It is with great pride that we bring you our latest issue which revolves around not only the 2018 celebration of Atlanta Black Pride, but the struggles and triumphs of LGBTQ persons of color in general.
Naturally, as we live in a culturally enriched city, we at Georgia Voice ensure that voices of all backgrounds are heard. From those who wish to speak on their ethnicity and experiences in their skin to those who write us asking if we’d be interested in sharing their events in our calendar that may touch on issues of race, gender, and inequality, my answer is always, “Yes! Bring the noise!” (Ask any of our writers — I’m almost a little too enthused to hand a mic to someone who feels his/her/their voice isn’t being heard.)
I can’t help it: I’m impulsively looking at other LGBTQ magazines on the constant — especially the big, national ones — and while I find that they pay lots of lip service to diversity, you’d be hard-pressed to find more than shirtless, white men and rich, celebrity women gracing their covers. (Am I throwing shade? Damn right I am.) I’ve asked these folks at journalism conferences, “What’s the deal with the one-trick-pony covers?” Their response? “That’s what pays the bills.” I call bullshit, but what would I know, right? I’m just the lowly Asian editor of some newspaper they’ve never heard of. I’ll tell you what, though: If we actually wanted to go national, we’d bring the flavor they’re afraid to, best believe, and we’d show them that the world of LGBTQ gives way more of a damn than they think it does, white-dude nipples or not.
But for now, we’re always thrilled to display local voices and love to our readers (and writers!) who represent, much like the rainbow, just about every color you can think of that humankind comes in. We find it all quite beautiful, in much the same way we love making diversity a part of who we are here at Georgia Voice. If you’d like to add your voice, feel free to write me. You already know what I’d say: “Bring the noise!”
Best believe.
Much love from the team at GV,
eva berlin sylvestre.