The election that won’t end is giving Georgia its own version of “Ground Hog Day.” If only we could get Bill Murray to come for a visit. To entertain and inform you during the recount, here’s a fresh edition of Project Q’s newsletter. This one includes a new episode of Podcast Q – listen above; more on it below. If you’re new to this newsletter about all things LGBTQ Atlanta – welcome! Please subscribe.
Ian Aber on staying sassy and queer during corona
Ian Aber remembers those hours-long prep sessions of grilled cheese sandwiches with his husband and mother-in-law. Day-old bread from the bakery. Cheap cheese from Aldi. Slather it in butter.
For Aber – a gay Atlanta comedian for nearly 10 years – in-person performances are few and far between and the days of grilling sandwiches for comedy fans at his “Sweet Baby Cheeses” shows are long gone.
“Maybe in a few years, I can bring that back. I think we’re going to have to get to a point where we can breathe on each other before we can give each other grilled cheese sandwiches,” Aber said.
Aber went in-depth in a new episode of Podcast Q. Sit back, hit the play button above and enjoy. (You can also subscribe to Podcast Q through your favorite player.)
Highlights
(1:16) “I'm always getting bumped by bottoms, honey”
(2:33) Don’t mix the cheeses, please
(3:46) How COVID killed “Sweet Baby Cheeses”
(7:29) Rebooting the podcast “str8 ppl with Ian Aber”
(11:02) Growing up gay isn’t always like “Love, Simon”
(12:32) Walking that Joe Rogan line between funny and offensive
(17:21) Why are we not talking about black queer comics?
(22:12) Donald Trump, COVID and laughing out loud
(25:35) How do you find humor in these times?
(28:34) Yoga not Twitter
(30:08) “Let’s rise up and start a militia”
(31:06) Writing a gay version of “9 to 5”
(32:34) “Homosexuals litter the service industry”
(34:29) Icy gays make for a tough audience
(37:38) The need for queer representation in comedy – and everywhere
(40:54) Up-and-coming queer comedians to watch
(43:20) Finding the love of your life – on a Wednesday at Blake’s
(44:57) The reductive art of anti-LGBTQ humor
(48:26) Irreverent, high-energy and vulnerable
Atlanta drag entertainer beaten, robbed in Midtown
A day of celebration in Midtown ended in violence for an Atlanta drag entertainer early Sunday as someone attacked and robbed them on a walk home.
Kevin McClelland, who performs as Celeste Holmes, was bloodied and dazed after being struck in the head as he walked along Piedmont Avenue between 1:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. on Sunday. McClelland said he was returning to his apartment after a day of celebrating the presidential election being called for Joe Biden.
“I don’t even remember much, just a hit across the side of my face. I might have passed out, I might not have. It took me several times for me to get up. I touched the side of my face and it was bloody,” he added.
McClelland described his injuries and the outpouring of support he received in the wake of the assault in an interview with Project Q.
Metro Atlanta teen named Georgia’s first trans homecoming king
Riverwood International Charter School took its place in LGBTQ history during its Oct. 13 football game. That’s the night Connor Fair became the first transgender homecoming king in Georgia history.
Fair never expected to beat out his fellow nominees for the crown. As they say, the nomination alone is an honor.
“I really almost couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of all the people who were willing to support me as the person I am,” Fair told Project Q. “I was happy to have made court and bring attention to the gender non-conforming community at my school. That was enough for me.”
As far as society’s LGBTQ equality has come, not everyone at Riverwood embraced Fair’s gender identity.
Q ATLus revs up downtime with the Sexiest Men Alive
The current issue of Q ATLus magazine names 20 sexy male celebrities to lull you through semi-lockdown. In Q Community, Connor Fair’s high school voted him the first transgender Homecoming King in Georgia history. Other notable LGBTQs in this issue await in Q Events, where virtual and IRL options abound, and the issue wraps with juicy gossip in Q Advice.
Things to do
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
It’s been a 32-year ride on Ponce de Leon, but the Atlanta Eagle’s Last Dance ends its tenure on Ponce de Leon Avenue. Ticketed guests only both nights, 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
Women who love women enjoy a Glow Party this week with a backyard, patio and two socially distanced indoor levels at My Sister’s Room, 8 p.m. – 3 a.m.
SUNDAY
Southern Fried Queer Pride hosts its Queer Threads pop-up thrift shop with clothes, winter coats and more at Georgia Beer Garden, 1 p.m.
That’s all folks!
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Corona comic, trans homecoming king, drag queen beating