The City of Atlanta’s new Director of LGBTQ Affairs, Dewayne Queen, will host a town hall on Fri., Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at city hall. Register and find out more.
Attorneys general of 15 states are suing the Trump administration after several health care providers cited executive orders for their elimination of gender-affirming care for trans youth.
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee rejected the Trump administration’s proposed termination of the CDC’s HIV prevention and surveillance efforts.
Fulton County will receive a slight increase in federal funding – $33,130 – for HIV elimination, bringing the total to $5.12 million.
P.S. Bookmark Melissa Carter’s latest “That’s What She Said” column if you’re trying to finish a summer decluttering project.
Photo by Katie Burkholder
Peachies Awards celebrate LGBTQ+ nightlife
Drag queens, club kids, and queer performers of all stripes celebrated Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ nightlife scene at Lips Atlanta with a night of glitz and glam.
The third annual Peachies Awards, presented by Wussy Mag, brought the community together on Aug. 4 for drag, burlesque, music, jokes about being polyamorous, and, of course, awards for the best in Atlanta’s queer nightlife.
The night’s big winners were Brigitte Bidet, who took home three awards for Best Queer Comedian, Best Drag Host, and Best Drag Show for Tossed Salad at Lore; and Lena Lust (pictured), who was honored with the Peachies’ first Mr. Charlie Brown Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes the lifetime impact of local LGBTQ+ icons, named after the late drag legend.
This summer, discover the fascinating world of Turtles at the Fernbank Museum! This new exhibit focuses on the lives and behaviors of these beloved reptiles.
Guests can get up close to live turtles through hands-on activities and daily live animal presentations. Visitors will learn about their natural history and survival challenges, their vital role across ecosystems around the globe, and conservation efforts humans are taking to protect these animals.
‘Reel Resistance’ summit marks Atlanta Pride anniversary
On Aug. 1 and 2, Atlanta Pride partnered with Out on Film for “Reel Resistance,” a film screening and summit honoring Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ history and Atlanta Pride’s 55th anniversary.
A crowd of about 150 gathered at Agnes Scott College in Decatur on Friday night to watch a film critical to the early LGBTQ+ rights movement in Atlanta and beyond: 1968’s “Lonesome Cowboys.” The controversial and provocative underground film, directed by Andy Warhol, is a satire of American Westerns, lauded as a groundbreaking portrayal of homosexuality and gender fluidity.
On Aug. 5, 1969, only a month after the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, Atlanta police raided a screening of the film at the Ansley Mall Minicinema, a since-closed art house theater owned by George Ellis. About fifteen minutes into the movie, the lights came up, and police burst in to arrest “known homosexuals.”
Abby Drue, the CEO of the Ben Marion Institute and one of the last known attendees of the raided screening, shared her experience both after Friday’s screening and at Saturday’s summit with Martin Padgett, author of “A Night at the Sweet Gum Head” and “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick.”
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Best Bets
The next monthly Queers & Beers is Thurs., Aug. 7, from 8 p.m.- midnight at Atlantucky Brewing featuring sounds by Whipp Appeal.
Charis Books and Auburn Avenue Research Library welcome Tourmaline in conversation with Holiday Simmons for the publication of Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnsonon Thurs. Aug. 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the library.
The Essential Theatre Festival returns Aug. 8-31 at 7Stages Theatre in Little Five Points, featuring new plays by Georgia playwrights.
The Colonnade will host a storytelling session on Sun., Aug. 9, at 2 p.m. to collect stories and memories for an upcoming book to mark the restaurant’s 100th anniversary.
Equali-Tea Dance, a fundraiser for nonprofit LGBTQ+ youth group Camp Brave Trails, is Sun., Aug. 10, from 3-8 p.m. at Lore.
Social Follow of the Week
Now here’s a mother who stays mothering! Congratulations to Nicole Paige Brooks for winning Entertainer of the Year at this week’s Peachies Awards. You can keep up with the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” star and find out where she’s stunning next @thenicolepaigebrooks.
