🏳️🌈 Pride across Georgia
Pride Month is more crucial than everJun It s National Pride Month despite what politicians and internet trolls say and post The Stonewall Riots in were the flashpoint of the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement and it continues in the modern day even more urgently as conservatives try to turn back the clock The latest bit of erasure comes from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth who has ordered the renaming of a U S Navy ship named after gay rights icon Harvey Milk It s petty and vindictive purposely done during Pride Month Another egregious move by the Trump administration is trying to cut billion in funding from the CDC s HIV prevention and surveillance programs Literary icon Edmund White died Tuesday at age leaving behind a body of work that helped shape and define the queer experience for a great number of readers Specific of his best-known works include The Gratification of Gay Sex and States of Desire Travels in Gay America White who lived with HIV for nearly years also co-founded Gay Men s Soundness Problem in at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic Wherever or however you celebrate Pride this month know that you are not alone and that millions stand in solidarity with you Allons-y CollinPhoto by Joshua L JonesPride Across Georgia Festivals parades and solidarity While Atlanta doesn t host its official Pride festival and parade until October queer Atlantans don t have to wait to celebrate Pride organizations across Georgia including Athens pictured Rome Columbus and Augusta are celebrating this month with festivals parades parties and more Facing challenges like a lack of funding and harassment smaller Pride organizations are fighting to provide safe and celebratory spaces for vulnerable LGBTQ Southerners and supporting them is more key than ever Check out Katie Burkholder s guide to state Pride events this month Records meets art at the High Museum SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM Ready for a sensory journey Immerse yourself in the data-verse and get ready for a mind-bending experience Ryoji Ikeda s captivating light and sound installations are a must-see On view now at the High Museum Photo by Rebecca Grapevine easy means to get an HIV test in AtlantaOur colleagues at Healthbeat analysis that Georgia has the highest rate of new HIV infections in the country There are numerous convenient discreet even free options to get tested in Atlanta From a home test kit to local strength departments to Out of the Closet Thrift Stores pictured and adult stores like Starship there are several options to choose from See the full list of testing options here Courtesy Norton The Several Passions of Michael Hardwick recalls a pivotal moment in LGBTQ activism Martin Padgett s new nonfiction book The Several Passions of Michael Hardwick Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS details Hardwick s arrest for sodomy in his Virginia-Highland home and his fight to have the arcane law overturned by the Supreme Court An unassuming bartender and artist Padgett writes that Hardwick pictured wasn t looking for the spotlight or to have his name associated with gay rights but his anger over the invasion of his privacy put him in the headlines across the country in the s Padgett paints a rich picture of Atlanta in the s and cements Hardwick as a historical figure whose selfless act of defiance still reverberates in in contemporary times s politics Find out more about Padgett s book here MORE TO READ Decatur resident Franklin Abbott has been a guiding presence in LGBTQ activism in Atlanta for more than years Abbott s new book My Ordinary Life was born from his experiences during the COVID- lockdown which forced him to take stock of his life The book will be published by RFD Press on June Best Bets Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and Out on Film are kicking off Pride Month with a series of films beginning tonight at p m with a screening of camp classic To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar Other upcoming films include Milk The Kids Are Alright and Pariah The Plaza Theatre kicks off a month of LGBTQ films with Pride at the Plaza tonight at p m with Olivia Newton-John s cult roller disco flick Xanadu Theatrical Outfit presents the premiere of the musical Young John Lewis which examines a decade in the life of the late congressman and his journey from aspirant activist to major leader in the Civil Rights movement The show runs tonight through June Atlanta Eagle presents Drag Down South at East Point City Hall on June from to p m The event will feature drag stars Shawna Brooks Bubba D Licious Hot Chocolate Leena Lust and a large number of more The event is free and open to the inhabitants Out On Film Atlanta Pride Lambda Legal Georgia Equality and Craig Hardesty are presenting the acclaimed film Heightened Scrutiny on June at p m at the Midtown Art Cinema The film chronicles the ongoing Supreme Court development for transgender adolescents access to life-saving healthcare Social Follow of the Week For this week s social follow we re shouting out Ava Davis trans activist actress writer filmmaker Sundance Fellow and the self-proclaimed Duchess of Grant Park Get to know her The post Pride across Georgia appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta
