The Gayly Dose cast (from left to right): Bennett, Helmut, and Dante

America the Beautiful?

For the first time, The Gayly Dose, Atlanta’s podcast by and for gay men, will be recording an episode in front of a live audience. They’ll be serving up a dose of politics, and they’ve got a few special guests to help them out.

On June 22, the cast will join out state representatives Sam Park and Matthew Wilson, as well as the City’s Director of LGBTQ Affairs, Malik Brown, to discuss all things LGBTQ politics and the gay agenda. 

“Considering the year we’ve had and even politics aside, we definitely saved this episode and our distinguished guests and legendary moderator for this exciting and first-ever live format,” said The Gayly Dose founder Helmut Domagalski. “The Gayly Dose seeks to have a meaningful conversation about the topic of politics, which is something people felt very strongly about over COVID and the election season. The topic needs to not end as we come out of COVID; it needs to be reignited. Our leadership in the gay community isn’t going to come from somewhere else; it needs to come from within the community.”

The panel will discuss workplace equality, conversion therapy, outcome-driven governance, the Equality Act, trans issues, and more, all moderated by out journalist Rich Eldredge.

“We’re going to talk about everything as general as, ‘What does being gay in politics mean to you in 2021?’ to the recent Supreme Court ruling on workplace equality and what is and isn’t protected,” Eldredge said. “We’re going to talk about trans rights and the [anti-trans] bills that keep marching through state houses and the ongoing issue of violence against trans women. It’s going to be a wide-ranging conversation.”

The episode, which will air a week after the event on June 29, will be taped and recorded in front of a live audience at Out Front Theatre Company (999 Brady Ave). The event begins at 6pm with a cocktail reception and meet and greet with the cast and guests, then the podcast kicks off at 7pm. The conversation will conclude with a Q&A of questions submitted by listeners during the cocktail hour and via social media.

“Out Front is excited to host this important panel of speakers and local representatives here at our theater,” said Paul Conroy, Out Front’s founder and artistic director. “It’s a great opportunity to bring together ambassadors of Atlanta’s gay community in one safe space to discuss these topics
and issues.”

Eldredge told Georgia Voice that, following the events of 2020, this in-person event couldn’t come at a better time.

“This is the perfect time for this conversation,” he said. “There are so many things that are happening here that indicate what Georgia’s future might be. We’re at a really interesting intersection in state politics right now. I think last November and the runoffs in January certainly told us that there are changes afoot in the state of Georgia. That’s what’s really exciting for me. I try not to focus on the darkness of the last few years and instead on what’s shining ahead of us.”

“It’s a really exciting time,” Eldredge continued, “and when you couple that with a lot of smart people in the same room with an audience that is coming together — not on our living room couches — to spark dialogue, it’s definitely going to be a great time.”

This event is completely free to attend, but seating is limited to comply with CDC guidelines. You can register for America the Beautiful?: A Dose of Politics via Eventbrite here

Based and recorded in Atlanta, The Gayly Dose is a weekly podcast for gay men who seek an elevated conversation. The show’s mission is to help gay men define themselves as part of an evolving community that seeks healthier and more meaningful connections. The podcast features cast members Helmut Domagalski (@helmut_smile), Dante Rhodes (@thedanterhodes), and Bennett Schnyder (@gaylybennett). They can be found at thegaylydose.com and on social media @thegaylydosepod. You can listen to The Gayly Dose wherever you get your podcasts.