In my eyes, travel is synonymous with eating. The first thing I do whenever I reach a new destination is search for the area’s most delicious restaurants—ones that are unique, different than those at home, and that have a great environment. But unfortunately, as a queer, Black person, not all restaurants and businesses are as welcoming as I would like, especially when traveling in the South.…
Georgia
Coming into My Own: Breaking From My Southern Baptist Roots to Become a Queer Sex Educator
Posted on December 4, 2020About a month ago, my godmother asked me a question: Jasmine, who are you? The first thought that came to my mind was, “Would you like to know who I truly am, or just who you want me to be?” The truth is that I am a Black, queer Millennial. And as someone who has grown up in the Millennial generation, I have worked hard to develop my own interpretations of who and what I am and to not define…
TRANScending Barriers: Atlanta-based Nonprofit Helps Trans People Acclimate to Life After Incarceration
Posted on November 1, 2019TRANScending Barriers isn’t your average nonprofit. An Atlanta-based re-entry program geared toward helping transgender individuals acclimate back into society after incarceration, it is a vital lifeline for the trans community it serves. Although the US transgender population now exceeds 1.6 million, the trans community continues to face heightened levels of institutional and societal discrimination. Add other intersectional identities, such as race, into the mix and that discrimination increases.…
Queer, Southern, and In Love: ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ and Quintessential Lesbian Literature
Posted on July 5, 2019I must have been around 13 years old the first time my mom showed me the film Fried Green Tomatoes. She said it was a film about fierce southern women working together to beat the odds and succeeding—something she knew a lot about. While my mom is a Yankee through and through, she married a southerner and lived in Tennessee for several years. She fell in love with the land and its history, an admiration reflected in her connection to…
‘Shenandoah’ at Serenbe: Out Theatre Director Brian Clowdus’ Civil War-Era Drama is a Triumph
Posted on April 4, 2019Out theatre director and immersive experience extraordinaire Brian Clowdus doesn’t ask how before laying down a grand plan. The Atlanta-area theatrical pioneer first entered the national spotlight for using an actual helicopter in Serenbe Playhouse’s production of Miss Saigon; he then graced Spectrum South in August 2018 when he sank the set and sent actors plummeting beneath the waves in Serenbe’s Titanic.…
The Southern Roots of LGBTQ Religious Activism: The Curious Story of George Hyde’s Gay Ministry in 1940s Georgia
Posted on December 7, 2018Over the past 50 years, as conflicts over homosexuality have wracked religious denominations across the United States, LGBTQ people have both fought for affirming inclusion within their faith communities and formed distinct groups of their own. When most folks today think about early LGBTQ religious activism, Reverend Troy Perry and the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) spring easily to mind. Perry, a southerner by birth who grew up in northern Florida and was first licensed as a Baptist preacher there at…
TRANS PWR: Atlanta’s Southern Fried Queer Pride Hosts One-Day-Only All-Trans Festival
Posted on November 15, 2018Atlanta’s incomparable and resilient trans community is lighting up the city this Saturday, November 17, with Southern Fried Queer Pride’s TRANS PWR Fest, a one-day-only celebration of trans and non-binary artists, musicians, and community members at The Bakery Atlanta.…
One Man’s Ecstasy: Atlanta’s Serenbe Playhouse
Posted on August 21, 2018We wouldn’t be the first, second, or even third to use the word “intrepid” when describing the work produced by Serenbe Playhouse. The small professional theatre company, located about 30 miles southwest of Atlanta, performs all of its productions on a large expanse of acreage attached to The Inn at Serenbe. Founded in 2009, the playhouse has made a name for itself within the Georgia theatre scene, garnering national attention and press for its bold new works and reimagined classics…
When They Tell Us Fat Bodies Ain’t: This Atlanta Model is Changing the Plus-Size Narrative
Posted on May 25, 2018Miss Eaves’ 2017 hit song “Thunder Thighs”—which became a summer anthem for thick girls everywhere—reverberates through the speakers. Five plus-size models, dressed head-to-toe in vintage ‘80s fashion, strike poses that shamelessly show off the self-love they hold for their bodies (and give Olivia Newton John a run for her money).…
Transouthern Youth: Meet Niko Gonzalez
Posted on April 16, 2018High school sophomore Niko Gonzalez is a one-man revolution. At age 16, this openly trans and gay teenager is sending ripples through his Catholic school and diocese, challenging restroom regulation, and simultaneously paving the way for future generations of queer students.…