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What remains
Dec. 10 — On Saturday, I attended a special screening of the film “Fairyland,” based on Alysia Abbott’s memoir about her late father, Atlanta activist and writer Steve Abbott. The poignant film was followed by a discussion with LGBTQ+ activists who knew Abbott or lived in Atlanta during the early days of the gay rights movement. There was also a tribute to historian and activist Dave Hayward, who passed away while organizing the screening. See my full recap of the event here.
And now a few headlines:
⚖️ A federal judge struck down Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender prisoners in state custody, but the state is appealing the decision.
🙄 Athens Pride and Queer Collective successfully defended itself in court from a lawsuit filed by Julie Mauck, a realtor and chair of the Oconee County chapter of Moms for Liberty, who claimed she lost her job due to “cancel culture.”
🪩 Jon Dean, the owner of Lore on Edgewood Avenue in Atlanta, says the LGBTQ+ nightclub is “barely getting by” due to a lack of patronage and neglect by the city along the nightlife corridor.
🤬 Former Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral Rachel Levine’s name was replaced with her deadname on a display that honors previous officeholders at the Department of Health and Human Services. Levine was the first trans person confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
🗣️ Speaking at the International LGBTQ+ Leaders Conference last week, former President Joe Biden urged LGBTQ+ people to “get up and fight back” against the Trump administration. He also criticized the GOP for turning transgender rights into a “political football.”
🎥 Atlanta Pride and Out on Film have announced the five recipients for the 2025 Reel Resistance Fellowship.
🏳️🌈 Savannah Pride Center is holding a fundraiser for the organization through Jan. 1.
It’s tough outside, but it’s love in here…
Collin
Cheshire Motor Inn and the vanishing map of queer desire
🧳 Atlanta-born artist, curator, and writer Ed Woodham has crafted a beautiful elegy for the now shuttered Cheshire Motor Inn.
The motel became a hookup and gay cruising spot in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. “It was a waystation, a pickup point, a sexual playground, a refuge for men who needed an hour, a night, or a weekend to be fully themselves,” Woodham writes.
“As the country again flirts with authoritarianism, as queer people are told – subtly or overtly – to behave, assimilate, and quiet down, the erasure of our erotic and communal landmarks is a warning.”
➡ Read Ed Woodham’s full essay and see more photos here.
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Violations issued to officer over interaction with trans woman at Tucker library
🔎 The DeKalb County Internal Affairs Unit has completed its investigation into an incident involving a DeKalb police officer and a trans woman at a library in Tucker.
Sasha Swinson (pictured) said she was misgendered and verbally accosted by DeKalb Officer GA Weaver, who was on duty at the library for early voting.
Weaver was issued violations regarding professional image, body-worn camera, off-duty employment, and duty to read/understand/comply with orders, according to a memo.
“I’m not sure exactly what practical effects this will have, but it is certainly good news,” Swinson said.
Original musical ‘Mamma Dearest: Here We Joan Again’ opens at Out Front
🪓 “Mamma Dearest: Here We Joan Again,” created by playwright and drag performer Blake “Tugboat” Fountain, opens Dec. 11 at Out Front Theatre.
Fountain describes the show as an ABBA-inspired holiday comedy that combines the musical “Mamma Mia!” and the 1981 cult film “Mommie Dearest” about Joan Crawford and her adopted daughter, Christina.
The musical follows Christina as she tries to uncover the identity of her birth mother, who might be Hollywood legends Bette Davis, Judy Garland, or Eartha Kitt, by inviting them all over for a “holiday meltdown of epic proportions.”
➡ Find out more about the show from Fountain here.
Best Bets
❄️ The Virginia-Highland Winterfest & Tour of Homes returns Dec. 13 with the annual Jingle Jog, parade, gift market, and more. The Tour of Homes will run both Dec. 13-14 and include 10 homes decked out for the holidays.
🏠 The Grant Park Candlelight Tour of Homes is Saturday, Dec. 13, from 6 to 10 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14, from 5 to 9 p.m., and will feature 10 homes plus an artist market.
🎶 The Atlanta Women’s Chorus will hold its “Seasons of Light” concert on Dec. 13 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at Church at Ponce and Highland,1085 Ponce De Leon Ave NE.
🎭 Atlanta playwright Topher Payne’s “Y’allmark” draws on his experience writing holiday movies for the Hallmark Channel to create this stage play, featuring some of the same beloved tropes, plus star turns by Amber Nash and Kevin Gillese. Dec. 11-28 at 7 Stages in Little Five Points.
➡ Be sure to check out our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice for even more events.