Georgia lawmakers take aim at LGBTQ people
Plus: Rapist pretends to be gay, rapper rant, more HIV money and your LGBTQ weekend planner.
Happy Friday! Thanks for closing out your week with us and getting caught up on all the LGBTQ stuff making headlines. If you haven’t subscribed, we make it so easy. Type in your email address below and click. Seriously, that’s all.
Bills target trans youth, provide license to discriminate
The good, the bad and the ugly of politics around LGBTQ issues in metro Atlanta made headlines this week. The worst of it came courtesy of state Rep. Ginny Ehrhart (photo), who has been itching since October to introduce anti-LGBTQ legislation.
On Thursday, she came through. Her “Vulnerable Child Protection Act” would prohibit medical professionals from providing hormone treatments to or performing gender affirmation surgery on minors. If they did, they would face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
State Rep. Matthew Wilson, one of five openly LGBTQ members of the Georgia House, called the bill exactly what it is – “trans panic.”
“[It] should really be named the ‘Trans Panic’ bill,” he told Project Q Atlanta. “It is not based in reality and inappropriately interjects the state where it has no business being – between Georgia families and their doctors.”
State Sen. William Ligon chimed in with his own legislation concerning to LGBTQ advocates. He wants to ban “free speech zones” on college campuses but critics said a provision in the bill would create a license to discriminate. Ligon has a lengthy anti-LGBTQ legislative history and with this current bill, he’s in bed with the anti-LGBTQ legal group Alliance Defending Freedom.
But it wasn’t all bad stuff making political headlines
Lawmakers honored Everton Blair as a “remarkable and distinguished Georgian.” He is the first openly gay and youngest-ever member of the Gwinnett School Board.
On Tuesday, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers unanimously advanced a bill that would modernize the state’s HIV laws.
On Monday, the Johns Creek City Council adopted an LGBTQ-inclusive hate crimes ordinance.
Also, elected officials in East Point and Tucker are considering LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances.
Atlanta dancer finds liberation amplifying queerness
Burlesque dancer Flux Inqueerior spent some time with us recently to open up about how they tell a story through rhinestones and choreography. They also dished about a move to Atlanta, bringing art to the stage and how liberation feeds their performances.
I first encountered burlesque up close when I was bartending one of the burlesque shows in the area. I have always been drawn to dance, but I became enchanted with the striptease and sexual freedom entwining with the choreography, fire arts and the vaudevillian comedy.
The interview is featured in this week’s issue of Q magazine with an expanded version online with Project Q Atlanta.
What LGBTQ Atlanta is talking about
Fulton jury convicts a rapist who pretended to be gay. In a crime as bizarre as it is disgusting, Taurence Callagain was convicted of raping a lesbian he befriended at a MARTA station. Prosecutors said Callagain put the victim at ease by saying he was gay and eventually lured her into his home.
Rapper Boosie Badazz was bounced from a Planet Fitness in metro Atlanta after posting a transphobic rant – all while riding a stationary bike under the gym’s “No Judgement Zone” sign. As if that wasn’t enough, Badazz went on an anti-gay tirade in a second post after getting banned from the gym.
Georgia State wants to study your passion. Researchers are recruiting 200 same-sex couples (photo) for a paid study. The hitch? Y’all gotta drink. The Passion study is one of the largest looking at the role of alcohol in intimate relationships among same-gender couples.
The feds sent $3.6 million Atlanta’s way to fight HIV. The region’s Ryan White Program and a handful of medical and health centers will receive the funds, which will help expand clinic hours, improve the delivery of HIV services, grow PrEP programs and boost HIV testing.
Things to do
FRIDAY
Great beats with a New York sensibility will fill the Heretic as DJ Hector Romero headlines Queen Butch, 10 p.m.
SATURDAY
Yassss for gay softball! OK, the season hasn’t started. Yet. But Hotlanta Softball’s season of beer busts has – this week with league coaches and players hosting. Hideaway, 4 p.m.
SUNDAY
Midtown Moon hosts the ultimate in Sunday Fundays. The day kicks off with Ruby Redd and the Heifer Review at noon, continues with the Armorettes at 8 p.m. and goes late with Brigitte Bidet’s Tossed Salad at 10 p.m.
Pic of the week
When Nonsense ATL takes over the Basement in East Atlanta Village, honey it’s a mess. A Hot Mess. So DJ Kimber and her pop dance party (photo) top our pics of the week.
That’s not all, though. Jujubee! The queen from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” returned to Atlanta for a swing through My Sister’s Room. For the masquerade inclined, Hideaway hosted its Mardi Gras Masquerade. The things those queens do for beads!
That’s all for this week
Now that your LGBTQ pump is primed, you may proceed with your weekend. But before you go, please show us a little algorithm love by clicking on the cutesy heart below this. It costs you nothing and means the world to us. See you next Friday!