The ridiculous and the sublime
May. 13 — We’re jumping right into the news today, starting with the untimely passing of a trailblazing sports figure, the ongoing Trump administration war against trans people, and the arrival of a landmark art exhibiton in Atlanta.
🏀 Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47. Collins spent three seasons with the Atlanta Hawks from 2009 to 2012.
⚖️ Eleven families across the country are asking a federal court to stop the Justice Department from obtaining the private medical records of their transgender children.
🔎 Policies targeting queer and transgender youth continue to place them at higher risk of suicidality and victimization, according to a new report from the Trevor Project.
💊 Gov. Brian Kemp signed SB 195 into law, expanding access to critical HIV prevention medications by allowing pharmacists to dispense PrEP and PEP directly to patients.
🌟 Social media has been giddy with sightings of “Heated Rivalry” star Connor Storrie walking and shopping in Midtown Atlanta. He’s here making a movie with Melissa McCarthy.
🤣 The HBO Max series “Hacks” delivered some hilarious fan service as Deborah and Ava pretended to be a couple to score a Bob Mackie jumpsuit from Deb’s comedy rival (played by Cherry Jones).
I can’t wait anymore…
Collin
P.S. Don’t forget to vote in the May 19 primary election.
White House counterterrorism strategy targets ‘anti-American, radically pro-transgender’ groups
🏳️⚧️ The White House released the “United States Counterterrorism Strategy” last week, introducing enforcement priorities that include references to people with “extreme transgender ideologies.”
The Trump-Vance administration’s new strategy instead centers heavily on cartels, Islamist organizations, and what it describes as “violent left-wing extremists.” The report also links “transgender ideology” to the assassination of right-wing podcaster Charlie Kirk.
The introduction to the report closes with a warning from President Donald Trump referencing counterterrorism operations carried out during his second administration: “We will find you and we will kill you.”
➡ Read Joe Reberkenny’s full report for the Washington Blade.
Love, Power, and the End of Everything
SPONSORED BY THE ATLANTA OPERA
❤️🔥 The Atlanta Opera presents Twilight of the Gods, the epic conclusion to Wagner’s Ring cycle, a story where love, ambition, and betrayal collide on a monumental scale. Siegfried and Brunnhilde’s love story for the ages shatters with deceit and betrayal as the consequences of their choices make the world itself hang in the balance.
Featuring a powerful orchestra, sweeping vocals, and striking stagecraft, this production delivers an unforgettable experience. A Tomer Zvulun Production.
→ Get tickets now! May 30, June 2, 5, 7, 2026 | Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.
‘American Sublime’ retrospective brings Amy Sherald home to Georgia
🎨 Georgia native Amy Sherald returns to her roots this week as the High Museum of Art opens “American Sublime,” the acclaimed and controversial retrospective she pulled from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery over censorship concerns.
The exhibition, opening Friday, May 15, is the final stop on a national tour that drew sold-out crowds in New York and Baltimore and reignited national debate over censorship, representation, and transgender visibility.
In 2025, Sherald accused the Smithsonian of attempting to censor “Trans Forming Liberty,” a painting depicting a Black transgender woman as the Statue of Liberty, amid mounting political pressure from the Trump administration over LGBTQ+ representation in cultural institutions.
➡ Find out more about the exhibition here.
Queer men find community and adventure with Wilderness Network of Georgia
🌳 The Wilderness Network of Georgia was formed in 1992 as a safe space for gay and bisexual men in Atlanta to find community outside the nightlife scene. Today, the group is the oldest outdoor organization for queer men in Atlanta, encouraging its 195 members to try new activities and connect in the great outdoors.
“I have so many friends that I’ve made over the years [in WNG],” Martin Downing, the president of WNG, told Georgia Voice. “It’s just a really important social aspect of my life.”
WNG is a volunteer-run organization whose members organize and lead outdoor activities throughout the year. These activities are catered to a variety of skill and interest levels, including more high-intensity activities like backpacking, overnight camping, and caving, and more accessible events like urban hikes, monthly Beltline clean-ups, and quarterly potlucks.
➡ Find out more in Katie Burkholder’s story here.
💛 The Men Having Babies conference returns to Atlanta June 5-7 to support gay singles and couples on their path to parenthood. Learn how surrogacy works and discover the resources, guidance, and financial assistance available to our community. More information here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Best Bets
• Pride Run ATL returns to Piedmont Park on Jun. 7. Register for the annual event here, and join sponsors West Stride and Front Runners Atlanta for Saturday Stride Club: Pride Edition on May 16. Participants are encouraged to wear Pride singlets or rainbow gear for the group walk/run, which departs from West Stride at 8:30 a.m.
• Kink Down South and Southern Fried Queer Pride will host The Fet Gala: Age of Revolution on May 16 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Resonant Studios ATL. Music, dancing with a fetish attire dress code (think shredded silk meets tactical leather).
• The Breakaway Music Festival will be held May 15-16 at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta, featuring two days of electronic dance music with sets by Cole Knight, Peekaboo, Max Styler, Thunderpony, and many more.
➡ Find more events and activities in our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice.
😂 Marie Antoinette is a product of unadulterated extravagance and indulgence. In this hilarious take on history’s most provocative icon, this young queen’s survival will hardly be a piece of a cake. Come see “Marie Antoinette” this February at Actor’s Express! SPONSOR MESSAGE
