'Cakes save the day': How Atlanta's LGBTQ businesses are surviving coronavirus
Plus: Fulton's new HIV effort, Jon Ossoff, softball is back, LGBTQ events
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A staple of our coronavirus coverage has been profiling LGBTQ-owned businesses. They have suffered, to be sure. But a recurring theme has also been how they’ve scratched and clawed and survived. It’s uplifting to hear from them that even in these dark times, they are inventing ways to succeed.
Baker Dude’s Orran Booher (photo):
“Cakes saved the day,” Booher said. “Folks far and wide, local and out-of-state discovered Baker Dude and fell in love with us and our cakes. By May, I had to begin bringing staff back to help as the one-man show was not sustainable.”
The Training Room ATL’s Amber Goppert:
“In order to keep the gym alive and the community alive, we have to adapt as much as we can and adjust and pivot to fit everyone’s needs,” she told Project Q Atlanta.
Troy Meyers, Sebastian Romano and David Barton of Guac y Margys:
“If there's one thing COVID has taught us, it's to be flexible and to appreciate the people around us,” they said.
MetroFresh’s Mitchell Anderson:
“After I pulled myself together from the initial fear, I threw myself into work,” Anderson remembered. “I was pretty much a one-man show for much of the time before we re-opened. Working hard has always been a sort of refuge for me, and I didn't have time to sit and worry. I have tried hard to keep my spirits up by staying in the moment and not getting ‘too far over my skis.”
Missy and Kristin Koefed of 18.21 Bitters:
“We are working to pivot the business model, but also we’re happy that our staff, while we were closed, were able to get unemployment benefits, which gave us some peace of mind,” the Koefeds said. “We have a wonderful team and partners that continue to work hard to keep things moving forward.”
Q ATLus spies past, present and future of LGBTQ culture
The equality movement was founded on fights for variance, justice, and the right to live however we want. But is LGBTQ culture being erased by assimilation? The latest issue of Q ATLus magazine takes a look.
We also profile LGBTQ Georgians living their best lives, and this week’s Q Events offers opportunities to socialize. Coverage also includes the “mutual abuse” phenomenon within gay couples and good advice for a very bizarre date.
Fulton expands efforts to help Black, Latino men at risk for HIV
A $2.5 million grant is helping Fulton County health officials provide a holistic approach to caring for young Black and Latino men at risk for HIV or who are already HIV-positive.
The grant has funded three new social service coordinators for the department. They will link clients to a range of services, including mental health and substance abuse counseling, HIV care, housing assistance and food support. The program is free for Black and Latino men ages 18 to 40 who live in Futon and are uninsured or underinsured.
For more information, visit the Fulton County Board of Health at 10 Park Place South in Atlanta and ask for the Sexual Health Program, call 404-376-5366 or 404-372-2869, or visit the program’s website.
Jon Ossoff on LGBTQ equality, protecting trans people and policing
In the latest episode of Podcast Q, Jon Ossoff discusses LGBTQ equality, protecting transgender people, racial justice, voter suppression and the coronavirus pandemic. The high-profile Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Georgia has a strong grasp of LGBTQ issues and it shows in this interview.
“There’s no place for discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity,” Ossoff said. “Those should not be merely a matter of principle, but a matter of law.”
You can also check out a recap of the interview on Project Q Atlanta.
Things to do
FRIDAY
The date and the emergency call number come together for a camp drag show. Tip during Armorettes: Drag 911 to benefit the people in Atlanta with HIV/AIDS at Heretic, 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
They’re doing Opening Day corona-style with masks and a slew of new guidelines, but gay softball returns with Southern Softpaw’s weekly Fall Ball (photo) at Nickajack Park, 10 a.m.
SUNDAY
Q’s own gay gadabout Brad Gibson kicks off Booscare Season with a Sunday dance massacre. Do Sunday The 13th: Holy Terror! virtually or in-person @ Mary’s or on Twitch, 3 p.m.
That’s all folks!
We’ll meet again next week. Before then let me know if there’s a topic you want to see in Q Conversations or a guest you’d like to hear from on Podcast Q. Reply to this email, leave a comment if you’re reading the web version or drop me a quick email. Thanks for reading and subscribing!