Deep cuts
Wednesday, Jul. 22 — The Guardian has a sobering report on Trump’s funding cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which risks reversing progress on the fight against HIV/AIDS. According to the report, the cuts have caused “severe and devastating” disruption globally, with thousands of staff laid off and many clinics closed, according to research being presented next week at the 26th International AIDS Conference. The Trump administration also said it will not renew direct federal funding of community-based organizations in the U.S. that work on HIV prevention at the local level. Just when you think this administration can’t sink any lower…
More news headlines:
🕯️ A memorial service for longtime LGBTQ+ lobbyist and advocate Larry Pellegrini will be held Aug. 21 from noon to 3 p.m. at The Trolley Barn in Inman Park.
💻 The Atlanta LGBTQ+ Community Center Initiative is accepting applications for its steering committee through July 31.
💵 Due to funding issues, Statesboro Pride canceled its annual Boro Pride Pageant to prioritize the October Pride Festival. Find out more and donate here.
🙄 The U.S. military will begin testing and treating service members with hormone therapy despite banning similar medical care for transgender service members. So gender-affirming care is ok for some…
🏳️🌈 A civil court case will proceed against the Trump administration brought by a gay former FBI agent trainee who was fired for displaying a Pride flag at his desk.
🇵🇷 Activists say a “human rights crisis” is unfolding in Puerto Rico as anti-LGBTQ+ laws under a Trump-supporting governor roll back rights and freedoms.
🗣️ Hunter Biden called out the “closeted gay mafia” of Republicans in Washington D.C. who have weaponized their self-loathing against the LGBTQ+ community.
We’re stealing love on the run…
Collin
LGBTQ+ advocates call for release of Pauline Binam from ICE detention
📣 Advocates and community leaders are calling for the release of Pauline Binam, a 36-year-old single mother, domestic violence survivor, and member of the LGBTQ+ community who is currently detained at Stewart Detention Center in south Georgia.
Binam, who was brought from Cameroon by her family at the age of two, has been held in detention since December 2025. This is her second time being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
➡ Find out more about Binam’s case here.
Dinosaur Summer. It’s here.
SPONSORED BY THE FERNBANK MUSEUM
🦖 The world’s most famous predator is back—and science is rewriting its story.
At Fernbank’s T. rex: The Ultimate Predator, discover how new research is changing what we know about the “tyrant lizard king,” from feathered ancestors to lightning-fast growth spurts. Explore life-sized models, hands-on interactives, and come face-to-jaws with a full-scale adult T. rex during Dinosaur Summer, now through Sept. 7.
➞ See the king of dinosaurs up close at Fernbank this summer.
A breast cancer diagnosis inspired the opening of this Midtown coffee and skate shop combo
☕ On a weekday afternoon, a local coffee shop is bustling. Two friends order a drink, sit on the couch, and talk without looking at their phones. A customer stands at the counter having a friendly conversation with the owners. Others grab a book to read, or a puzzle from one of the shelves and set about completing it.
What seems like a scene straight out of a 1990s sitcom – a fantasy of connectivity amid the dwindling of third places in many cities – is an actual reality at Schāf Shop in Midtown.
Part coffee shop, part skate shop, owners and wives Lindzey and Taylor Schaffer opened their dream coffee shop earlier this year, prompted by a life-threatening cancer diagnosis six years ago.
➡ Read Katie Burkholder’s feature story here.
MORE RESTAURANT NEWS
🥗 Out actor and restaurateur Mitchell Anderson has permanently closed the original Midtown location of MetroFresh after 21 years following a fire. The Peachtree Street location remains open.
🕹️ Edgewood Avenue cocktail bar and gaming lounge Joystick Gamebar will relocate to East Atlanta Village later this fall.
New play ‘Queerly Departed’ fundraises ahead of SheATL premiere
🎭 A locally produced show is fundraising before its world premiere at the SheATL Summer Theatre Festival this August.
“Queerly Departed” is a queer southern dark comedy written by El Trutt, produced by Morgan Yhap, and directed by Joseph Quintana. Three siblings and their partners reunite at their grandfather’s funeral, but after someone urinates on his grave, the family unearths secrets about each other and their beloved Pop-Pop. “Queerly Departed” explores themes of love, loss, grief, and queer identities across the spectrum through dark comedy and camp.
The show will premiere at SheATL, a week-long theatre festival featuring shows written by women, trans, and non-binary playwrights. The festival kicks off on Aug. 10, and the first showing of “Queerly Departed” premieres at 7 Stages in Little 5 Points on Aug. 13.
➡ Find out more about the show and festival.
MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
💰 Despite attempts for bigots to boycott “The Odyssey” for casting Elliot Page as Sinon and Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy, the Christopher Nolan-directed blockbuster grossed $124 million domestically in its opening weekend alone.
Best Bets
⚽ Out on Film and Midtown Alliance are co-hosting a free, outdoor screening of “Bend It Like Beckham” tonight, July 22, at 7:30 p.m. at 10th Street Park.
🫶 Joining Hearts Weekend is July 24-26 at local clubs (including Heretic, The Masquerade, XION, and Blake’s) and at Piedmont Park swimming pool to raise funds for HIV/AIDS care.
🩺 Savannah Pride Center will host an Inclusive Healing Clinic on July 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., offering gender-affirming HRT, trans healthcare, PrEP and Pep, or an opportunity to connect with an LGBTQIA+ affirming primary care provider.
🎂 Felix’s, “the best dive bar in the ATL,” is celebrating its 25th anniversary July 25-26 with dancing, drinks, and shenanigans.
🪩 A Disco Car Wash fundraiser for Out Front Theatre and Voices of Note will be held July 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Out Front. There will be music, food, and drinks while your car gets cleaned for a good cause.
🗣️ Georgia Equality is hosting a Macon Community Town Hall on July 29 from noon to 1:30 at the Marriott Macon City Center to discuss the future of HIV prevention in Georgia.
📌 Mark your calendars for Aug. 1 when Fayette County holds its first Pride Celebration in Fayetteville, GA, with a market, parade, and entertainment. More on this in next week’s newsletter.
➡ Find many more events and activities in our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice.
