia Equality leaders. “I just have great neighbors who happen to and only learned about the raid when asked “As I said it, I will live it: Nothing like that
Graham said Carter was selected because be gay. It’s not a hard call to support equality,” he about it by media the next day. will occur while I am mayor,” he said.
he not only actively sought support from the said. “I’ve been doing that for years.”
 8 GA Voice April 16, 2010 News www.theGAVoice.com

Activist seeks to be first openly gay Fulton County commissioner

Joan Garner says ‘now is
time’ to win elected office
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
Joan Garner, a lesbian candidate for the Ful-
ton County Commission District 6 post, credits
Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson as a major in-
fluence in her interest in community activism
and politics.
“He ignited the flame in me to look at working
in my community and working from a grassroots
perspective,” Garner, 58, said in an interview at
Danneman’s Coffee in the Old Fourth Ward, just
around the corner from where she lives with her
partner of 11 years, Jane Morrison.
In 1989, Jackson was the first mayor in the
city’s history to appoint senior LGBT advisers.
Other mentors Garner credits for inspiring
her activism include Johnetta Cole, past presi-
dent of Spelman College, and from within the
LGBT community, people like Suzanne Pharr,
a co-founder of Southerners on New Ground.
Support from the LGBT community is im-
portant in her campaign, said Garner, who is
running as a Democrat. If elected to the Fulton
Commission, she would be the first openly gay
person to serve on that board.
“There have been so many firsts before me,”
Garner said. “I’m just standing on the shoulders
of so many who have come before me.”
It’s “absolutely” time to have an openly gay
person on the county commission, she said.
“We’re everywhere. I think with my experi-
ence I can bring a fresh new perspective to the
county,” she said.
At press time, no other candidates had an-
nounced bids for the District 6 post on the Ful-
ton Commission. Qualifying is set for April 26-
April 30. The primary will be July 20 and the
general election on Nov. 2.
Garner’s experience in community service
and management includes serving as president
and CEO of the Historic District Development
Corporation, a community-based, nonprofit or-
ganization that facilitates the preservation and
revitalization of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Na-
tional Historic District as well as other historic/
preservation communities.
She was also executive director of the
Southern Partners Fund, a community-based
public foundation committed to equal rights,
and co-wrote a book about philanthropy and
social change, “Robin Hood was Right.”
“If a chance presents itself to look at how
you might further effect change, working as a
public servant is also a role,” she said.
Joan Garner is running for the District 6 seat on the
Fulton County Commission. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
Garner seeks the post Nancy Boxill has held
for 23 years. But Garner said her decision to run
was not based on Boxill’s retirement.
“Actually, I have been thinking about this
for some time. Given my length of service and
my work in the community, this would be a
good time,” she said.
Out candidates increase
Garner has already begun fundraising and
is currently seeking political endorsements for
the at-large race, for which all Fulton County
residents are eligible to vote. On her campaign
team are Ken Britt and Beth Schapiro, who also
served on the team that helped Alex Wan win
his seat last year on the Atlanta City Council.
Wan is the first openly gay man elected to the
council as well as the first Asian American.
In 2003, Mitzi Bickers, former Atlanta
School Board president, came out as a les-
bian during her unsuccessful bid for the Ful-
ton County Commission chair. She is now a
management analyst in Atlanta Mayor Kasim
Reed’s office of Human Services and pastor for
Emmanuel Baptist Church.
Denis Dison, spokesperson for the national
Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, said there is a no-
ticeable increase in openly gay candidates run-
ning for office. The organization has endorsed
some 66 candidates so far this year.
“It’s really kind of unprecedented at this
time of year [the number of openly gay candi-
dates]. We’ve set a goal of 112 this year and it
certainly looks like we are meeting the pace,”
Dison said.
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
• Video interview with Joan Garner
Joan Garner
404-494-0283
www.GarnerforCommissioner.com
Email info@garnerforcommissioner.com
Twitter: @Garner4Results

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www.theGAVoice.com
Trans man alleges restroom
discrimination at Underground
Incident with security guard
highlights issues trans people
face with public bathrooms
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
On March 16, at about 8:30 p.m., Lehcar
Peterson was with a friend at Underground At-
lanta when they had to use the restroom. The
men’s room was being cleaned and several men
were standing around it while the women’s re-
stroom was clear. A transgender man, Peterson
decided to use the women’s restroom.
“I had been using the women’s restroom my
whole life, I didn’t think there would be a prob-
lem,” said Peterson, 21.
But after getting into a stall, Peterson said he
heard a man shout, “Hey, sir,” several times.
“I didn’t know he was talking to me. I’m not
passing a lot,” he said.
Peterson alleged that the security guard then
came into the bathroom and started rattling the stall
door where he was using the bathroom, shouting,
“Are you male or female?” several times.
“I know he could hear me urinating,” Peter-
son said.
Peterson, who began transitioning from fe-
male to male in August after moving to Atlanta
from Washington, D.C., said he typically uses
the men’s room if there aren’t many men around
and he feels safe. When attending Georgia State
University, although not enrolled now, he said he
could usually find a unisex restroom to use.
While the security guard continued to shake
the door and threaten to pull it open, Peterson
said he became terrified of what might happen
if he identified as male or female. While he
presents as male, he has not changed his GSU
identification card to state he is male.
“I assumed he was a police officer because
of the tone he was using. I remember [from a
training about what rights people have when
confronted by police] that I don’t have to tell
them my gender — he has to have a reason.
And he kept asking if I was male or female. I
told him I don’t have to divulge this, that I want
to speak to your supervisor,” Peterson said.
When they walked out of the restroom, Pe-
terson alleges the security guard grabbed him
by the arm and shouted at him in front of a
group of men milling around the restroom.
“There were these guys around. He was
still yelling, ‘Are you male or female.’ Some
of the people are shouting, ‘That’s a female.’
I’m messed up. People will kill a transgender
person. What do I say?” Peterson said. “I feel
pressured to say something but still don’t.”
Peterson said he was finally asked for his ID.
“It has my birth name on it, the hated name,
News April 16, 2010 GA Voice 9
Lehcar Peterson, an openly transgender male,
says he was discriminated against for using an
empty women’s restroom at Underground Atlanta.
(Photo by Dyana Bagby)
my female name on it. Then another guard starts
asking me horrible questions, like, ‘Do you
have a dick or vagina between your legs?’” Pe-
terson said. “I felt like some weird side show.”
The security officer’s supervisor read the
ID and Peterson said he asked him why he just
didn’t identify his gender. But Peterson said
fear kept him from saying.
“I knew hate crimes happen to transgender
people. If I say male and show my ID, I could get
my ass beat. I really didn’t want to say either way
because either way it could go bad,” he said.
Peterson said he spoke to Officer Dani Lee
Harris, the LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police
Department, and filed an official complaint against
the security officers at Underground Atlanta.
Harris confirmed a report had been filed but
it was not made available despite numerous re-
quests. A call to Varonel Manzueta, director of se-
curity at Underground Atlanta, was not returned.
Restroom risks
Justin Tanis, community education and
outreach manager for the National Center for
Transgender Equality, said bathroom harass-
ment of transgender individuals is prevalent.
“Trans people are very much at risk in the
restroom — they can be harassed, asked to
leave. Even if their ID shows they are male or
female [the gender they are presenting as], they
can face harassment,” he said.
Being confronted in a public restroom by
someone or having a security guard called is em-
barrassing and dangerous, Tanis added.
“Research shows that violent attacks against
transgender people often come from people in
law enforcement,” he said.
Peterson said what he wants most to come
from the incident is for security personnel at
Underground Atlanta to undergo mandatory di-
versity training so what happened to him won’t
happen to anyone else.
“I have social anxiety about this now. This
had never happened to me before,” he said.
“That was a real traumatic experience.”
10 GA Voice April 16, 2010 www.theGAVoice.com

DIRECTORY LISTINGS To advertise, email sales@thegavoice.com

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Justice Stevens: a Republican who grew liberal with the times Kagan, Sears could
Retiring Supreme Court
justice was key vote for LGBT
rights; authored dissent in Ga.
anti-sodomy case
By Lisa Keen
Keen News Service
Some court observers credit U.S. Supreme
Court Justice John Paul Stevens with having
forged a majority of the court to overturn laws
banning private sexual relations between persons
of the same sex — the most beneficial gay-related
decision ever rendered by the Supreme Court.
Stevens, who turns 90 on April 20, announced
April 9 that he would retire from the high court at
the end of June.
In a one-paragraph letter to President Obama,
Stevens said he had concluded that “it would
be in the best interests of the Court to have my
successor appointed and confirmed well in ad-
vance of the commencement of the Court’s next
term.”
The announcement triggered a storm of me-
dia attention that is not likely to subside anytime
soon as President Obama prepares to nominate
his second candidate for the nation’s highest
court. The nomination will almost certainly trig-
ger another storm — this one on Capitol Hill,
where Republicans have dug in to oppose nearly
everything the Obama administration and Dem-
ocratic majority in Congress is trying to pass.
But the news also inspired an outpouring of
praise for Stevens as one of the Supreme Court’s
oldest and longest-serving justices.
Gay rights groups joined in the praise. The
Human Rights Campaign called Stevens “fair-
minded” and Lambda Legal Defense & Edu-
cation Fund hailed him as a “true visionary” to
whom the LGBT community “owes much.”
“He has been a strong, clear, and consistent
voice for the rights of gay people and other mi-
norities, the disabled, reproductive freedom, and
free speech,” said Jon Davidson, legal director at
Lambda Legal.
Opposing sodomy laws
It was 2003 when the greatest chunk of LGBT
Americans’ debt to Stevens was sealed.
Then-Chief Justice William Rehnquist and
two other justices wanted to uphold the Texas
sodomy law in Lawrence v. Texas, according to
court historian Jeffrey Toobin. But Stevens, the
ranking justice on the other side of the issue, was
against it.
“Stevens wisely assigned [Justice Anthony]
Kennedy to write the opinion” for overturning the
law, wrote Toobin, in his 2007 book “The Nine.”
In fact, Toobin suggests, Stevens studiously
chose Kennedy for the assignment as a way of
shoring up Kennedy’s vote for those who wanted
to overturn the law. And in writing the historic
Lawrence v. Texas opinion, Kennedy “drew
heavily on Steven’s seventeen-year-old opinion”
in Bowers v. Hardwick.
The case pitted Georgia Attorney General
Michael Bowers against Michael Hardwick, a
gay Atlanta man who was arrested for sodomy
in his own home when police entered to serve a
warrant for a minor, unrelated matter.
The Supreme Court upheld the Georgia law,
which banned all anal and oral sex but was pri-
marily used against gay people.
Stevens vehemently opposed the decision.
He joined the primary dissent, written by
then-Justice Harry Blackmun, and then penned
his own dissent, joined by Justices William
Brennan and Thurgood Marshall.
In his fiery dissent, Stevens harshly criticized
the majority for ignoring the plain language of
the Georgia law prohibiting sodomy — that it
prohibited oral or anal sex for any couple, gay
or straight.
The sodomy law, said Stevens, was “an
unconstitutional intrusion into [Michael Hard-
wick’s] privacy and his right of intimate associa-
tion does not depend in any way on his sexual
orientation.”
If the right to privacy means anything, wrote
Stevens, “it means that, before Georgia can pros-
ecute its citizens for making choices about the
most intimate aspects of their lives, it must do
more than assert that the choice they have made
is an ‘abominable crime not fit to be named
among Christians.’”
The Hardwick decision had not only upheld
laws prohibiting private sexual relations between
people of the same gender, it had been used in a
wide variety of arenas to justify further discrimi-
nation based on sexual orientation.
Other gay cases
Stevens’ position in Hardwick was not a big
surprise: In 1976, one year after he was appointed
to the court by Republican President Gerald Ford,
he, Brennan and Marshall said they thought the
court should hear an appeal challenging Virginia’s
law against same-sex sodomy; but a majority af-
firmed the law without hearing arguments.
In June 1987, Stevens was with the majority
in Houston v. Ray Hill, which overturned a city
ordinance in Houston that was used to stifle pro-
tests by a gay activist, Ray Hill, against police
harassment of gays.
But 10 days later, Stevens joined the majority
in ruling that the U.S. Olympic Committee did
not violate the First Amendment rights of Gay
Games organizers by preventing them from call-
ing their gay sports event the “Gay Olympics.”
In 1988, he voted with a majority that said
the Central Intelligence Agency’s firing of an
employee because he was gay was subject to
judicial review, and he voted with a unanimous
court ruling that upheld the procedure used to
fire an employee of the National Security Agen-
cy who acknowledged having homosexual rela-
tions with citizens of other countries.
National News
Retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens,
who turns 90 this week, is viewed as the leader of
the more liberal wing of the high court.
(Photo courtesy Supreme Court)
Centrist to liberal
For most of his tenure on the court, Stevens
was a relative moderate who leaned liberal. With
more consistently liberal justices — Brennan,
Marshall, and Blackmun — on the court, Ste-
vens seemed centrist.
By 1991, after Brennan and Marshall retired,
Stevens inevitably began to appear more liberal,
relative to the increasingly conservative court.
But his vote also became more consistently lib-
eral, and he began to take a leadership role.
He voted with the majority in Romer v. Ev-
ans in 1996, agreeing that Colorado’s initiative
banning any legal protection based on sexual
orientation was unconstitutional.
And though, a year earlier, he had agreed with
a unanimous court, in Hurley v. Irish-American
Gay Group, that the organizers of a St. Patrick’s
Day parade in Boston had a First Amendment
right to ban a contingent of gays, he wrote the
dissent in 2000, in Boy Scouts v. Dale, opposing
the majority’s decision that said the Boy Scouts
of America had a First Amendment right to dis-
criminate against gay scout leaders.
Hurley had only a “superficial similarity”
to Boy Scouts, said Stevens. Whereas a gay
contingent could be said to convey a message
when participating in a parade, the same could
not be said of a single gay scout leader joining
the Boy Scouts.
“Being openly gay,” said Stevens, “commu-
nicates a message — for example, that openness
about one’s sexual orientation is more virtuous
than concealment; that a homosexual person can
be a capable and virtuous person who should be
judged like anyone else; and that homosexuality
is not immoral — but it certainly does not follow
that they necessarily send a message on behalf
of the organizations that sponsor the activities in
which they excel,” Stevens wrote.
The potential impact of the retirement will
be measured once President Obama nominates
a replacement; the nominee must be confirmed
by the Senate.
April 16, 2010 GA Voice 11
be opposed as too
gay-supportive for
Supreme Court
Two possible re-
placements for retir-
ing Justice John Paul
Stevens could draw
fire from conservative
organizations for their
stands on gay issues.
President Obama’s
short list of potential
nominees holds fewer Former Georgia
than 10 names, accord- Supreme Court Justice
ing to ABC News. They Leah Sears.
include former Geor- (Publicity photo)
gia Supreme Court
Chief Justice Leah Sears and U.S. Solicitor General
Elena Kagan, ABC reported, along with Homeland
Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Court of Ap-
peals Judge Diane Wood, and DC Court of Appeals
Judge Merrick Garland.
Sears was known for her strong stands on gay
issues during her tenure on the Georgia Supreme
Court, from which she retired in June 2009. Her
legal opinions, including voting with the majority
to overturn Georgia’s sodomy law and her opposi-
tion to the process by which Georgia’s constitu-
tion was amended to ban gay marriage, made her
the target of conservatives who tried unsuccess-
fully to unseat her.
Solicitor General Elena Kagan’s opposition to
the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban was a key
issue for opponents when she was confirmed to
the Obama administration post last year, and will
surface again should she be nominated to the
high court, the Wall Street Journal reported.
As dean of the Harvard Law School, in 2005,
Kagan joined an amicus brief that argued that
law schools like Harvard should be able to bar
military recruiters, because the military does not
follow the gay-inclusive non-discrimination policy
the schools required of private employers who
wished to recruit on their campuses.
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is “a profound wrong —
a moral injustice of the first order,” Kagan wrote
in an email to law school students and faculty at
the time, according to the Wall Street Journal.
During the confirmation process for Kagan
to become attorney general, Sen. John Cornyn
(R-Texas) asked her in writing if she believed the
U.S. Constitution guaranteed gay couples the
right to marry.
“There is no federal constitutional right to
same-sex marriage,” Kagan said, according to
the Journal.
Last year, the Christian Coalition of America
called Kagan “dangerous to America.”
— Laura Douglas-Brown
12 GA Voice April 16, 2010 Voices
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VOICES OPINION & REACTION
Mayor, City Council missed Eagle opportunities
Damage to city’s
reputation, budget
could have been limited
Guest Column
By Matthew Cardinale
Mayor Kasim Reed may consider the Eagle
raid civil lawsuit as a “financial threat” to the
city, but he and the Atlanta City Council should
have thought of that when they missed impor-
tant opportunities to address the fallout from
the police raid on the popular gay leather bar.
Reed called for the truth about the raid to
come out when he was running for office, but
now he’s not so sure if he really wants the truth
to come out after all.
Reed’s first failure was neglecting to order
the Atlanta Police Department officers involved
in the raid to testify before the Citizens’ Review
Board. He demonstrated a total lack of respect
for the board, or the truth.
Ironically, the police union said its members
would have been happy to testify before the
CRB if they would only be ordered to do so by
their superiors, as they believed that would af-
ford them additional protections under the law.
But Reed said police testimony before the
CRB could be used against the city in the civil suit
later, so it would be like two bites of the apple.
So what does this mean, that the Eagle raid
victims can file a CRB complaint or a lawsuit,
but not both? What kind of precedent does that
set? And how will the court feel, that the city
abdicated its oversight and failed to correct the
problem in a timely manner?
And then the financial threat comment. I’d
like to know, what is the price tag Reed would
put on citizens’ constitutional rights?
If Reed was so concerned about financial
threats to the city, he should have asked the
APD or solicitor general to drop the charges
against the eight Eagle employees arrested on
business license violations during the raid, be-
fore exposing taxpayers to a pointless, costly
trial, and the possibility of additional legal ac-
tions from the Eagle 8.
The City Council was just as foolish by
holding in committee a resolution by Council
member Michael Julian Bond (Post 1-at-large)
that, among other things, would have sought
the charges dropped.
Bond is quickly becoming one of the most
Shannon Jenkins/Offhand Photography
Mayor Kasim Reed’s
response to the Eagle
raid and lawsuit, Page 4
important allies on the council to the LGBT
community and to progressives in Atlanta.
He introduced the resolution not because it
was politically easy, but because it was the right
thing to do. Expecting a quick approval by the
full City Council, he introduced it at the first
meeting of the new council in January.
Instead, council members were concerned
that the bill also offered an apology for the
Eagle raid, which they felt could complicate
the city’s position in the civil lawsuit, so the bill
was referred to the Public Safety Committee.
Community activists, Eagle owners and
staff, and Eagle patrons, including the pres-
ent writer, mobilized at the committee, asking
the council to amend the resolution to drop the
language about the apology but to still ask the
court to drop the Eagle 8 charges.
We noted the charges against the 8 were
completely separate from the lawsuit brought
against the city by the patrons.
Moreover, we noted the city was exposing
taxpayers to further liability by continuing to
pursue the charges, despite having such a weak
case against the 8.
And in retrospect, we were right! It was a
weak case; all who appeared in court were ei-
ther found not guilty or had their charges dis-
missed. And city leaders knew they wouldn’t
even ask their own officers to testify about what
they did that night, but they didn’t want to drop
the charges because it would make it seem like
they were mistaken in the first place.
The committee completely wimped out, opt-
www.theGAVoice.com
ing to hold the resolution indefinitely, pending
the outcome of the civil lawsuit against the city,
even though that could take years to settle.
Since then, they’ve already been found not
guilty, but maybe the resolution will still pass
in three years? And only after a court of law
has found the city in the wrong will the council
maybe apologize?
Way to take the high road. At that point,
what good will an apology be anyway?
Again bowing to the city’s attorneys — who
by the way work for the mayor, not the council
— the committee members worried that they
did not have the authority to influence court
proceedings.
Well, no one ever said they did. We acknowl-
edged they didn’t but we had hoped the coun-
cil’s resolution could simply ask those with that
authority to do so, and that their request would
be noticed and considered.
Besides, resolutions which express the will
of the council do not always assume jurisdic-
tion over the matter.
For example, a few years ago the City Council
approved a resolution to support a national pro-
posal for a U.S. Department of Peace, but that
does not mean it assumed to have the authority to
create a new federal department single-handedly.
Moreover, there are precedents for legisla-
tors getting involved — at least diplomatically,
or through friend of the court briefs — in judi-
cial matters. U.S. Reps. John Lewis and Hank
Johnson, both Democrats from Atlatna, fought
hard to save the life of Troy Davis, who is on
death row.
The fact of the matter is, if City Council
members wanted to do something, they could
have. If Bond’s resolution wasn’t completely
perfect, they could’ve amended it. They could
have found a way to do something more than
nothing at all.
It’s really the city’s loss and the taxpayers’
loss. But for Reed now to call the civil suit a
financial burden — and not a moral burden —
when he and the council missed chances to save
the city money by seeking to drop the charges?
That’s not just shameful, that’s hypocrisy.
Matthew Cardinale is the news editor of
atlantaprogressivenews.com. He broke the story
of the Eagle raid after arriving at the bar as a
patron while the raid was in progress. He can be
reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com
Share your Voice! Email opinion column
ideas to editor@thegavoice.com
www.theGAVoice.com
SPEAKING OUT
The real problem with the
Roman Catholic Church is…
Re: “Catholic leader says church has ‘homo-
sexual problem’” (thegavoice.com, March 31)
If the church really had a “homosexual
problem” the vestments would be more stylish
and updated.
The church has a pedophilia problem, not a
“gay” problem. The church also has a raping
and impregnating problem – just ask the wom-
en of Alaska.
I think gays have a Catholic problem. Why
are any of us still there, giving money and time
to a group that hates us? Leave, people.
The church says that homosexuality is not
a sin but that homosexual acts are a sin. It also
teaches that sexual intercourse outside the
bonds of a church marriage between a man and
a woman is a sin, and that sex inside a marriage
is only for procreation. Unfortunately all three
of these positions are totally anti-human.
The Vatican had better realize that what it
has is a “crisis of faith” problem that could self
destruct the better part of their organization if
they don’t stop trying to pass blame and find
some way to acknowledge and honestly con-
front their biggest threat since Constantine made
them the state religion of the Roman Empire.
How many Temples of Apollo are there these
days? Nothing is guaranteed to last forever.
Voices April 16, 2010 GA Voice 13
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.
LETTER
Parents should admire
gay prom teen’s courage
To the editors:
Thank you for the excellent article regarding
Derrick Martin (“Prom King,”April 2). The sto-
ry of this young man and his boyfriend is truly
an inspiration to all people gay or straight.
I was saddened to read about his parent’s re-
action by pushing him to leave the family home.
No matter what a child has done, that person is
always a son or daughter needing compassion,
love and security.
From the raw courage Derrick expresses in
the article as well as his responses to anti-gay
slurs and treatment by some members of the
Cochran community, it appears he has a strong
will and level head to make it on his own.
It is truly a distressing day when parents
don’t behave as parents and follow the judg-
ment or beliefs they may have been raised on
without seeing the biggest picture of all and that
is of their son.
Alan Akin, Atlanta
 16 GA Voice April 16, 2010 A&E
FILM by STEVE WARREN
Atlanta Film Festival
thinks‘Pink’
‘Pink Peach’ programming brings LGBT flicks to broad festival
The Atlanta Film Festival, which runs April
15-23, again includes a “Pink Peach” component,
with six features and two short film collections of
special interest to LGBT viewers.
The massive festival drew more than 21,000
attendees in 2009, according to organizers. Now
in its 34th year, it will screen more than 160 films,
ranging from documentaries to animation, and ev-
erything in between.
The festival opened April 15 with a gala pre-
sentation of the civil rights film “Freedom Riders,”
and closes April 23 with “Secret to a Happy End-
ing,” a documentary about the Drive-By Truck-
ers, an Athens-based band. Director Barr Weiss-
man and band members will attend the screening
at the 14th Street Playhouse.
On April 17, there is a special 50th anniversary
screening of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller
“Psycho” at 9 p.m. in Piedmont Park. All regular
screenings, including the LGBT films, take place
at the Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema.
Two of the best festival features we’ve pre-
viewed are in the “Pink” section but have cross-
over appeal.
‘8: The Mormon Proposition’
Friday, April 16, 9:20 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21, 7:10 p.m.
Documentaries aren’t usually tearjerkers but
“8: The Mormon Proposition” evokes tears of joy
in scenes of same-sex weddings in California, fol-
lowed by tears of rage at the hateful tactics used
by the Mormon church to pass Proposition 8, put-
ting a ban on same-sex marriage into the Califor-
nia constitution.
Another film on the subject, “Annul Victory,”
which screened in last year’s Out on Film, was a
clumsy collection of home videos, mostly of ral-
lies against Prop. 8. “8: The Mormon Proposition”
is the real deal, a professional effort directed by
Reed Cowan, that digs deeper and contains some
real revelations.
Narrated by Mormon-born, Oscar-winning
“Milk” screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, the film
features Spencer Jones and Tyler Barrick, a Mor-
mon couple who’d been together for six years and
married in San Francisco the day it became legal.
“8” focuses on the campaign orchestrated and
‘Play in the Gray,’ a documentary about drag
troupe ‘All the Kings Men,’ has its world premiere
at the Atlanta Film Festival. (Courtesy photo)
funded by the Mormons through various fronts,
such as the National Organization for Marriage.
The church, which once faced persecution for its
belief in polygamy, pressured its adherents to do-
nate sacrificially.
Both sides get their say but the film’s sympa-
thies are never in doubt.
‘The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek’
Sat., April 17, 2:20 p.m.
Tues., April 20, 12:20 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance (both shows): Writ-
er/Director/Producer Wendy Jo Cohen, Assistant
to the Director Joe Braun, Actor Tim Cusack,
Casting Director/Actor Luisa Battista
“The Battle of Pussy Willow Creek” is a riot
for history buffs, not usually known for their sense
of humor. Wendy Jo Cohen has made real docu-
mentaries for the Discovery and History channels
so she knows the drill and could have fun with it.
The fictitious skirmish occurred simultane-
ously with the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863,
but was expunged from history because its heroes
were considered “examples of human degenera-
cy.” A gay man, a former slave, a Chinese septua-
genarian and a whore in men’s clothing saved the
nation’s capital.
The story is told by a diverse lot of “experts,”
most with their own agendas, including “Roger
McEntyre, author of ‘Prejudice and Pride: A His-
tory of Gays in the Military.’”
The humor is droll and deadpan, accessible to
all; but the more familiar you are with real docu-
mentaries the more you’ll enjoy this spoof.
www.theGAVoice.com
‘Handsome Harry’
Sat., April 17, 7:15 p.m.
Wed., April 21, 2:25 p.m.
Before “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” became offi-
cial policy, it was common sense for gays in the
military. “Handsome Harry” brings back those
days in the story of the 32-years-aftermath of a
Navy gay-bashing.
Harry Sweeney (Jamey Sheridan) has serial
reunions with five Navy buddies, four of whom
were involved with him on “the night we almost
killed Kagan.” Kagan was beaten for apparently
making a pass at one of the others.
Homophobic Thomas Kelley (Steve Buscemi)
sets the plot in motion from his deathbed, asking
Harry to seek Kagan’s forgiveness on his behalf.
Harry visits the others (John Savage, Aidan Quinn,
Titus Welliver), before approaching David Kagan
(Campbell Scott) to attempt closure.
Many of the actors in this powerful indie dra-
ma have previously played gay or bi, or appeared
in films with strong gay elements: Buscemi
(“Parting Glances”), Scott (“Longtime Compan-
ion” and “The Dying Gaul”), Quinn (“An Early
Frost”) and Savage (“Hair”). Karen Young, who
plays the waitress with a crush on Harry, was in
“Torch Song Trilogy”; and Bill Sage, here as Har-
ry’s assistant, was in “Mysterious Skin,” “High
Art,” “The New Twenty” and “Precious.”
‘Mother Earth (Tierra Madre)’
Sat., April 17, 7:30 p.m.
Tues., April 20, 12:15 p.m.
Illustrating the fine line between truth and fic-
tion, “Mother Earth” (“Tierra Madre”) and “Who
Saw Him” (“Chi L’ha Visto”), listed as narrative
films, are largely true stories of their lesbian and
gay protagonists.
In “Mother Earth” Aidee Gonzalez narrates
and recreates her story matter-of-factly. Director
Dylan Verrechia drains most of the drama from
a gut-wrenching tale that has enough for several
seasons of a telenovela.
A Mexican, Aidee has two children by differ-
ent men. One abandons her, the other marries her
but is shot as a drug runner. She supports herself
and her children by pole dancing. Rosalba intro-
duces Aidee to the pleasures of women. They live
together until Rosalba wants a child and goes off
with the man who fathers it.
“Mother Earth” looks like a black-and-white
home movie but better.
‘Play in the Gray’
Sat., April 17, 9:20 p.m.
Mon., April 19, 2:30 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance (both shows): Di-
rector/Producer Kaitlin Meelia, Director of Com-
munications Danielle Connor, Editor Ian McFar-
land, Director of Photography Justin Francese
It’s 11 o’clock. Do you know what gender
your children are?
Kaitlin Meelia’s “Play in the Gray” is a portrait
of the Boston-based All The Kings Men (www.
ATKM.com), described as “a drag theatre troupe
www.theGAVoice.com
dedicated to challenging the confines of gender
identity.” The film has its world premiere as part
of the Atlanta Film Festival.
Started in Massachusetts in 2001, All The
Kings Men is made up of six lesbians (four of
them scheduled to attend the festival screening)
for whom frilly feminine attire is as much drag
as male clothing with fake facial hair. The film
takes you into the lives of Julee, Katie, Maria, Jill,
Leighsa and Karin and some of their partners.
Perhaps a separate performance film is up-
coming, because “Play in the Gray” shows only
brief, tantalizing snippets from their shows.
For all the fun they’re obviously having, the
troupe’s work looks more polished than you might
expect. Those who just wanted to goof around
have apparently fallen away, leaving a core group
dedicated to serious fun.
‘Who Saw Him (Chi L’ha Visto)’
Sun., April 18, 7:20 p.m.
Tues., April 20, 2:05 p.m.
“Who Saw Him” coasts on the charisma of
its subject, Gianni Meurer, a gay man who was
raised in Berlin by his German mother but decides
to search for the Italian father he hasn’t seen in
over 20 years. The biographical details are report-
edly true, the action pure fiction.
Looking like a cinema vérité documentary, it
has some of the same flaws, including narrative
gaps because cameras aren’t present when major
events occur. As a result the unexplained ending
comes out of left field.
Meurer, more Italian than German-looking,
carries most of the film on his charm, especial-
ly when he plays all the roles in the reunion he
anticipates with his father; but once he reaches
Rome even he can’t get us through the narra-
tive confusion.
Gay Shorts
Sat. April 17, 4:50 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance: “Catching On”
Associate Producer Gregory Walsh, Director
Nick Pistorino; “Bedfellows” Writer/Director
Pierre Stefanos
Wed., April 21, 4:35 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance: “Danny” Produc-
er/Director T. David Field
Though he’s not expected to attend, actor
James Franco is doubly represented as a director,
with the feature “Saturday Night,” about the week
leading up to an “SNL” telecast, and a short, “The
Feast of Stephen,” that rivals Franco’s “Milk” di-
rector Gus Van Sant for its understanding of the
gay psyche.
In “The Feast of Stephen” a gay youth fanta-
sizes about four basketball players and what they
do to him for fantasizing about them. Or is it a
fantasy? It’s one of eight films in the “Gay Shorts”
program and to their credit, most of them seem
too short.
T. David Field’s “Danny,” about a schoolmate
who befriends a loner with an abusive father, has
the depth of a feature in a compact 24 minutes.
A gay man tries to have sex with his best
A&E April 16, 2010 GA Voice 17
‘Catching On: The Day the World Turned Gay’
spoofs the conservative fear that legalizing gay mar-
riage will make gays take over the world.
(Photo by Gregory Walsh / courtesy ‘Catching On’)
(female) friend, who wants a baby, in Jonathan
Lisecki’s “Gayby,” a reverse “Humpday” except
it’s funny. If the marriage montage in “Up” made
you misty you’ll weep buckets at the gay equiva-
lent, “Bedfellows” by Pierre Stefanos.
Other gay shorts include “Catching On: The
Day The World Turned Gay,” “Curious Thing,”
“Non-Love-Song,” and “Rubbuds.”
Lesbian Shorts
Mon., April 19, 7:20 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance: “To Comfort
You”: Actor Pauley Perrette; “One Night”
Writer/Director Laura Jean Cronin, Actor De
jonna DeMarco
Thurs., April 22, 12:10 p.m.
Filmmakers in attendance: “One Night”
Writer/Director Laura Jean Cronin, Actor De
jonna DeMarco
There are only six in the “Lesbian Shorts”
package. The films offer a variety of moods: com-
edy to tragedy, romance to rage.
Hyperactive editing hurts “Simple Pleasures,”
about a wife’s lesbian fling during a business trip,
and “One Night,” which jumps between an event-
ful evening and a mundane morning after. In “The
Roe Effect,” about a woman whose girlfriend gets
jealous when she gets pregnant, filmmaker Kiel
Scott is almost trying to make a “Memento”-style
reverse narrative.
“Yulia” is a brief animated short with a lesbian
punchline. Susan Blakely stars in “To Comfort
You” as a mother who has a strained, long-dis-
tance relationship with her HIV-infected lesbian
daughter (Pauley Perrette). The young assistants
of two high-powered PR women hook up in Gi-
anna Sobol’s “Public Relations,” which is incon-
sequential, but generally joyous.
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Atlanta Film Festival
April 15-23, www.atlantafilmfestival.com
Full schedule:
atlantafilmfestival10.sched.org
Most screenings:
Landmark Midtown Art Cinema
931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308
Pink Peach Party
Wednesday, April 21, 9 p.m.
Burkhart’s Pub
1492 Piedmont Ave. , Atlanta, GA 30309
Sponsored by Burkhart’s and Out on Film
Festival pass or ticket stub required to attend
18
2 GA Voice April 16, 2010 A&E www.theGAVoice.com

And the wardrobe, Jimmy! I can’t wait for

THEATER by JIM FARMER my fans to see the wardrobe!

Daughter dearest takes her on a journey to understand the life of

‘Christina Darling’ explores
the difficult relationship
between Joan Crawford and
her adopted child
The world premiere of Process Theatre’s
“Christina Darling” this weekend marks an-
other chapter in the saga of legendary Hol-
lywood star Joan Crawford and her adopted
daughter, Christina.
Christina’s rocky relationship with Joan
was covered in Christina’s book “Mommie
Dearest” and later made into a campy film
with Faye Dunaway.
Now gay playwright Topher Payne ex-
plores Christina’s competing personal his-
tories and the difficult relationship between
mother and daughter.
The play opens after Christina (played by
Barbara Cole Uterhardt) watches the film ver-
sion of “Mommie Dearest” and has a heart at-
tack. She is visited by her grandmother, who
Joan (played by Payne).
The Georgia Voice caught up with the in-
imitable Joan Crawford (Payne, of course) to
discuss the play.
Hello Ms. Crawford. Can you tell us a little
about your new show?
May I call you Jimmy?
Yes, ma’am.
Well, Jimmy, are you familiar with “Mildred
Pierce?” [the film that won Ms. Crawford a
Best Actress Oscar]. I think this surpasses that;
it’s the “Mildred Pierce” for a new generation.
My adopted daughter Christina in the piece
is played by actress Barbara Cole Uterhardt,
who brings more to the role than Christina
does herself. The great Betty Mitchell plays
[grandmother] Anna and Kristin Kalabi is the
young Joan.
I’m happy to be able to bring this show to
my fans. It’s been a long time since I was able
to greet them. I will stay all night until every
single photograph is signed.
You and Christina both worked on the soap
opera “The Secret Storm,” correct?
Anyone who saw Christina on “The Se-
cret Storm” saw her specific limitations as an
actress. Christina and I were able to work on
the show. I stepped in for her. We never had the
opportunity to share scenes but we did share a
character. I was 62 and she was 28.
I want to be clear – Christina did read for the
part in “Christina Darling” but once you see the
show you’ll understand why Barbara got it.
Have you seen “Mommie Dearest?”
I have. After a few stiff drinks, I was able to
make it through. Faye Dunaway is a commit-
ted and intense actress. She didn’t disappoint,
but the script did not live up to the strength of
the character.
How do you describe the relationship
with Christina?
Christina has always had a casual relation-
ship with the truth. She loves the value of sto-
ries. I’ve been dead for 30 years and to manu-
facture material, you have to be creative.
Joan Crawford (right, played by Topher Payne)
What do you make of Christina’s statements faces her former self, Lucille LeSueur (Kristin
about your parenting skills? Kalbi) in Payne’s ‘Christina Darling.’
It’s certainly not the first time I have heard (Photo courtesy Payne)
that from her. Now that she is an adult, I wonder
how clean her house is. What standards does MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
she have? If people did not have standards, the
whole world would go the hell. If she had been ‘Christina Darling’
adopted by a hard-scrabble family in Oklaho- April 16 - May 8

SPRING BREAK AT PIEDMONT BARK ma, I’d be interested to see how she turned out.
Onstage Atlanta
2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033

NO SHOES, NO SHIRT,
As for using wire hangers, if you could see 404-245-4205
what they can do to a good dress, you can un- www.theprocesstheatre.org
derstand why I never use them!

FULL-SERVICE!
Ms. Crawford, have you always had a strong
relationship with gay men?
I love all my gay fans. In Hollywood Billy
Haines was a true and loyal friend, and loyalty
³0LOHV\HDUROG is a precious thing. His partner Jimmy, they had
the best of what a marriage can be. I did not
experience that until later in my life.
Is it true that you dance in this show?
Yes. Anyone who had read my autobiogra-
phy knows I started as a dancer. I am delighted
to introduce or reintroduce dance to my fans.
It’s been so long since I danced. But it’s work
hard, Jimmy. Hard work!
Is Bette Davis attending opening night?
I have not heard that. It would be so kind
of her! Encountering Bette is always such a
memorable experience!

YAPPY HOUR MAY 2, 2010: PROUDLY PRESENTING

THE 2010 PET COTILLION
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK • 404-873-5400 • MIDTOWN ATLANTA, AMSTERDAM WALK, 501 AMSTERDAM AVE, ATLANTA, GA 30306
www.theGAVoice.com
by DYANA BAGBY • dbagby@theGaVoice.com
BOOKS
A sweet kiss goodbye
Lesbian author Fiona Zedde
bids farewell to Atlanta
Fiona Zedde’s first kiss after she moved to
Atlanta was with an ex-girlfriend from New
York who flew in for a visit.
“I brought her down from New York. I had just
graduated from college and was living in Marietta
and my ex was in New York and wanted a break
from the city and visited me,” Zedde says.
“She was not impressed with Atlanta at all.
But something about the city pulled us together
at that moment and we ended up kissing a lot
… in my little tiny, tiny basement apartment.”
That kiss doesn’t make it into Zedde’s new
e-book, titled “Kisses After Midnight,” avail-
able on Amazon and ready to be downloaded
to your Kindle.
The book from the author who has made a
name for herself in lesbian erotica is a collec-
tion of 13 short stories. There is also an excerpt
of her next novel, to be released next year, in-
cluded in the anthology.
“I put it together because the next print book
won’t be out until February 2011 and I wanted
to write something for readers expecting some-
thing this year but didn’t get it,” she says.
About a third of the stories were published
elsewhere, a third have never been published
and were reworked by Zedde and some stories
were written when she was in college.
“Some are very sweet and warm, some are
raunchy and sexy and some have nothing to do
with sex or queerness,” she says. Compiling
and writing the stories helped Zedde see how
much her writing has changed over the years.
“Putting this together helped me see how
far my writing has grown and changed. And
how much my writing can grow and change
from now,” she explains. “It was a very re-
vealing exercise.”
Zedde is working on a novel that is not erotic,
unlike her past Lambda Literary Award finalists
“Bliss” and “Every Dark Desire,” as well as “A
Taste of Sin” and “Hungry for It.”
“I’m working on a novel that is not exotic,
but definitely lesbian. And I wanted to share
that new part of myself and hope readers accept
this incarnation of myself,” she says.
Charis Books & More, where Zedde worked
for many years, is hosting a reading from the
A&E April 16, 2010 GA Voice 19
ebook on April 30 as well as book signing of her
numerous other books. The party is also a farewell
— Zedde is moving soon to St. Petersburg, Fla.
The upcoming move to Florida is part of
a new path for Zedde, prompted in part after
meeting a woman.
“I need a change. I love Atlanta, but I’ve
been feeling very restless lately. A few months
ago I met this woman who lives in Florida and
she opened up the window for me to see what
kind of change I needed,” Zedde says.
“I’m moving to be closer to her, to be in
warmer weather and to open my writing to
other kinds of influences.”
Atlanta will always hold a special place in
her heart, she says.
“What am I going to miss about Atlanta?
The weather, Charis, Little Five, friends and
family, the park. Pollen notwithstanding, At- Lesbian author Fiona Zedde reads from her
lanta is gorgeous. The fresh bursts of pink ev- ebook ‘Kisses After Midnight’ and says farewell to
erywhere, wisteria dripping down in various Atlanta on April 30. (Courtesy photo)
places, in Decatur. And Atlanta is so gay and so
saturated with color, with people of color,” she MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
says. “St. Pete is not like that and I will miss
‘Kisses After Midnight’ party
that about Atlanta.” Friday, April 30, 7-8:30 p.m.
Coming up with the title of “Kisses After Charis Books & More
Midnight” was something Zedde struggled 1189 Euclid Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307
with but finally settled on after talking with www.charisbooksandmore.com
friends and family. www.fionazedde.blogspot.com
“It had to be something sexy, but not like www.fionazedde.com
‘Hungry For It,’ something softer and sexy,
something that would not lead you right away “But again it does lead you to the erotic,
to erotic. doesn’t it?” she says, laughing.
20
2 GA Voice April 16, 2010 A&E
EVENTS by JIM FARMER
Wine, dine and dance
Benefits offer great entertainment while helping people with HIV
Three popular annual benefits devoted to help-
ing people with HIV are just around the corner.
First out of the block is the perennial Dining
Out for Life, scheduled for April 21. Sponsored
by Open Hand, Dining Out for Life is now in
its 18th year. Patrons are asked to visit area res-
taurants for a meal; at least 20 percent of the
proceeds go to Open Hand. More than 150 res-
taurants will participate in the 2010 edition.
According to Matt Pieper, senior director
of resource development at Open Hand, Din-
ing Out for Life has evolved “from a handful
of restaurants participating 18 years ago to res-
taurants all over Atlanta.” He says what distin-
guishes this fundraiser from others is that basi-
cally it’s a “non-event.”
“There is no price of admission, no tuxedos
to rent,” says Pieper. “Our supporters are sim-
ply asked to enjoy lunch or dinner at their fa-
vorite participating restaurant, knowing that at
least 20 percent of their tab will benefit [us].”
Open Hand, which has been serving Atlanta
and surrounding areas for 22 years, has become
the largest home delivery meal in the nation,
preparing and delivering more than 5,000 meals
across 17 Georgia counties. Originally called
Project Open Hand, it was founded to provide
meals for people with HIV, and later expanded
to include others in need.
Next up after Dining Out for Life is Joining
Heart’s Change of Seasons tea dance on April
25. Now in its second year, Change of Seasons
will feature popular DJ Mike Pope at Shout.
“It should be a wonderful event,” says Dwayne
Queen, marketing director for Joining Hearts.
“The music will be great, with warm weather and
drink specials at an upscale location.”
According to Queen, the organization re-
cently decided to up its number of annual events.
“We continue to grow and as such we made the
decision to have a presence all year,” he says.
Joining Hearts now hosts four events
throughout the year, the main fundraiser being
Joining Hearts 23 in July. Queen expects a big
crowd for the tea dance, as well as good mix of
gay and straight participants.
www.theGAVoice.com
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Dining Out for Life
April 21
Various metro area restaurants
404-419-1104
www.DiningOutforOH.org
Change of Seasons
April 25, 5 – 10 p.m.
Shout at Colony Square
1197 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30361
678-318-1446
DJ Mike Pope spins for Change of Seasons, a tea www.joininghearts.org
dance to raise money for Joining Hearts, which
helps provide housing for people with HIV. Uncork a Cure
(Photo via Myspace) April 29, 6 – 9 p.m.
The Foundry at Puritan Mill
916 Joseph Lowery Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30318
Joining Hearts is an all-volunteer organization 404-876-2317
dedicated to providing housing support to people www.uncorkacure.org
living with HIV/AIDS in the Atlanta area.
Rounding out the month is Uncork a Cure, hol, as well as entrance and a free drink at the
an April 29 benefit for the AIDS Research Con- after party at Tongue & Groove.
sortium of Atlanta. Now in its 20th season, the One attribute of Uncork a Cure that sets it
event takes place this year at the Foundry at apart is being able to interact with many of the
Puritan Mill. chefs involved, Tran says. The silent auction is
Therese Tran, event chair, says participating also traditionally popular.
restaurants are among the top tier of Atlanta-ar- ARCA’s funding has decreased, making
ea food venues. Past participants have included benefits such as these vital, Tran says. “This is
Woodfire Grill, Bacchanalia, Peasant Bistro, our signature event,” she says. “It helps to sus-
Morton’s Steakhouse, Watershed and 4th & tain operating costs.”
Swift. This year, MetroFresh and Ludacris’ “HIV still touches everyone; it’s not a gay/
Straits are among the 20 participants. lesbian disease,” Tran adds. “We all need to
A ticket provides unlimited food and alco- work to find a cure.”
www.theGAVoice.com
COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE
H R
R
O
CES
HE
Annual dinner honors
Bravo’s Andy Cohen, local
stars Rep. Simone Bell
and Vandy Beth Glenn
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
The Atlanta Human Rights Campaign gala
dinner brings in star power this year with Bra-
vo’s Andy Cohen.
Cohen is the man behind all of “The Real
Housewives” shows, as well as “Top Chef” and
“Project Runway.” He also hosts “Watch What
Happens: Live,” Bravo’s late night, interactive,
weekly talk show. In essence, he is everywhere
in the pop culture spotlight.
For living as an openly gay celebrity and
businessman at a television network known for
its gay-inclusive programming, HRC will pres-
ent Cohen with the National Visibility Award at
its 23rd Atlanta dinner on May 1.
The black-tie dinner at the Hyatt Regency
Atlanta hotel features a silent auction, dinner
and speakers. It raises funds to support HRC’s
national work for LGBT equality.
“I think Bravo has a great evolution in portray-
ing gay people … gay people are not on Bravo
because they’re gay but because they are talented
or interesting,” Cohen said in a recent conference
call with several Atlanta media outlets.
“If you look at our shows over the past four
or five years, the roster of gay is high. We’re
proud of that. And HRC and Bravo being like-
minded — we are. HRC’s mission is America
being a place where all gay men and lesbians
and transgender people are full members of
American society. Bravo portrays that world
without editorialization and without fanfare,”
he says.
As a network, Bravo has “always been re-
ally invested in showing just every color of the
rainbow so to speak in terms of who people are
rather than what they are,” Cohen said, noting
that he takes a similar approach to his own life.
“I don’t want to hit people over the head
with a hammer that I’m gay. But I have a gay
point of view with a gay sensibility,” he says.
Local activists recognized
Cohen isn’t the only star being recognized
for achievements. This year, the HRC Atlanta
Dinner Committee honors local residents Van-
dy Beth Glenn and state Rep. Simone Bell (D-
Atlanta).
Bell, the first openly lesbian African-Ameri-
can to serve in a state legislature, will receive the
Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award not only for
her historic achievement but also for her years
working on a broad range of policy and legis-
lative issues. They include workplace equality,
access to affordable healthcare, fighting HIV/
AIDS stigma and discrimination, safe schools
for all children, youth empowerment, LGBT
rights, and women’s issues.
“Probably in the moment of the evening it
will all rush down on me — this is definitely
a great honor,” Bell says during a brief break
from working under the Gold Dome.
“HRC is one of our national organizations
Bravo’s Andy Cohen, the gay man behind such hits
as ‘Project Runway’ and the ‘Real Housewives’
franchise, receives HRC’s National Visibility Award
at the May 1 Atlanta dinner. He is honored along-
side local residents Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta)
and Vandy Beth Glenn. (Cohen photo courtesy
Bravo, file photos)
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Atlanta HRC Gala Dinner & Silent Auction
Saturday, May 1, 6 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
265 Peachtree St. NE
Tickets: $200 general admission
$100 clergy, students, elected officials,
parents attending with children
www.atlantahrcdinner.org
that strives to do a lot fighting for our rights —
this is just another amazing thing to happen in
the midst of so many amazing things.”
Bell says she is proud to be honored by an
LGBT community group and she hopes to con-
tinue making all communities proud with her
work in the legislature.
“Right now I have to stay focused on the
work that needs to be done. I’m really pleased
the community is behind me and I wouldn’t be
here without the help of so many people. I just
hope I can continue to make our communities
proud,” she says.
Being a state representative is “hard, de-
manding work,” she adds, “but I’m loving it.”
Glenn will receive the Leon Allen and Win-
ston Johnson Community Service Award for her
courage in suing the Georgia General Assembly
after she was fired from her job as a legislative
editor when she told her boss she intended to
transition to female.
Glenn is represented by Lambda Legal in
the federal lawsuit. Last year her attorneys filed
Community April 16, 2010 GA Voice 21
Your Milestones
Ebonee Bradford-Barnes and
Anita Barnes were legally married March
7, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The couple was
married by Bishop Rainey Cheeks at Inter Light
Ministries. They were the 121st couple to marry
after same-sex marriage became legal in the
District of Columbia last month.
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!
a summary judgment motion, but the judge has
not ruled on it.
Also last year, Glenn traveled to Washington
to testify before the U.S. House of Representa-
tives Committee on Education & Labor about
the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The
legislation would prohibit discrimination on the
basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
While a rift still exists between some in the
transgender community and HRC after the na-
tional organization in the past agreed to support
ENDA when it did not include gender identity
and gender expression, Glenn says today every-
one is on board with an inclusive agenda and
it’s time to move forward together.
“I think the past should stay in the past. It’s
time for us all to join hands and move forward,”
she said.
She hopes that the award and her ongoing
battle with the General Assembly will help oth-
ers understand the discrimination transgender
people face.
“I’m very honored and very humbled and
grateful to my heroic attorneys because no one
would have heard of my case without them,”
she says.
“I hope this raises awareness that transgen-
der people get treated like this all the time and
it needs to stop.”
22 GA Voice April 16, 2010 www.theGAVoice.com

2 0 1 0 AT L A N TA H U M A N R I G H T S C A M P A I G N
GALA DINNER & AUCTION

Saturday, May 1, 2010

t
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Featuring
HRC Visibility Award Winner HRC President
BRAVO’s Andy Cohen Joe Solmonese
SVP of Original Programming and Development;
host of “Real Housewives” reunions
and “Watch What Happens: Live” on BRAVO!

Also Featuring: David Cicilline - Mayor of Providence, Rhode

Island and Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives

BUY TICKETS NOW!

For Tickets and Information: www.atlantahrcdinner.org

LOCAL SPONSORS N AT I O N A L S P O N S O R S
PRESENTING SPONSORS* PLATINUM SPONSORS*

GOLD SPONSORS*

PLATINUM SPONSOR* S I LV E R S P O N S O R S *

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* SPONSORS AS OF APRIL 9, 2010

www.theGAVoice.com Community April 16, 2010 GA Voice 23

‘Memory Flash’ mixes gay Atlanta’s past and present

Photos By Bo Shell
bshell@thegavoice.com
5
“Memory Flash,” held on April 3, was the first series of
public interventions by artist collective John Q. The goal of
the event, held in four locations, was to create new memo-
ries based on Atlanta’s LGBT past.

1. Freddie Styles, a member of the Jolly 12, a black gay

social group that met on Wabash Avenue in the late 1960s.
2. The Jolly 12 members would line up in blue pants and
white shirts and march along the street.
3. Drag queens in the late 1960s were forced to hide
in beer coolers when police came around the Joy
Lounge, once located on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
4. Inside a portable beer cooler, Memory Flash
participants watch a clip of Billy Jones
performing as Phyllis Killer in the late 1960s.
5. Joey Orr (far left), Wesley Chenault and Andy Ditzler
march around Piedmont Park as the John Q Collective.
6. Flux Project volunteers read oral histories of
women’s softball in Piedmont Park.
7 & 8. People mingle at Mixx where Ditzler screens
Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys” into the trees
behind the bar. In 1969, police raided a viewing of the
6
movie in Ansley Mall.

MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com

See all the photos and videos of the John Q 8
Collective’s Memory Flash’ online.

3 7

2 4
24 GA Voice April 16, 2010 Community www.theGAVoice.com

“My partner and

I have been very
grateful for the
GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT
quality of care and
support at Sunrise
of Decatur.”
- Linda Ellis, Executive
Director, The Atlanta Lesbian
Health Initiative
Cristina Briboneria, acting president of the

Families trust Sunrise as their new Atlanta Women’s All About Business
Networking. (Photo courtesy Facebook)

choice for Senior Living.

At Sunrise of Decatur we know that families searching for senior
living can be faced with an overwhelming number of options and
AIDS Resource Council/PFLAG Rome
About two years ago, Tina Bucher tried to
questions. Our commitment to “Celebrate Indivuality” as one of our found a PFLAG chapter in Rome, a city of some
Principles of Service gives you peace of mind that your loved one 40,000 people located in northwestern Georgia.
The process was a bit more complicated than she
will be cared for in an environment that honors the individuality of
imagined, so instead Bucher acts as a representa-
our residents and their families. tive for the organization in the town where she’s
lived for some 15 years.
“Sunrise of Decatur has been home to my father-in-law for seven years “I think clearly there is a need because there
now and we appreciate the warm welcome they have given our family really is not an organized gay community here,”
from the very first day.” says Bucher, an open lesbian. Bucher says she
occasionally receives emails from LGBT peo-
-Linda Ellis, Executive Director, The Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative ple seeking resources and she refers them to
Marietta and Gainesville, the closest cities with
Call 404-377-6111 to schedule a personal tour today! gay groups.
But she also gets email from young people
coming out in the small, religious and conserva-
tive city. Atlanta is about an hour away, so she can
inform young people about YouthPride as well
as give them online resources. Rome’s AIDS Re-
source Council, formed in 1994 by community
activists and led by Executive Director Jeanne
Sunrise of Decatur 404-377-6111 920 Clairemont Avenue

ÃÈÃÌi`ʈۈ˜}ÊÊUÊÊi“œÀÞÊ
>ÀiÊ Atlanta Women’s All About Business Networking
For more information and a FREE online newsletter, visit www.sunriseseniorliving.com
Several Atlanta lesbians are forming a new
women’s business networking group to fill a
void they say exists in the LGBT community.
“A reason we started this group is to sup-
port women in our community,” says Cristina
Briboneria, acting president of the new Atlanta
Women’s All About Business Networking group.
Briboneria is associate vice president and private
CFO for oXYGen Financial in Alpharetta.
“What I personally found when attending
networking events such as the Atlanta Execu-
tive Network, Human Rights Campaign and the
Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
is that, while these are great organizations, they
are made up of primarily men,” she says.
And women’s groups, such as Fourth Tues-
day and the Women’s Outdoor Network, were
purely social groups, she says.
The next meeting is set for April 29.
MORE INFO
AIDS Recource Council
108-B East 5th Ave., Rome, GA 30161
706-290-9098, www.aidsresourcecouncil.org
Email: aidsresourcecouncil@hotmail.com
PFLAG Rome
706-235-9293
pflag-rome@hotmail.com
Cahill, is not a gay organization but provides
HIV/AIDS resources to those living in the rural
community, including many gay people.
A member of the ARC team is gay Rome
resident Frank Tant, who was diagnosed with
HIV in 1988.
He lost his partner, Bill Rennie, to HIV in
1990. Tant became an active member of the ARC
in 2002, and began his work as an educator.
— Dyana Bagby
The group is still organizing but has an
acting board of directors: Briboneria, Barb
Rowland, Susan Bird, Molly Simmons, Debra
Jacob and Alison Hall.
The goal is for the group to meet at least
twice a month — once on the first Tuesday
and then on the fourth Thursday. The first
meetings of the month will be about referrals
and networking, allowing women to introduce
themselves and describe their businesses and
work. Other meetings will include educational
and leadership seminars.
The group is currently developing a
website. For more information and to receive
invitations to upcoming events, visit www.
meetup.com and search “Atlanta Women’s All
About Business Networking.”
— Dyana Bagby
www.theGAVoice.com Calendar April 16, 2010 GA Voice 25

BEST BETS 04.16 - 04.30 Friday, April 16

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 the
details to editor@theGAVoice.com.

SPOTLIGHT Bucky Motter joins the line-up for the “Harmony

for Life” suicide prevention benefit at Eddie’s
Attic. 7:30 p.m. at 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur,
GA 30030. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com

Join the girls at Bellissima for DJ Angie Ter-

rell’s monthly Tryst party. 10:30 p.m. at 560 - B
Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306.
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
Courtesy photo

Gay playwright Topher Payne plays Joan Craw-

Saturday, April 17
The Atlanta Roller Girls play two roller
derby bouts, with the Apocalypstix
vs. the Toxic Shocks at 5 p.m. and the
Sake Tuyas vs. the Denim Demons at
7:30 p.m. at Yaarab Shrine Center, 400
Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.atlantarollergirls.com
ford in the premiere of his “Christina Darling,”
which tells the story of Joan’s daughter Christina
Crawford, author of the scorching memoir “Mom-
mie Dearest.” Tonight through May 8 at Onstage
Atlanta, 2597 North Decatur Road, Decatur, GA
30033-6126, www.theprocesstheatre.org
Friday, April 16 –
Sunday, April 18
An Atlanta spring tradition, the Dogwood Festival
gets underway today and runs through Sunday at
Piedmont Park. Tonight’s music line-up includes
lesbian singer-songwriter Doria Roberts, who
takes the stage with the Blackeyed Susans at
5:50 p.m. www.dogwood.org

Friday, AprilTra16 niversary Weekend 2010

White

Courtesy PBS
Friday, April 16- xx Girls present their An
Traxx Atlanta and b
into the wee hours at Clu
Friday, April 23 Vivica A. Fox. Party lasts
Courtesy AGMC

Party, hosted by actress xatlanta.com

Saturday, April 17
See who has the best ‘do at the Atlanta
Gay Men’s Chorus’ Big Wig Party.
8-11 p.m. at Kai Lin Art Gallery, 800
Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.agmchorus.org
Photo by Michie Turpin /
The Atlanta Film Festival opened April 15 and
runs through April 23, featuring more than 160
films – including more than a dozen short films in
the lesbian and gay category. For schedule of LGBT
films, see story on Page 14. Showings at Landmark
Midtown Arts Cinema.
www.atlantafilmfestival.com
Saturday, April 17
Sharon Foster Jones reads from “Images of
America: The Atlanta Exposition.” 2-3:30 p.m. at
Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont
Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082,
www.outwritebooks.com
Atlanta, GA 30329, ww rax
w.t
Miami, 3011 Buford Highway,
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.
DJ Martin Fry returns to the Atlanta Eagle. 10 The Atlanta Freedom Bands presents its Spring
p.m. at the Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, Concert. 7 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist
GA 30308, www.atlantaeagle.com Church, 501 Grant St. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312,
www.atlantafreedombands.com
Saturday, April 17 –
Sunday, April 18 Monday, April 19
This year’s Midtown Tour of Homes follows the Same Gender Loving Expressions Radio Show

theme “Luxury Midtown in the Sky,” featuring high- takes to the internet every Monday night from 8-10
via Mixon Myspace

Sunday, April 18
Lesbian singer-songwriter Renee Mixon
heats up the patio at Cowtippers. 3 p.m. –
7 p.m. at 1600 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA
30324, www.reneemixon.com
AIDS Vaccine 200 Party & Silent Auction raises
funds for the upcoming 200-mile bike ride, which
benefits the Emory Vaccine Center. Includes DJ
Todd Skelton and food by Keith Hand of Bridge
Catering. 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. at Urban Body Studios,
730 Ponce de Leon Place, Atlanta, GA , 30306,
www.actioncycling.org
The 21st annual Boybutante Ball has the theme
of “Fairy Tails” and raises funds for AIDS Athens.
9 p.m. at the 40 Watt Club, 285 W. Washington St.,
Athens, GA 30601, www.boybutante.org
rise condos. 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
on Sunday. www.midtowntowntourofhomes.com
Sunday, April 18
Forget “Dancing with the Stars.” The first annual
Southern Pride Dance EXPO is set for noon to 4
p.m. at the Academy Ballroom, 800 Miami Circle,
Atlanta, GA 30324, southernpridedancesport.com
Noni’s Deli kicks off its Sunsets on the Patio with
DJ Vicki Powell. 5 p.m. to midnight at Noni’s, 357
Edgewood Ave., Atlanta, GA 30312. www.nonisdeli.com
p.m. Listen in at www.exceptionalradio.com; for
more information, visit www.meakproductions.com
Tuesday, April 20
LGBT activist Betty Couvertier hosts “Alterna-
tive Perspectives” every Tuesday at 7 p.m. on
WRFG, 89.3 FM. www.wrfg.org
CONTINUED
ON PAGE 26
26 GA Voice April 16, 2010 Calendar
EVENTS
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
Wednesday, April 21
Dine at any of more than 100 local restaurants
today for Dining Out For Life, and at least 20
percent of your tab will be donated to Open Hand,
which provides nutritious meals for people with
HIV and other serious conditions. For a complete
list of restaurants, visit www.diningoutforoh.org
Bring your old, unwanted gold jewelry to the Gold &
Chocolate Party, which benefits the Living Room,
which helps low-income people with HIV secure
housing. You must donate 25 percent of the cash you
receive, and you get to enjoy cocktails, chocolate and
a prize for the top donor. www.livingroomatl.org
Thursday, April 22
Bring out your best disco styles for Roller Skating for
GLAAD, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defama-
tion. 7 p.m. at All American Skating Center, 5574 Bermu-
da Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30087, www.glaad.org
Connie May Fowler, author of “Before Women Had
Wings,” brings her latest novel, “How Clarissa Bur-
den Learned to Fly,” to Charis. 7:30 p.m. at Charis
Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307,
404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org
Creative Loafing Editor Mara Shalhoup reads
“The Rise and Fall of Big Meech & the Black
Family Mafia.” 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore &
Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309,
404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com
Friday, April 23 –
Sunday, April 25
The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce
hosts its popular Fourth Friday networking from 5:30
– 7:30 p.m. at the Artmore Hotel, 1302 W Peachtree St.,
Atlanta, GA 30309, www.atlantagaychamber.org
Charis hosts “Whose Earth Day?: A 40th Anni-
versary Celebration for All of Us,” exploring the
intersections between the environmental justice
movement and other social justice causes. 7-8:30
p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, At-
lanta GA 30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org
Atlanta SM Solidarity presents its 22nd annual
Spring In The South education weekend, featuring
20 BDSM courses and six vendors. Visit website for
application and details: www.atlantasmsolidarity.org
Saturday, April 24
The Atlanta Titans, a new team in the gay Hotlanta
Softball League, hosts “Bowling Beer Boys” to
raise funds for the team. $20 gets you bowling and
beer from noon to 4 p.m. at Midtown Bowl, 1936
Piedmont Circle NE, Atlanta, GA 30324,
www.hotlantasoftball.org
Photo by Austin Young
Saturday, May 1
Celebrate the first annual World
Fitness Day by working out with
Jane Fonda and her celebrity friends,
including gay favorite Margaret Cho
(pictured). The list also features Ludac-
ris, Debbie Allen, Richard Simmons, The
Pointer Sisters and more. Tickets are
$75 to work-out, $25 to watch. Benefits
Monday, April 26
Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Preg-
Enjoy great sushi and great camp drag
nancy Prevention. Doors open at 8:30
at Dragamaki every Monday night
a.m. at the Georgia Dome, 1 Georgia
from 8:30 – 10 p.m. at Nickiemoto’s, 990
Dome Drive, Atlanta, GA 30313,
Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30309,
www.worldfitnessday.org
www.nickiemotosmidtown.com
In the tradition of Atlanta’s Wigwood and New
York’s Wigstock, the organizers of MondoHomo,
the Memorial Day weekend queer arts fest, host
WigOut — an afternoon of bands, wigs, drag, DJs
and more. Cover is $7 with a wig, $15 without.
Includes DJs Vicki Powell and Jay McCracken. 2 p.m.
- 9 p.m. in the parking lot of the Atlanta Eagle, 306
Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.mondohomo.com
Blue Feather Books authors Jane Vollbrech, Mavis
Applewater and Chris Paynter visit Charis for
a special signing and meet and greet. 7 p.m. at
Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA
30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org
DJ Alex Cohen mans the turntables at 10 p.m. at
Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Rd., Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-
844-8800, www.jungleclubatlanta.com
Atlanta drag legend Charlie Brown and his Angels
perform at 11 p.m. at the Model T, 699 Ponce De Leon
Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308, www.modeltatlanta.com
Sunday, April 25
Joining Hearts, which helps fund housing for
people with HIV, hosts its “Change of Seasons”
Tea Dance with DJ Mike Pope. 5-10 p.m. at Shout at
Colony Square, 1197 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30361,
www.joininghearts.org
Photo via Facebook
Tuesday, April 27
Lesbian networking group Fourth Tuesday hosts
its monthly dinner. Locations vary; visit www.
fourthtuesday.org or call 404-688-2524.
Chessen Parker, a.k.a. YouthPride board member
Frances-Ann Moran, reads from “Blackbeard’s
Curse,” part of her upcoming Crystal Coast Mystery
series. 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Cof-
feehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309,
404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com
Thursday, April 29
Uncork A Cure raises funds for ARCA, the AIDS
Research Consortium of Atlanta. Sample 100
different wines and food from more than 25
restaurants. 6 p.m. at the Foundry at Puritan Mill,
916 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30318,
www.aidsresearchatlanta.org
Friday, April 30
Charis holds a going-away party for lesbian erotica
writer Fiona Zedde, who is moving to Florida. Zedde
reads from her ebook, “Kisses After Midnight,”
and will sign her other books as well. 7-8:30 p.m. at
Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA
30307, 404-522-9912, www.chariscircle.org
Lindsey Hinkle performs at 9 p.m. at Bellissima,
560 - B Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306. myspace.
com/bellissima_lounge
www.theGAVoice.com
UPCOMING
Friday, April 30 –
Sunday, May 2
The second annual OutlantaCon focuses on
LGBT themes in the science fiction, fantasy
and horror genres. Speakers for the week-
end conference include J.A. Steel, Cecilia
Tan, Darieck Scott, Andrew Greenburg, J.M.
McDermott, Eugie Foster, Kiernan Kelley,
Greg Herren, Kayelle Allen and more. Events
at the Holiday Inn Select – Perimeter, 4386
Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, Atlanta, GA
30341, www.outlantacon.org
Saturday, May 1
The 23rd annual Atlanta Human
Rights Campaign Dinner features
awards for Bravo’s Andy Cohen, state
Rep. Simone Bell and Vandy Beth
Glenn, who is suing the General
Assembly for firing her for being
transgender. Includes silent auc-
tion. VIP reception begins at 5 p.m.,
silent auction at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt
Regency Atlanta, 265 Peachtree
Street NE,Atlanta, GA 30303,
www.atlantahrcdinner.org
The Atlanta Bucks, the city’s gay rugby
team, holds its annual Purple Dress Run,
to benefit the team and YouthPride. Don
your purple dress for the run from Mixx
to Blake’s to FROGS Cantina to the Eagle;
drinking all the way. A cookout follows
at the Eagle. Registration starts at 1 p.m.,
step off at 2 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta
1492 Piedmont Ave., Suite B, Atlanta, GA
30309. www.purpledressrun.org
The Armorettes present “This Is It!
Wild Cherry’s final performance,”
as Wild Cherry Sucret retires from the
infamous camp drag troupe. The show
benefits the Boybutante AIDS Foundation
and the Armorettes fund for people with
AIDS. 7-9 p.m at Jungle, 115 Faulkner Rd.,
Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800,
www.armorettes.com
Sunday, May 2
Piedmont Bark presents the 2010 Pet
Cotillion, a benefit for PALS Atlanta, which
helps people with HIV and other serious
health conditions keep their pets. Vote
online at www.palsatlanta.org for your
favorite furry friend to be crowned
Cotillion King or Queen, then enjoy the
party with open bar, silent auction and DJ
Greg Moseley. 3-6 p.m. at Piedmont Bark,
501 Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306,
www.piedmontbark.com
www.theGAVoice.com April 16, 2010 GA Voice 27

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