The category is: Gaga!
Sep. 10 — This is not a drill, Little Monsters. Lady Gaga is expanding the North American leg of her critically acclaimed “Mayhem Ball” tour and will hit State Farm Arena on March 4-5. Presales start today, and general onsale starts Monday. Links and details here.
And now a few headlines:
⚕️ A federal judge has preliminarily blocked a Georgia law prohibiting prison inmates from receiving gender-affirming care. ⚖️ The Advocate reports that 31 states – including Georgia – still have same-sex marriage bans on the books that would be reactivated if the Supreme Court overturns Obergefell v. Hodges.
👊 Handbags at dawn! Gay Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch another finance official who had allegedly been badmouthing him to Trump during a fancy dinner in D.C. last week.
🏳️⚧️ The U.S. Justice Department is facing backlash from both gun rights groups and LGBTQ+ advocates after reports surfaced that Trump administration officials have discussed restricting transgender people from owning firearms.
👓 The September issue of Georgia Voice is out now and has your complete guide to the Out on Film festival and much more. Read it here.
This goodbye won’t make me cry,
Collin
🎸 Enjoy your very own city soundtrack this fall at Midtown Alliance’s “Live After 5” free outdoor music series. Hear up-and-coming talent on Wednesdays in September and October from 5-7 p.m. at Peachtree and 10th Street. Featuring funk, blues, and more. Details here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Emory says it will ‘discontinue’ DEI programs, offices
🎓 Emory University will “discontinue” programs and offices related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the wake of the Trump administration’s threats to academic funding.
Interim Emory President Leah Ward Sears said in a statement released on Sept. 3 that “a time of changing expectations and new requirements” mandated by federal law is forcing universities and colleges to “alter fundamentally or even close offices and programs focused on DEI.”
Sears said the university would promptly “discontinue current DEI offices and programs.” It is unknown which offices and programs will close or how many employees will be affected by the decision.
➡ Read the full story and Sears’ statement here.
RELATED STORY
🗣️ Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera gave his annual Institute Address on Sept. 4, highlighting the new scrutiny on colleges and universities under the Trump administration. Cabrera said Tech would be “committed to full compliance” with Trump’s demands.
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RTopher Payne’s new comedy ‘A First Lady’s Guide to Killing the President’ premieres at OnStage Atlanta
🎭 Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Topher Payne has a new comedy premiering this week at OnStage Atlanta that zeros in on a scandal-ridden U.S. presidency.
And, no, it’s not about the current administration, although Payne said theatre-goers will likely see parallels between the 29th president and the 47th.
“A First Lady’s Guide to Killing the President” looks back at the events leading up to the death of President Warren G. Harding in 1923. Payne described the show – set inside a tiny railway car – as overwrought melodrama meets “Carol Burnett Show”-style farce.
➡ Find out more about the show and get tickets here.
LGBTQ+ Atlanta artist collective’s debut exhibition set for Sept. 14
🎨 On Sept. 14, Atlanta will meet a new collective of 11 LGBTQ+ artists in their debut exhibition, “Being FRANK: It is Because I Am.”
FRANK consists of architect and multidisciplinary artist Yousef Bushehri; illustrator and painter Stan Clark; photographer and digital artist Billy Clifton-Strawn; portrait artist David Clifton-Strawn; art therapist Orion Crook; video and sculpture artist Andy Jackson; digital artist kbyte; photographer Just Toby; abstract painter Royce Soble; textile artist Clint Zeagler; and muralist Krista M. Jones.
The exhibition will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday in a transformed retail space at Ansley Mall, 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE, Suite 119.
➡ Find out more about the collective here.
🎸 Enjoy your very own city soundtrack this fall at Midtown Alliance’s “Live After 5” free outdoor music series. Hear up-and-coming talent on Wednesdays in September and October from 5-7 p.m. at Peachtree and 10th Street. Featuring funk, blues, and more. Details here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Best Bets
🥂 Get to know Athens’ lesbian community at the Peach City Sapphics Social & Mixer tonight, Sept. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Athentic Brewing.
🚲 The Macon Pride Ride bike party is on Thursday at 6 p.m. and will feature a leisurely cruise by LGBTQ+ landmarks followed by an after-party.
🌈 Pine Lake will host Pride Lake 2025 on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. with tarot readings, free yoga, self-defense classes, live music, a drag show, food and beverages, and a march around the lake.
💃🏾 Latrice Royale is taking over Out Front Theatre this weekend with her one-woman show “Terms & Conditions May Vary” on Saturday and hosts “The Rainbow Ball: What Would Dolly Do?” on Sunday.
🏓 Visibility Club is hosting Gwinnett Pride Pickleball on Sept. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Pickle & Social in Duluth, but you must RSVP by Saturday, Sept. 14.
A special honor
📸 Georgia Voice was honored to receive the 2025 Legacy Award from the NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists at last Thursday’s opening ceremony event. NLGJA Executive Director Adam Pawlus said, “For 15 years, Georgia Voice has carried forward the legacy of the beloved Southern Voice. It remains a crucial resource for the region and for Georgia’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community. NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists is proud to recognize the continued impact of Georgia Voice.”
