After being fired from a well-paying restaurant job, Lance Berlin, who is transgender, was unsure what to do. Then he took a hike up Stone Mountain with members of JustUs ATL.
“That’s when I decided to get involved with the community,” said Berlin, 25, who believes he lost his job due to his gender identity.
Now working at a Midtown gay bar, Berlin has made organizing with JustUs ATL a major part of his life. He feels the organization is critical for all youth, especially for trans-identified youth like himself.
After three years together, Thomas Brook and Manny Recinos knew it was time to tie the knot. They decided they would travel to a state where same-sex marriage is legal while also holding a ceremony and reception in their home state of Georgia.
They searched online for an LGBT-friendly venue, located the Georgian Club in Cobb County, and met with the assistant manager to tour the facility on Feb. 19.
They loved it.
“The assistant general manager, Andrea Wilson, was very friendly and accommodating,” Brooks says.
The most recent tax return for YouthPride lists board members who say they were not involved with the group at the time, echoing ongoing questions about leadership and accountability at the Atlanta-based LGBT youth agency.
The handwritten tax return, which is riddled with crossed-out numbers, is for the YouthPride fiscal year that began Oct. 1, 2010, and ended Sept. 30, 2011.
The return was stamped received by the IRS on Sept. 18, 2012. It was filed by YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul, who dated his signature May 30, 2012.
The call went out in January 2012 that if YouthPride did not raise some $40,000, the youth LGBT nonprofit would be forced to close its doors. After the public plea for funds, it was discovered YouthPride did not have a five-member board of directors in violation of its bylaws and that a full board had not met since December 2010.
Now, a year later, the agency is once again sending out fundraising emails — the most recent, sent Dec. 21, has the subject line “Acceptance is a Precious Gift” — but leaders still refuse to grant interviews and either can’t or won’t list a five-member board.
After YouthPride Executive Director Terence McPhaul made a public plea for funds in early 2012, an independent task force volunteered time to investigate the financial and leadership struggles of YouthPride and determined the agency was deep in debt and faced possible state and federal fines for not filing tax forms on time.
There was the family of Mrs. Ropers challenging the Hotlanta Rubber Group in a fun and racy game of Family Feud. I mean really, when asked, "What is something you eat in bed?" one of the top answers is, of course, "ass." Well, when the crowd surveyed is a bunch of gay men at least.
The Big Gay Game Show — held on the third Wednesday of each month at Jungle — benefits the Lost-n-Found organization that helps homeless LGBT youth. And this month, on Sept. 19, the debut of Dragnificent followed the Big Gay Game Game Show with host Nicole Paige Brooks and judges Phoenix (who is also producing the show), Edie Cheezburger and Nina Flowers of "RuPaul's Drag Race" fame.
Contestants for the first night were asked to express who they are. Competing in order of appearance were: Princess Vanessa, Aliya Sexton, Prima Alexandra, Arriana Paris, Tanyla Cassadine, Evah Destruction, Jai' Na Devereaux, Zaria Bonet Valentino, Peyton Elizabeth, Alexandra Knowles and Daniella Vess.
Tips to the contestants were also donated to Lost-n-Found.
After years of controversy, Berry College in Rome, Ga., has finally officially recognized LISTEN, a campus group focused on LGBT awareness.
The news came Sept. 13 from Berry President Stephen Briggs, according to Berry's Campus Carrier newspaper.
Briggs notified the campus via email that the group's purpose is "to support and educate in regard to lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) concerns," the Carrier reported.
LISTEN President Rebekah Ingram, a college junior who describes herself as a straight ally, said the group's goal is to offer safety and support for LGBT people at Berry.
JustUs ATL, a youth-led and youth-run organization, held its first fundraiser on Aug. 17 at the Phillip Rush Center with a Rainbow Jam, an an open mic and variety showcase that featured young people performing everything from drag to music therapy songs on the guitar to stand up comedy.
Closing out the night was Nipplephobia, an all transgender band that, well, specializes in making loud noise. And making their fans scream with joy.
Dozens of people packed the Rush Center for the fundraiser that included dinner donated by local restaurants and several raffles. Organizers said early estimates were JustUs ATL raised several hundred dollars at its first major event.
Each Wednesday, meet a new pet available for adoption at PAWS Atlanta.
All adoptable pets are spayed or neutered, microchipped, on flea/tick and heartworm preventative and current on all age-appropriate vaccinations.
The shelter is open seven days a week. Visit in person or online to learn more about how you can adopt these or other pets.
If you adopt a pet featured as a GA Voice Pet of the Week, please let us know! We’d love to post a photo of you and your new furry family member.
YouthPride, the troubled Atlanta LGBT youth agency, has moved to a house located at 955 Washington Place in Atlanta’s West End neighborhood, according to its website. YouthPride was evicted from its Edgewood Avenue home on June 1 for non-payment of rent and posted a series of delayed openings before finally announcing the new address June 21.
Executive Director Terence McPhaul refused an interview June 21 at the new location. He and board members continue to decline interviews on the status of the organization, which has been mired in a financial and leadership crisis since December 2011.