Meet the Atlanta candidate who compares gays to pedophiles
Plus: Lawmaker goes anti-trans, Troye Sivan makes Atlanta home, Mango Drip's message for you and your LGBTQ weekend planner.
What. A. Week! Now that you’ve pillaged the local grocery, sit back and social distance with this week’s newsletter. Coronavirus has likely consumed your media diet, so I’m here to catch you up on all the LGBTQ stuff making headlines. (If you’re new, subscribe below and join us on Friday mornings.)
Candidate, lawmaker launch anti-LGBTQ tirades
Politics snatched the headlines this week like it was a drunk fan grabbing a wig at a drag show. A candidate and a longtime elected official made news for all of the wrong reasons.
The worst of it came from Angela Stanton-King (photo), the Republican author and pardoned felon who launched a campaign to unseat U.S. Rep John Lewis. As she qualified to run against the longtime LGBTQ ally, she went on an anti-LGBTQ tweetstorm.
She also went anti-trans in some of the tweets. All disgusting. And since we exposed them on Monday, several have been deleted. (We screen-capped them for posterity.)
On Tuesday, state Rep. Vernon Jones unloaded on Doraville City Council member Stephe Koontz as she tried to lobby him about a piece of legislation. Koontz is the only trans elected official in Georgia.
“Tried to talk to Vernon Jones about his ‘Sanctuary City’ bill,” Koontz (photo right) wrote on Facebook. "He starts yelling at me and then changes tack and start into a rant about my gender identity saying, ‘you might be a man one day and a woman the next, I don't even know what you are.’”
In the wake of Jones’ outburst, several officials called on him to apologize. He hasn’t.
There’s good political stuff, too
Beyond the rants of anti-LGBTQ folks, there are positive political headlines to point you too:
Lawmakers in the Georgia House honored trans activist Tracee McDaniel and gay Gwinnett School Board member Everton Blair.
Gay civic activist Josh McNair jumped into the race for House District 56. He’s the 15th openly LGBTQ candidate for the Georgia Legislature in the 2020 election cycle.
Two state senators who craft anti-LGBTQ legislation are calling it quits. Sens. Jesse Stone and William Ligon announced they aren’t running for re-election.
What LGBTQ Atlanta is talking about
Out singer Troye Sivan (photo right) has been spreading his cuteness all over Atlanta. After a few recent spottings around town, we discovered he now calls Atlanta home – at least while he’s here filming “Three Months.”
Meth is killing gay men. It’s a dirty little secret that gets some attention in a piece that explores how the drug attaches itself to the libido, elevates sexual experiences and doesn’t let go.
They're here. They’re queer. They cheer. The Georgia Tech cheerleading squad includes at least three LGBTQ members and is led by out head coach Daniel Nester. We profiled them for Q magazine and Nester discussed how the LGBTQ members of the squad enjoy widespread acceptance.
Everyone loves the Atlanta Beltline, right? Maybe a little less since the organization announced a month-long partnership with Chic-fil-A. Some LGBTQ folks got in their feels about it.
This Atlanta t-shirt designer needs you to hear his message
Jeremy Jackson (photo), the gay force behind brand the Mango Drip, opened up with us about growing up in Georgia, expressing himself through fashion and how his clothing encourages self-discovery and growth.
I’ve always been interested in being able to express myself through fashion. I gave making shirts a shot in 2011, and although it didn’t work out for me then, I was able to pick back up my dreams of starting a clothing line in 2018. I went out and bought a bunch of t-shirt making equipment, and I jumped in head first.
The interview is featured in this week’s issue of Q magazine with an expanded version online with Project Q Atlanta.
Things to do
FRIDAY
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” dominates your Friday. The new season is going strong and Atlanta queen Aiden Zhane is in it to win it. Watch the action unfold during viewing parties at Midtown Moon, Atlanta Eagle and Guac y Margys. The fun starts at 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
The National Flag Football League of Atlanta (photo) opens its spring season. On the field action takes place at Silverbacks Park at 9 a.m., then continues off the field with the Overtime Social at 4 p.m.
SUNDAY
Hotlanta Softball’s new season is in full swing. Games begin at 9 a.m. at Johnson Park and the athletes go into Extra Innings at Hideaway, 4 p.m.
Pic of the week
Daddies and their admirers turned out in force for the latest installment of the popular DILF party at Heretic on March 6. Nick Stracener manhandled the DJ booth and the results were … well, you can see for yourself in the image above. That’s why the event dominates – see what I did there? – our event photos this week.
It wasn’t all shirtless hunks in our pics. OK, there was Queen Butch and the jocks of the National Flag Football League of Atlanta, though they managed to mostly keep their shirts on.
But I’m talking about Hotlanta Softball throwing out the first pitch of its new season, Queerly Beloved Revue burlesque troupe at My Sister’s Room and DJ Kimber’s Hot Mess party at the Basement.
That’s all for this week
Thanks for making it all the way to the end. Bonus points to you for making it through this crazy week. I’d say let’s do a big group hug to celebrate, but that’s a no-no right now. Instead, show us the love by clicking on the little heart just below this text. It’s COVID-19 free. See you next Friday!