04.02.

10
NEWS
OUTSPOKENIN THEIR OWN WORDS
Gay Ga. teen set to take boyfriend to
Bleckley County prom. Page 4 “When there’s a time when our leaders are
Morehouse College campus holds first
gay Pride week. Page 8
unable, unwilling to do the right thing, some-
New hope for Ga. anti-bullying bill. Page 8 body has to step up to the responsibility.”
Anti-gay activist Nancy Schaefer, — Lt. Dan Choi, who is gay and being discharged from the Army, explaining why he chose to
husband dead in murder-suicide. Page 8 handcuff himself to a White House fence in a dramatic March 18 protest against “Don’t Ask, Don’t
How to queer the Census. Page 9 Tell.” (DC Agenda, March 25)
‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ enforcement
revised, not lifted. Page 11
National news in brief. Page 11

VOICES

Photo via KimZolciakBooking.com

Editorial: State must act to curb anti-gay
bullying. Page 12
Mike Ritter Cartoon: Prom queen. Page 12
Speaking out: Readers react to Cochran
Photo by Michael Key / DC Agenda

prom, Nancy Schaefer. Page 13

A&E “I’m among the millions of parents

Queer burlesque star Vagina Jenkins who have been in a gay or lesbian
puts on ‘spectacle.’ Page 15 relationship. It hasn’t been an
Dance: Trey McIntrye Project performs easy road lately, but I feel there
breathtaking ballet. Page 16
are no mistakes in my life.”

POP QUIZ
Books: Christopher Rice returns to
BY THE NUMBERS

WITH JZ
Outwrite. Page 17 — “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak,
confirming her relationship with DJ Tracy Young,
Events: Atlanta holds first Leather Pride who remixed her “Tardy for the Party” single (Life

50
weekend. Page 19 Percent of Americans who & Style, March 24)
would support an openly
COMMUNITY gay president “I feel like the biggest weight is off
Trans artist Angela ‘Bucky’ Motter sings my shoulders, Publicity stunt my

70
to prevent suicide. Page 21
Minimum age at which a** this is MY life”
YouthPride fundraiser helps Atlanta’s
LGBT teens ‘Evolve.’ Page 21
most LGBT Baby Boomers — Kim Zolciak on Twitter (TV Guide, March 24)

Athens Boybutante celebrates 21 years

expect to retire
of giving. Page 22
GA Spotlight: Macon OUT, Atlanta HRC
Dinner Committee. Page 23
Your Milestones. Page 24
$1,946.25
Amount the Republican National Commit-
ANTHONY WILLIAM
‘PROJECT RUNWAYS’ CONTESTANT
Photo via RickyMartinMusic.com
Photo via Facebook

CALENDAR tee reimbursed a consultant for a night View the full interv
iew
Pages 25-26
out at Voyeur, a club featuring topless t h e GAVO IC E .co mat
dancers ‘imitating lesbian sex’
theGAVOICE.com
• Breaking news as it happens
• Calendar and daily event highlights
• Photo albums and video galleries
$50,000
Settlement a N.Y. school district paid to a
“This is my ironing board. Of all the things I’ve
invested in, the expensive sewing machines,
all the things I need, I can’t get a good ironing
board. Can someone donate me an ironing
“I am proud to say that I am a
fortunate homosexual man. I am
very blessed to be who I am.”
• Share ‘Your News’ and ‘Your Voice’
gay teen who said school officials didn’t board? I don’t think I’ve had a new ironing
— Pop singer Ricky Martin, in a coming out
facebook.com/thegavoice
protect him from anti-gay bullies board since Jesus was a baby. Seriously.” message on his website which cited his two sons
twitter.com/thegavoice Get a tour of Williams’ Atlanta loft, complete with as his inspiration to speak out (Rickymartinmusic.
Sources: 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair survey, MetLife.com,
more hilarious commentary, at thegavoice.com com, March 29)
The Daily Caller, Associated Press
 4 GA Voice April 2, 2010 News
King Gay Ga. teen loses his home, but wins
supporters worldwide, over prom date
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
Richard Goodman hopes to spend some
quality time with his boyfriend this weekend,
maybe catching a movie and hopefully looking
for a tuxedo to wear to the prom.
“He’s thinking black and white but I told
him we should go and look to see what they
have,” Goodman said in a phone interview.
Goodman, 18, is dating Derrick Martin, also
18. Martin made international headlines after re-
ceiving approval from school officials to bring
Goodman to his senior prom, set for April 17 at
Bleckley County High School in Cochran, Ga.
Cochran is a small middle-Georgia town
with a population of approximately 5,000 peo-
ple. Goodman is a senior at Tift County High
School in Tift, Ga., about two hours south of
Cochran. He and Martin talk regularly on the
phone, but it’s been awhile since they’ve spent
time together.
“If I’m lucky I see him once a month,”
Goodman said. “I kind of feel like they’re pull-
ing him away.”
They? The media?
“Yeah,” Goodman answers. “He’s gotten a
lot of attention. I usually fly below the radar.”
Neither Martin nor Goodman predicted the
attention their story would receive. Martin has
given numerous newspaper, radio and television
interviews, and is a major topic in the gay blogo-
sphere. Martin said he even got a call from Ellen
DeGeneres asking him to come on her show.
And while Martin has been getting all the
press, Goodman acknowledged he felt a little
left out. After all, he is Martin’s boyfriend.
“It bothers me just slightly,” he said with a
shy laugh.
Martin said he has been privately working on
getting approval to bring Goodman to the prom
Prom
High school senior Derrick Martin is making headlines for his decision to take his boyfriend to the prom. (Photo by Shannon Jenkins / Offhand Photography)
since December. Bleckley Principal Michelle
Masters at first told him it was not going to hap-
pen because it had never been done before and
because the school “was not ready for it.”
“She gave several reasons but I wasn’t go-
ing to back down. I wasn’t confrontational, I
was just telling the truth,” he said.
So Masters said she would take his request
to the school board. The board met twice before
following an attorney’s advice that there was
no policy prohibiting Martin from bringing a
same-sex date to his senior prom.
“It took them until the second Tuesday in
March to approve but they said they were afraid
for my safety,” Martin said.
And he does fear for his safety. He’s gotten
one death threat from someone saying he better
“watch his back.”
“What can you do? I don’t give them the sat-
isfaction,” Matin said. “I do walk with a friend al-
ways and even put keys between my knuckles.”
Masters told the Macon Telegraph she could
not turn down the request.
“You don’t have the right to say no,” Mas-
ters said. “As a principal, I don’t judge him. I’m
taught not to judge. I have to push my own be-
liefs to the background.”
‘Bringing Bleckley into the gay era’
Martin is working with local gay activ-
ists to find security for his prom. Bleckley
students held a rally at Cochran City Hall
March 25 to protest the school’s decision to
let him attend prom with his boyfriend, and
now some of those students plan to hold an
alternate prom.
Martin decided to go to the March 25 rally
to see what was happening.
“I just wanted to show my face and show
them I wasn’t afraid. They were saying I was
bringing a bad name to Cochran,” he said.
“They said I was bringing Bleckley County into
the gay era.”
One reason the students gave for protesting
was the claim that if Martin brought the coun-
ty into the “gay era,” more gay people would
move there.
“There were a lot of ignorant comments to
be honest,” he said.
Bleckley senior Amber Duskin, who organized
the rally and is leading a charge to have an alter-
nate prom, told the Macon Telegraph she would
not attend her senior prom because of Martin.
“I don’t believe in going up there and danc-
ing with gay guys like that,” she said. “It’s also
not just him bringing a boy. It was bringing all
this attention to it.”
Martin said he confronted Duskin recently
in the school cafeteria after she shouted at
him and told other students to “come protest
these queers.”
“She was talking bad stuff, saying she wishes
we wouldn’t show up. You have to ignore people
like that. She said I should just go with a girl.
I was trying to figure out the mindset of these
people,” he said. “She said I wasn’t a Christian. I
went off, but you have to try to be nice.”
Martin has also endured name-calling —
“queer” and “faggot” — by members of the
baseball team.
“Sometimes you have to laugh and say, well,
that’s true, what’s your point,” he said.
www.theGAVoice.com
Inspiring others
Martin’s choice to fight for his right to take
his boyfriend to the prom has inspired numerous
activists and supporters from across the country
to donate money to help him cover costs for his
prom. Supporters have also launched two Fa-
cebook pages to back him and PFLAG Macon
helped him set up a PayPal account.
“The only reason I set up a PayPal account is
because the school was being inundated and my
old house was being inundated. I’m not doing
this for the money. The only thing I want is for
people like me to know you can go to prom,”
Martin said. “I didn’t go to the media first. This
is not about money.”
Martin said he’s received several donations
already.
“It’s more than I ever thought. It’s not a sub-
stantial amount, but definitely enough to make
my prom amazing,” he said. “I’ve never been
one to ask for help, I’ve always done things on
my own, and now I’m relying on others — it’s
all so new to me.”
Martin has promised 25 percent of the
money he receives will go to Constance Mc-
Millen. Learning about McMillen, Mississippi
lesbian whose prom was canceled by school
administrators after she asked to bring her girl-
friend as her date, made him continue to fight to
bring his boyfriend to his prom.
“She was an inspiration for me,” he said.
“And now my goal is to inspire others. I know
what it’s like to be inspired.”
Locally, the Atlanta chapter of Sisters, which
Please see MARTIN on Page 6
 6 GA Voice April 2, 2010 News www.theGAVoice.com

Kicked out for coming out

Derrick Martin and boyfriend Richard Goodman (inset) look forward to the prom at Bleckley County
High School April 17. (Photo by Shannon Jenkins / Offhand Photography, Goodman courtesy photo)
Ga. teen inspired by lesbian’s prom fight
MARTIN, continued from Page 4
aspires to be a full house of the San Francisco-
based Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, is also
looking for ways to raise money for Martin and
hopes to plan fundraisers in the near future.
“As soon as I read his story, it struck a chord
was a small boy, Martin said, which adds to the
difficulty of their relationship.
“I had moved out one time before so I was a
little prepared for it,” he said.
While he has personal feelings about
what his parents have done, he is also a bit
defensive when others criticize them.
LGBT youth more likely
to face homelessness
The situation faced by Derrick Martin — having
to leave home for being openly gay — is all too com-
mon, according to Beth Keller, director of develop-
ment at CHRIS Kids, an Atlanta-based organization
that helps homeless youth.
Solid numbers on the exact size of the home-
less population are difficult to calculate, and know-
ing how many are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-
gender is even harder.
A report released by the National Gay & Lesbian
Task Force in 2007 declared an “epidemic” of home-
lessness among LGBT youth.
“The U.S. Department of Health & Human Ser-
vices estimates that the number of homeless and
runaway youth ranges from 575,000 to 1.6 million
per year,” the study reported.
“Our analysis of the available research sug-
STATISTICS
gests that between 20 percent and 40 percent of
all homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexu-
al or transgender,” it said.
“Family conflict” is the leading cause of youth
homelessness, including for youth dealing with is-
sues of sexual orientation or gender identity.
In one study, 50 percent of gay teens got a bad
response from their parents when they came out and
26 percent were kicked out, the Task Force reported.
“You have kids growing up in a functional/dys-
functional family and then when they come out all
of a sudden they are disowned. They do couch surf-
ing, which is not the stereotypical homeless teen,
like someone on the corner asking for change or
sleeping under a bridge,” said Keller, who is gay.
But couch surfing, or staying with a friend, does
not mean the teen truly has a home, she explained.
“He [Martin] is just one example of the tons of
teens out there unfortunately,” she said.
For years, CHRIS Kids operated the Rainbow
Program designed specifically for LGBT youth who
would otherwise be homeless.
This week, CHRIS Kids merged its Rainbow and
Independent Living programs. They will now serve
homeless LGBT youth, as well as young adults with

with me,” said Rick Westbrook, aka Rapture
Divine Cox.
“I’m from Cumming, Ga. I’m old school
and never could have done what Derrick is do-
ing. It does my heart good to see young people
stand up.”
On March 26 and March 27, Martin was
20-40
percent of homeless youth children, in a new program named “TransitionZ.”
“They’re still your parents, your family,” identify as lesbian, gay, With the merging of the two programs, CHRIS
he said. bisexual or transgender Kids now has available 44 beds for youth 18-24 —
Martin said being kicked out of his home more than double the previous space, she said.
by his parents because of the media atten-
tion this story has garnered hasn’t dissuaded
from being who he is.
FAMILY CONFLICT
is the primary cause of homelessness for all youth
“It’s awesome we are opening these beds, but
sad because they are already full,” Keller added.
“I know they had the right because it’s

a guest of honor at the Atlanta Gay Men’s
Chorus for the conclusion of its “Georgia on
My Mind” tour. The renowned group brought
Martin to the stage at Virginia Highland
50
their house. Now I just want to get an apart- percent of gay teens receive MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
ment and then go to college,” he said. negative reaction from
Martin has a scholarship to Georgia • Interview with Derrick Martin
parents when they come out • Derrick’s remarks at the Atlanta Gay Men’s
Southern where he will be major in pre-law. Chorus concert where he was made an

Church, praised his bravery, and named him
an honorary member.
Martin sings baritone in his school’s show
choir and said he was thrilled by the honor.
“It’s been surprising how many people
care,” he said. “If I move to Atlanta I would
definitely want to be part of the AGMC.”
While Goodman, who is also in his school’s
show choir and plays the trumpet, is worried
about his boyfriend’s safety, he is comforted by
the number of Facebook fans on the page “We
support Derrick Martin taking his boyfriend
to the prom.” To date, there are close to 7,000
members.
“Cochran only has about 5,000 people.
They could take over Cochran if they wanted,”
Goodman said with a laugh. “It helps to know
we are not alone.”
Problems at home
Martin’s parents kicked him out of his home
after news broke in the Macon Telegraph and
local TV news of him bringing Goodman to the
prom. His father is a math teacher at Bleckley
County High School and Martin says he still
talks to him. His mother has pancreatitis and
has been in and out of the hospital since he
26
Goodman hopes to go to Georgia Southern percent of teens are kicked out honorary member
as well to study veterinary medicine. of their home for coming out
Martin was told to leave his home March
Source: National Lesbian & Gay Task Force, 2007
23 when he returned there after tutoring at- ter named Dick and he wanted a friend named
risk students. His mother told him to leave. Richard so he could call him that,” Goodman
“So I packed my stuff and left,” he said. said. “We had a mutual friend — that’s how he
“She said it was disrespectful of me” to inter- ‘In the big picture, came up with an excuse of why he added me.”
view with a local TV station. He is now staying it’s a good first step’ What does Goodman like about Martin?
with a female friend in Cochran. Martin said he knew he was gay from a “There’s so much, I don’t know how to nar-
His parents vehemently disapprove of Mar- young age. row it down,” he said. “He’s smart, he’s funny and
tin’s relationship with Goodman as well. The “Realizing it for myself was not hard,” he he knows how to take care of me when I need it.”
two have been dating nine months and when said. “I knew that I was more attracted to boys Martin plans on taking Goodman to a nice
Goodman would drive to Cochran to visit he than girls — I knew that since the ninth grade. dinner the night of the prom, either in his 2007
was never allowed to come to Martin’s house. If you’re not attracted to girls, you’re not at- Monte Carlo or a rented limousine.
“One day his mother threatened to call the tracted to girls.” “There was a time when I wasn’t sure I
cops because I was in the yard,” Goodman said. Goodman also came to grips with being gay could go to the prom. But you can take your
Martin said he came out a year-and-a-half and came out when he was 17. boyfriend or your girlfriend to prom even if you
ago. He told his best friend first. Then his par- Goodman’s parents are very accepting of him are gay,” he said.
ents found text messages he’d exchanged with being gay and his relationship with Martin. “It’s prom. In the big picture, it’s a good first
a boy he was dating at the time. “At first Momma wasn’t happy but she’s step,” Martin added. “Then someone else starts
“They knew something was up. I told them. come around and now she’s great. She loves with marriage or any rights or anything that’s
Then they took my car, my iPod, my phone, Derrick. My dad was always, ‘You are my son hard for us as a community to achieve.”
my laptop — every way they could think of and I love you,’” Goodman said. For Goodman, who has no desire to go to
to try to keep me from communicating with How the two young men met can be cred- his high school prom, the night is important, but
him,” he said. ited to Facebook. he also plans to have a good time.
“It was really hard back then … but every- “He randomly added me on Facebook. He “I think it could be fun. And I just want to go
thing I’ve gone though has made me stronger.” said he was watching a movie with a charac- to the prom with Derrick,” he said.
 8 GA Voice April 2, 2010 News
Morehouse celebrates first gay Pride
Soulforce Equality Riders
visit campus to discuss LGBT
issues with faculty, students
By Dyana Bagby
dbagby@thegavoice.com
More than 60 people gathered at Morehouse
College March 25 for a roundtable discussion
on “Sexuality as Power.” The event at Kilgore
Hall’s Tiger Grill was part of the historically
black, all-male college’s first gay Progress,
Restoration, Identity, Dignity and Empower-
ment (P.R.I.D.E.) Week.
Frank talk about sex, gender and gender iden-
tity ensued in a relaxed atmosphere that included
young people participating in the Soulforce Q
Equality Ride, a bus tour of young LGBT people
traveling to campuses across the country.
The discussion, sponsored by Morehouse’s
gay-straight alliance Safe Space and the Depart-
ment of Sociology, was just one activity during
the week of events held March 22-27.
“There’s been a great wave in social change
and attitude in the nation and at our school as
well, so we thought this was the perfect time
to capitalize on that,” said Kevin Webb, 21, co-
president of Safe Space.
“Morehouse has made me who I am. [W]e
are a unique school because we are the only col-
lege in America that solely produces African-
American men to be sent out into the business
and social world to make substantial change,”
Anti-gay former state Sen.
Nancy Schaefer, husband dead
Former state Sen. Nancy Schaefer, an out-
spoken opponent of LGBT rights, died March
26. Officials with the Georgia Bureau of In-
vestigation said that Schaefer was killed by
her husband, Bruce, who then shot himself in
a murder-suicide.
A Republican, Schaefer served two terms in
the Georgia Senate representing District 50. She
won election in 2004 and lost her seat in 2008.
In 2005, she struck out at gay families in a
column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“To ban children being adopted by same-
sex couples is solid policy,” Schaefer stated in
the column, although an expected legislative
fight to ban gay parenting never materialized.
Schaefer also sponsored legislation to re-
quire parental notification for students to join
school clubs. The measure was introduced in
the wake of controversy over a Gay-Straight
Alliance at White County High School.
Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates),
Georgia’s first openly gay state lawmaker,
served in the General Assembly with Schaefer
added Webb, who is gay. “This is a great mo-
ment in the history of our institution.”
William Bynum Jr., vice president for stu-
dent services at Morehouse, said the adminis-
tration fully supports the week as a way to edu-
cate students and faculty.
“We are extremely supportive of their ac-
tivities. I’m one of the advisers for Safe Space
and support their desire to further educate,” he
said. “It’s taken Safe Space a number of years
before it felt comfortable to put on a week of
activities and we want to be sure we continue to
educate ourselves.”
‘Transphobic’ dress code?
A specific concern for Soulforce Equality Rid-
ers to bring up in conversations with Morehouse
administrators, who welcomed them to the cam-
pus, was the college’s dress code policy. Imple-
mented last year, it includes that students cannot
wear “clothing usually worn by women (dresses,
tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the More-
house campus or at college-sponsored events.”
Soulforce visited the campus two years ago
and chose to visit again this year because of the
new policy, said Nick Miller, 26, of Ohio, who
was on his first Soulforce Equality Ride.
“We were welcomed here two years ago, but
the policy changed between then and we feel
it further inhibited on some students’ rights,”
Miller said. “It’s slightly more of a struggle for
some individuals whose gender expression is
outside this policy.”
Mac Simon, 21, a transgender man also on
his first Equality Ride, agreed.
and remembered her
as a fierce critic of
gay issues.
“Nancy Schaefer
was our staunchest
opponent,” Drenner
said in an interview
at the Gold Dome
on March 26. “She
was against us on Nancy Schaefer
every single issue (Photo via Eagle Forum)
out there, from gay-
straight alliances in schools to same-sex mar-
vriage to same-sex adoption. I think she was
probably opposed to the fact that we could
even breathe air.”
Schaefer’s work against lesbian and gay is-
sues began well before her legislative career.
Schaefer founded Family Concerns, an arch-
conservative lobbying group, in the late 1980s
and for years was considered a prime oppo-
nent of Atlanta gay rights activists.
Before winning a seat in the Georgia Sen-
ate, she ran failed campaigns for Atlanta may-
or, lieutenant governor and governor.
— Laura Douglas-Brown & Matt Schafer
“We find the policy limits gender expres-
sion and is transphobic,” Simon said.
Morehouse junior Chanel Monroe, 20, said
he is identified as a male because he attends a
male college, but he believes gender is fluid.
“I identify as me. I don’t conform to gen-
der roles,” said Monroe, wearing bright red
lipstick.
And when the campus invited B. Scott, a
black gay online media star, to speak during
P.R.I.D.E. Week, nearly 500 people attended. But
Monroe pointed out the contradiction of having
B. Scott, who wears women’s clothing, speaking
at the campus with its restrictive dress code.
“They say we can’t wear pumps, but we
had B. Scott, who identifies as male, wearing
pumps on the stage. That just puts hell on us to
have this dress code,” Monroe said. “But I do
think the college is progressing.”
Daniel Edwards, 21, a junior sociology
major and co-president of Safe Space, said the
campus’ first gay P.R.I.D.E. Week came about
after Spelman College, the women’s college
adjacent to Morehouse, held its first gay Pride
week last year.
Safe Space partnered with Spelman’s LGBT
organization, Afrekete, for that event.
“That action was the turning point for us,” Ed-
wards said. “They paved the way for us. In the
spirit of collaboration and empowerment — and
the spirit of competition — we had to do it, too.”
Edwards said there was not much backlash
from other students. The backlash comes when
some students confuse gender identity with
sexual orientation, Edwards added.
New hope for anti-bullying bill at Ga. General Assembly
An anti-bullying bill backed by gay groups
that was thought dead in the Georgia General
Assembly was revived March 30 when lan-
guage from House Bill 927 was added as an
amendment to Senate Bill 250.
The House approved the bill 119-45.
SB 250, sponsored by state Sen. Bill Ham-
rick (R-Carrollton), was approved in the Sen-
ate last March and deals with “unlawful dis-
ruption of or interference with the operation of
public schools or public school buses.”
State Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Atlanta) is spon-
sor of HB 927. The measure would expand the
definition of bullying while requiring schools
to develop strict guidelines tailored to curb bul-
lying in elementary through high schools.
Jacobs could not be immediately reached for
comment Tuesday. He has said in the past that he
was motivated to introduce the bill by the death
of Jaheem Herrera, a Dekalb County fifth grader
who killed himself last year. Herrera’s parents
said he endured ongoing bullying, including be-
ing called gay, although a school system investi-
gation concluded he was not bullied.
Hamrick also could not be reached imme-
www.theGAVoice.com
Morehouse College Safe Space co-presidents
Daniel Edwards (left) and Kevin Webb
organized the university’s first gay P.R.I.D.E. week
this month. (Photo by Dyana Bagby)
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Video: Morehouse students discuss being
openly gay ‘Morehouse men’
Morehouse College
www.morehouse.edu
www.twitter.com/MCSafeSpace
“When we have individuals … outside gen-
der norms, they are called derogatory names
like ‘queer’ and ‘faggot,’” he said.
Webb, an English-Spanish double major,
said the week was empowering for him. And
the two men said seeing the looks on gay fresh-
men’s faces, knowing they were walking into
an inclusive environment, was satisfying.
“They had one positive time that was a re-
flection of them, a reflection of their human-
ity,” Edwards said. “That was something we
didn’t have.”
“And it was something they didn’t know ex-
isted,” Webb added.
diately for comment on the new amendment.
HB 927 did not come up for a vote on
March 26, the crucial Crossover Day, the 30th
day of the 40-day legislative session. It is the
last day that bills can cross from one chamber
to the other, meaning bills that aren’t approved
by either the House or the Senate by the end of
the day are essentially done for the year.
But amending stalled legislation onto a bill
that is moving forward is a common strategy.
The full text of HB 927 was added to SB 250.
Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia
Equality, which lobbied heavily for the bully-
ing bill, did not return a call for comment.
The Young Democrats of Georgia Stone-
wall Caucus issued a press release stating it was
pleased to see the anti-bullying bill still alive.
“While we are displeased that the bill does
not have LGBT exclusive language, we are
content knowing the increasing problem of
discrimination will be dealt with [with] across
the board legislation,” the press release states.
The amended SB 250 must now go back to
the Senate for final approval.
— Dyana Bagby
www.theGAVoice.com
How many gay couples live in Ga.?
Ga. Equality joins effort
to ‘Queer the Census’
By Laura Douglas-Brown
lbrown@thegavoice.com
How many gay couples live in Georgia?
Even though there is no question about sex-
ual orientation on the 2010 Census, how you fill
out the Census form you recently received can
document how many same-sex couples live in
the state.
If you are single, there is no way to indicate
your sexual orientation on the Census form. But if
you are in a same-sex couple, you can note that you
live with an “unmarried partner” or a “spouse,”
and then indicate the sex of that person.
“Census 2010 is a once-in-a decade op-
portunity to gain critical information about the
LGBT community. It will provide accurate data
to inform policies ranging from LGBT people
serving in the military to marriage,” said Brad
Sears, executive director of the Williams Insti-
tute, which studies LGBT demographics.
“Making sure you are counted is just as im-
portant as voting,” Sears said in a press release.
“While voting on a ballot measure might impact
one of your rights; participating in the Census will
impact all of your rights for the next decade.”
The resulting numbers can be invaluable
when lobbying for LGBT rights, agreed Jeff
Graham, executive director of Georgia Equal-
ity. The statewide LGBT political group has
partnered with two national coalitions, Queer
the Census and Our Families Count, to educate
people on the importance of disclosing same-
sex households on the Census.
“We routinely use Census data that has been
compiled and analyzed by the Williams Institute
to educate elected officials and policy makers
on basic facts regarding the LGBT community
in Georgia,” Graham said. “It’s important to re-
member that most people don’t have in-depth
interactions with the LGBT community. Often
what seems like bigotry is nothing more than a
basic lack of knowledge.”
The federal government conducts a full
Census every 10 years, and smaller American
Community Surveys more frequently. The 2000
Census revealed 19,288 same-sex unmarried
partners in Georgia, with some in every single
county. The data also showed the couples to be
racially and ethnically diverse, and revealed
that 20 percent were raising children.
When the 2000 Census was conducted,
same-sex marriage was not legal anywhere in
The National Lesbian & Gay Task Force encour-
ages LGBT people to mail back their Census
forms with these stickers affixed to call attention
to the lack of questions about sexual orientation
and gender identity.
the United States, and same-sex couples who
identified themselves as “spouses” were reclas-
sified as “unmarried partners.”
But over the last decade, several states in-
cluding Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa,
Vermont and New Hampshire have legalized
same-sex marriage. For the first time in history,
the 2010 Census will count same-sex “spouses”
— even those who live in Georgia, where their
marriages are not recognized under state law.
That’s part of what motivated Georgia
Equality to launch a Census education cam-
paign that included posters and messages
through Facebook and its website.
News April 2, 2010 GA Voice 9
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
www.queerthecensus.org
www.ourfamiliescount.org
www.georgiaequality.org
How will LGBT same-sex unmarried
partners and married couples be
counted by the Census?
For the first time in history, the Census
will count both unmarried same-sex part-
ners and legally married same sex spouses
in its survey.
If I am transgender, do I check the
sex I was assigned at birth or my
gender identity/expression?
The Census asks each of us to tell the truth
as we understand it. Check the box on the
census form that most closely reflects your
current gender expression.
Source: www.queerthecensus.org
“Not only is it important to make sure that
all of these relationships are properly captured
as part of the Census, but we knew that a num-
ber of married couples who live in states like
Georgia might have questions about how to an-
swer the Census,” Graham said.
LGBT groups are also lobbying for sexual
orientation and gender identity questions to be
specifically included on the 2020 Census.
10 GA Voice April 2, 2010 www.theGAVoice.com

2009 s 2010 SERIES

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www.theGAVoice.com
Defense secretary unveils new rules for ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Georgians lobby
Gates says plan ‘not a moratorium’ on military gay ban
By Lisa Keen
Keen News Service
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates unveiled
March 25 the Pentagon’s plan for making en-
forcement of the current “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
policy “more humane and fair.”
The new plan is “not a moratorium on en-
forcement” of the policy, Gates said. The exist-
ing policy bars openly gay people from the mil-
itary unless they can swear they never have and
never will engage in homosexual conduct. But
the new plan stipulates that service members
“who are involuntarily outed by a third party”
can no longer be discharged, and discharges un-
der “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” must be approved
by a high-ranking officer — a one-star general
or higher.
In a preliminary statement, the Service-
members Legal Defense Network called the
announcement “another major step” in reducing
the number of discharges under DADT.
“The question on the table is how, not
whether, to repeal the ban,” said SLDN Execu-
tive Director Aubrey Sarvis. “As welcome as
these very helpful changes are, these interim
steps are not a substitute for full repeal to re-
duce DADT discharges to zero.
“An unjust law still remains on the books
and the harsh reality is service members will
still be discharged under it every day until Con-
GOVERNMENT
Lesbian professor appointed to Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission
Lesbian law professor Chai Feldblum was
appointed to the federal Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission on March 27, one
of 15 recess appointments made by President
Obama that day.
Feldblum helped write the Americans
With Disabilities Act and is a professor at the
Georgetown University School of Law, accord-
ing to the DC Agenda, a gay newspaper. She
also helped draft the Employment Non-Dis-
crimination Act, pending legislation that would
ban job bias based on sexual orientation and
gender identity.
Feldblum received a confirmation hearing
in November, but her nomination had been put
on hold by an unidentified Republican senator,
according to Keen News Service. She was op-
posed by several social conservative groups,
including the Family Research Council and the
Traditional Values Coalition, the news service
reported.
The president can make appointments with-
out Senate confirmation when the Senate is in
recess. Presidents often resort to the controver-
sial recess appointments when senators repeat-
gress musters the courage to act to bury the law
once and for all.”
Department of Defense General Counsel Jeh
Johnson, in response to questions from reporters
following Secretary Gates’ announcement, said
that third parties will still be able to offer infor-
mation about someone’s sexual orientation but
that the standards for those comments to trigger
an investigation will be more stringent. The new
regulations, he said, require that an officer deter-
mine the reliability of the informant and whether
that person might have an ulterior motive in mak-
ing a report.
The regulations, said Johnson, “discourage the
use of hearsay or overheard conversations,” but
“hearsay is not excluded under the revisions.”
Johnson acknowledged that “most” of the
428 gay-related discharges last year were initi-
ated by the service member’s own acknowledg-
ment that he or she was gay. Asked whether a
discharge proceeding would be triggered if one
service member confronted another with a ques-
tion, such as “Are you gay?” and the latter re-
sponded affirmatively, Johnson said that was an
issue they had not yet addressed and “we’ll have
to work that through.”
No repeal before December?
Secretary Gates emphasized that he does
not want the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to
be repealed before his DADT working group
Chai Feldblum (Photo courtesy Georgetown)
edly block their nominees from reaching con-
firmation votes.
“The United States Senate has the respon-
sibility to approve or disapprove of my nomi-
nees,” Obama said in a statement, according to
the DC Agenda. “But if, in the interest of scor-
ing political points, Republicans in the Senate
refuse to exercise that responsibility, I must act
in the interest of the American people and ex-
ercise my authority to fill these positions on an
interim basis.”
— Laura Douglas-Brown
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates
(Photo via defense.gov)
hands in its report on Dec. 1, 2010.
“I do not recommend a change in the law
before we have completed our study,” said
Gates at the March 25 press briefing. He said
he thinks it’s important the working group have
time to elicit the views of service members and
their families before proceeding.
Gates said the changes will take effect im-
mediately, that they apply to “all open and fu-
ture cases,” but that the services have 30 days
to conform.
The announcement was in fulfillment of
Gates’ statement to a Senate Judiciary Commit-
tee on Feb. 2 that he would present a plan within
45 days to ensure that, “within existing law,” en-
forcement of the policy will be conducted “in a
more humane and fair manner.”
HEALTH CARE
No LGBT provisions in federal
health care reform
The final version of healthcare reform legis-
lation passed by Congress did not include any of
the LGBT-specific measures for which groups
like the Human Rights Campaign and National
Lesbian & Gay Task Force had lobbied.
“While the specific needs of LGBT people
were not, in the end, addressed in this historic
health reform effort, HRC will continue to push
Congress and the administration to take these
important steps to protect the health and well-
being of our community,” Brian Moulton, HRC
chief legislative counsel, wrote March 22.
LGBT groups had wanted health care re-
form to include measures to end the taxation of
domestic partner benefits, expand early treat-
ment of HIV, and include LGBT-specific ques-
tions on federal health surveys, among others.
“For example, how our families are legally
defined greatly affects the costs of and access
to coverage, and compounds the impact experi-
enced by the thousands of people of color who
are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender,”
NGLTF Executive Director Rea Carey noted.
— Laura Douglas-Brown
News April 2, 2010 GA Voice 11
to repeal DADT
Retired Army Maj. Jeff Cleghorn, a gay attor-
ney from Atlanta, traveled to Washington, D.C., late
last month to lobby Congress to repeal “Don’t Ask
Don’t Tell.” The trip was part of an organized cam-
paign by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Fund
and the Human Rights Campaign.
“It’s an extraordinary and historic time,” said
Cleghorn, who left the Army in 1996 and formerly
served on the staff of SLDN.
HRC organized a March 18 rally against “Don’t
Ask, Don’t Tell” in Washington that featured gay-
friendly comedian Kathy Griffin. But the event was
overshadowed by Lt. Dan Choi, a gay Iraq War vet-
eran who took to the stage to invite rally attendees
to join him in a march to the White House.
Choi and former Army Capt. Jim Pietrangelo
then chained themselves to a White House
fence in a dramatic protest against “Don’t Ask,
Don’t Tell.” They were arrested along with Robin
McGehee, leader of GetEqual.org.
“I want to explain why these actions are exact-
ly what we need to be doing as American citizens,”
Choi told the DC Agenda, the city’s LGBT newspaper,
upon his release from jail March 19. “When there’s
a time when our leaders are unable, unwilling to
do the right thing, somebody has to step up to the
responsibility.”
Choi is in the process of being discharged for
being gay; Pietrangelo was discharged in 2004.
Cleghorn said he did not attend the rally be-
cause he was lobbying Congress at the time. But he
and his partner, Kevin Kirby, did attend a fundrais-
ing dinner for Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Penn.), the
lead sponsor of the Military Readiness Enhance-
ment Act, which seeks to repeal DADT.
“Rep. Patrick Murphy, the lead sponsor of the
bill, is very optimistic. In the House we have 191 co-
sponsors, so we feel we’re in striking distance for ap-
proval. In Senate there are already 26 co-sponsors,”
Cleghorn said.
In Georgia, Cleghorn is urging those who oppose
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to contact Democratic Con-
gressmen David Scott, Sanford Bishop, John Barrow
and Jim Marshall.
“We’re working with Georgia Equality to put
consistent pressure on these four,” said Cleghorn,
who recommended “calling, writing letters, [and]
in person visits to district offices even if you talk
with staffers.”
In 1992, Cleghorn was in the Army and working
at the Pentagon. He said President Clinton’s 1993
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” compromise was like a kick
in the gut. “Seventeen years later, I remember the
emotions vividly,” he said.
But Cleghorn said he believes that this time, the
debate over gays in the military will end differently.
“We are better organized. There is a lot of data
and research,” he said. “The cumulative weight is
winning the day in Congress and the court of pub-
lic opinion.”
— Dyana Bagby
12 GA Voice April 2, 2010 Voices
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EDITORIAL
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BOARD OF ADVISERS
Richard Eldredge, Sandy Malcolm,
Lynn Pasqualetti, Robert Pullen
All material in the Georgia Voice is protected by federal
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VOICES OPINION & REACTION
State must act to curb anti-gay bullying
Dept. of Education
can’t remain silent in
wake of two deaths
By Laura Douglas-Brown
How many children have to die before our
state takes anti-gay bullying seriously?
Late last month, the parents of a teen from
Chatsworth, Ga., filed a federal lawsuit over the
death of their son, Tyler Lee Long.
An honor student at Murray County High
School, Long committed suicide in October af-
ter facing what his parents describe as relentless
bullying, including being called “gay.”
The case was heartbreakingly similar to the
death of Jaheem Herrera, a DeKalb County fifth
grader who hung himself last April. Herrera’s
family said he faced ongoing bullying, includ-
ing anti-gay taunts, although a school system
investigation concluded the child was not bul-
lied. Students who called him “gay” claimed
they thought the word just meant “happy.”
These two deaths, in different areas of the
state and in a span of less than 12 months, prove
that a piecemeal approach to bullying, especial-
ly anti-gay bullying, won’t work.
In DeKalb, schools put up posters against
bullying in the wake of the Jaheem Herrera
case. But the posters, at least the ones posted
in elementary schools, are written in language
that would be virtually meaningless to young
people — if they read them at all.
Labeled “Eye on Responsibility,” the poster
states: “Bullying, verbal threats and any form of
harassment are against school rules and should
be reported. Based on state law, three bullying
violations may result in expulsion.”
Not exactly engaging, is it?
Far better would be a series of signs akin to
the excellent posters produced by the Gay Les-
bian Straight Education Network and distrib-
uted by the Ad Council as part of the “Think-
B4YouSpeak” campaign.
One such message surprised me last week
as I shopped at DeKalb’s Northlake Mall.
Displayed on a kiosk near one of the mall’s
anchor stores, the poster features a photo of a
young man. “That’s so ‘Jock who can complete
a pass but not a sentence,’” it reads.
The ad continues: “Think that’s mean? How
do you think ‘that’s so gay’ sounds? Hurtful.
So, knock it off.”
The message is far better than DeKalb’s le-
galistic admonishment about bullying: It offers
eye-catching imagery, a thought-provoking slo-
www.theGAVoice.com
gan, and a concrete example of what behavior
is hurtful and why.
That’s where the state Department of Edu-
cation should step in. A series of these posters,
including anti-gay bullying but also addressing
other types of bias and intimidation, should be
displayed in all Georgia schools, and followed by
classroom discussions about what they mean.
That’s not state school officials engaging in
activism or advocacy. It’s ensuring that every
Georgia student has the right to learn free of in-
timidation or discrimination.
But we have a feeling someone would try to
“torpedo” that.
What, you aren’t aware of the rampant “tor-
pedo” problem sweeping our schools?
Last month, the Georgia House debated an
anti-bullying measure by Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-
Atlanta).
Jacobs’ bill would expand the state’s ex-
isting bullying law to cover kindergarten to
twelfth grade; current law doesn’t apply until
sixth. It would also direct the Georgia Depart-
ment of Education to develop a model policy
on bullying.
But from the debate when the bill reached
the House floor, you would think the measure
was designed entirely to ensnare hapless kin-
dergarteners who would be branded bullies for
breaking another child’s pencil.
Rep. “Coach” Williams (D-Avondale Estates)
offered an even more absurd scenario, question-
ing Jacobs twice over whether the bill would ap-
ply if two students picked up a third student and
“torpedoed” him into a fourth child.
But the Department of Education doesn’t have
to wait for the legislature to act.
Cases like Jaheem Herrera and Tyler Lee
Long prove that anti-gay bullying is happening
in Georgia schools; stories like the young man
in Cochran, Ga., planning to take his boyfriend
to the prom prove that LGBT students are grow-
ing more visible throughout the state.
It’s hard to imagine the state Department
of Education remaining silent if two students
committed suicide over alleged racial discrimi-
nation in less than 12 months, or if two young
women killed themselves over persistent sexual
harassment.
Anti-gay bullying should be taken just as
seriously.
Editor Laura Douglas-Brown plans to shop at
Northlake Mall more often. If you see pro- or anti-
gay signs in unexpected places, send her a photo
at lbrown@thegavoice.com.
www.theGAVoice.com
SPEAKING OUT
Praise for rural Ga. teen taking
boyfriend to high school prom
Re: “Atlanta gay chorus hosts Ga. teen
kicked out of home over prom” (gavoice.com,
March 23 & 26)
The more interviews I read with this boy the
more impressed I get. I know plenty of GLBT
“leaders” who don’t have balls this big. Good
for him. The future looks bright.
What would Jesus do? Kick his son to the
curb or love him? I believe Jesus said “Love
your neighbor as you love yourself” and “there
is Faith, Hope, and Love. Love is the greatest
of these.” Some people use Christianity as their
excuse to judge and hate instead of to love and
comfort.
My boyfriend at the time and I went to prom
— with a little hesitation from the school, but it
all worked out. You just have to fight for what
you believe and who you love.
Scant sympathy for anti-gay Sen.
Nancy Schaefer’s death
Re: “Former Sen. Nancy Schaefer, husband
found dead” (gavoice.com, March 27)
What a shame for her and her family that her
legacy is filled with hatred and bigotry.
My philosophy is that we’ll outlive all the
bigots, but this one had a particularly fitting end
— also known as karma.
It’s very sad and tragic. Suicide is a sin, and
now they just might be in a gay bar purgatory
for all eternity.
CORRECTION
A secondary headline on an article in the
March 19, 2010, issue (“Focus turns to fed-
eral lawsuit over Eagle raid”) was incorrect.
The secondary headline stated, “Plaintiffs’
attorney says city offered settlement money
— but no apology.” The headline could be
understood to mean that the city had submit-
ted an official settlement offer to end the case,
which is not true.
As is reflected in the article, Dan Gross-
man, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told writer
Christopher Seely that the city had participat-
ed in mandatory settlement discussions, and
the city’s attorneys indicated a potential will-
ingness to discuss money in the future, but
no specific monetary settlement amount has
Voices April 2, 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
Bleckley County principal commended
for allowing gay couple at prom
Dear Principal Masters,
I am a 68 year-old gay man in Atlanta and I
want to thank you for your courage in doing the
right thing in the prom situation. I grew up in
rural north Florida and I know this had to be a
very difficult decision for you.
I was born in Valdosta and at age 20, in
1961, I almost committed suicide at the Uni-
versity of Florida because of the fact that I
knew I was gay. Fortunately, I met the love
of my life at age 23 and we spent 42 years to-
gether. He died in 2006 of Parkinson’s. He
was completely helpless his last six years and
I cared for him 24/7.
We will always be part of this society and
with the wisdom of educators like you, some-
day this type of thing will not be a big deal.
Sincerely,
Winston Johnson
Atlanta, GA
Johnson sent this letter to Bleckley High
School Principal Michelle Masters for allow-
ing gay teen Derrick Martin to attend prom
770-457-7659
with his boyfriend. Speaking out? Share your
letters with editor@thegavoice.com
been discussed at this point. However, the city www.deceasedpetcare.com
indicated it was not willing to discuss an apol-
ogy or admit that police officers did anything
wrong in their raid of the Atlanta Eagle.
INDIVIDUAL PET
CORRECTION POLICY
It is the policy of the Georgia Voice to cor-
rect errors in coverage. Errors made in the
CREMATIONS AND BURIALS
print edition will be corrected in the first issue
after they are discovered.
On our website, minor errors of grammar
and spelling will be corrected immediately
without further notice to readers. Other errors
“Because Your Pet is a
will be corrected in the text of the article with
a note to readers posted at the end of the ar-
ticle to explain the change.
Member of the Family”
 16 GA Voice April 2, 2010 A&E
by JIM FARMER
DANCE
Breathtaking ballet
Trey McIntyre Project brings
innovative choreography
back to Atlanta
Wearing different hats in a nonprofit arts com-
pany is a common way of life. Not only do Trey
McIntyre and John Michael Schert serve multiple
capacities in the ballet company Trey McIntyre
Project, they are also partners outside of work.
The troupe, known for its contemporary
ballet, makes a return visit to Atlanta April 10
after a successful trip here last year. Founded
in 2004, Trey McIntyre Project was originally
envisioned as a summer touring company. Re-
sponse was so positive, says McIntyre, that it’s
now a year-round, full-time company. McIn-
tyre is the choreographer while Schert serves as
the executive director and one of the dancers.
Celebrated for its innovation, McIntyre’s work
has been commissioned by companies ranging
from American Ballet Theatre to Stuttgart Ballet
to Ballet de Santiago in Chile. His ensemble of
dancers has performed all over the world.
Their new show is comprised of three perfor-
mances – starting with “Shape,” called an audi-
ence favorite by McIntyre, that incorporates is-
sues such as gender and the human body. The
second is “Ten Pin Episodes,” a work involving
200 bowling pins. The finale is “Wild Sweet
Love,” about a lonely woman’s search for love.
Featuring music from Queen, Lou Reed,
Roberta Flack and the Partridge Family, the
performance will also be unique in that it will
involve 15 dancers from the local Dance 101.
Performing in Atlanta is actually something
of a homecoming for Schert. He is from Val-
dosta, Ga., and enjoys being able to perform in
his home state.
“It was great last time we were here,” he
says. “I can always count on a lot of support,
friends and family coming.
Like McIntyre, Schert attended the North
Carolina School for the Arts before embarking
on a career as a dancer.
The two met in 2003 – ironically just after
McIntyre had been named as one of People mag-
azine’s Most Eligible Bachelors for that year.
“We met through a friend,” Schert says. “I’d
seen his work before and was impressed with
what he had been doing.”
www.theGAVoice.com
Schert decided he wanted to work with
McIntyre.
“Trey mentioned he wanted to start a com-
pany,” he said. “I thought it was the next evolu-
tion of dance. I wanted to do something new and
innovative and I liked Trey’s ambitious spirit.”
According to McIntyre the two have a great
professional relationship.
“There are so many benefits of us working to-
gether, but it does take a lot of focus,” McIntyre
says. “We do realize the priority is the relation-
ship.”
McIntyre stopped dancing in 1995 at a time
that his choreography was taking off. He did,
Valdosta, Ga., native John Michael Schert per-
however, come out of retirement briefly in 2000. forms with the Trey McIntyre Project, the innova-
Throughout his work McIntyre has dabbled tive ballet company founded by his life partner.
in issues such as religion, love and relation- (Courtesy photo)
ships. McIntyre says that as he is preparing new
works, “it’s important to speak with the most MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
authentic voice I can. I can expose myself in
ways that surprise me.” Trey McIntyre Project
It’s equally important for the project’s work Saturday, April 10, 8 p.m.
Rialto Center for the Arts
to remain accessible, he says. 80 Forsyth St., Atlanta, GA 30303
Though the company is on the road nearly www.rialtocenter.org
half the year, their home base is in Boise, Idaho.
McIntyre says there were offers from San Fran- “There is a lack of sensitivity and intimacy
cisco and other cities, but they opted to have in America among men. Men are afraid of be-
their headquarters in Boise deliberately. ing intimate. I find that there is a lot of strength
“We wanted to be a pioneer and break new in being a well-rounded person. It affects who
ground,” says McIntyre. “We are very much you are as a person and artist,” he says.
part of the arts fabric here.” “I’m gay; I’m in love with a man. Some can
Being a gay man has certainly influenced find that limiting but I find it empowering. I get
Schert’s sensibility as an artist, he says. to own it and be unapologetic.”
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by ROBIN KEMP
BOOKS
‘Collision of East and West’
Christopher Rice’s ‘Moonlit
Earth’ explores money, family
and being gay in the Middle East
Christopher Rice’s latest novel, “The Moon-
lit Earth,” tackles three dangerous subjects:
wealth, family, and gay life in the Middle East.
After his last novel about a closeted Marine’s
death and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” elicited real-
life death threats, Rice jokes, “This book is as
close as I’ll ever get to Robert Ludlum.”
The main character of “The Moonlit Earth”
is a straight woman, Megan, who discovers that
her flight-attendant brother Cameron is caught
up in an apparent terrorist bombing in Hong
Kong. Aabid, a gay Saudi Arabian who stays in
the closet so he won’t be cut off from his fam-
ily’s fortune, has a habit of trying to buy Cam-
eron’s affection. Aabid’s bodyguard, Majed,
runs interference throughout.
Their dangerous itinerary ranges from Me-
gan and Cameron’s humble corner of wealthy
Cathedral Beach, where their divorced mother
survives on their wealthy and adulterous cous-
in’s largesse, to the sex-trade hotspots of Thai-
land and the ritzy hotels of Hong Kong.
Rice traveled to Thailand and Hong Kong
as part of his research.
“I really feel that a writer should go to the
places he writes about in order to connect emo-
tionally,” he explains.
Thailand seemed a logical starting point,
given its reputation, but Hong Kong captured
his imagination. “The minute my feet hit the
ground, I knew this is where I wanted to set the
novel because of the energy there and the colli-
sion of East and West,” he says.
“The Moonlit Earth” hits bookstores nation-
wide on April 6, and Rice holds a reading and
book-signing April 13 at Outwrite Bookstore &
Coffeehouse. He is enthusiastic about returning
to Atlanta.
“Atlanta? Oh my God! The best book sign-
ing events I do on my tour are always in At-
lanta. One year, the fire marshal threatened to
shut down Outwrite Books, there were so many
people there!” he recalls.
Valuing the written word
Rice credits Outwrite owner Philip Raf-
shoon with keeping the store open despite the
current economic climate and changes in LGBT
bookselling and publishing.
A&E April 2, 2010 GA Voice 17
“Outwrite is a powerhouse. Look at what’s
happened to gay bookstores. We’ve gone from
150 to about 50 (in recent years),” he says.
“Outwrite’s staying strong as an institution
and not resting on its laurels. Philip’s aggres-
sive, he’s really out there in the community, and
stores like Outwrite and Giovanni’s
Room in Philadelphia are stepping
up to the challenge.”
In this climate, Rice worries
that many in the community don’t
realize how important it is to sup-
port LGBT authors by buying their
books and showing up for their Christopher Rice’s ‘Moonlit Earth’
events. includes a gay flight attendant
“The attitude in our culture is caught up in a possible terrorist
that people shouldn’t have to pay for bombing, and the closeted Saudi
Arabian trying to buy his affection.
content. I think content should be
(Photo by Toky Photography via
reasonably priced — especially the christopherricebooks.com)
ridiculous price of some hardbacks
— but in the [gay] community, I’ve
seen a dismissal of the written word, particu-
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
larly the idea that text-based content should be Christopher Rice
shared, not compensated,” he says. Tuesday, April 13, 7:30 p.m.
Until New York figures out how to pay au- Outwrite Bookstore & Cofeehouse
991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309
thors for e-books, he says, the industry “pro-
404-607-0082
vides writers with a very dispiriting experience, www.outwritebooks.com
particularly if you’re not ‘Anne Rice’s son’.” www.christopherricebooks.com
Although Rice has worked hard to distin-
guish his work from his mother’s famous nov- “We have a very funny moderator, Todd
els, he kicks off his current tour at the Universi- Goldberg. People like us together on stage and
ty of California - Riverside, where he and Anne say we have good chemistry. But we don’t do it
Rice will appear in conversation on April 3. all the time,” he says.
18
2 GA Voice April 2, 2010 A&E www.theGAVoice.com

Breaking burlesque boundaries

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

Hyatt Regency Atlanta
t
Featuring
HRC Visibility Award Winner HRC President
BRAVO’s Andy Cohen Joe Solmonese
SVP of Original Programming and Development; Friend and playwright Johnny Drago says Vagina Jenkins challenges traditional beauty by ‘just show-
host of “Real Housewives” reunions ing up.’ (Jenkins photo by Knottie Pictures; Drago photo by Keith Greiger)
and “Watch What Happens: Live” on BRAVO!

JENKINS, continued from Page 15
burlesque was, she asked other people what to
do and then created her own idea of what she
For Tickets and Information: www.atlantahrcdinner.org wanted her act to be. Her first performance was
a slow dance and tease number with silk flow-
ers she sewed to her bra and panties.
LOCAL SPONSORS N AT I O N A L S P O N S O R S “I danced as Eve to ‘A Sunday Kind of
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performing in a queer context,” she says. “All
my major firsts have been in queer contexts.”
GOLD SPONSORS* Burlesque is an art form that celebrates all
things feminine, Jenkins says. But she also likes
to push the boundaries of what people perceive
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“I’ve always done this on my own terms by
never going on a diet, not being closeted, no
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boob job,” she says. “And the way burlesque
works feels so gay.”
Jenkins wants to start touring on her own
and is also trying to raise funds for an RV or a
van so she can take her message of challeng-
ing the traditional views of beauty to more and
more people.
“I want to bring more visibility for the com-
munities I represent — women of size, people
of color and queer femmes,” she says. “And
I’m an attention-seeking whore,” she adds.
Watching Jenkins perform, Drago says he
feels transported to the past and to the future at
the same time.
“I think what she does is really important in
representing very consciously and in a focused
way the types of beauty that are not typically
challenged,” he says.
“By just showing up she challenges you to
think about beauty. While honoring the history
of burlesque, she’s subverting it.”

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* SPONSORS AS OF MARCH 26, 2010

www.theGAVoice.com
s EVENTS by DYANA BAGBY • dbagby@theGaVoice.com
Leather love
First Atlanta Leather Pride
weekend aims to bring
community together
Break out your leather chaps and vests as
the first Atlanta Leather Pride brings numerous
leather/BDSM/fetish organizations together for
a weekend of parties and camaraderie.
“All the different clubs and organizations
have their own events and we wanted to have
one large event, to bring all of us together,
and say it’s the community’s event,” says Pup
Nitro, a co-producer of the event with Daddy
Alan Penrod.
In the Southeast and Atlanta, several leath-
er/BDSM/fetish clubs and groups thrive and
“range the gamut,” Nitro says. “No matter
which niche you fit into you have an organiza-
tion to belong to.”
Nitro acknowledges some people may be
intimidated by a leather event, but he assures
that all are welcome.
“You get that mentality anytime you’re go-
ing into a new environment — whether it’s a
country and western bar or a leather bar. There’s
that fear of the unknown. Our community real-
ly tries to welcome everyone in,” he says. “And
when people do come in they have a ball.”
The Black & Blue Ball is slated for Friday,
April 10, at the Atlanta Eagle. There will be dif-
ferent BDSM/fetish demonstrations at the par-
ty, but “nothing over the top,” Nitro says. And
people will also have the opportunity to discuss
and ask questions about the demonstrations,
which include several female presenters.
Participants are coming from as far away as
Canada, Los Angeles, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale
and Washington, D.C.
“This is an all inclusive event, regardless of
anyone’s gender or sexuality,” he says.
Leather ‘family’
Special guests include Jeffrey Payne, Inter-
national Mr. Leather 2009, and Alex Lindsey,
American Leatherman 2009, who will be judg-
es in the Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest.
Also judging will be Isatiable Amazon, the
only woman on the panel, who is the producer
of Southeast Olympus Leather and was named
2007 Ms. Southeast Olympus Leather.
“I think it shows growth for the Atlanta
community and the Southeast,” she says of
Atlanta’s first Leather Pride weekend. Insatia-
ble Amazon travels throughout the Southeast
teaching on topics from communication in re-
lationships to fisting. “Everything from mild
A&E April 2, 2010 GA Voice 19
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Atlanta Leather Pride Weekend
www.atlantaleatherpride.com
Friday, April 9
Black & Blue Ball
10 p.m.-3 a.m. at Atlanta Eagle
306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308
Saturday, April 10
Mr. Atlanta Eagle contest
9 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at Atlanta Eagle
Wind down party
3 a.m.-5 a.m. at Manifest 4U
2103 Faulkner Road, Atlanta, GA 30324 
www.manifest4u.org
Sunday, April 11
Leather brunch
12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. at Pizzeria Vesuvius
327 Edgewood Ave. SE, Atlanta, GA 30312
www.pizzeriavesuvius.com
to wild. I love it,” she says.
Penrod, reigning Mr. Atlanta Eagle and
second runner up in the 2009 International
Mr. Leather Contest, says building community
is how he chose to spend his time serving the
leather community as the title holder. The 2009
Mr. Atlanta Eagle Contest was the first since
2002. “Our leather community has its highs and
lows … but we’re a very friendly and compas-
sionate group of people,” Penrod says. “We un- Daddy Alan Penrod and Insatiable Amazon.
derstand the sense of family and always being (Daddy Alan photo by BULLmanX; Insatiable
there for each other.” Amazon courtesy photo)
20 GA Voice April 2, 2010 www.theGAVoice.com

DIRECTORY
To advertise, email sales@thegavoice.com
www.OffhandPhotography.com
404.312.5392
www.theGAVoice.com
COMMUNITY LOCAL LIFE
Songs against suicide
‘Harmony for Life’
concert benefits
prevention efforts
By Shannon Hames
When Angela “Bucky” Motter takes the
stage at the April 16 “Harmony for Life” sui-
cide prevention benefit, it won’t be just to help
a distant cause. For the transgender musician,
the subject of suicide hits close to home.
“I’ve lost two people to suicide. I’ve bat-
tled and been medicated for depression for
years now and I know that I am at risk myself,”
Motter says. “Preventing suicide is important.
But with that, there is also just as great a need
to help survivors of suicide [family & friends
left behind]. They need to know that it wasn’t
their fault.”
The fourth annual “Harmony for Life” show,
which raises money for the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention, will be held at Eddie’s
Attic on Friday, April 16. Performers include
Motter, the Joe McGuinness Trio, Alexis Vear,
Mike Kinnebrew, Vinyl Strangers, and more.
Besides donating time to AFSP, Motter
also teaches guitar, acts, performs as a studio
and live musician, and is a professional body
builder, bringing home a silver medal from the
Gay Games VI in Chicago 2006 in the “over-40
physique” category.
Motter identifies as transgender, and lost a
transgender friend to suicide.
“Being transgendered is another risk factor
for suicide. My friend had transgender issues
that were not being addressed. I don’t know if
he couldn’t address them or it was the doctor
working with him. I’ll never know,” Motter says.
“Doing this show is something that I can do to
help others out who might be struggling.”
Every 16 minutes
Chris Owens, the Atlanta director for AFSP,
notes that the fundraiser will not only include
great entertainment, but also fantastic silent
auction items.
“We’ve got an African safari for two,
Air Tran tickets for two, a Florida resort
trip, a stay at the Ritz Carlton in Washing-
• The risk of attempting suicide
is twice as high for lesbian,
gay and bisexual youth.
• Some 30 percent of lesbian,
gay and bisexual youth have
attempted suicide.
ton, D.C., jewelry, artwork… all kinds o f
great things that people can bid on,” he says.
The AFSP fundraiser will send half of the
money raised to its national headquarters and the
other half will stay here and go towards survivor
support. That includes training for support group
facilitators, camp tuition for child survivors of
suicide and an interactive screening program
now in place at Agnes Scott College. AFSP is
working to make it available to other institutions
as well.
Owens stresses that suicide prevention is
grossly underfunded. Atlanta has approximate-
ly seven researchers who work on prevention
study programs.
“There is one suicide attempt every 16 min-
utes in the United States and about 1,000 sui-
cides each year just in Georgia. It can be pre-
vented and most people who commit suicide
usually give warning signs,” Owens says. “Most
people who die of suicide had a diagnosable psy-
chiatric disorder that could have been treated.”
Within the last 25 years, more than 15 differ-
ent studies have consistently shown much higher
rates of suicide attempts among lesbian, gay and
bisexual youth — as high as 20 percent to 40
percent among gay adolescents.
Russell and Joyner (2001) found that the
risk of attempting suicide was twice as high
After losing friends to suicide, transgender musi-
cian Angela “Bucky” Motter wants ‘to help others
who might be struggling.’ (Photo courtesy Motter)
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Harmony for Life
Friday, April 16, 7:30 p.m.
Eddie’s Attic
515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur, GA 30030
404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com
among lesbian, gay and bisexual youth as
among heterosexual youth. Safren and Heim-
berg (1999) reported that 30 percent of lesbi-
an, gay and bisexual youth versus 13 percent
of heterosexual youth had attempted suicide
at some point. Eisenberg and Resnick (2006)
found that of students grades 9 - 12, 52.4 per-
cent of lesbian and bisexual females and 29
percent of gay and bisexual males had already
attempted suicide.
“I’ve tried to get the gay community more
involved,” Owens says. “It’s hard to bring
them in, though.”
Anyone interested in donating an auction item
for the fundraiser can contact Owens at cowens@
afsp.org. Tickets to “Harmony for Life” cost $125
for a reserved table or $25 for general admission.
Tickets may also be purchased at the door.
Community April 2, 2010 GA Voice 21
Helping ATL’s
youth ‘Evolve’
There is no charge for admission to “Evolve!,”
YouthPride’s largest fundraiser of the year, so or-
ganizers hope attendees will give generously to
help prevent suicide by providing counseling for
LGBT and questioning youth ages 13-24.
“We do a lot with the assistance of volunteers,
but the reality is we still don’t have enough, and
we never have,” says Terence McPhaul, YouthPride
executive director. “We want to encourage people
to really take a look at what we do. … We are much
more than safe space.
“We are a safe, supportive development cen-
ter and we want people to know the vast array of
services we offer, and certainly suicide prevention
is our most important,” McPhaul says.
“Evolve” is scheduled for April 9 at the Bill
Lowe Gallery. DJ Travis Roache will provide mu-
sic, and attendees will enjoy free appetizers and
drinks.
“We couldn’t have picked a better location,”
McPhaul says. “The Bill Lowe Gallery is absolutely
fabulous and has some of the best artwork in the
city. It’s just a really fun time for people to be able
to connect.”
“Evolve” is also the name of YouthPride’s
counseling program, which is led by Tana Hall, a
licensed professional counselor. Counseling is pro-
vided free of charge to YouthPride members and
their families, and demand is high.
“We believe that our counseling program is
the best suicide prevention that we can provide,”
Hall says.
YouthPride operates with an annual budget of
about $300,000. The agency cites 4,500 visits per
year from more than 1,100 individuals.
Last year’s “Evolve” party raised $18,000.
— Laura Douglas-Brown
the Bill Lowe
DJ Travis Roache spins at
wh ich helps prevent sui-
Gallery for ‘Evolve,’
ing funds for You thPride’s coun-
cide by rais
oto via Fac ebook)
seling programs. (Ph
MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com
Evolve!
Friday, April 9, 6-10 p.m. at Bill Lowe Gallery
1555 Peachtree St., Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309
www.youthpride.org
 22 GA Voice April 2, 2010 Community www.theGAVoice.com

ATHENS by MATT SCHAFER MORE INFO www.theGAVoice.com

Boys in fairyland
Boybutante AIDS Foundation
www.boybutante.org
Boyball Week
Drag Bingo
April 13, 8 p.m.
Little Kings, Athens

Boybutante AIDS Foundation “The performers are going to be acting as

chooses fairy theme for
21st annual ball
The Boybutante AIDS Foundation cel-
ebrates 21 years of its over-the-top Boybu-
tante Ball, a wildly popular fundraiser for
AIDS Athens.
Although organizers are keeping many of the
details under wraps, they have announced the
theme of the April 17 ball: “Fairy Tails.”
“I’ve always described it as Halloween
and Mardi Gras all in one,” Boybutante board
member Tony Kearney says.
Kearney’s alter ego, Wild Cherry Sucret, is
one of emcees of the event.
“It’s all about the theme … so I can see a lot
of crazy costumes coming out,” Kearney says.
The Boybutante Ball, followed by a brunch
the morning after, concludes a week of Boybu-
tante activities. New for this year, organizers
have tweaked the brunch to feature the show’s
drag queens.
the wait staff and breaking out into perfor-
mances,” Boybutante Foundation Chair Gul-
ley said. “We did a brunch last year and it was
amazing… and this time we’re moving into a
bigger venue.”
Boybutante Ball started as a few friends
throwing a party and has grown into one of
Athens’ biggest social events.
“I think we are one of the few events that
brings together all of Georgia, we just hap-
pen to do it in drag,” Gulley says. “We don’t
have just people from Athens; we have people
from Atlanta, from smaller communities, from
across Georgia really.”
The ball is also one of the few events that
crosses social lines in Athens.
“Athens is a small town — it has the col-
lege feel, but people still don’t talk about HIV
or AIDS… and this is a great event where you
can come out and have fun but we all still know
what we’re there for,” Kearney says. “The week
before, all the stores in town sell out of ladies’
clothes, everyone really gets involved and you
can’t tell who is straight, gay or whatever.”
Wild Cherry Sucret performs at Boybutante Ball, a
key fundraiser for AIDS Athens. (Courtesy photo)
Support for AIDS Athens
The money raised by Boybutante goes to
AIDS Athens. Since its inception, the Boybu-
tante Ball has raised over a half-million dollars
for the organization, and this year Gulley and
his board hope to donate a record $35,000.
“When we first began AIDS Athens did not
have a fundraising board of their own, they
didn’t really have a way to raise funds,” Gulley
says. “We continue to do it because AIDS Ath-
ens does such a great job of outreach, not just in
Athens but throughout northeast Georgia…
“People think that we don’t need HIV and
AIDS services, but there are still people coming
into this world, coming into their sexuality, every
Boybutante Karaoke & Drag Search
April 14, 8 p.m.
Go Bar, Athens
Ladies on the Lawn
April 15, 7 p.m.
Ashford Manor, Watkinsville
21st Annual Boybutante Ball
April 17, 9 p.m.
40 Watt, Athens
Boyball Brunch
April 18, 10 a.m.
Farm 255, Athens
day and they need to need to know,” he says.
Olivia Long, executive director of AIDS
Athens, said the funds Boybutante donates ev-
ery year are a significant part of the agency’s
yearly budget.
Long said federal grants often do not fund
education and outreach, and the ball’s funds al-
low the organization to offer testing and educa-
tion to Athens and much of northeast Georgia.
“Hands down without a doubt we would
not be able to do what we do without their sup-
port,” she says.

RASTA THOMAS’
BAD BOYS OF DANCE

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Thursday, April 22, 8 p.m.

Using physical prowess, raw masculinity and technical perfection, dance superstar Rasta Thomas
and his stunningly talented Bad Boys move to the rhythms of ballet, Broadway, tango and
hip-hop to deliver a highly imaginative and entertaining show.

sponsored by

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www.theGAVoice.com Community April 2, 2010 GA Voice 23

GEORGIA SPOTLIGHT
2009 Atlanta HRC Dinner Co-chairs
Brad DiFiore and Ebonee Bradford

YOU
(Courtesy Atlanta HRC Dinner)

CAN
Macon OUT
each month, attract anywhere from 10 to 30
people. They have been held in Macon, Warner
Robbins and Milledgeville.
CHANGE
For the past five
years, a group of LGBT MORE INFO
“We sometimes take over a restaurant. We fill
up a place easily,” Floyd says.
The dinners are traditionally made up of cou- THE
WORLD
people have been gath- ples who are older and have outgrown the club
Macon OUT
ering for dinner in and facebook.com/MaconOUT scene, he adds.
around Macon as a Through a Yahoo group and a Facebook
way to socialize in the groups.yahoo.com/
group/MaconOUT
page, there are hundreds of people registered
city about 78 miles with Macon OUT, Floyd says. Last month, the
south of Atlanta. group started a book club.
“We’re not an official organization although Macon OUT formed after Macon Pride dis-
we are talking about expanding to doing other banded around 2005. THE WORLD’S BEST RESEARCH AND CUTTING
things,” says Edric Floyd, a member of Ma- “We’re an extra outlet to meet people in the
con OUT and also the co-president of Macon’s community,” he says. EDGE SCIENCE IS HERE IN ATLANTA.
PFLAG group.
The dinners, held on the third Thursday of
LET’S MAKE HIV A THING OF THE PAST.
— Dyana Bagby

Atlanta HRC Dinner Committee

The Atlanta HRC
Dinner Committee MORE INFO
celebrates its 23rd din- Atlanta HRC Dinner
ner this year, and also atlantahrcdinner.org
celebrates winning the
national HRC Dinner Committee award for the
second year in a row.
“When we won it [the first time in 2008] it
was sort of a surprise … but this year we were
really surprised,” says Brad DiFiore, the 2010
dinner co-chair with Julie Wood. DiFiore was
co-chair last year with Ebonee Bradford.
“Not because we don’t believe it to be true,
but it was very gratifying they still chose us
after we won the previous year. I like to think
it’s because we stand out,” DiFiore says.
National HRC Events Manager Richard Ga-
gliano credits the committed volunteers on the
Atlanta committee for holding a successful din-
ner each year.
“They are true partners with HRC National
every step of the way. … HRC Atlanta sets the
bar in terms of what it means to be a successful
HRC Dinner Committee,” Gagliano says.
Atlanta’s HRC Dinner raised $330,000 in
2009. This year the dinner is slated for May 1
at the Hyatt Regency. The HRC National Vis-
ibility Award will be presented to Andy Cohen,
Bravo’s senior vice president of original pro-
gramming and development.
Cohen is behind such shows as “Top Chef,”
all of “The Real Housewives” shows and “The
Millionaire Matchmaker.” He also hosts Bra-
vo’s late-night weekly talk-show “Watch What
Happens: Live.”
Also to be honored at this year’s dinner are
state Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta), who will re-
ceive the Dan Bradley Humanitarian Award, and
Vandy Beth Glenn, recipient of the Leon Allen and
Winston Johnson Community Service Award.
— Dyana Bagby
WE ARE SEEKING MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN BETWEEN
18 AND 45 YEARS OF AGE WHO DO NOT HAVE HIV TO JOIN
IN OUR QUEST FOR A VACCINE TO COMBAT HIV.
If eligible you will participate in a study to evaluate the safety and the
potential efficacy of an HIV vaccine. The vaccine does not contain HIV.
You will receive $75 per study visit for your time and travel expenses to the
study location in Decatur, Georgia. This study is being conducted by
Dr. Mark Mulligan of the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center,
located at 603 Church Street, Decatur, GA 30030.
WWW.HOPECLINIC.EMORY.EDU | VACCINE@EMORY.EDU
HOPE…BE A PART OF IT.
CALL 877-424-HOPE(4673) TO LEARN MORE.
W
200 INNE
8 R
G AG
ANGUARD LCC
EL A IAN
WA
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24 GA Voice April 2, 2010 Community www.theGAVoice.com

Your Milestones
BIRTH

Georgia Voice web manager Ryan Watkins and Alissa Cullinan are pleased
to announce the birth of their first daughter, Lucy Jayne Watkins. On March
23, 2010, the couple welcomed a healthy (and robust) nine pound, four ounce
baby to the world. They were surrounded by friends and family. After nine long
months, they are excited to finally start their family.

ANNIVERSARY FAREWELL

Fans turned out March 27 to bid

“au revoir” to Paris Decatur, the
LGBT bar owned by Susan Bird. “It
has been a great run, and I have
learned a lot. I have had great
support from my friends, and I
have met so many interesting and
wonderful people that I now feel
privileged to call my friends,” Bird
said in a press release.

Marking a MILESTONE? Share your

Jon Garcia and Chris Hough will
celebrate their seven-year
anniversary on April 3, 2010.
engagements, 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!
www.theGAVoice.com
BEST BETS 04.02 - 04.16
SPOTLIGHT
Publicity Photo
Friday, April 9
“The Runaways,” starring Kristen Stew-
art (right) as rocker Joan Jett and Dakota
Fanning (left) as Cherie Currie, explores the
early years of the 1970s all-girl band. Opens
tonight at Midtown Art Cinema, 931 Monroe
Drive, Atlanta, GA 30308, 678-495-1424,
www.landmarktheatres.com
weddingcollectibles.com
Photo courtesy
Sunday, April 11
The Rainbow Wedding Network hosts the
fifth-annual Atlanta LGBT Wedding Expo,
featuring 25 gay-friendly businesses offer-
ing a range of services. Free attendance.
12:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Hotel Palomar in Mid-
town, 866 West Peachtree St. NW, Atlanta,
GA 30308, SameLoveSameRights.com
Photo via MySpace
Wednesday, April 14
Pets Are Loving Support, better known
as PALS, hosts “FAGS Prom Night” Bingo
with Bubba D. Licious and Alexandria
Martin (pictured); FAGS stands for Florida,
Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., first number called
at 7 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road,
Atlanta, GA 30324, www.palsatlanta.org
Friday, April 2
Lizzy Pitch brings her indie-pop-rock to a solo
performance at Bellissima. 9 p.m. at 560-B
Amsterdam Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306,
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
Princess Charles hosts the monthly First
Fridays Cabaret at Straits with DJ Ian Lee. 10:30
p.m. at Straits, 793 Juniper St., Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.straitsrestaurants.com
Friday, April 2 –
Sunday, April 4
The Dixie Invitational Bowling Tournament, one
of the oldest gay bowling events in the country,
got underway Thursday and runs through Sunday,
bringing 200 bowlers to Brunswick Zone in
Norcross. 6345 Spalding Drive, Norcross, GA 30092-
1866, 770-840-8200, www.dixiebowl.org
Saturday, April 3
“Memory Flash,” the first project of artist col-
laborative John Q, revisits four points in Atlanta’s
LGBT history from the 1940s through the 1970s,
starting with a history walk at 5 p.m. at 532 Wa-
bash Ave.; followed by 6 p.m. at 551 Ponce de Leon,
site of the Joy Lounge, an early drag bar; 7 p.m.
at Piedmont Park’s softball fields where lesbian
teams played; and 8 p.m. at Mixx at 1492 Piedmont
Ave., for a showing of “Lonesome Cowboy” at the
site of the old Ansley Mall Cinema.
johnqcollective.wordpress.com
Calendar April 2, 2010 GA Voice 25
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.
Photos by Stephanie Richardson
ril 3
Saturday, ApGir ting with Margaret Cho on
her
lyman, currently collabora tunes
Gender-bending trio ng pop-folk-bluegrass
harmonies and often amusi
new album, brings amazing . and 9:30 p.m at Eddie’s, 515
-B N. McDonough St.,
at Edd ie’s Att ic. 7 p.m
to two shows
m
7-4976, www.eddiesattic.co
Decatur, GA 30030. 404-37
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.
Jungle celebrates Easter weekend with DJ David Thursday, April 8
Knapp. Doors open at 10 p.m. at 2115 Faulkner ‘All About Vag’ unites a long list of queer
Road, Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800, performers to help send burlesque diva Vagina
www.jungleclubatlanta.com Jenkins to the prestigious London Burlesque Fest.
Performers include Al Schlong, Twinhead Theatre
Sunday, April 4 Company, Lala Luscious, Devin Liquor, Syren of
Don your most outrageous Easter bonnet for the the South burlesque artists Talloolah Love, The Ga-
Armorettes’ annual Easter Drag Races. 4 p.m. – zelles at Eyedrum Gallery, 290 Martin Luther King
10 p.m. outside Blake’s on the Park, 227 10th St., Junior Drive SE, Atlanta, GA 30312,
Atlanta, GA 30309. www.armorettes.com www.vaginajenkins.com
Monday, April 5 Friday, April 9
Salon Red offers free haircuts all day with a do-
nation to the AIDS Vaccine Ride, which benefits Evolve! raises funds for YouthPride’s suicide
the Emory Hope Clinic, as well as the Leukemia prevention programs, helping LGBT and question-
ing young people lead positive and productive
& Lymphoma Society. Appointments preferred.
lives. The event is free with donations encouraged.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1612 Dekalb Ave., Atlanta, GA
30307-2112, 404-373-2868, www.salonred.com, 6 – 10 p.m. at Bill Lowe Gallery, 1555 Peachtree St.,
www.actioncycling.org Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30309, www.youthpride.org
Wednesday, April 7
CONTINUED
Girls on Top takes to the Rooftop of the Glenn
Hotel with female DJs on the turntables. 9 p.m. at
110 Marietta St., Atlanta, GA, 30303,
www.glennhotel.com ON PAGE 26
 26 GA Voice April 2, 2010 Calendar
EVENTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25
Anne Lamott, author of bestselling books includ-
ing “Traveling Mercies” and “Grace (Eventually),”
reads from her new novel, “Imperfect Birds.” at
the First Baptist Church in Decatur, 308 Clairemont
Ave., Decatur, GA 30030. Sponsored by the Georgia
Center for the Book. georgiacenterforthebook.org
Friday, April 9 –
Saturday, April 10
The House of eMaGi hosts the “LOVE, Make Me
Over” Health, Beauty & Wellness Expo addressing a
variety of health concerns, including HIV preven-
tion and services, on Friday from 8-10 p.m. On
Saturday, the Beauty “Make Over” Network Mixer
takes place from noon to 6 p.m. Both events at
Respect Stylez Hair & Image Studio, 227 Mitchell St.
Ste. 2A, Atlanta, GA 30303.
www.wix.com/kollideinc/lovemakemeover
Friday, April 9 –
Sunday, April 11
It’s Leather Pride weekend at the Atlanta Eagle.
Events include the Black & Blue Ball on Friday
night; an afternoon leather BBQ, the Mr. Atlanta
Eagle contest, and an after-party on Saturday; and
a leather family brunch on Sunday. Most events at
Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce de Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA
30308, www.atlantaeagle.com
Saturday, April 10
The Southern Bears hold their monthly meeting,
with visitors always welcome. Meeting is from 7-8
p.m. at Amsterdam Atlanta, 502 Amsterdam Ave. NE,
Atlanta, GA 30306. Bar night follows at the
Atlanta Eagle, 306 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA
30308, www.sourthernbears.org
The innovative, contemporary ballet of the Trey
McIntyre Project, led by gay choreographer Trey
McIntyre, comes to the Rialto. 8 p.m. at the Rialto
Center for the Arts at Georgia State University, 80
Forsyth St NW Atlanta, GA 30303, 404-413-9849,
www.rialtocenter.org
The Mary Edith Pitts Show brings a dose of drag
hilarity to Burkhart’s every Saturday night. 11:30
p.m. at Burkhart’s Pub, 1492 Piedmont Ave. NE #F,
Atlanta, GA 30309, www.burkharts.com
Sunday, April 11
Second Sunday of Atlanta, a discussion group for
black gay men, hosts its monthly meeting, this time
focusing on “Random Acts of Kindness.” 3 – 5
p.m. in the Bruce Almond Room at Positive Impact,
139 Ralph McGill Boulevard, Atlanta, GA 30308, www.
secondsundayatlanta.org
Thursday, April 15
Cliterati Open No-Mic is hosted by the
spoken-word team of Karen G and The-
resa Davis. This month’s featured poet
is Andi Kauth (pictured), who is only 21
but has been a slam poet since 2004.
7:30-9 p.m. at Charis Books & More, 1189
Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta GA 30307, 404-
522-9912, www.chariscircle.org
Photo via Facebook
Monday, April 12
David McConnell brings his new novel, “The Silver
Hearted,” to Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse.
7:30 p.m. at 991 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309,
404-607-0082, www.outwritebooks.com
Tuesday, April 13
Son of famed author Anne Rice, Christopher Rice
is a best-selling novelist in his own right. He signs
his newest novel, “The Moonlit Earth,” at 7:30
p.m. at Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991
Piedmont Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082,
www.outwritebooks.com
Wednesday, April 14
AID Atlanta’s gay outreach program presents
“Rebooted: Love, Sex & Dating in the Internet
Age.” 7 p.m. at AID Atlanta, 1605 Peachtree St., At-
lanta, GA 30309, 404-870-7763, www.aidatlanta.org
Gay Fathers of Atlanta holds a support meeting
7:30 – 9 p.m. at Atlanta / Fulton County Public Li-
brary, 980 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30306,
www.gfoatlanta.org
Thursday, April 15
Philip Rafshoon, founder and owner of Outwrite
Bookstore & Coffeehouse, is the speaker for
tonight’s Atlanta Executive Network meeting.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at Mixx Atlanta, 1492 Pied-
mont Ave., Atlanta, GA 30309, www.aen.org
Photo via MySpace
Thursday, April 15
Dawn (Nia Fairweather) is in love with
Sam (Cher Santiago), but an unexpected
pregnancy could shatter their relationship
in “The Roe Effect,” one of more than
a dozen lesbian and gay films included in
the Atlanta Film Festival. The festival opens
tonight and runs through April 23, featuring
more than 160 films ranging from documen-
taries to animated features. Tonight’s open-
ing night gala includes showing of “Freedom
Riders,” 8 p.m. at the Carter Center, 453
Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30307. Most
other events at the Landmark Midtown Arts
Cinema. Full schedule @ atlantafilmfestival.com
Todd Johnson reads and signs his debut novel,
“The Sweet By and By,” at 7:30 p.m. at Outwrite
Bookstore & Coffeehouse, 991 Piedmont Ave., At-
lanta, GA, 30309, 404-607-0082, outwritebooks.com
See who wins the crown as the Miss Georgia
Entertainer of the Year pageant comes to Jungle.
Doors open 9 p.m. at Jungle, 2115 Faulkner Road.,
Atlanta, GA 30324, 404-844-8800,
www.jungleclubatlanta.com, www.georgiaeoy.com
Friday, April 16
Angela “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, eddiesattic.com
Join the girls at Bellissima for DJ Angie Terrell’s
monthly Tryst party. 10:30 p.m. at 560 - B Amster-
dam Ave., Atlanta, GA, 30306.
www.myspace.com/bellissima_lounge
www.theGAVoice.com
UPCOMING
Saturday, April 17
DJ Martin Fry returns to the Atlanta
Eagle. 10 p.m. at the Eagle, 306 Ponce de
Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30308,
www.atlantaeagle.com
Sunday, April 18
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
Thursday, April 22
Bring out your best disco styles for
Roller Skating for GLAAD, the Gay &
Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.
7 p.m. at All American Skating Center,
5574 Bermuda Road, Stone Mountain, GA
30087, www.glaad.org
DJ Mike Pope (Photo via MySpace)
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
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
aucition at 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency
Atlanta, 265 Peachtree Street NE, Atlanta,
GA 30303, www.atlantahrcdinner.org
MORE EVENTS @
theGAVOICE.com
www.theGAVoice.com April 2, 2010 GA Voice 27