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CONTENTS 8
MAYOR BRILEY ON BUILDING A HEALTHY COMMUNITY
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AN IMPROMPTU INTERVIEW WITH DANA GOLDBERG
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CLASSIC CRUISING COMES TO NASHVILLE
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A CHAT WITH DRAG RACE’S EUREKA O’HARA
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FINDING OUR WILD, FINDING OURSELVES: PART 4
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GRIZZLIE’S BACHELOR AUCTION RETURNED TO PLAY
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BUILDING A HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY A CONVERSATION WITH MAYOR DAVID BRILEY
JULIE CHASE | @notninahagen
It caught us by surprise: from Megan’s resignation to a new mayor and a new election date, then an EVEN NEWER election date just a few weeks after a major vote on whether or not Nashville’s wants to have a real mass transit system. Shortly after the state Supreme Court ruled that we had to have the mayoral election sometime in late May, Mayor David Briley agreed to sit down with O&AN to talk about the future of Nashville and its LGBT community.
JULIE: So, were you expecting the Supreme Court ruling about the election (being held in May?) MAYOR BRILEY: I had not really thought about that much. I have really been just focused on just doing the job and I have to file a public budget soon. We have to file this budget by May 1st and it looks like we will have a public election soon after that. So, I’m going to wrap my head around the election afterward so I can finish the work that I started. JULIE: So why should Nashville’s LGBTQ+ community vote for you? MAYOR BRILEY: I think the LGBTQ+ community is focused on the same things that most Nashvillians are focused upon. They want a high quality of life, good public education, a safe city to live in, a good economy… Generally, I do not look at the LGBTQ+ community any differently as I look at other Nashville communities. Most people basically want the same things. I plan to focus on these core issues, and I have the experience to do this. We need continuity right now and that would be my starting point. But I do know that there are some issues that are close to the LGBTQ+ community. I have always been a supporter, going back to my days as a member of the Metro Council. I think I am sensitive to the needs of the LGBTQ+ community and focused on issues of equality in general.
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It is important for our city to maximize everyone’s potential. The way to do that is to provide a fair playing field, focusing on access to economic and educational opportunity for everyone. I think that is why over the years I have earned a reputation for being a supporter of equality for all Nashvillians. JULIE: Have you ever taken heat for being an open supporter of the LGBTQ+ community? MAYOR BRILEY: Not really. I have found in my experience that business leaders especially tend to be very progressive about LGBTQ+ issues. The bigger the business, the more progressive they tend to be. Businesses that operate in a more national or international sense are much more forward-thinking about this community especially. JULIE: What about city officials? MAYOR BRILEY: When we voted on a non-discrimination ordinance in Nashville fifteen years ago, there was more hand-wringing and opposition to the LGBTQ+ community back then. I would say most of that faded away after the ordinance passed. It sort of put a period at the end of that sentence, and Nashville, for the most part, has moved on. JULIE: What will you do to secure the civil rights of LGBTQ+ Nashvillians? MAYOR BRILEY: I will do whatever it takes to protect LGBTQ+ rights. I have worked with the city’s lobbyists, and we have already had an
opportunity to weigh in on that so-called bathroom bill that was up again this year, to do what was right for our city and its residents on that. JULIE: So what is your personal opinion on so-called bathroom bill legislation? MAYOR BRILEY: I’m totally opposed to that. We don’t know what something like this is truly about. I’m opposed to anything like that from a moral perspective, and it’s also very bad for business on top of that. JULIE: What you just told me about securing LGBTQ+ rights...does that also apply to LGBTQ+ kids in Metro schools? Will you support the right of LGBTQ+ teens to live their truth and access proper facilities for the sexual orientation and true gender that they know themselves to be? MAYOR BRILEY: Yes. I think it is very important for the public education system to find ways to affirm who they are and help them to reach their fullest potential. I have kids too. It’s something I think about a lot. I think it’s important to encourage our kids to be the people who they know themselves to be. All teenagers struggle with who they are at this age. We need to be sensitive to that. JULIE: Nashville already has anti-discrimination laws on the books covering sexual orientation and gender identity in public employment. Should this apply to the private sector? MAYOR BRILEY: Unfortunately, it cannot because of state law. Ultimately, that is where our country is headed, however. The federal government, and not the state, will be the ones most likely to lead on legislation that would cover this. It is the safe to say that I will be an advocate though. JULIE: Nashville’s homeless population has a shockingly high number of teenagers living on the streets. Many of whom are there because they are openly LGBTQ+ and have been turned out of their homes. What will you do to help this population as mayor? MAYOR BRILEY: I’m committed to do as much as we possibly can within our financial means to build more housing for the homeless, and to build more affordable housing in general. Hopefully, in the next coming days, we are going to announce a project that will create one hundred units of permanent housing for the homeless, with support services, as well. I think that just building housing on its own would not be sufficient because I think that those are kids who have obviously been traumatized. When the people who are supposed to love them unconditionally perhaps have not, resulting in their homelessness, I think we have to be very intentional about that housing coming with support services. I think that’s also a place where you have to work with the private, notfor-profit sector to build that kind of stuff. I know that there are Metro agencies already working on that. JULIE: The housing project that you just told me about—is this going to be a one-time thing or an ongoing project? MAYOR BRILEY: The city in recent years has dedicated about ten million dollars a year… That helps with some stuff. They also did a twenty-five million dollar bond issue that will be used for the project I was talking about. Over time, we will be able to go back and do that more often as more money becomes available to make these types of commitments for the homeless in particular.
The folks who are on the very bottom of the spectrum economically, that housing really has to be built by the city. There is no way realistically to get a developer to do it. And we can do this in partnership with some not-for-profits, but we are going to have to dedicate more resources for that. JULIE: What about Metro General Hospital? What do you think is going to happen there? MAYOR BRILEY: Well, the first thing to do was to make sure that the hospital was going to stay open with an inpatient facility, which I have already done. We’re working on the budget to see how much money this year they will need to do that. It should be less than last year because a big part of that was getting them caught up on some unpaid invoices. Beyond that, I have been in some conversations with them and with Meharry Medical College about trying to use the resources we are sending over there more efficiently, just to make sure we’re not spending money there that could be better spent in other ways that could provide access to healthcare for the indigent population. JULIE: Do you have any ideas for how to make housing affordable for Nashvillians priced out of the current market? MAYOR BRILEY: Well, on top of what we discussed earlier, the transitoriented development districts along the projected transit corridors will be an important tool that the city needs. I’ve been talking to some banks in town about trying to pool money to lend… to sort of double that effort up. I think that promoting density along the transit corridors is going to be an important part of bringing housing prices down. A big part of the inflation in housing costs is just more demand than we have supply, so we just have to find ways to build that out. JULIE: If elected, what will you have want to have accomplished as mayor? MAYOR BRILEY: Well, I would like to see our public education system ranked as one of the best systems in the country. I think that is crucially important. I would like to see us have added significantly to our transportation network, both in terms of mass transit, greenways, bike lanes, and sidewalks, because that will be an indication that we have built out a more healthy, sustainable community. If I could do those two things, that would be plenty! JULIE: Do you have a message for LGBTQ+ Nashvillians? MAYOR BRILEY: Nashville wouldn’t be the place it is—the welcoming, productive, exciting place to live—without the LGBTQ+ community. I will do everything within my power to open up doors and make this a great place for all to live. JULIE: So, when you showed up at Play for the transit forum last month... was that your first time in a gay bar? MAYOR BRILEY: No! (Laughing) That was not even my first time at Play...
To read much more of my conversation with Mayor Briley, including our chat about economics, taxes, and the structure of Metro government, visit OutAndAboutNashville.com.
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{
DELL
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CRAIG AMMON
Dell Nashville is a finalist in the Corporate Diversity category for the LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Excellence in Business Award, presented on May 4, 2018. This award is presented to the company that “has the most policies and practices that protect and engage their LGBT employees, customers, and suppliers.” Dell is proud of its last 20 years of work to put such protections in place. They are an industry leader in driving workplace equality. Dell Nashville has received numerous awards recognizing its accomplishments in fostering a culture of corporate diversity. These awards include being named to Diversity Inc.’s Top 50 for the seventh time in 2017, a 100 percent rating on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index for the 13th consecutive year in 2017, and an Outie Award from the Out & Equal Workplace Summit in 2016. Nikki Gibson is a human resources compliance consultant and a co-site director for Dell Nashville. She is also the lead for North America Pride, Dell’s LGBT Employee Resource Group (ERG). Nikki has been with the company for over 17 years and is proud of the work she has done to advance LGBT equality and inclusion, both at Dell and within the Nashville business community. “Since joining Dell in 1999,” she said, “I have always been the local contact to arrange events and communications on behalf of Pride and the diversity and inclusion team… Over the years, we formalized our Pride chapter and our group has increased our local presence, participating in Pride events and being a leading voice in the LGBT community. Most notably, I am extremely proud of our involvement in advocating for LGBT rights and inclusive policies with our local government and our advocacy efforts for equality in the workplace.” Dell Nashville is one of the region’s largest high-tech employers, with over 1700 team members. Those of us who identify as LGBT know that the most welcoming and affirming work environments go beyond official policies that provide rights and protections for LGBT employees. The best work environments foster a culture of inclusion and diversity that plays a positive role in virtually all workplace interactions. Gibson said, “Employees want to be able to be themselves at work. We can’t expect someone to be their best self if they can’t be their true self. Dell creates opportunities for employees to share their diverse ideas, which fosters innovation and collaboration. Dell’s inclusion strategy is based on creating an inclusive workplace, cultivating marketplace relationships with diverse communities and
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organizations, and growing a diverse workforce.” Gibson added that their site is a perfect mixture of Nashville’s broader culture. She explained, “Dell Nashville team members are Nashville natives, transplants, young professionals and seasoned veterans. We represent people of all different backgrounds and beliefs, mirroring the population of our wonderful city. We pride ourselves on our diversity that works cohesively and believe that Nashville can and will collaborate in the same way.” And while she is hopeful that the business environment in Nashville and other cities will continue to embrace diversity, she acknowledged that we need to keep pushing forward. “As a country, a state and a city we’ve come a long way, but there is always more work to be done to make certain every human is afforded the rights they are entitled to. Nashville and the businesses in Nashville continue to show they are working towards that goal. I am very pleased in the progress that the city of Nashville has made over the last several years. We are a diverse city in so many ways, not just within the LGBT community, but also in how we’ve embraced all cultures!” Large companies need to take an active role in advancing cultural changes. Dell has certainly done so, with initiatives such as Many Advocating Real Change (MARC). The MARC initiative is dedicated to encouraging traditionally non-diverse individuals to advocate for and commit to diversity. Chairman and CEO Michael Dell and his direct reports participated in the MARC program, and the organization has a goal of having all managers participate in the training by the end of the fiscal year. “This is something that Dell is really proud of,” said Gibson. “Dell is the first technology company to bring this training to our
leaders, with the expectation that they share it with their teams. Dell is committed to having a work place where all team members feel welcome – this is one way that we can carry our voice out to everyone in our workplace.” Fostering diversity is ultimately good for business. Companies that embrace diversity can attract top talent regardless of their background, ethnicity, or orientation. And companies whose employees feel valued and give their best each day will thrive, fueling local economic growth. Gibson said, “It’s imperative for Nashville business to be inclusive. Otherwise our city would be left behind other large metropolitan areas who have already done this— very well.” In that spirit. Dell Nashville is proud to be a part of the Tennessee Thrives coalition and to help promote inclusive policies in Tennessee. In fostering diversity, employers ensure that they can compete for top talent. “We can’t be the ‘IT’ city if we’re not welcoming to everyone,” said Gibson. “And I truly believe that Nashville wants to be a welcoming and inclusive city, a place everyone wants to visit and many decide to live. We, along with hundreds of other companies in Nashville, want to make sure Tennessee is a place where all kinds of people will be treated equally and with respect.” To purchase individual tickets or reserve a table for the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Business Awards on May 4, 2018, please visit the ‘Events’ page of our website at www. nashvillelgbtchamber.org/events/details/lgbt-chamber-excellencein-business-awards-by-curb-records-1235. Dell is hiring. For more information, please visit jobs.dell.com.
The Nashville LGBT Chamber is a professional and consistent resource to find businesses who are inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally customers and clients. The Chamber directory at www.nashvillelgbtchamber.org/list will help you find The Mockingbird and other LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations.
KATE NELSON, REALTOR® 615 / 268-0319 615 / 383-6964 kjcnelson@gmail.com DIRECT
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505 CHURCH STREET NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37219 615 / 214.4505
SUNNY EATON
Dana Goldberg is easily one of the top lesbian comedians on the scene, and lesbians just can’t seem to get enough of her. We met up with Dana at the Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs this year. Despite the raging, debaucherous party around us, we managed to find a quiet-ish spot to chat and Dana was kind enough to answer a few questions (as long as we kept the drinks flowing, anyway). Okay, first, you have to know: she is totally hot. Like, in that “Woah! Your pictures don’t do you justice—am I sweating now? Yep, I’m totally sweating now” kind of way. Second, she is so much cooler than the cool you already knew she is. (See what I did there? Hot AND cool…get it?) Third, she is a total Vagabroad—hard to keep in one place @OUTANDABOUTNASH 15 YE A Rhere S O F we LG Bgo. T NEWS for very long. So 13
How many Dinah’s have you attended? Do you think it’s changed over the years? I think I’ve been to six Dinah’s? The first one was in 2008! I guess it’s my 10-year anniversary. Longest relationship I’ve ever had! I’ve performed at five of those six throughout the years. It’s definitely changed for me as I look at it through different eyes—eyes that now need glasses, it’s been so many years. It’s still the insane parties, outstanding entertainment, and weekend of making memories (some of which we would all like to forget). This last Dinah has been one of my favorites, due in large part to the incredible group of women I was hanging out with, yourself included, Sunny. Your show last night was amazing. What is your pre-game ritual—especially after a long day of partying at the pool? I had a really good time on stage that night. My pre-show ritual usually consists of me talking to myself out loud and pacing. I’m usually going over my joke transitions, but without fail, someone will walk backstage at that exact moment to see if I need anything. Then I just look like the crazy lady talking to myself. I didn’t use to drink AT ALL before or during shows, but I’ve realized through the years, as I’ve settled into my shows, I enjoy sipping on some good tequila while I make the masses laugh. You performed in Nashville recently at the Lipstick Lounge. You had a heckler (whom you dealt with beautifully). How do you typically deal with audience members who just have to get in on the act? Do you have a “just in case” plan that you use, or do you just have to wing it when it happens? Oy…I did have a blast that night. I love The Lipstick Lounge because it’s an intimate venue, but you can pack them in. The owners are also fantastic women. The problem with bar shows is what’s in a bar? Looooots of alcohol. I’m not kidding, my show was at 8 and there were women drinking by 6. So yeah, one of them decided she was going to have her 30 seconds of fame. You can imagine it didn’t go very well for her. I was a bartender for 11 years. I know how to get control of a situation that’s getting out of hand because of alcohol without escalating it. I’m very good with crowd work, and I’m quick on my feet, so a drunk audience member will never be a match for a sober comedian. They just can’t keep up. We would love to see you on the big screen – is that possibly on your to-do list? You and me both, sister! I actually just started working with a manager who will be submitting me to TV and film auditions, so ladies (and gentlemen and the gender non-conforming) say a prayer, make a vision board, burn some sage. Let’s make this s#!t happen! How did you get into comedy? I think this is what I was always supposed to be doing in life. I did my first comedy set when I was 17. It was my high school talent show, and I won. I didn’t touch a stage for almost nine more years. I went
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to college, got my degree in physical education (I’m a lesbian, it’s the law), and then started bartending. There was a show that use to come through Albuquerque, New Mexico, called Funny Lesbians For a Change. It was a big variety show that raised higher education scholarships for women in the community. They gave me a seven-minute set in front of 650 people in a sold out theater. I hit my first big joke and heard the most deafening laughter I had ever heard. I was hooked. The rest is history. I think women who take the plunge with their dreams and go for it are the most inspiring, especially when we are so often told “no” or “you can’t”… What was that moment like for you, when you decided to commit to comedy fulltime? There’s some good and bad to that moment for me. I had been bartending and doing comedy at the same time for years. I was afraid to “quit my day job” because I wasn’t sure if I could make enough money doing comedy full time. It’s a process and takes a long time to build a fan base to be able to sustain a good income. I lost my dad in 2008, and that was kind of a wake-up call for me. He died pretty young considering (63), so I decided to take the chance, quit bartending and do comedy full time. It’s amazing what happens when you open up your life to let what is supposed to be come in. I’ve been doing comedy since 2003, and fulltime for about 10 years now. It feels good to do what I love and make a living. I think the saying goes “do what you love and the money will follow.” I know that wasn’t written by a Jewish mother. We’re still getting over the fact that I’m not a doctor. So, you’re a Jewish, liberal, lesbian from New Mexico with New Yorker roots. What is it like performing in the south? I think you just wrote the beginning of my Tinder profile, if I ever need one. I actually LOVE performing in the south because I give people permission to laugh at things they don’t always give themselves permission to laugh at. Even though I’m telling jokes about myself, the only way I can make someone laugh is if they see themselves in my material and experiences and can relate on some level. People in the south are just like everyone else in the county. We all have crazy families. We all have crazy relationships. There is always a way to bridge a gap in this country, you just have to be willing to find it. The fact that Donald Trump blocked you on Twitter tells us a lot about who you are as a human being. Aside from that amazing factoid, who ARE you? How would your friends describe you? I can’t with that man. He has nothing better to do than block people on Twitter? We as a country have never seen anything like this. I will be happy when he and his entire family are a distant memory. He is a despicable human being and has unearthed a horrifying population in this country. That being said, I think my friends would describe me as kind [laughing]. I’m a very easy-going, fun-loving person most of the
time. I’ve been a little more stressed out since November 9, 2016, but we’re making it through with a little (a lot) of day drinking. I’m definitely the therapist with my friends. I give sound advice and am loving and generous. I just don’t always follow said advice, but who does? They would also say I’m an excellent dancer. If you were to describe yourself as a force of nature what would it be and why? I would probably describe myself as an earthquake. I like to shake things up a bit, put some cracks in people’s foundations, make them think. Not like the Northridge earthquake or anything like that. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want some confusion, like, “Was that an earthquake or just really good sex?” Know what I mean? What are your current projects and where can people find you? I’ve been recording a web series called “Out In Left Field.” You can find that on Advocate.com. I sometimes do quick videos, but there are longer interviews with some incredible people from the LGBTQ community as well. I’m touring all over the country doing stand-up, and I’m also hosting and doing live auctions for major black tie galas and awards shows around the country for organizations I believe in and support, like The Human Rights Campaign, The Trevor Project, GLAAD, and Equality California. I would love if people followed me on Twitter and Instagram @dgcomedy. You can also follow my tour schedule at danagoldberg. com.
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Classic Cruising COMES TO NASHVILLE Lambda’s Grand Ole Invitational Arrives DAVID CHONTOFALSKY
“I didn’t know there was a gay car club . . . did you? ” Well, there is—one with over 2,000 members nationally—and Middle Tennessee has one of the 32 local chapters! Lambda Car Club has been around for many years. Since 1981, in fact. Before the days of the internet, social media and phones with apps, the only way get likeminded folks together was ads in local, gay-friendly newspapers. It all started with an ad in Hemming’s Motor News, aka the ‘Old Car Owner’s Bible.’ This was a group of guys who didn’t feel accepted in other car clubs or comfortable bringing their significant other to outings and events. So, they decided to start their own club. And it was called GOCOS, Gay Old Car Owners Society. That name didn’t stick around too long, as we quickly realized that many car enthusiast didn’t own any cars but loved them none the less. That’s how Lambda Car Club started out. With John Ball—the man drove everywhere in a 1941 Buick Roadmaster—at the helm, the club got its start, and by just a year later, smaller local regions were starting to spring up.
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In 1982, I was living in Allentown,
Pennsylvania—which is today a Philly suburb—and working for a family owned Oldsmobile franchise. I was browsing the PGN (Philadelphia Gay News) newspaper, and there was a small ad about the formation of a Philly-based chapter of a newly formed gay car club. I went to the address on South Street in Philly provided in the ad, and met a super group of guys, who all loved cars! I was a member of other car clubs, but none that allowed me to open up and be me. This club had—and has—a different dynamic than more mainstream car clubs. Being a gay man with a passion for cars puts a twist on the gay stereotypes… But where most car clubs are based on types of cars, this club is more based on the people first, and the cars second, which has made it a lot more fun. Owning a car was never a requirement, just the passion for anything automotive was all that was needed. With more local regions forming, Regional Hosted Events started springing up, and then came the Grand Invitationals. The Grand Invitational is what is considered
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the “big” National Event for the club, where, once a year, one region hosts a four- to fiveday event showcasing their city with mostly car-related events. Fast forward to spring of 2008, in Nashville, Tennessee. As Lambda Car Club continued to grow on a national level, an ad was placed locally in Out And About Newspaper and online on Craigslist. A group of 20 people gathered at what used to be the OutLoud Bookstore on Nashville’s Church Street, and John Muller, the then national president of Lambda, gave a presentation pitch for those of us who wanted to see a local chapter start in Tennessee. This how the Cumberland Region of Lambda Car Club was formed. In 2018, just ten years later, the Cumberland Region has grown to include about 50 members, and we have been tasked with hosting the first ever Cumberland Region Grand Invitational, dubbed “The Grand Ole Invitational”. With strong attendance from nearby regions, including Atlanta, St Louis, Chicago, and Detroit, we are expecting around 350 people to attend, with about 200 cars.
The Cumberland Region Grand Ole Invitational is a five-day event that’s closed to registered attendees only, with the exception of the car show. The fun starts Wednesday May 23, 2018, and includes daily events and a few road trips, culminating on Sunday, May 27, with a car show, awards banquet, and live entertainment provided by Ty Herndon. The car show is the only event with attendance open to the public. It starts Sunday, May 27, 2018, at 10 a.m. and continues until 3:00 p.m. at the host hotel, the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, located at 700 Cool Springs Boulevard, Franklin, Tennessee. If you love cars, and would enjoy socializing with other LGBT and LGBT-friendly people who have an interest in all things automotive and want to get in on the fun, it’s not too late to become a member (you must join the national organization then join the local region). For more information about the national club, visit lcci-car.clubexpress. com. Visit the Cumberland Region’s website at lcccumberland.com and their Facebook page at facebook.com/groups/ LCCICumberland.
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Lambda Car Club Why I’m A Member J.C. CONWAY
One of the many things I like about the Lambda Car Club is that it’s as much a social club as a car club. We hold a monthly cruise-ins/meet-andgreet events year ‘round. But, in the colder months especially, we have members that will host movie nights, usually with a car-themed movie, drive-n-dines to local restaurants, and pizza nights at collectible car consignment shops. In the summer we host pool parties and boat trips on the lake. In the fall, we organize a three-day Fall Color tour that is always a lot of fun and well attended. These events give non-car partners a chance to join in. Of course, we do a lot of car-specific activities, such as hosting howto clinics for mechanical work, organizing salvage yard excursions, and participating in car shows. I’ve been a member since 1989 and I met my husband through the club 20-some odd years ago. A good number of my friends are club members. There are many car clubs around the city, and most are much more open to gay people that in the past, but Lambda is different, not only in its activities but in the variety of cars that our members collect: from luxury cars to economy cars, exotics to trucks, old and new, trailer queens and diamonds in the rough, our cars run the gamut. I’ve been a “car nut” since I was a tyke, so seeing these great cars and often being able to ride and drive them is a real treat.
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2018 Grand Ole Invitational Events It’s an exciting time for Nashville to host the Grand Invitational, having become an “It” city in recent years. Several hundred classic and collectible automobile enthusiasts and their cars from all over the country will converge on Nashville for an entire week, visiting local businesses and attractions. The Grand Invitational is also open to sister car club members in the Freewheelers and Great Autos clubs. This is an event you won’t want to miss!
Tuesday May 22nd 5–7pm: Registration
continues throughout the event, daily from 7–9 a.m., noon–2 p.m., 5–7 p.m.
Wednesday May 23rd
9AM: Depart hotel for Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg, TN 3PM: Reception at Streetside Classics, Lavergne, TN
Thursday May 24th
9AM: Depart hotel for National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, KY box lunch provided
6-9pm: Welcome Reception at Hotel
Friday May 25th
8:30AM: Depart hotel for Willis Johnson car collection, Franklin, TN 11:45AM: Lane Motor Museum, Nashville, TN box lunch provided 7PM: Gay Ole Opry tentative
Saturday May 26th
9AM: Depart hotel for downtown Nashville Ryman Auditorium, Country Music Hall of Fame, Johnny Cash Museum, Patsy Cline Museum, Broadway honkey tonks
9PM: Tail Light Glow at host hotel
Sunday May 27th
10AM: Car Show begins lunch from food trucks provided 11AM: Silent Auction begins 2-3PM: ClubExpress Demo 3PM: Car Show and Silent Auction end 3-4PM: LCCI Member Meeting 5PM: Happy Hour Reception AND payment for Silent Auction items 6PM: BANQUET 7PM: AWARDS SHOW 22
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JAMES GRADY
Last month, RuPaul’s Drag Race was just heating up when we had a chance to chat with East Tennessee’s own drag superstar, Eureka. We caught up with her about her career, how she got started, and what she could tell us about this season so far. You know we had a good time, and got some good stories out of this one! TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT HOW YOU GOT YOUR START IN DRAG! I got my show start here in Johnson City, Tennessee. I was a student at East Tennessee State University… I just got started because I went out in drag one night for fun and was having fun with some of the locals here. There were a few groups that said … you know, you should do it more often. I started doing some talent shows and working with PFLAG in the Tricities and Tennessee Equality project as an entertainer as a way to also be a part of the organizations and to give back, to have a bit of a larger voice. Then I started working here locally every other weekend and making pretty good money—as a college student it’s always nice to be making a little extra money. So that’s kind of where I got started… YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE “OUT IN DRAG” WHEN YOU GOT STARTED…WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO GO OUT IN DRAG TO BEGIN WITH? Well, I have a weird story about that actually [laughing]… When I was a high school student, I was using a fake ID—it was my cousin’s ID—to go to the bar when I was trying to ‘discover’ my LGBT-friendly self. Whenever I turned 18, I was terrified to go in with my regular ID—I just knew I was going to go to jail or whatever. I was young and silly. Then the ID I was using expired, and they wouldn’t take it anymore! So I had this grand idea: ‘Oh, if I go out in drag, then they won’t know I’m the same person!’ So I would always go out in drag for the longest time, and so that’s kind of where she came from… She just kinda popped up on the scene! Eureka is after my mom’s name, cause I’m named after my dad… So Eureka was born, honey! WHAT WAS IT LIKE HEARING YOU HAD GOTTEN ON DRAG RACE THE FIRST TIME? I got the call in the middle of my nap. I thought it was a dream when I legitimately woke up. I went to the restroom and looked at my phone and noticed I had a call. So I had to call the office and be like, “This is Eureka… Did I speak to someone in your office? Could I speak to them again?” And so I spoke to one of the casting directors and said, “Did you call me?” and they said, UTA N D A BitOon UTN ASH V I L L E .CO M MARCH 2018 “Yeah, Oyou made the show!” 24
So I flipped out, dropped my phone in the toilet—it was so dramatic. I grabbed the phone out of the toilet and drove to my mom’s house. My mom was ecstatic—she was so happy for me! I had talked about if for years. WHO DID YOU MEET THAT YOU INITIALLY THOUGHT YOU MIGHT NOT CLICK WITH THAT YOU ENDED UP REALLY ENJOYING? I honestly think Charlie Hides, for me, for season nine, was definitely one of those people. I was unclear … obviously she told me to shut up pretty aggressively in the second episode, so I was like, ‘I don’t think I’m gonna like this ho!’ But I ended up falling in love with her— she’s a hard-working gal. Sometimes you gotta respect your elders! WE ALL KNOW HOW THAT SEASON ENDED FOR YOU. WHAT WAS THE RECEPTION YOU GOT BACK HOME OR WHILE TRAVELING? The fans were disappointed because I went home early of course, but there was also a feeling that I went home fourth… The fans got to see some of me but maybe not enough to get invested, you know? But I got a lot of love and support, for sure, from drag queens, and from fans. At Drag Con, so many people came to see me just to check on how my knee was doing… AT WHAT POINT DID YOU REALIZE YOU WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO ON SEASON TEN? I literally got approved by my doctor two weeks before filming. So I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go. And then also my mom was sick—well she is sick, but she was going through chemo and radiation really heavily right before filming. I almost stayed out of filming for that as well. So it was definitely a weird situation… My life is like a Lifetime series. SO, WITH ALL THAT GOING ON, WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GO BACK INTO THE WORKROOM? It was a lot of pressure, but it was awful exciting, and I had a lot of anxiety—that’s probably the best way to describe my reaction in the beginning. When I first got there, and no one really knew that I was coming back. There was a little shock when I was there. There was a little bit of bitterness, maybe, or people thinking that I have the upper hand. I quickly proved that I did not! I was nervous…It took me a minute to get out of my head. WERE THERE THINGS THAT YOU PREPARED FOR, OR THINGS THAT YOU HAD LEARNED, THAT YOU KIND OF BROUGHT TO THIS SEASON? I watched myself on TV, so I got to kind of see myself in that element. And I thought that I’d changed more about myself than apparently I did! It’s kind of hard because you can’t prepare yourself for that situation like you think you can. You prepare yourself, thinking it’s going to be the same way that it was before. But it’s a whole new group of people, it’s a whole new circumstance, and challenges. I watched all the episodes, during my down time from surgery. I really just kind of worked on my confidence, the direction that I wanted to present myself on the show—which was all out the window
once the anxiety monster started eating at my head the first day! People look at it like such an advantage, mentally, and there are a handful of advantages. Like I was able to maybe work on looks—on certain hair or certain outfits, like maybe a finale dress, or things that you know are coming. But you don’t get a list of costumes until you find out that you’re definitely filming. And you don’t get that list until the weeks before going to filming… There were also a handful of disadvantages … going back into the competition, being with a whole group of girls that the judges haven’t seen, so they have the element of surprise. My biggest disadvantage was they already knew who Eureka was. It was hard to reach ‘shock and awe,’ so I had to really turn up the heat to get that same exciting response… Then judges are like, “Whoa, we’re used to you being so much more confident, so much more exciting and happy and jolly in general!” And I was just eating myself alive with anxiety, so I had to get rid of that heavy rope. HAD YOU MET ANY OF THESE QUEENS? I had met a few of the girls. I randomly met Miz Cracker when I was filming my music for body positivity that week in New York. And I had literally didn’t realize it was the same person until a week into competing. She’s like, “You don’t remember me from brunch?” And I was like “No.” She was like, “Bitch, you bought the wig off my head!” She was Brianna Cracker then—she’s only been Miz Cracker for like the last year apparently, I guess. But I was completely floored by that. SAME QUESTION AS BEFORE: ARE THERE PEOPLE THIS SEASON THAT YOU KIND OF CLICKED WITH? Kameron Michaels for sure. The first day, before we came out, we were split up into groups of two, and put in these holding rooms for the premiere episode... Me and Kameron were in the same room, and I got to know her the first day. She’s from Tennessee, and we just had so much in common. Randomly, throughout the season, we’ve gotten closer... We kind of ... she’s not a talker and I’m a talker… It’s perfect because she loves to listen! But it’s so hard, I love them all. But there’s definitely a lot of them that I just adore. WHAT’S THE MORE CRINGE WORTHY MOMENT THAT YOU’VE HAD WATCHING THE SHOW WITH OTHER PEOPLE? My exit for sure … maybe. I don’t know… I would have to say, it’s definitely the lipstick episode this season, because just being in a bar full of people, seeing yourself at such a weak moment, on TV. Reliving those emotions that you’re going through, and that fear of going home after all the hard work to get back, was very intimidating to do in a bar full of people.
There was a lot Eureka couldn’t share at the time of our interview since only three episodes had aired. Be sure to check back with us after this season—hopefully we can get her on the line again! @OUTANDABOUTNASH
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ALAN CUMMING
2015
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5/5/16 11:30 AM
SOULS UNITED SERVES NASHVILLE’S HOMELESS LGBT-FOUNDED ORGANIZATION PROVIDES HOPE DAVID BRASHER
Each Wednesday, Sheldon Diggs gets up early to prepare and cook meals for approximately 50 people in the Nashville community. He arrives at First Lutheran Church around 10 a.m. and begins his prep work—peeling potatoes, seasoning meats, dicing onions—doing whatever necessary to ensure a healthy, balanced meal is being made. While the food is simmering, he walks around the church to greet and engage with those who have already started lining up for lunch. After he has spoken to everyone, he hops back into the kitchen to put final touches on the food. The meals are ready around noon, and Sheldon along with a few volunteers, begin the hour-long task of serving the dozens of men, women, and children who have shown up for a bite to eat. From speaking with Sheldon, you’d think he owned a restaurant and acted as the manager, the host, the cook, the waiter, and the dishwasher. He juggles multiple duties to ensure each detail is taken care of and everyone is served. But this isn’t a restaurant. Sheldon is the founder of Souls United, an organization dedicated to feeding and serving Nashville’s homeless population. Souls United was founded in July of 2017 after Sheldon felt compelled to help those in need. He started with a single table outside at Church Street Park, serving food he provided himself. “I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just knew this was something I wanted to do, so I just started doing it,” said the 38-year-old. It didn’t take long for the food on the table to disappear, which proved to Sheldon his services were much needed. “I had to use the resources I already had,” he explained. “I started asking friends for donations, and I started putting up Facebook posts for additional help. I got such a good feeling from it. I always wanted to feed people because I am a cook, so I knew I found my passion.” As Sheldon’s passion began growing, more and more people started showing up. Before long, Sheldon’s single table wasn’t big enough to support all the food and a bigger space was needed. The same year Souls United was founded, First Lutheran Nashville offered their church as a shelter for the growing organization. While the main focus of Souls United is to feed those who are hungry, the church serves as a much-needed sanctuary for those experiencing the trauma and stress of homelessness. There are board games and a TV to help boost morale. It offers a place to do laundry and a place to shower, both for personal hygiene, as well as to get cleaned up for a job interview. There is love and compassion and an all-around sense of community for the dozens of people who have nowhere else to go. That devotion to the community can be seen in Souls United’s mission: Remember those who may have been forgotten. Our brothers and sisters living in the streets. Helping to nourish their bodies, and where possible their souls, through expressions of caring. Sheldon and his team of volunteers work around the clock to collect donations, such as clothing, shoes, and toiletries. They also go out in the community to talk to the homeless population, both to learn what is most needed and to lend an ear to those who may be lonely. They recruit other volunteers and speak to businesses about getting involved. The work never really ends. Other groups, including Room in the Inn and Nashville Rescue Mission run similar organizations but with more volunteers and funding. Sheldon, meanwhile, is operating virtually on his own, working well over 40 hours a week. And with new people showing up each week, Sheldon finds himself working more and more.
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As Nashville grows, so does its homeless population. A 2016 Tennessean article reported that, while homelessness was decreasing in major neighboring cities such as Atlanta and Louisville, Nashville’s homeless population increased by nearly 10%, putting it around 23,000 people. Among those thousands are parents, students, and veterans. “It’s easy to assume that these people are taking advantage of the system, and that’s not true,” said Sheldon. “These people need the help, and we are here for them. Many of these people don’t have identification to get a job or struggle with a disability so aren’t able to work. These individuals need any assistance we can offer them.” Souls United isn’t just impacting the over 3,500 people the organization has fed. It is also affecting its founder. “As someone who identifies with those suffering from mental illness and homelessness. This helps me,” stated Sheldon. “It’s also a reminder that I do have a place to stay. I do know how I can get from one place to another. I do know where my next meal is coming from.” At 18, Sheldon enlisted in the army during the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” era. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual or service members or applicants, while barring openly gay, lesbian, or bisexual persons from military service. The policy kept Sheldon closeted during the nearly three years he served. Transitioning from the military to civilian life wasn’t easy for Sheldon. It left him confused and alone to deal with mental issues and feelings of not being accepted. “I got impacted,” said Sheldon. “I can identify with these people— people with illness or difficulty with their families. Homelessness is an issue because of several reasons. I have had friends who were homeless. I have been practically homeless myself, not to the point where I was living on the streets, but I honestly struggled with being ex-military and
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then having issues related to that. I felt like I needed to be there for the people. I connect and resonate with them.” Sheldon’s connection with the homeless population not only fueled his desire to help feed the hungry, but also to ensure they had other important resources they needed. Over the last few months, temperatures have dipped below freezing. Souls United worked to collect sleeping bags, blankets, scarves, knit hats and hand warmers to make certain the community stayed as warm as possible. Expanding the organization to doing more than just provide a weekly meal does come with its fair share of problems, though. Resources such as food, clothing, toiletries and bus passes are needed, as well as additional volunteers. Souls United asks for any volunteers available to give back to the community by donating their time. Volunteers come in all ages and backgrounds: some are retired and some work full time jobs. But all leave Souls United with a greater appreciation for the work that Sheldon is doing. These efforts are seen first-hand by those who know Tony. Tony, a Nashville native, has been coming to get a meal weekly from Souls United for the last nine months. Recently, Tony came to Souls United with a big smile on his face. Tony couldn’t keep it in anymore, “I finally have my own apartment. I am no longer living on the streets!” Sheldon sees testimonies like Tony’s all the time and knows that the work Souls United is doing is helping, but there is still a lot of work left to do. “Nashville is a very expensive place to live. “It’s great that our city is growing and prospering, but we can’t forget about the people. We are humans. You can’t treat people any other way. We can’t give up on humanity.” To learn more about Souls United or to donate or volunteer, please visit soulsunited.org.
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Part 4: Nicaragua SUNNY EATON IS A LOCAL ATTORNEY AND 4-TIME NOMINEE FOR OUT & ABOUT’S GAY FAVES. HER WIFE, KARIN BALSLEY IS A NETWORK ENGINEER. THEY HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR 6 YEARS AND LIVE IN EAST NASHVILLE. SUNNY AND KARIN LEFT EVERYTHING BEHIND TO TAKE A TWO-YEAR DRIVE, WITH THEIR DOG, THROUGH MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA. THEIR STORY HAS BEEN FEATURED IN CURVE AND WAND’RLY MAGAZINE AND EXPEDITIONPORTAL.COM. THEY ARE WORKING ON A BOOK TITLED I CAN. I WILL: WOMEN OVERLANDING THE WORLD, EXPECTED TO PRINT IN SPRING OF 2018.
For the 3rd part of our four-part series, they invite you to join them on the journey.
El Salvador was difficult to leave. With its cliffs, warm ocean waters, soft sands, pupusas and modern capital city, it had all of the makings for a long-term or even permanent stay. There is no telling how long we may have lingered if not for a housesit in the southern zone of Costa Rica that we had secured. Housesitting is one of the tools we learned to use for more affordable and interesting travel. Essentially, there are websites that you subscribe to that allow you to connect with families that need people to watch their homes while they are away. Sometimes this involves taking care of pets or pools and gardens, but usually it’s just maintaining a presence in the home. The downside: there were two countries between El Salvador and Costa Rica—Honduras and Nicaragua—and we had roughly 7 weeks to get thru them. We made the decision to explore Honduras on our route home, and for the first time, we crossed more than one international border in a single day, reaching Nicaragua late in the afternoon. On our way to the border, we also experienced our first real shakedown by the local police. We had been stopped and harassed before but had always been able to quickly diffuse the situation, usually with laughter. This was different. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t scary, we weren’t being threatened, but this
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police officer was standing his ground and insisting that we were breaking a variety of laws. We weren’t. In these situations, the most important rules are that you are in no hurry and that you speak as little Spanish as possible. Once again, this proved to be the right strategy, and we went on our way, reaching the border with little delay. To this point in our trip, we had experienced heat—sweaty, sticky, heat. What we had not experienced was the standing-at-the-gates-of-hell-begging-tobe-let-in-to-escape-the-heat kind of heat that we found in Nicaragua. Y’all, it was HOT. Nicaragua is home to the famed “ring of fire,” a giant circle of active volcanoes. Our first night was spent camping next to the youngest active volcano in Central America, Cerro Negro. The next morning, a grueling hike on steamy, black gravel brought us to the top, where we put on heat-resistant suits and rode heavy wooden boards (volcano boarding) back to the bottom. It was a bucket-list experience, one that I’m glad we did and that I probably don’t need to do again. We made the most of our short time in Nicaragua, visiting several volcanoes and many beaches along the famed Mosquito Coast. For the second time on our journey, we camped among howler monkeys. Nicaraguan howler monkeys were smaller and less aggressive than the howlers we
had encountered in southern Mexico, but they were more abundant. It was hard to walk under any tree without fear of a monkey urinating in your direction. The tourist centers of Nicaragua are the sleepy, surf town of San Juan Del Sur (SJDS) and the colonial city of Granada. SJDS is breathtaking, with warm blue waters and surrounding cliffs lit up by hillside homes. We tried our hand again at surfing and were not much better at it. In SJDS we came face to face with crocodiles for the first time since Belize and had to abandon several potential campsites because of hand-scrawled signs saying things in Spanish like “Lagartos Peligroso!” or “Dangerous Lizards!” We knew what that meant. In Granada, we stayed at a grand hotel owned by an elderly American woman who spent her free time traveling by motorcycle through Mongolia and creating independent films. Granada, an artist mecca, has a healthy gay community, complete with a gaggle of drag queens passing by us towards a party we became eager to find. In Nica, no matter where we went, there was music playing, the smells of traditional foods in the air, neighbors socializing, senior citizens sitting in rocking chairs on the sidewalks, all side-by-side with abject poverty – the result of a people egregiously neglected by their own government. It
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was the first place we encountered where being poor truly equated to poverty and hopelessness. Finally, we headed south again, to Costa Rica. We had been to Costa Rica previously, on short vacations. It was the country that inspired us to travel thru the rest of Central America. Coming back felt like the closing of a circle—a return to the beginning. Costa Rica never disappoints. Although it has a touristy, the real Costa Rica is as vibrant with local culture and can be as inexpensive as many of the other countries we had visited. Within seconds of crossing the border, the leaves became greener, the air became cooler, and the roadside tropical fruits became more abundant. We were excited about the house sit in Costa Rica because it was a mansion, with a pool, on a jungle mountain, overlooking the ocean—by far, our fanciest housesit to date. But we had a few weeks left to explore before needing to head south. We began on the Nicoya Peninsula. I contacted a guy that I had been following on Instagram, a Costa Rican overlander named Christopher. I suggested to him that we go camping together at his favorite off the beaten path spots. Christopher spoke very little English and we, very poor Spanish but despite this fact and him knowing nothing about us, he drove four hours to meet us the next day, and we spent the next several days camping in some of the most beautiful and memorable places of our trip. This is the biggest distinction between the people we met in Central America and the United States: there is an openness and trustfulness that we, as a culture, simply do not have. So many times, we pulled up to the home of a stranger and asked if we could camp in their yard for a night, and never once were we turned away. Often, we were invited inside for dinner and given Wi-Fi passwords or a plug to charge our laptops. The hospitality was endless. After our time on the Nicoya, we headed for the city of San José. Before this journey, we had paid close attention to the safety warnings and advice of others to stay clear of San Jose, but now we had learned that those warnings are almost never accurate and often meant missing out on the best experiences. San José was no exception. IT IS A GREAT CITY. It has a vibrant restaurant and art scene, with more
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than forty gay bars and dance clubs and gay couples openly holding hands on the street. From San Jose we did the surrounding, more well known tourist activities like Arenal Volcano and Lake, the cloud forest at Montevideo, and Manuel Antonio, another LGBTQ hotspot where we stayed at an all gay resort called the Villa Roca. Although catering predominantly to men, when we showed up we were welcomed and immediately became the belles of the ball. Oh, and there were more crocodiles. Costa Rica is the wildlife epicenter of Central America. Scarlet macaws fill the skies and treetops, iguanas run in and out of buildings at will, sloths are regularly seen hanging from electrical wires. Toucans zoom past your face like fighter jets heading to battle. And monkeys GALORE: white-faced capuchins, small squirrel monkeys, playful spider monkeys, and, of course, howler monkeys. Finally, we reached our destination of Dominicál. Dominicál features beautiful beaches and is heavily populated with Americans into new age, “conscious” philosophies and practices. As I’ve said before, this trip was a unique opportunity to explore the parts of yourself that the real world has so little patience for. While in Dominicál, we did a lot of yoga, lathered ourselves in volcanic blue clay, and swam in crystal clear rivers, and I participated in an Ayahuasca ceremony
that changed my life (for the better). We also tried, at the prompting of our rawvegan chef housemate, a completely raw diet. I was cynical but after seven weeks of eating this way, with the abundant tropical fruits and vegetables of Costa Rica, I can say I’ve never felt healthier. Before leaving Costa Rica, we traveled to the Caribbean side of the country, Puerto Viejo, with all of the islander, rasta culture of Belize, but none of the sketchiness. From there, we ventured down to Bocas del Toro in Panama, where we stayed in a jungle treehouse overlooking crystal blue waters. Upon our return to Costa Rica, we went to the Bahia de Drake, a peninsula and protected area that can only be reached by boat. We spent a total of 90 days in Costa Rica and two weeks in Panama. Having breathed in more freedom and personal growth than I can explain, we were not ready to leave. We tried everything to extend our car import permit for a longer stay but it proved impossible. With the Darien Gap between us and South America, the only thing left to do was turn around, head north and do it all again. To learn more about our journey and upcoming adventures (Canada and South America are next up!), please follow us on instagram @thevagabroads, or check out our website www.vagabroads.com . We have a book coming out next month called I Can. I Will: Women Overlanding the World, which can be purchased through the website.
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COUNSELING & PSYCHIATRIC HEALTH
SHOPPING
East Side Smiles (Dentistry) 7 North 10th Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-227-2400 | eastsidesmile.net
Barbara Sanders, LCSW / John Waide,PhD,LCSW (Individual & Couples Therapy) 2016- 21St Ave South | 615-414-2553 2323- 21st Ave South, Ste .401 | 615-400-5911 Nashville, TN 37212 dignitytherapynashville.com
Hayes Nissan Rivergate, Tim McIntyre 1550 Gallatin Road North Madison, TN 37115 352-454-4145 | nissanofrivergate.com
Look East (Optometrist) 1011 Gallatin Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-928-2281 | lookeastnashville.com Christopher May DC (Chiropractic) 2933 Berry Hill Drive Nashville, TN 37204 615-220-0777 | doctormay.net Cool Springs Internal Medicine & Pediatrics Bradley Bullock, MD 1607 Westgate Circle, Ste 200 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-376-8195 | coolspringsinternalmedicine.com Nashville Pharmacy Services 100 Oaks Plaza 615-371-1210 Skyline Medical 615-724-0066 npspharmcay.com SPIRITUALITY Covenant of the Cross 752 Madison Square Madison, TN 37115 615-612-5040 | covenantofthecross.com Holy Trinity Community Church 6727 Charlotte Pike Nashville TN 37209 615-352-3838 | htccnashville.com PERFORMING ARTS Nashville Symphony Schermerhorn Symphony Center One Symphony Place Nashville, TN 37201 615-687-6400 | nashvillesymphony.org
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS PLAY Dance Bar 1519 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-322-9627 | playdancebar.com Tribe 1517 Church Street | Nashville, TN 37203 615-329-2912 | tribenashville.com REAL ESTATE Sheila Barnard, Realtor THE REALTY ASSOCIATION 1305 Murfreesboro Rd | Nashville, TN 37212 615-385-9010 sheilabarnard.realtyassociation.com Kate Nelson, Realtor VILLAGE REAL ESTATE 2206 21st Ave South, Ste. 200 Nashville, TN 37212 615-383-6964 | realestatewithkate.com ORGANIZATIONS Nashville Humane Association 213 Oceola Avenue | Nashville, TN 37209 615-352-1010 | nashvillehumane.org
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Bart Durham Injury Law Office 404 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37219 615-338-6177 | bartdurham.com John Cannon Studios 1108-C Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206 615-496-1259 | johncannonart.com Papa & Roberts, PLLC, Attorney and Consultants Benjamin Papa/ Attorney & Mediator 1612 Westgate Circle. Ste 220 Brentwood, TN 37027 615-767-5900 | PapaRoberts.com Bail U Out Bonding 306 Gay Street Suite G-2 Nashville, TN 37201 615-254-9555 | bailuoutbonding.com PET SERVICES Wags & Whiskers Pet Supplies & Dog Wash 1008 Forrest Avenue Nashville, TN 37206 615-228-9249 | wagsandwiskersnashville.com
Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 330971 | Nashville, TN 37203 615-507-5185 | nashvillelgbtchamber.org
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Shake it up.
Stir it up.
SINCE 1888 34
O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
FourRosesBourbon.com
MAY 2018
Be mellow. Be responsible.
OVER
the RAINBOW
JULIE CHASE | @notninahagen
I had never been to Memphis before and I was lost. This was fitting in more ways than one. I would like to think that the mutual blessing our tribe shares grants me a certain amount of insight into what other people struggling with bigotry and Injustice have to deal with on a regular basis. But two spring days in Memphis would teach me otherwise, and I would not be the only one. The Rev. Alaina Kaylin Cobb and I had quickly discovered that we did not need GPS to find our destination. We just had to follow the people going to “where the road of ‘The Prophet’ leads,” per my friend. The site is a former motel that has been turned into a teaching museum. The day was the anniversary of a death. You can guess it. We arrived there soon after the official ceremonies were over. It was approximately fifteen minutes past the time when—fifty years before—someone fired the fatal shot at a Baptist minister in town fighting for social justice. The emotions are still raw. A crowd of all colors took turns doing what Alaina and I did: reflecting, grieving and acknowledging our debt to Dr. King and those who marched with him. Our own struggle for full freedom started with these heroes, and some of our tribe were there back then. Our struggles have been complicatedly intertwined. We can agree though that those who fight for social justice are heroes. We can grieve together...and learn. Just a little bit earlier, Alaina and I had worked discreetly, sitting in the Press corner of the Memphis Convention Center watching another event unfold. The occasion was a special conference by the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission to commemorate the teaching and legacy of Dr. King. We covered it live on Out & About Nashville’s Twitter feed because what the SBC does tends to make ripples in the everyday South. We watched a parade of AfricanAmericans from all backgrounds step up to
the platform over those two days, telling the mostly Caucasian members of the SBC spread out in front that they had more work to do. They had made progress, but bigotry was on the rise again, and this time it would have to be the descendants of those Southern Baptists who had run away to the suburbs to stand up and face the hate. In return, more than a few members and leaders of the SBC publicly acknowledged a hard truth. The SBC had grown strong on the backs of a contemporary bigotry and racism as part of a protest movement against what we would call “multiculturalism” today, and while they had improved, there was still a long way to go. They do not hate and do not want to be associated with those who do. They were listening, and they were asking for help. It wasn’t perfect. Alaina would be the first to tweet that out, but it was a good start. There comes a time every now and then for reflections, and the 50th anniversary of a murder during one of the most frightening times in modern American history will sober anyone up for a few days—even supposedly teetotaling Southern Baptists. The mostly white and suburban Southern Baptists who were laid out in front of me mean well, and treated Alaina and me with respect, even as open LGBTQ people. (As an aside: we had no problems whatsoever using the women’s facilities as transgender women. Anyone who argues that there should be bathroom bills needs to have a chat with the SBC members present.) They are ay least trying to acknowledge that they have much to learn about other cultures. Some have openly admitted to being scared and taking actions that they shouldn’t have as a result of inherited bigotry, and fear. Charlottesville and the rise of open hate in modern America have opened many of their eyes, and at the very least they are trying to listen and engage.
ILLUSTRATION: MELISSA GAY
T WO DAYS IN MEMPH IS
SBC - you did the right thing here. Now continue down this path and walk back that “Nashville Statement,” which will go down in history in the same light as what you said and did in the days of Dr. King and the original Civil Rights movement. Take steps to welcome home the LGBTQ people who share your heritage. They believe what you believe: many of your daughters and sons just want to come home as they really are and live as themselves. If you can do what you did in Memphis, you can do this. Don’t wait fifty more years. You are a good people who do good things. We know that. Whenever there is a disaster that calls for a quick response, the Southern Baptists usually respond, doing what they can to help people in need, no questions asked. Do not let fear, pride or peculiar interpretations of Christian scripture block this path. That is the lesson from this conference. Learn from those who fight bigotry. The bigots used that same scripture to hurt people of color for centuries, and many of you acknowledged this fact last month. Find a way. You can do it, and we’re ready to help you. Be like Dr. King. Be brave.
Julie Chase is the pen name for a local trans woman.
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GRIZZLIES’ BACHELOR AUCTION RETURNED TO PLAY GREAT PACKAGES SOLD FOR GOOD CAUSES
PHOTOS: JAMES GRADY
Each year, Nashville’s Grizzlies take to Church Street and turn your favorite bars into a literal meat market, auctioning off date packages with some of the team’s fan favorites. This year’s “bachelors” included Tavarus, Bobby, Travis, Seamus, Key, and Josh, who were auctioned off by PLAY Dance Bar’s own Brooke Lynn Hytes. Each bachelor came with his own amazing date package that included dinner, something fun and unique to do on the date, and a haircut! This year the Grizzlies raised money for the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) and to get themselves to the 2018 Bingham Cup in Amsterdam. The TEP is a 501c3 organization, founded in 2004, that engages state and local governments in Tennessee on behalf of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. TEP fights anti-LGBT legislation at the state level and is active in local governments throughout the state, helping to advance non-discrimination and partner benefits, among other measures, in East, West, and Middle Tennessee. The Bingham Cup—named after Mark Bingham, who died on board United Airlines Flight 93 during the 9/11 attacks—was first held in 2002 as a way to promote rugby as an all-inclusive, non-discriminatory sport in which everyone can play, regardless of sexuality. The Grizzlies want to thank everyone who came out to PLAY on April 13 to help the boys raise some funds and get to Amsterdam! And if you couldn’t make it, there’s surely another opportunity to throw some cash at them in the near future.
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Miranda’s
ADULT STORES
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Gay DVD’s starting at $4.99 Largest selection of gay products in Tennessee
GAY OWNED AND OPERATED Nashville
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Nashville – 636 Old Hickory Boulevard Chattanooga – 7734 Lee Highway Knoxville – 230 Papermill Place Way
Buy • Sell • Trade www.mckaybooks.com
Find Something You Want Now posting great McKay finds on Facebook & Twitter!
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“With Nashville growing as fast as it is, we really need a renewable energy option.” We listened.
Thanks to the voice of our customers, what once was a landfill off I-65 is now the site of Nashville’s first solar park. Music City Solar offers clean, efficient, maintenance-free energy and is the first step toward a more sustainable Nashville. Together, we can bring about powerful change. For information on how to purchase or donate solar panels, please visit our website. O U T A N D A B O U T N A S H V I L L E .CO M
MAY 2018
g o s o l a r m u s i c c i t y. c o m