April 16-29 . 2011 qnotes

April 16-29 . 2011 qnotes

qnotes April 16-29 . 2011

inside 

April 16-29, 2011 

Vol 25 No 25 

12 

11 

news & features 

6 News Notes: Regional Briefs 

8 Walks to remember 

9 Charlotte city attorney to retire 

9 Amendment filed in state House 

a&e/life&style 

11 Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall 

12 Pride Charlotte moves Uptown 

12 Let me see y’all one, two step 

13 Drag Rag 

16 Tell Trinity 

17 Out in the Stars 

18 On Being a Gay Parent 

19 Q events calendar 

opinions & views 

4 Editor’s Note 

4 TalkBack 

5 General Gayety 

5 QPoll 

connect 

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contributors this issue 

Leah Cagle, Matt Comer, Kevin Grooms/Miss Della, 

Charlene Lichtenstein, Lainey Millen, Leslie 

Robinson, David Stout, Jim Thompson, Trinity, 

Brett Webb-Mitchell 

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VIEWS 

editor’s note 

by matt comer 

matt@goqnotes.com 

McCarley’s sad legacy 

a reminder of inequality 

There is one thing for which City Attorney 

Mac McCarley will be remembered by many 

LGBT and straight ally Charlotteans when 

he departs his job at the end of the year. 

(See story, “Charlotte city attorney to retire,” 

on page 9.) Though I have no idea how he 

personally feels about LGBT people — and, 

therefore, cannot call him a bigot — one thing 

is clear: McCarley’s actions and legal opinions 

have significantly harmed our community 

and prevented any substantial and concrete 

forward movement on LGBT inclusion in city 

policies and ordinances. In short, McCarley is 

an enabler of continued bigotry, discrimination 

and prejudice. 

McCarley’s stubborn hardheadedness in 

the face of LGBT progress — or lack thereof 

— in the Queen City is a blemish on what 

might otherwise be a stunning legacy after his 

34 years of public service in North Carolina. 

It’s like beating a dead horse, you know. It 

can be very tiring writing about the same old, 

same old lack of progress here in Charlotte. 

More than two decades after our state capital 

and it’s neighboring city took steps toward 

LGBT inclusion, Charlotte remains dead last. 

Obviously, gay and transgender citizens, 

voters and taxpayers don’t rank high on 

Queen City politicians’ list of concerns. We 

never have. I’m starting to think we never will. 

All this frustration can be blamed primarily 

on just a handful of people: city council members, 

McCarley and Mayors Pat McCrory and 

Anthony Foxx. 

We’ve already ousted McCrory. McCarley 

is leaving at the end of the year. Perhaps it is 

time for a change in Democratic leadership on 

the council this year, as well. 

Come November, the city will again elect 

a new council and mayor. And, nearly two 

years after LGBT Charlotteans were promised 

change by Foxx and other current city 

officials, we continue to wait. Will we see 

progress between now and November I hope 

so. If we don’t, at least I know which candidates 

won’t be receiving my vote. 

There’s nothing we can do about 

McCarley. The damage he’s caused is done. 

His legacy, however, can serve as a reminder 

of our continued inequality in this city. We can 

use it to inspire movement and change, if only 

we care enough to make that commitment. 

As city election campaigns ramp up in 

the following weeks and months, don’t be 

afraid to ask tough questions of incumbents 

and challengers. Reserve your endorsements 

and contributions for folks who make bold 

and public commitments for equality. Strip 

your support away from those who, lacking 

political courage and conviction, failed to take 

action when they had the opportunity. This, 

my friends, is democracy at it’s finest. We can 

make a difference. 

Fortunately, McCarley will no longer be 

waiting in the wings ready to smack down any 

opening at progress. With the right council 

and mayor, Charlotte won’t have to be dead 

last any longer. 

‘Sex in the park’ critics 

need primer on logic 

In our print edition on April 2, qnotes published 

an investigative commentary exploring 

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department 

(CMPD) records on charges and arrests for 

soliciting a crime against nature. (See “Sex in 

the park” at goqnotes.com/10621.) 

The inquiry was prompted by local news 

station WBTV’s outlandish and sensationalistic 

tabloidism, in which they took to a local 

Charlotte park to stir prejudice and fear while 

armed only with anonymous postings from a 

hook-up website. Unlike WBTV’s sorry excuse 

for ethical journalism, qnotes actually took the 

time to review dozens of records and interview 

police officials before publishing our story. 

Our results were astonishing: Of 325 

charges for soliciting a crime against nature, 

only 15 arrests were made as the result of 

men who have sex with men (MSM) in a 

public place like a park or the airport overlook. 

What’s more, the bulk of charges and arrests 

were linked to narcotics and heterosexual 

prostitution activity. And, of the 15 arrests of 

MSM, none occurred in James Boyce Park, 

which WBTV claimed had a serious problem. 

Despite all our efforts at engaging in real 

journalism, we still had our critics. Steve 

Parker, who publishes Carolina Christian 

News and who identifies as “ex-gay,” took to 

qnotes’ comment threads. He cited our interview 

with CMPD Vice & Narcotics Unit Leader 

Sgt. B.D. Hollar and concluded that low arrest 

numbers indicated a lack of enforcement 

rather than a lack of a real problem. 

“In other words, the reasons there haven’t 

been a great deal of arrests is because the 

police have not been enforcing these laws 

in the parks, choosing instead to focus on 

prostitution,” Parker wrote. “Anyone with 

any knowledge of the subject is well aware 

that there are a great many men seeking sex 

with one another at rest areas, public rest 

rooms, and, yes, public parks. To deny this is 

ludicrous.” 

Parker added, “…to act as though it 

doesn’t exist is demonstrates the same lack 

of journalistic integrity of which the author 

accuses WBTV.” 

Parker conveniently chose to ignore 

several other portions of Hollar’s interview, 

specifically Hollar’s statement that his unit 

is primarily complaint-driven. In fact, Hollar 

specifically mentioned Kilborne Park as a 

place where police had recently responded to 

several complaints. Arrest records corroborate 

Hollar’s statements. 

Despite Parker’s claims and taking into 

account Hollar’s full statements would it not 

stand to reason that complaint-driven law enforcement 

might receive complaints about an 

“alleged” large amount of open sexual activity 

in James Boyce Park Would it not stand to 

reason that area police would act upon such 

complaints And, would it not also mean that 

such complaints might turn up at least one 

arrest in the park in question during more than 

a year’s time 

Yet, there were no significant complaints. 

No recorded arrests. Even after WBTV’s and 

qnotes’ coverage there’s been just one call 

for service for prostitution-related loitering 

in the James Boyce Park area. Even that one 

complaint yielded no arrest. 

Do the math and you come to a solid conclusion. 

There is no substantial problem with 

MSM sexual activity in Mecklenburg County’s 

public parks. 

Unlike Parker, I won’t go so far as to 

accuse him of a lack of integrity. I’ll simply 

assume he wasn’t intending to twist facts 

into a dishonest conclusion; though, it is clear 

that someone either didn’t take basic-level 

philosophy lessons in high school or failed 

them miserably. 

In the face of such strong evidence and 

logic, Parker would be wise to remember: 

“The truth shall set you free.” : : 

talkback 

Letters to the editor and comments from goqnotes.com. 

Web comments are not edited for grammar or punctuation. 

Anti-gay tyranny 

In response to the Matt Comer’s April 2 

column, “Marching backward to the beat 

of a despotic drum” (goqnotes.com/10604), 

readers say: 

And on another domestic front, the dominionists 

in Iowa removed three state supreme 

court justices to punish them for upholding 

principles of equal protection. Don’t these 

cretins realize that once you hamstring equal 

protection principles in application to one 

group, you hurt protections for yourselves 

We are all minorities in someone else’s 

scheme. 

— Marco Luxe, web, April 2 

You sound like a lunatic. This article represents 

one of the many reasons why the vast 

majority of Americans oppose gay marriage 

(and yes, they do, despite the bogus polling a 

few firms have decided to release). A radical 

conservative, the opposite from you, could just 

as easily create a nightmare fantasy scenario 

describing what may happen if gay marriage 

or homosexuality in general were to become 

more accepted in our society. Of course, 

that would be silly, just like all the nonsense 

that you wrote. ... I am gay, and I oppose gay 

marriage, as do many normal gay people. I will 

work hard to have my point of view heard here 

in NC, so that we can finally pass a marriage 

amendment here. I grew up in Massachusetts 

and really don’t feel like seeing my new home 

state slide downhill as well. 

— Steve, web, April 2 

@Steve — There are most certainly 

radical theocratic forces in North Carolina 

actively seeking to marginalize the LGBT citizens 

of North Carolina and the current limited 

rights of LGBT North Carolinians. 

For evidence, visit christianactionleague. 

org or ncfpc.org or returnamerica.org. 

These groups (Christian Action League, 

NC Family Policy Council, Return America) 

lobby the legislature, file lawsuits, and produce 

“educational” materials to further their 

bigoted ends. 

These are simple facts evident and 

trumpeted on their own websites. It is not 

hyperbole to note their actions and self-proclaimed 

aspirations. 

— Appellation, web, April 3 

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qnotes April 16-29 . 2011

We Americans like to express ourselves 

with our chests. 

I’m not speaking of Jane Russell or even 

Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

I’m talking about our proclivity for wearing 

T-shirts with slogans on them. Americans 

have been human billboards for decades. 

The slogans on T-shirts celebrate, advocate, 

advertise, unify, decry and polarize. 

Americans have lots to say — on shirts made 

in Honduras. 

So, it makes sense that one part of the 

gay story in this country is being played out in 

cotton/polyester blends. Over the past years 

high school students and younger kids on 

both sides of the gay issue have been wearing 

their hearts on their sleeves. And, getting 

sent home for it. 

The latest shirt-skirmish is still unfolding 

at a middle school in DeSoto Parish in 

Louisiana. Student Dawn Henderson wore 

a shirt reading “Some Kids are Gay. That’s 

OK.” Principal Keith Simmons ordered her to 

change her shirt or go home. 

It occurs to me that any kid aiming to get 

out of a test at school doesn’t need to fake 

qpoll 

Federal courts 

have ruled consistently 

that 

students’ rights to free 

speech and expression 

while at school extend to 

their wardrobe. LGBT students 

have benefited from 

these rulings, but should 

other students be allowed 

to wear clothing with anti- 

LGBT messages 

general gayety 

by leslie robinson :: qnotes contributor 

The fabric of our lives 

the flu — just don a controversial T-shirt and 

in minutes you’ll be back home watching 

“Judge Judy.” 

According to the ACLU of Louisiana, 

DeSoto school officials claimed the shirt 

was “distracting.” The ACLU sent Simmons 

a letter arguing that Henderson has a First 

Amendment right to express her opinion 

across her chest, as long as the school allows 

clothing with slogans. 

If the school decides to forbid clothing 

with slogans, it might be hearing from Nike. 

In another T-shirt to-do, which actually 

began back in 2006, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court 

of Appeals ruled a month ago that students 

at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, 

Ill., could wear T-shirts saying “Be Happy, 

Not Gay.” 

The court maintained a “school that 

permits advocacy of the rights of homosexual 

students cannot be allowed to stifle criticism 

of homosexuality.” 

May the judges’ T-shirts ride up with 

wear. 

On Nov. 2 last year, Election Day, senior 

Kate Cohn made a pro-gay statement at 

Falcon High School in Peyton, Colo., by wearing 

a shirt reading “Marriage is so gay.” She 

said Principal Mark Carara told her the shirt 

was offensive and violated the dress code 

forbidding clothing potentially disruptive to 

the academic environment. 

I’m guessing that means fishnets 

are out. At least for guys. 

Cohn’s mom said Carara later 

likened the T-shirt to apparel promoting 

alcohol or drug use. 

That increasingly well-known 

arbiter of fashion, the ACLU, sent 

a letter to school administrators 

demanding Cohn and others be 

allowed to wear the shirt and the two-week 

ban was lifted. 

Perfect. Two weeks gave her enough time 

to wash her shirt and make it all pretty for its 

re-debut. 

I can say with certainty that T-shirt tizzies 

haven’t been limited to the younger set or the 

recent past. Back in the mid-’90s I covered 

a protest by adults in Hampton Beach, N.H., 

outside a T-shirt store that peddled a couple 

of anti-gay shirts. One read “Silly faggot, 

dicks are for chicks” and the other said “Aids 

Kills Fags” or something of that ilk. 

What I remember best is a teenager pointedly 

buying one of those shirts during the protest, 

then sheepishly returning it afterwards 

because he needed the money to get home. 

The other day I spotted a different T-shirt 

twist to the American LGBT story. Openly gay 

veteran political consultant Fred Karger, in 

Washington, D.C., to file for the Republican 

presidential nomination, met with the 

Republican National Committee chairman. 

Karger — completely unknown to the 

public and, to repeat, openly gay — told “Roll 

Call,” “We had a great meeting. I gave him 

one of my T-shirts.” 

I’d like to know what slogan is on that 

shirt. Maybe “Karger 2012: No, Really.” : : 

info: 

LesRobinson@aol.com . generalgayety.com 

VIEWS 

See the options and vote: 

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BRIEFS 

news notes: 

from the carolinas, nation and world 

compiled by Lainey Millen :: lainey@goqnotes.com | David Stout :: david@goqnotes.com | Matt Comer :: matt@goqnotes.com 

Advocacy group on pulse of 

equality efforts 

RALEIGH — This year, amidst the rise 

of a Republican-led legislature which has 

already brought an anti-LGBT constitutional 

amendment to the floor of both 

chambers, Equality North Carolina (ENC) 

has it’s plate full. 

Want to lend your support to help 

thwart anti-gay legislators’ designs Then 

take action with ENC by joining their email 

and postcard campaigns to convince 

lawmakers to work on the side of fairness 

and equality. At press time, over 10,000 

Equality in Action cards has been sent out 

to a variety of people to help educate them about 

how bad the anti-LGBT amendment is to North 

Carolina’s LGBT citizens. All across the state, 

there have been stops on the Equality in Action 

Tour. These local town hall meetings help to raise 

funds for initiatives, educate participants on hot 

topics and energize those who want to become 

engaged in the valuable work of ENC. 

Daytime office volunteers are still urgently 

needed to mobilize the postcard campaign. 

Future nighttime volunteer opportunities are 

also available. Contact organizer Josh Wynne at 

josh@equalitync.org or 919-829-0343, ext. 113 to 

learn more. 

Additionally, there’s no time like a party, and 

ENC is encouraging everyone to host a fundraising 

party to help collect the necessary war chest 

that is needed to defend it’s initiatives. For details 

on how to throw one of these fun-filled events, 

Charlotte 

TOY seeks volunteers 

CHARLOTTE — Time Out Youth is currently 

searching for volunteers to staff its 20th 

Anniversary Gala Weekend, June 10-13. 

The highlight of the weekend is a gala 

fundraiser, an evening honoring what Time 

Out Youth has done and continues to do to 

strengthen the community. 

On June 11, Glam, an alternative prom for 

youth, is slated as part of the festivities. 

Sponsors, either individual or corporate, 

are also needed for their platinum event. 

The organization is also co-sponsoring 

the premier of “Rent” on May 12 at Theatre 

Charlotte. Appetizers, dessert and a silent 

auction are being planned. Volunteers are 

needed between 5:30-10 p.m. Complimentary 

tickets for another show will be made available 

to those who serve. 

For more information, email volunteers@ 

timeoutyouth.org or visit timeoutyouth.org. 

— L.M. 

Couples wed in D.C. 

CHARLOTTE — Seven couples spent the 

weekend of April 1-3 in the nation’s capital 

while they tied the knot with family, friends 

and clergy as witnesses. 

The couples were forced to travel to D.C. 

for their ceremonies because North Carolina 

does not recognize marriages by same-sex 

couples. An anti-gay constitutional amendment 

proposed in the state Senate would 

qnotes April 16-29 . 2011 

visit equalitync.org/news1/theres-never-been-abetter-time-to-party-for-equality. 

ENC also encourages everyone to support 

the companies who lend their hand to champion 

equality in the workplace. It is currently 

seeking companies who are willing to take a 

stand against the anti-LGBT amendment. North 

Carolina has a number of companies who score 

high on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate 

Index. But, that might not be enough. Employers 

who want to get on board should contact Kay 

Flaminio at kay@equalitync.org. Whether one 

can take a public stand or help ENC communicate 

with key legislative leaders, help them take 

bottom line strategic action that will make a real 

difference for protecting the dignity of North 

Carolina’s LGBT community. 

For more information, to volunteer or to make 

a contribution, visit equalitync.org. 

— L.M. 

make such a ban more stringent, banning 

recognition of “domestic legal union” by 

same-sex couples, including civil unions, marriages 

and domestic partnerships. 

The ceremonies were officiated by Rev. 

Nancy Ellett Allison of Holy Covenant United 

Church of Christ, Rabbi Judy Schindler of 

Temple Beth El and Rev. Robin Tanner of 

Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church. 

Several other local congregations 

supported the initiative, including Pilgrim 

Congregational UCC of Charlotte, Unitarian 

Universalist Church of Charlotte, Unity 

Fellowship Church Charlotte and Wedgewood 

Baptist Church. Sponsoring organizations included 

RAIN, Time Out Youth, attorney Connie 

J. Vetter and the Human Rights Campaign. 

On April 4, a special “Celebratory 

Champagne Toast” was held. During the 

event, Rev.Jay Leach, along with Rev. Dr. 

Chris Ayers and others, blessed and toasted 

the couples upon their return. 

— M.C. 

Eastern 

Presbytery says no 

ELIZABETHTOWN — The eastern North 

Carolina governing body of the Presbyterian 

Church (U.S.A.) gave a thumbs down to a proposal 

from the national church body to allow 

gay and lesbian clergy. 

The Presbytery of Coastal Carolina voted 

against the proposal by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. 

The church’s current Book of Order states 

that its clergy must be in a “faithful marriage 

between a man and a woman or be 

chaste.” References to sexual orientation 

would have been removed if it 

has passed. 

All 173 presbyteries across the 

U.S. will have to come to a consensus 

by May. The approval of a total 

of 87 presbyteries are needed for the 

proposal to take effect. 

— L.M. 

Triad 

New center improves 

AIDS care 

GREENSBORO — Moses Cone 

Health System has partnered with 

three agencies, including Triad 

Health Project, to open their new 

Regional Center for Infectious 

Disease. The facility, which opened 

April 4 across the street from 

Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital, 

promises to greatly improve care 

for people with HIV, AIDS and other 

infectious diseases. 

By partnering with other HIV/ 

AIDS providers, it will offer multiple 

services for patients in one convenient 

setting. 

The Center has a nurse practitioner 

and also has space for two case 

managers from Triad Health Project 

and one mental health counselor 

from Family Service of the Piedmont. 

Those two community agencies 

worked with The Infectious Disease 

Clinic in the past when it was 

located in the basement of Moses 

Cone Hospital. 

The long-term vision to develop the center 

came from Dr. John Campbell, an infectious 

disease physician with the Internal Medicine 

Training Program at Moses Cone Health 

System. 

The Cone Health Foundation, Central 

Carolina Health Network and the University of 

North Carolina are providing funds including 

federal funding totaling $1,237,468, a total 55 

percent of the Center’s budget. 

— compiled from release 

Triangle 

Public forum held 

CARRBORO — Students and youth 

gathered at Open Eye Cafe, 101 S. Greensboro 

St., at an open mic Speak Out after the Day of 

Silence. It was sponsored by iNSIDEoUT. 

On the previous day, countless participants 

across the nation refrained from 

speaking for a full day to raise awareness 

and express their solidarity with LGBT youth 

who remain muted and isolated. Every day, 

they face disproportionate rates of harassment 

and bullying in schools, as well as an 

increased tendency for self-injury, suicide and 

depression. The Speak Out was an opportunity 

for students to share their stories with an 

audience in public about their experiences 

observing the Day of Silence and being lesbian, 

gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning 

or allied in school, more generally. 

The event is a project of the Gay, Lesbian, 

Straight Education Network (GLSEN). In 2005, 

GLSEN’s National School Climate Survey 

found that more than 64 percent of LGBT 

students reported verbal, sexual or physical 

harassment at school and 29 percent reported 

missing at least a day of school in the past 

month out of fear for their personal safety. 

Discrimination and harassment is widely 

overlooked by school administrators due in 

part to the lack of effective bullying policies, 

said iNSIDEoUT representative Amy Glaser. 

The School Violence Prevention Act, which 

was passed in 2009, is supposed to help 

protect youth against bullying. Equality North 

Carolina has prepared a kit to assist systems 

in the implementation of the law. 

For more information, visit iNSIDEoUT180. 

org and equalitync.org. 

— L.M. 

Conference tackles bullying 

RALEIGH — North Carolina State 

University held a statewide conference on 

March 29 to assist educators and students in 

dealing with harassment in elementary and 

secondary schools. 

Attendees focused on finding ways 

to implement the state’s School Violence 

Prevention Act throughout an entire school. 

Also, intervention and parental support methodology 

were addressed. 

WRAL reported, “Justine Hollingshead, 

director of N.C. State’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual 

and Transgender Center, said school administrators, 

teachers and counselors need to take 

the initiative to stop bullying.” 

Worsening the issue is the “advent of 

online bullying.” 

Morgan Hayes, a seventh grade student 

at North Garner Middle School, attended the 

event for a Girl Scout project with a friend. 

She is spearheading an effort to have her 

school become a no-bully zone. 

— L.M. 

Exec supports gay rights 

RALEIGH — Workplace Options President 

Alan King says that “being gay doesn’t define 

my ability to do my job well. I don’t wrap 

myself in a rainbow flag,” the News and 

Observer reported. 

His company is the lead sponsor of 

OutRaleigh, which is taking place on May 

14. And, that is only the tip of the iceberg. 

He thinks that this event is just the place to 

make a “visible statement in the community 

we live…and celebrate diversity…thus being 

viewed as a model in the business world.” 

Workplace Options is an employee assistance 

program company and provides wellness 

programs, backup care for children and 

elderly parents, diversity training, financial 

counseling, mental-health support and more. 

It employs 325 people worldwide. Most of 

them, 240, work in Raleigh. 

They have concern over the Republicancontrolled 

General Assembly’s efforts to 

restrict gay rights, like the gay marriage ban. 

The News and Observer said, “A recent 

survey of N.C. workers by Public Policy Polling, 

a firm that’s owned by [Workplace Options 

CEO] Dean Debnam, showed that about one 

in four said they would be uncomfortable if a 

co-worker or boss was openly gay.”

“It’s valuable for this region’s gay and 

lesbian community to have the support of 

businesses and of leaders such as King.… 

The fact that Alan is out and rewarded and 

supported for being out means so much for 

other professionals,” Daire Roebuck, who 

serves on the LGBT Center board and is an 

attorney, concluded. 

— L.M. 

National 

Kerry leads on immigration equality 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. John Kerry 

(D-MA) led 11 colleagues in an April 6 letter to 

Attorney General Eric Holder and Secretary of 

Homeland Security Janet Napolitano urging 

immigration equality for legally married samesex 

couples who are currently discriminated 

against under the Defense of Marriage Act. 

“We applaud the President’s decision to 

no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act 

in federal court,” the senators wrote. “With 

DOMA as law, however, we are creating a tier 

of second-class families in states that have 

authorized same-sex marriage. The same 

second-class status is imposed upon marriages 

between same-sex partners in which 

one spouse is not a U.S. citizen. We urge 

you to reconsider this position in light of the 

administration’s position that it will no longer 

defend DOMA in federal court.” 

Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of 

Immigration Equality, a national organization 

that works to end discrimination in U.S. immigration 

law, has also called for a change. 

— D.S. 

LGBT Health, Part I 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — National health 

think tank The Institute of Medicine issued a 

report March 31 detailing health disparities 

between LGBT and non-LGBT Americans 

and calling for substantially increased 

federal research into the medical concerns 

of LGBT people. The report, “The Health of 

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender 

People: Building a Foundation for Better 

Understanding,” is meant to be a wake-up call 

for government researchers and policymakers 

who have resisted asking LGBT-specific 

questions in federal health surveys. 

— D.S. 

LGBT Health, Part II 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On April 1, the 

Department of Health and Human Services announced 

a number of steps it was recommending 

to President Barack Obama to improve the 

health and well-being of LGBT Americans. 

The recommendations include prohibiting 

workplace bias on the basis of sexual orientation 

and gender identity for HHS programs and 

employees; increasing the number of federallyfunded 

health surveys that collect sexual orientation 

and gender identity data; and promoting 

health profession training programs to include 

LGBT cultural competency curricula. 

HHS will take additional steps, integrating 

an even stronger component focusing on 

LGBT youth in all anti-bullying initiatives, reducing 

the barriers encountered by prospective 

and current foster and adoptive parents 

who are LGBT, and requiring all organizations 

serving runaway and homeless youth to be 

equipped to serve LGBT youth. 

— D.S. 

Study: 9 million LGBT Americans 

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Williams 

Institute, a leading think tank dedicated to 

the field of sexual orientation and gender 

identity-related law and public policy, has 

released new research that estimates the size 

of the LGBT community in the U.S. Drawing 

on information from four recent national and 

two state-level population-based surveys, the 

analyses suggest that there are more than 

8 million American adults who are lesbian, 

gay or bisexual, comprising 3.5 percent of the 

adult population. There are also nearly 700,000 

transgender individuals in the U.S. In total, the 

study suggests that approximately 9 million 

Americans — roughly the population of New 

Jersey — identify as LGBT. 

— D.S. 

Victory in Ark., Part I 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas 

Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling 

that a law prohibiting adoption by unmarried 

couples who live together violates the Arkansas 

Constitution. On Nov. 4, 2008, Arkansas voters 

approved a statutory ban on adoption and 

foster parenting by unmarried individuals cohabiting 

with a sexual partner. The April 7 ruling 

affirms a Pulaski County circuit judge decision 

that Initiated Act I of 2008 intrudes on privacy 

rights guaranteed by the Arkansas Constitution. 

The victory leaves Mississippi and Utah as the 

only states with adoption bans for unmarried 

couples, including same-sex couples. 

— D.S. 

Victory in Ark., Part II 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Advocates for LGBT 

youth and education praised Gov. Beebe’s April 

1 signing of a comprehensive anti-bullying bill 

that enumerates personal characteristics often 

targeted for bullying, including race, religion, 

sexual orientation and gender identity. The 

bill, which also requires educator training, had 

overwhelming support from legislators of all 

parties and passed unanimously in the state 

Senate. Arkansas is the 11th state to pass 

an enumerated anti-bullying law. The others 

that have such laws are California, Illinois, 

Iowa, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North 

Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and Washington. 

— D.S. 

Global 

British HIV rates up sharply 

LONDON, U.K. — New Health Protection 

Agency figures show that HIV infections 

among gay and bisexual men in the U.K. have 

risen by 70 percent in the last decade. In 

2001, 1,810 men who have sex with men were 

diagnosed with the disease. Last year, the 

number had risen to 3,080. It is estimated that 

there are 30,000 gay and bisexual men living 

with HIV in the U.K. today, although one-third 

of these are thought to be undiagnosed. 

— D.S. 


Walks to remember 

Carolina AIDS walks raise awareness, funds during time of need 

by Matt Comer :: matt@goqnotes.com 

While it would be difficult to overstate 

the importance of AIDS Walk fundraisers in 

the battle against HIV and AIDS, the events 

themselves couldn’t be much simpler. 

Participants solicit donations from family 

and friends before gathering together on 

event day to walk a pre-determined course 

through town. For some Walks, a registration 

fee is collected in lieu of pledges. In either 

case, all money raised goes to one or more 

local AIDS charities. 

As in the past several years, this year’s 

slew of events across the state will play an 

important role in raising both much-needed 

funding and awareness for AIDS services 

organizations and the crucial role they play 

in the health and well-being of their communities. 

But, 2011 also holds other important 

and symbolic meanings marking the 30th 

anniversary of the AIDS Crisis. On June 5. 

1981, the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) reported on the first cases 

of what would eventually be named Acquired 

Immunodeficiency Syndrome, or AIDS. From 

five, sick young men in Los Angeles, the 

Crisis grew. A lack of government response 

in the face of thousands of deaths nationwide 

sparked action. 

Short walks, long histories 

The concept isn’t new or unique to 

AIDS fundraising — the CROP Walk to fight 

hunger and poverty has successfully used 

this charity model since the late ’60s. What is 

different, however, is the politically charged 

climate from which the AIDS Walk movement 

emerged. 

The first AIDS Walk was held in Los 

Angeles in 1985 to benefit AIDS Project Los 

Angeles. Four years in and with the U.S. death 

toll approaching 5,000, the epidemic was still 

being treated like a radioactive social issue 

rather than a critical health concern. 

President Ronald Reagan mentioned the 

word “AIDS” in public for the first time in 

’85, and then only in response to a reporter’s 

questions. Congress’ anemic funding for care 

and research showed no signs that lawmakers 

considered AIDS a priority issue either. 

Among the public, the belief that people 

with AIDS could be divided into innocent 

victims (hemophiliacs, babies born to infected 

mothers) and the deserving (gays, drug users) 

was still widespread. Lingering fear about 

how the disease could be spread fueled pervasive 

ostracism and discrimination against 

the infected. 

From this dire environment sprang the 

first AIDS Walk, which is significant both for 

the fact that it established a means for the 

community to raise life-saving aid money that 

the government wasn’t providing, as well as 

for the courage of the walkers who braved the 

stigma associated with AIDS. 

Following on the heels of the L.A. walkers 

were participants at similar events in New 

York and San Francisco. Before long, AIDS 

Walks were being organized in cities from 

coast to coast, including the Carolinas where 

multiple events are held across the region 

each year. 

qnotes April 16-29 . 2011 

Trying times 

Last year, North Carolina’s community of 

HIV/AIDS patients were hit with devastating 

blows. As the state legislature faced looming 

budget deficits, officials with the 

N.C. Department of Health’s HIV/STD 

Prevention and Care Branch announced 

enrollment in the state’s AIDS Drug 

Assistance Program (ADAP) would 

be capped at current levels. Though 

low-income HIV/AIDS patients who 

were already enrolled would continue to 

receive medicines, hundreds were put on 

a waiting list that eventually became the 

longest in the nation. 

Leaders like the Rev. Debbie Warren 

of Charlotte’s Regional AIDS Interfaith 

Network (RAIN), Addison Ore of 

Greensboro’s Triad Health Project and 

John Paul Womble of Raleigh’s Alliance 

of AIDS Services-Carolina sprang into 

action. With the advocacy of state AIDS 

and STD director Jacquelyn Clymore, 

North Carolina eventually passed a budget 

that included restored funds for the 

program, though eligibility levels were 

reduced. 

Ore says the funding crisis that AIDS 

service providers and patients faced last 

year is still taking its toll, though potential 

future cuts could be worse. 

“It’s all up for debate,” she says. 

“There are no sacred cows anymore.” 

State legislators usually deal with 

budgetary matters in their biennial short 

session. That’s when last year’s ADAP 

funding was restored and passed. But 

this year, the state faces a $2.7 billion 

deficit — down $1 billion when the 

legislature opened this year’s session 

in January. That’s spawned efforts to cut 

spending and some legislators have put AIDS 

funding on the chopping block. 

In January, state Rep. Larry Brown, a 

Republican who represents portions of eastern 

Forsyth County, told The Winston-Salem 

Journal that state government shouldn’t be 

funding HIV/AIDS treatment for those who 

“caused it by the way they live.” 

“I’m not opposed to helping a child born 

with HIV or something,” Brown told the paper, 

“but I don’t condone spending taxpayers’ 

money to help people living in perverted 

lifestyles.” 

Brown’s remarks on HIV/AIDS funding 

were quickly condemned by statewide 

advocates. 

“These comments are completely unacceptable,” 

Ian Palmquist, Equality North 

Carolina’s executive director, said in a release 

at the time. “Larry Brown is out of touch with 

the people of North Carolina, who strongly 

support programs to care for the most vulnerable 

among us, and he’s out of step with his 

own party.” 

Brown had previously caused controversy 

after calling gays “queers” and “fruitloops” in 

an email to his Republican colleagues. 

Such a hostile social agenda concerns 

Ore, who is cautious after last November’s 

change in legislative leadership. 

“I certainly don’t believe someone like 

Rep. Larry Brown speaks for the entire 

Republican leadership, but I think when someone 

speaks like that it’s indicative of a feeling. 

That’s very concerning to me.” 

Ore’s organization relies on a mix of support 

from federal, state and local funding. 

“We rely more and more on what we are 

able to raise ourselves,” Ore says, noting decreases 

in federal grants and flat-lined local 

funding. “Individual donations have remained 

fairly stable, but we have to keep going back 

to the well more often. We’re starting to battle 

donor fatigue.” 

Messages of hope, strains 

of advocacy 

Nathan Smith, RAIN’s director of development 

and marketing, says his organization 

has also felt the brunt of meager times. 

“We’ve felt it like any other non-profit,” 

he says, noting his group had to layoff some 

workers when the economy initially nosedived 

in Charlotte a few years ago. 

But Smith is quick to point out that financial 

hardships are standing in stark contrast 

to the good that often comes out of fundraisers 

like RAIN’s upcoming AIDS Walk Charlotte 

on May 7. 

AIDS Walk Charlotte is RAIN’s largest 

fundraiser each year. It’s also one of the 

group’s largest public advocacy and awareness-building 

tools. 

“We truly push and want people to understand 

[this issue],” he says. “That’s why we 

have no registration fee and we encourage 

middle and high school and college students 

who can’t raise money to come out and support 

us. It’s about showing the community that 

this is still an issue for us.” 

Ore’s Triad Health Project holds their 

Winter Walk for AIDS each December. Ore 

says she’s always very intentional about 

stressing awareness along with fundraising. 

“That’s often when we’ll get a call from local 

people,” she says. “It’s a great opportunity 

to get the word out in front of people.” 

Triad Health Project is also celebrating 

their 25th anniversary this year, an occasion 

that has garnered the group more local press 

Participants in RAIN’s AIDS Walk Charlotte walk to remember a friend. 

and attention to the important issues that’s 

kept them running. 

RAIN’s AIDS Walk Charlotte celebrates 

15 years in May. Like Triad Health Project, 

RAIN has felt the pinch but feels events like 

their Walk help to close the gaps and create 

opportunities for change. 

At the end of the day, Smith says RAIN 

isn’t going anywhere. 

“We’ve been here for 19 years, and we’re 

going to be here until the Crisis is over,” he 

says. : : 

— David Stout contributed 

Walks across Carolina 

May 7 • Charlotte 

AIDS Walk Charlotte 

One of the largest AIDS fundraisers 

across the Carolinas, AIDS Walk 

Charlotte raises funds for the Regional 

AIDS Interfaith Network. To register 

walk teams or learn more, visit aidswalkcharlotte.org. 

May 21 • Raleigh 

AIDS Walk+Ride 

Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina 

hosts their annual walk and bicycle ride 

in downtown Raleigh. Register walkers, 

learn more about the ride and more at 

aidswalkandride.org. 

December • Greensboro 

Winter Walk for AIDS 

Triad Health Project takes to the 

streets of downtown Greensboro’s 

Aycock Neighborhood. For more information, 

visit traidhealthproject.com. 

For more events see our Q Events 

Calendar on page 19.

Charlotte city attorney to retire 

Mac McCarley’s legal opinions blocked LGBT progress in Charlotte 


Charlotte City Attorney Mac McCarley told 

the city council in closed session on April 4 

that he plans to retire at the end of December, 

according to The Charlotte Observer. McCarley, 

whose position is hired by the city council, has 

served as city attorney since 1994. His legal 

opinions have often been the source of frustration 

for LGBT community members. 

In 2009, the city was sued by a fired, 

transgender employee. At the time, McCarley 

said the city would not take responsibility in 

the case. 

“Transgendered individuals do not have 

any rights under the federal employment 

discrimination laws,” he said. 

The City of Charlotte does not have 

employment ordinances prohibiting discrimination 

on the basis of sexual orientation and 

gender-identity, though City Manager Curt 

Walton instituted an administrative policy 

last year prohibiting discrimination on sexual 

orientation. 

McCarley has insisted the city council 

lacks the authority to pass an employment 

non-discrimination ordinance or policy inclusive 

of “sexual orientation.” 

In a Feb. 23, 2010, memo from McCarley 

to Walton, McCarley said federal law in Title 

VII does not prohibit discrimination based on 

sexual orientation. The city charter, he said, 

Charlotte City Attorney 

Mac McCarley intends 

to retire at the end of 

December. 

also limits the city’s 

non-discrimination 

statement to those 

characteristics 

already listed (race, religion, color, sex, national 

origin, age, disability, and political affilation). 

In the memo, McCarley said Walton’s 2010 

administrative policy change is the “most le- 

see City Attorney on 15 

Anti-gay amendment filed in N.C. House 

House wording slightly narrower than harsh Senate version 


RALEIGH — An anti-gay constitutional 

amendment that could strip away marriage 

rights for same-sex couples was filed April 6 in 

the North Carolina House of Representatives. 

A similar amendment was introduced 

to the Senate in late February. The House 

version, filed by two Republicans and two 

Democrats, contains different wording 

that could slightly narrow the impact of the 

amendment. 

“Marriage is the union of one man and 

one woman at one time. No other relationship 

shall be recognized as a valid marriage 

by the State,” the House amendment reads. 

The Senate’s version says no other “domestic 

legal union” will be recognized. 

LGBT advocates with the statewide 

group Equality North Carolina say marriage 

— already denied to same-sex couples by 

state statute — isn’t the only right that could 

be banned by the proposed Senate version. 

Civil unions and domestic partner benefits 

could also be subject to prohibition. Several 

municipalities across the state offer health 

and other benefits to same-sex partners 

of their employees; those include Durham, 

Mecklenburg and Orange Counties, as well 

as the cities or towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, 

Durham and Greensboro. Private companies, 

including global giants like Charlotte’s Bank of 

America, also offer such benefits and could 

be subject to the Senate amendment. 

“I think it is a step in the right direction 

that they didn’t introduce as extreme a version 

as the Senate did,” Equality North Carolina 

Executive Director Ian Palmquist told qnotes. 

“The fact remains it is still an attempt to write 

discrimination into our state constitution.” 

The House version is sponsored by 

Republicans David Lewis (Harnett) and Rayne 

Brown (Davidson) and Democrats James 

Crawford, Jr. (Granville, Vance) and Dewey 

Hill (Brunswick, Columbus). Additionally, 35 

other representatives had as of press time 

signed on as co-sponsors. Of the additional 

co-sponsors, four are Democrats and one is 

unaffiliated. 

Palmquist indicated he had not spoken 

to House leadership on Wednesday, but that 

he and his group’s lobbyist would continue to 

encourage the chamber’s leadership not to 

bring the bill to the floor. 

Republican state Sens. James Forrester 

(Gaston), Jerry W. Tillman (Montgomery, 

Randolph) and Dan Soucek (Alexander, Ashe, 

Watauga, Wilkes) are the primary sponsors of 

the Senate version. It has been referred to the 

Senate Rules Committee. Twenty other senators 

have signed on in support. 

Similar amendments, whose primary 

proponents have been Republicans, have 

been kept at bay for the past seven years. The 

state’s legislature flipped from a Democratic 

to Republican majority in last November’s 

midterm elections. A constitutional amendment 

cannot be vetoed by the governor and 

must gain the approval of a three-fifths majority 

of both chambers before proceeding to the 

ballot. A simple majority of voters is needed 

for ratification. Both the Senate and House 

versions of the amendment would place the 

amendment on next year’s November ballot. : : 


10 qnotes April 16-29 . 2011

Judy at Carnegie Hall: 50 years later 

Commemorating Judy Garland’s historic performance at Carnegie Hall 

by Jim Thompson :: guest contributor 

April 23, 1961 will mark the 50th anniversary 

of what was probably the greatest evening 

in show business history. Over 3,000 lucky 

people packed the world-famous Carnegie 

Hall in New York City to see Judy Garland. 

We are lucky enough that this evening was 

recorded live and complete and has been 

transforming fans for the last 50 years to 

front row seats to hear and experience Judy 

Garland, her charm, charisma, presence and 

her truly marvelous voice in full form. 

New York Herald Tribune reported on that 

evening this way: “There was an extra bonus 

at Carnegie Hall last night, Judy Garland 

sang.” New York Post said: “Last night the 

magnetism was circulating from the moment 

she stepped on stage.” 

All accounts of that night hailed the 

Carnegie Hall concert as a triumph. 

Variety, the periodical of record for the 

show business industry, reported: “New 

York’s Carnegie Hall was supercharged on 

both sides of the footlights Sunday evening 

… Pandemonium broke loose and a standing 

ovation stalled the song fest for several 

moments. After her twenty-fourth number of 

the evening, she halted the tumultuous applause 

demanding still another encore … Few 

singers around can get as much out of a song 

as Miss Garland … The tones are clear, the 

phrasing is meaningful and the vocal passion 

is catching. In fact, the audience couldn’t resist 

anything she did. The aisles were jammed 

during the encore … she followed with two 

additional numbers ‘After You’ve Gone’ and 

‘Chicago’ which brought her song bag for the 

evening up to 26 numbers.” 

“Two hours of pow,” was how Judy 

Garland described the event. 

Clearly Judy’s performance at Carnegie 

Hall was a milestone in the life and career of 

a performer who had seen many successes 

in her lifetime. Judy had already experienced 

comebacks many times before. Today, 50 

years later, people are still raving about 

this concert, no matter if they have heard it 

hundreds of times or for the first time. Even 

those who might not be Judy Garland fans 

(say it ain’t so) are hooked by this concert. 

It’s particularly wonderful given the fact that 

a year-and-a-half earlier Judy Garland had 

nearly died. 

“Judy At Carnegie Hall” remains her 

biggest selling recording. It originally stayed 

on the charts for 94 weeks — 13 at number 

one — and won her five Grammy Awards, 

including Best Female Vocal Performance and 

Album of the Year (the first time a woman to 

win this category). Today it is still in print and a 

very popular selling CD and music download. 

To listen to it is to re-live what truly is the 

greatest night in show business history sung 

by the greatest entertainer in show business, 

Judy Garland. If you haven’t heard it, do 

yourself a favor and listen. If you have, listen 

again. You’ll smile, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry. You 

will love it. : : 

— A self-described “Friend of Dorothy,” 

Jim Thompson is a qnotes reader and 

community member. He lives in Fort Mill, S.C. 

April 16-29 . 2011 qnotes 11

Pride Charlotte wants to ‘stand proud’ 

in Uptown 

Pride Charlotte, slated for Aug. 27, captures the heart of the Queen City 

by Leah Cagle :: leah@goqnotes.com 

Pride. Inclusivity. Creativity. Diversity. 

Words like these saturate the conversations 

surrounding this year’s Pride Charlotte 

festival. It only takes a brief glance at the 

upcoming celebration to understand just what 

an amazing event we have coming our way 

this summer. 

Although Charlotte has been hosting 

Pride festivities since the 1970s, the process 

of creating a thriving LGBT community hasn’t 

been easy. In 2005, the non-profit Charlotte 

Pride organization dissolved after facing 

intense anti-gay backlash. But since 2006, 

when the Lesbian & Gay Community Center 

took charge of the event, Pride Charlotte has 

grown immensely, jumping from Gateway 

Village to the N.C. Music Factory and now, 

for 2011, to the very heart of the Queen City 

— Uptown Tryon St. 

“We are very excited to move our festival 

Uptown and to the heart of Charlotte’s artistic 

and cultural center,” Jonathan Hill, Pride 

‘Teamwork makes the 

dream work’ 

Pride Charlotte needs volunteers, 

vendors and visionaries to help make 

this event possible. If you’re interested 

in participating, visit the Pride Charlotte 

website at pridecharlotte.com to learn 

more about volunteer opportunities and 

fill out a volunteer application. 

Charlotte co-chair, said in a release. “The S. 

Tryon St. location provides a unique opportunity 

for our event to grow and to raise more 

visibility for this city’s diverse gay community.” 

Organizers [Ed. Note — This publication’s 

editor serves on the event’s organizing committee] 

say the Pride festival, slated for Aug. 

27, is the largest celebration of LGBT culture 

and community in the Carolinas. The event 

attracts thousands of folks — gay and ally 

alike — to partake in a vibrant, week-long 

party of artistic, culinary and cultural delight. 

Organizers have been hard at work, creating 

new fundraising and partnership opportunities 

in order to offer a more diverse set of 

artistic events, participating organizations and 

entertainment. 

Organizers also say the event serves as a 

unique opportunity for LGBT Charlotteans to 

declare both their presence and their worth in 

the greater community. Dave Webb, who also 

serves as Pride Charlotte co-chair, called the 

event a “statement of affirmation” that will 

show “Charlotte’s LGBT community is a vital 

part of the city’s cultural fabric.” 

Center Board Chair John Stotler envisions 

the event as an inclusive, unifying and mending 

experience that will “build bridges within 

our own community and among natural allies 

across the metro Charlotte area.” 

But Pride planners know from past 

experience that not everyone in attendance 

shares the same dream of acceptance and 

celebration. 

“Unfortunately there are still politicians 

Pride Charlotte’s 2010 festival was held at the N.C. Music Factory on the outskirts of Uptown. 

and individuals in Charlotte that feel compelled 

to judge and condemn the gay community, 

but times are a-changing and the louder 

they protest, the more they show their true 

colors as agents of hate and intolerance,” 

Webb explains. 

Pride Charlotte will again organize its 

coalition of volunteers known as “Partners 

in Peace,” dispersing them throughout the 

festival to help promote positive communication 

and ensure a peaceful experience for all 

in attendance. 

Despite the inherent political implications 

in such an event, Dave Webb reiterates that 

the true spirit of the festival is communal 

rather than partisan. 

“The Pride Charlotte festival is not a political 

rally, it is a peaceful gathering of the LGBT 

community, families and its’ supporters to 

celebrate our community,” he says. : : 

Let me see y’all one, two step 

Southern Country Charlotte values community, organizer says 


Growing up gay can be hard. That’s especially 

true if you grow up in the South or other 

rural, conservative settings. Despite these 

hardships, many of us LGBT Southerners still 

long for a piece of home or clamor to embrace 

what we consider our “roots.” Being gay 

and Southern — or “country,” “redneck,” 

“cowboy” or whatever term of endearment 

you choose to identify yourself — has never 

been mutually exclusive. 

Organizations like 

Southern Country Charlotte 

(SCC) and a host of similar 

groups across the nation 

prove it. 

SCC, which holds their 

annual Queen City Stomp 

each April, was founded in 

1991 and celebrates their 20th 

anniversary this year. Though 

folks come from far and wide 

to partake in a show of Country Western 

dancing, they’re also contributing toward 

good causes. Southern Country Charlotte has 

raised nearly $100,000 in cash, goods and services 

benefitting local non-profit groups, both 

within and outside of the LGBT community. 

But SCC President Chris Gray says the 

group is about much more than Country 

Western dancing and fundraising. When he 

and his partner moved to Charlotte in 2008, 

12 qnotes April 16-29 . 2011 

SCC offered them welcome and friendship. 

“We had gone to the Eagle one 

Wednesday night and they were doing dance 

lessons,” Gray says. “He fell in love with it 

and we started going every Wednesday. 

The atmosphere, the people, they welcomed 

everybody gay or straight or whatever.” 

Gray’s partner loves to dance, though Gray 

himself doesn’t. 

“It’s what I call 

a spectator sport,” 

he says. “There’s 

a lot of members 

that don’t dance, 

including myself. A 

lot of people who 

come out do so just 

to watch and it’s 

amazing to watch 

the unison of these 

people dancing.” 

After the late 2009 closure of the Charlotte 

Eagle, a gay Leather/Levi bar off South Blvd., 

SCC was forced to move their Queen City 

Stomp to the Sheraton Charlotte Airport Hotel. 

There, SCC members’ love of dance and their 

camaraderie has overflowed and left its mark 

on hotel staff and guests alike. 

“The relationship we built with Sheraton 

last year worked great,” Gray says. “They’ve 

been real hand-in-hand. If we needed 

something they were right on it. We had no 

problems. Even people who were at the hotel 

— who weren’t gay and who just happened to 

be staying there — they would pay to come in 

and they had a blast.” 

Gray says the Sheraton has even purchased 

a new dance floor. It mades its debut 

at this year’s Queen City Stomp. 

The community that surrounds SCC and 

welcomes new members and guests extends 

beyond the group’s local activities and mission. 

SCC is a member of the International 

Association of Gay/Lesbian Country Western 

Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC). Incorporated in 

Texas in 1993, the international fellowship is a 

member of the Gay and Lesbian International 

Sports Association and helps to promote 

both dancing balls, like Queen City Stomp, 

and competitions across the globe. In July, 

it’ll host a dancing competition at the North 

American OutGames in Vancouver. 

Gray says SCC’s relationship with 

IAGLCWDC has been fruitful and Queen City 

Stomp has even managed to get the attention 

of many of the group’s members. 

“We have wonderful cocktail parties,” he 

says. “They were the talk of the [IAGLCWDC] 

convention last year.” 

Though SCC appreciates the praise, their 

mission and focus remains squarely with the 

people and organizations it benefits. 

Other upcoming hoedowns 

In the mood for more Country 

Western dance In addition to 

Charlotte’s Queen City Stomp, be sure 

to check out these great events this 

season. 

Seattle :: April 29-May 1 

Emerald City Hoedown 

Hosted by Rain Country 

Dance Association 

raincountrydance.org 

Provincetown :: April 29-May 1 

19th Annual Spring Stomp 

Hosted by Gays for Patsy 

gaysforpatsy.org 

Philadelphia :: May 26-29 

The Philadelphia Hoedown 

The 18th Annual Convention of the 

International Association of Gay/Lesbian 

Country Western Dance Clubs. 

iaglcwdc.org 

— Event listings courtesy IAGLCWDC 

“We are able to raise money for organizations 

and charities while at the same time 

getting out and doing stuff in the community 

as much as we can,” he says. “Even with 

the economy last year, we were able to raise 

around $10,000. That was a great thing and we 

hope to keep it going.” : :

“Hey y’all!” 

as one of my 

favorites, Paula 

Deen, would greet 

her folks. And, 

welcome back 

to my little neck of the woods — here since 

the fall of 1996! Oh my goodness, that’s a lot of 

drag and pageants. This time, I will talk about 

the three main pageants that I mentioned going 

to in the last Rag and, also, start off with a 

show that I failed to mention. 

Several weeks ago, a few impersonators 

did what I hear was a great show of illusions 

down at a theater in Myrtle Beach. Then they 

ended up at the fabulous Rainbow House. 

Those ladies of the stage included Miss Gay 

America Coti Collins (whom I believe organized 

it all), Kirby Kolby, Gigi Monroe, the 

highly decorated Denise Russell and the everfamous 

Barbra impersonator (and longtime 

Coti friend) Viki Williams. I know they put on 

one more classy show. 

And, speaking of Coti, it’s only fitting that 

I next mention her first three prelims to Miss 

Gay America. The first was Mid-America, 

where Symphony Love Alexander took the 

crown, with Jade Sinclair being 1st runner-up. 

Secondly, an old school queen with unfinished 

business won Miss Gay DC. Congrats are 

going out to Raleigh’s Kirby Kolby who swept 

every category. Her RU was Patti Lovelace. 

The third was Miss MidEast here at Scorpio. It 

was a great contest. A past Top 5 finalist at the 

national contest, Chantel Reshae, won and her 

RU was Lindsay Starr, who really put on a good 

show and, although I missed her in Gown and 

Onstage Response, I hear she really made quite 

the impression. Congrats to Jessica Jade who 

relinquished the title that night and really served 

up the costumes. There were several formers 

and guest entertainers in the house, but the 

one who really surprised me was Champagne 

Douglas who’s still got it after all these years. 

One celebrity who gets much attention 

and accolades from queens these days would 

naturally be Lady Gaga and just recently she 

made appearances at two gay clubs. She 

actually performed with Miss EOY Vanessa 

DeMornay at the Connection in Louisville and 

she popped into the Round Up in Dallas after a 

concert out there. 

Congrats are going out to Dy’Mond 

Cartier who won the most recent Miss NC 

U.S.ofA. in Greensboro at Warehouse 29. It 

was my pleasure to make the trip with our 

Miss NC America Emery Starr, where I got to 

drag rag 

by miss della :: qnotes contributor 

Queens are blooming everywhere! 

catch up with old friends like Jessica O’Brien, 

Monica Marlo, Natalie Smalls, Tiffany Bonet 

and Victoria Parker. Also on-hand were Tia 

Chanella, Neely O’Hara, Paisley Parque, 

Gabrielle Berlyn, Crystal Froste, Ebbony 

Addams, Brooke Divine LaReese, Shae Shae 

LaReese, Arabia Knight-Addams, Amaya, Olive 

Oyl, Miss NC Unlimited Cheetah Shaw and her 

king Taylor Knight-Addams and the list goes 

on and on. I did get to see bar owner Kent and 

met a precious new bartender they have there 

named Jose Antonio. Dy’Mond’s first RU was 

Charlotte’s own London Dior who wore a gown 

that would scratch the eyeballs out of your 

head, baby! Second RU was Orlando Chanel. 

I have just unpacked my bags from a trip 

to Miami, FL to judge the Carolinas Continental 

pageants. Owner Alyson Thomas lives there 

now and timing wasn’t such that she could get 

away, so she had it there in her club this time. 

No residency rules apply anyway, so that’s 

why it was held there and the title still stuck. 

That easy. And, boy did Alyson ever treat us 

like royalty — from the accommodations to 

the VIP treatment at the bar on the Saturday 

night before. Imagine Macy Alexander’s face 

when she walked into Dash on Washington 

and met an idol face to face, Miss Khloe 

Kardashian! They chatted for a few minutes 

before Khloe had to run out. Needless to say, 

Macy is still on Cloud Nine. Macy’s good sister 

Leslie Lain is still glowing, I suppose, from 

all the trade she pulled while there. Bitter, 

party of one! As for the contest, there were 

see Drag Rag on 15 



Drag Rag 

continued from page 13 

many entertainers, including all four national 

Continental titleholders, plus a few formers, 

like Chanel Dupree and Erika Norell. Also, 

some of Alyson’s former winners, too. The title 

winners that evening include Mr. Carolinas 

Continental Kyle Ean Haggerty, Miss PLUS 

Tianna Love, Miss Elite Cierra Douglas, Miss 

SC Continental Alexis Gabrielle Sherrington 

and NC Continental Athena Dion, a new child 

who did really well, including turning Talent 

completely out. This “little Greek kid” (as I 

call her), who was a military brat and actually 

lived in Ft. Bragg for two years, got a standing 

ovation. Next in line was another new child, 

Evelyn Monroe, who had on probably the 

prettiest updo I think I’ve ever seen. Many, 

many thanks to the co-hostess Vegas Dion for 

all the hospitality and to Alyson for treatment 

fit literally for a queen. Diskotekka in Miami is 

one happenin’ place! Wow! 

I’ll close with prelims leading up to NC 

EOY, which Angelica Dust will relinquish in just 

weeks. Miss Flower Power is Trixie Fontaine 

with RU Macaria Rage; Miss Forsyth County is 

Neely O’Hara with RU Malayia Chanel Iman; 

Miss Land in the Sky is Brinna Michaels with 

RU Manhattan; and Miss Piedmont Princess is 

Vivica Dupree with Paradise Dust as alternate. 

I have the distinct pleasure of mentioning that 

Olive Oyl, the Grande Dame of the Triad, was 

named Miss Bat$h!# Emeritus. And, yes, they 

really are spelling it that way — you’ll see 

on the posters. Lord, only Olivia Vorhees Oyl 

would consent to such. 

A final note — A.J., I am not going out in 

drag anytime soon, nor will I be asking for a 

booking of all things, so here is your one-time 

mention! Muah! : : 

info: Drop me a line, OK 

TheTeaMissD@yahoo.com 

City attorney to resign 

continued from page 9 

gally defensible way to include sexual orientation 

in the City’s equal employment language 

without first requesting a Charter amendment 

from the legislature.” 

The term “gender identity” was not added 

to Walton’s new non-discrimination policy. 

“We are not recommending that you 

include ‘gender identity’ as a protected status,” 

McCarley’s memo to Walton read. “This 

is a relatively new term, has no recognized 

legal definition, and is highly subjective.” 

Last year, McCarley told qnotes he worked 

with the city manager’s office to come up with 

the best possible changes for the new policy. 

“The city manager asked us if we could 

find a way to do this and we gave him the 

best option we could,” he said in a telephone 

interview. 

McCarley said the term “gender identity” 

had not been held up to any judicial scrutiny. 

Harper Jean Tobin, policy counsel for the 

Washington, D.C.-based National Center for 

Transgender Equality (NCTE), told qnotes she 

believed city officials were mistaken. 

“It’s not new in the sense that it has been 

part of various state and local laws in many 

places for a decade, in some places for two 

decades,” Tobin said in a 2010 interview via 

phone. “There is a pretty well established 

meaning.” 

Charlotte is the last major city in the state 

to take up discussion of LGBT-inclusion in 

city ordinances or policies. Durham and 

Raleigh passed “sexual orientation”-inclusive 

non-discrimination policies in 1987 and 

1988, respectively. Seven other cities and 

four counties include “sexual orientation” in 

their non-discrimination policies or ordinances. 

Boone, Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Orange 

County also include “gender identity.” : : 

qomunity qonexions u 


tell trinity 

by trinity :: qnotes contributor 

Before you have that 

one-night stand 

Hello Trinity, 

I love one-night stands. But, every 

time I say, “Wanna get together 

again” they say, “Sorry, I’m in a relationship!” 

What’s up with open 

relationships 

Closed to the “Open,” Boston, MA 

Hello Closed, 

I agree, we single 

people have become 

laboratory rats for the 

partnered world. Like 

you, I too find many 

couples “play openly.” I also hear 

couples say, “It keeps us together rather 

than tears us apart.” which makes me 

want to scream “What-Ever!” So, sweetie, 

if you’re about to take part in a one-night 

stand, but want a few more nights, just 

ask, “Are you partnered, single or a lab 

technician” 

Hey Trinity, 

I read your tips for getting rid of telemarketers. 

But, really, I can’t just hang up on them 

like you suggested 

Telemarketing Troubles, Sioux Falls, SD 

Hey Troubles, 

If truth were told, I don’t always have the heart to hang up on 

those hard-working warriors of marketing. While I sometimes 

go numb or just want to jump out a window, you 

must always stay stern, clear and fast or, honey, 

come join me on the windowsill! (My cartoon gives 

you some real pointers on how I handle this challenging 

dilemma.) 

Dearest Trinity, 

My boyfriend is great and I don’t want to hurt him, but how do I 

end my relationship without destroying someone I love 

Happy Endings, Stanford, CT 

Dearest Happy Endings, 

Saying “No more!” always hurts even the strongest of beasts. 

So, finding the right time, place and/or right situation is your 

best solution. Never break 

up during a fight, the end of a 

long day or when someone is 

in crisis. Yes, he will be upset, 

but time heals everything. And, 

darling, don’t tell him while 

shopping in a rifle shop. 

Dear Trinity, 

Someone I really liked dumped 

me because “I acted too ditzy 

and immature for a 34-year-old 

man.” Why do I have to act 

my age 

Keeping My Lollipop, 

Detroit, MI 

Dear Lollipop, 

Eventually you have to stop 

being a little brat and become a responsible, educated, 

charming man. Being a man means not always quitting 

relationships or jobs, not always saying what you feel and not 

always partying when the sun goes down. But, even better, 

pumpkin, here’s, 

Trinity’s Tough Tips For Knowing 

When You’re a SAD (Still A Ditzy) boy 

1. When you spend your last paycheck on Lady Gaga tickets 

instead of paying your rent, you’re SAD! 

2. When the woman you love says, “Baby, lets do something 

fun tonight.” and you think, “God, I hate my mother!” you’re 

SAD! 

3. When your hairline is receding and your belly is extending, 

but you still insist on wearing your 80s florescent club wear 

then you’re really SAD. 

4. When your lover says, “You get dinner“ and you think 

“Happy Meal again, yippy!” you’re definitely SAD. 

5. When Monday means, instead of a hot shower, a shave and 

off to work, you grab a Bloody Mary, two aspirins and begin 

another chat room adventure — SAD! 

6. When Friday means, off to the 21-and-under bar for a key 

lime shot, instead of off with grown-up friends, then SAD. 

7. When you dump your lover of 10 years for a 22-year-old 

twinkie who is “really cute and sweet and likes my Xbox!,” 

guess what 

8. When you still spend your free time hanging out in arcades 

and shopping malls, guess what again 

9. When you withdraw your last two grand and blow it on a 

RSVP vacation because your credit cards are all maxed out, 

you’re SAD. 

10. Lastly, you know you’re still a ditzy boy if the previous nine 

tips pissed you off and now you’re going to get stoned just 

to show Trinity who’s in charge of your life, SAD for sure! : : 

— With a Masters of Divinity, Reverend Trinity was 

host of “Spiritually Speaking,” a weekly radio drama, 

and now performs globally. 

info: www.telltrinity.com . Trinity@telltrinity.com 

Tell Trinity, P.O. Box 23861 . Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33307 

Sponsored by: Provincetown Business Guild 

800-637-8696 . www.ptown.org 

16 qnotes April 16-29 . 2011

out in the stars 

by charlene lichtenstein :: qnotes contributor 

April 16 - 29 

Take the bull by the 

horns when the Sun 

stampedes into Taurus. 

It is time to lasso and 

brand your personal 

message on the world. Grab what you want by 

the tail and don’t let go. Hey, nice tail. 

ARIES (03.21-04.20) Here are some things to 

keep in mind right now. First, be sure to surround 

yourself with luxurious objects of art to stimulate 

your imagination. Second, take a peek at your 

nest egg to see if it is ready to hatch. Third, cook 

up your best ideas and serve them while they 

are hot. Gay Rams launch themselves into outer 

space. Don’t scramble your message. 

TAURUS (04.21-05-21) There is something about 

you, something astute, clever and very charming. 

But, queer Bulls may go out on a social limb 

in an attempt to weasel their way into a certain 

highly selective social circle. Life is much more 

that glibly chatting up the glitterati in order to get 

ahead. Don’t slip on your own oil as you grease 

the wheels … along with other parts. Get some 

heft behind you. 

GEMINI (05.22-06.21) What is it about this time 

period that makes pink Twins so wildly intuitive 

Buff up your crystal ball and take a close peek. 

You conjure up all sorts of radical scenarios and 

strange ideas. Saner folks think that you are 

either a savant or a loon. They say that there is a 

fine line between genius and madness. Have you 

crossed it I guess we will have to see. 

CANCER (06.22-07.23) If you find that your social 

calendar fills to overflowing, jump in with both 

feet. Friends rely on you to provide the who, 

what, when and where. But how, gay Crab The 

secret is to maintain (and update) your list of 

contacts and do your research. Start with the A 

list and work your way down. Hmmm, how low 

on the alphabet will you need to go to get the 

right buzz 

LEO (07.24-08.23) It is time to strategize, proud 

Lion, and manifest your corporate destiny. Keep 

your ear to the ground and pay close attention 

to possible new opportunities. Have you 

been toiling in the background for substandard 

compensation and little recognition Your time 

is coming soon. The real question is — will your 

head fit into your new spacious office 

VIRGO (08.24-09.23) Drop your antiseptic view of 

the world and get down and dirty, queer Virgo. 

This spance of time goads you into getting to 

the guts of things to find out what gives you 

your unique spark. You may be surprised at 

what makes you tick. If the past few weeks 

have darkened your luminous light, use this 

time to find a slice of sunny oomph. Heck, why 

not eat the whole pie! 

LIBRA (09.24-10.23) There is a tendency to play 

the victim when things do not go your way. 

Stop nursing those regrets and use this time to 

bulldoze your way though the negative blockade. 

Folks don’t like what you like Tough. Consider the 

source when others start to criticize or stall you. 

Only you can control how you feel about yourself 

and what you can personally accomplish. 

SCORPIO (10.24-11.22) As things heat up, proud 

Scorps cannot help but consider their options 

in relationships. Create a list of what is working 

and what isn’t with partners. Ties that bind 

tighten and single scorpions are itching to get 

hitchin’. But, choose carefully, lover; the upcoming 

sultry months deserve a hot and buttered 

companion, not a hot and bothered one. 

SAGITTARIUS (11.23-12.22) Feeling especially 

slothful and decadent (So, what else is new) 

That relaxing feeling will soon pass, gay Archer, 

as a fire is set under you. Well, maybe not a fire, 

but certainly a fair amount of guilt. Perhaps it 

is time to think about getting into better shape. 

Implement a new exercise regime and diet 

before your spandex stretches to cellophane. 

CAPRICORN (12.23-01.20) Grab a fistful of party 

mix and chug-a-lug. You become quite the party 

animal. Pink Caps have a way of finding the 

hottest spot in town and can turn up the temperature 

even more. Before you singe your best 

assets on a quick flame, check to see if there 

are longer lasting opportunities for romance. At 

least, find one that will burn through the summer. 

AQUARIUS (01.21-02.19) This time period stirs up 

your domestic agenda. Survey your domain and 

see if it needs some sprucing up. Aqueerians 

would like to plan some home-based entertaining, 

but how can you even consider it with your 

current abode The experts are unavailable, but 

don’t let that stop you. What should stop you are 

those paint swatches in shades of puce and the 

macrame plant hangers. 

PISCES (02.20-03.20) Your conversation is less 

than riveting, but who really cares This is the 

time to set foundations and solidify your position 

rather than shake the rafters. Collect your 

thoughts and see how practical you can be. 

There are some surprising results on the horizon 

no matter what the naysayers say. March 

to your own tune. Even better — tango to it. : : 

© 2011 Madam Lichtenstein, LLC. All Rights 

Reserved. Entertainment. 

info: Visit www.TheStarryEye.com for 

e-greetings, horoscopes and Pride jewelry. My 

book “HerScopes: A Guide To Astrology For 

Lesbians” from Simon & Schuster is 

available at bookstores and major booksites. 


on being a gay parent 

by brett webb-mitchell :: qnotes contributor 

Yoga daddy 

“And stretch one more time, finding 

your edge and pushing a little bit more, 

even if it is just an inch or a micro-inch,” 

Elijah says to his enthusiastic crowd of 

25 aging yoga participants at our local 

YMCA. Downward dog, looking like my 

Labrador retrievers as they wander into 

our bedroom with their morning yawn 

and stretch, I put my head down, push 

back on my heels, hips up toward the sky, legs and hands outstretched. 

Then we glide into upward dog, reversing the arc of the back. Amid 

squats, bends, warrior poses, leg and groin stretches, cross-legged and 

breathing exercises, we make our way through poses that cannot help 

but add flexibility to our not-so-limber bodies, minds and spirits. What 

is most mystifying and satisfying is that yoga has also made me more 

flexible as a father. 

I came to yoga through my daughter Adrianne’s invitation one 

summer’s day. She took up yoga at college and soon my partner, and 

then I, followed her to a yoga class. At first, it was a daddy-daughter 

thing in which I was enjoying the camaraderie of the moment. Though 

my body ached as I learned how inflexible my limbs were, I looked 

at the clock, trying to figure out, “How much longer must I do this” 

But, with time, persistence and willingness to learn to take it slowly, 

my body became more lithesome. Along with my daughter, my son 

works out with me at the YMCA. He and I tend to focus on running 

and lifting weights. Needless to say, between both children, my entire 

being is getting a daily work-out, keeping me young(er), limber(er) and 

healthier. In a fun way, we are engaged in a practice that my father 

started with me when I was a young child, taking me to Saturday 

morning gym activities like Dodgeball or to little league practice. There 

is something special about physical activities that draw children and 

parents together in incredible ways. 

What I’ve appreciated about learning yoga is how easily the 

practices have generalized to parenting as a gay dad. For example, 

consider flexibility. In yoga, arms, legs and torso, down to legs and 

fingers, can start to stiffen when not fully used. This is why it is helpful 

to bend and flex body parts slowly, methodically, not too quickly, but 

without undue waiting, massaging our bones and sinews back to fuller 

usage. Likewise, in life as a parent who is LGBTQ, because we parent 

in a world largely defined by straight parents, we need to flex or use 

the specialness of our love of being a parent whose family may face 

oppression overtly or covertly. We will be challenged to love our partners 

and children genuinely and smartly, careful so as not to humiliate 

anyone, but proclaiming the love without apology. 

As we learn to be flexible in yoga, we also learn to stretch. What I 

love is the challenge to stretch a toe, finger, arm, legs and the curve of 

a back, a headstand or torso just a little further each and every time we 

engage in a yoga practice. Sometimes the stretch can be counted in 

inches and some times in micro-inches, only known by the practitioner. 

It is learning the balance of being comfortable in our bodies, but also 

knowing where our “edge” is and challenging ourselves to pull or push 

a little bit more. In parenting, we are stretched. Growing up with a narrative 

of being a straight parent, I’m constantly adjusting and re-adjusting 

my expectations and strategies in parenting around the reality that I’m 

a gay dad. That means I have to be sensitive to and aware of how my 

being out, published, speaking to groups, affects not only me, but my 

children and partner as well. It is a privilege, honor and responsibility 

that straight parents do not have to consider. 

Finally, Elijah has often reminded his class that yoga is 10 percent 

book knowledge or theory and 90 percent practice. So, is parenting: it 

is 10 percent book knowledge, whether reading this article or my book 

on this subject or that of other fine resources and 90 percent practice. 

Gay parenting is not rocket science: it is more complicated and beautiful 

than that. It is an honor, duty, joy and takes more love than we thought 

we had within us (but, discover we do), in a world in which relationships 

change and in which control over our circumstances are tenuous at 

best. But, it is in the stretching and flexibility, that we learn to love just 

a little bit more, come what may. And, this is where I delight in being a 

yoga daddy. : : 


Creech to share new book 

April 27 • Chapel Hill 

‘Adam’s Gift’ 

Internationalist Books hosts the Rev. Jimmy Creech discussing his new book “Adam’s Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor’s 

Calling to Defy the Church’s Persecution of Lesbians and Gays,” a moving story and an important chapter in the 

unfinished struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil and human rights. 405 W. Franklin St. Free. 919- 

942-1740. internationalistbooks.org. 

April 16-17 • Charlotte 

Queen City Stomp 

Hundreds of participants from across the 

country and southeast flock to Charlotte for 

Southern Country Charlotte’s annual Queen 

City Stomp, an LGBT Country-Western dancing 

festival including evening parties and 

dances and daytime dancing lessons and 

more. For more information, including registration, 

event details and lodging options, visit 

queencitystomp.com. 

April 16-17 • Charlotte 

Kings Drive Art Walk 

Charlotte’s Festival in the Park presents its 

first annual Kings Drive Art Walk, a fine arts 

and emerging artists festival. Sugar Creek 

Greenway, Kings Dr. & Morehead St. April 

16, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 17, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. 

festivalinthepark.org. 

April 16 • Charlotte 

Petra’s Got Talent 

Petra’s continues their search for huge talent 

with eight new contestants. Calling all performers: 

vocalists, instrumentalists, dancers, 

comedians, drag performers, stupid dog tricks 

and more! Cash prizes for the top three and 

bookings for first place. Visit petraspianobar. 

com for official contestant rules. Audience 

will decide the winner. Petra’s Piano Bar, 

1919 Commonwealth Ave. 10 p.m. 

petraspianobar.com. 

April 17 • Durham 

‘Sing for the Cure’ Kick-Off Social 

Common Woman Chorus and Triangle Gay 

Men’s Chorus co-host a casual event to promote 

the upcoming Triangle premiere performance 

of “Sing for the Cure” on June 12 at the 

Meymandi Concert Hall. Proceeds benefit the 

choruses and Susan G. Komen for the Cure-NC 

Triangle. Cash bar, free appetizers. Suggested 

donation of $20. Revolution Restaurant, 107 W. 

Main St. 3-6 p.m. tgmchorus.org/events. 

April 20 • Rock Hill 

Wednesday Night Out 

Amici’s Italian Restaurant in Rock Hill hosts 

a weekly night out for the surrounding LGBT 

community. WNO is a gay professionals happy 

hour for the Rock Hill/South Charlotte area 

— a perfect opportunity to meet make new 

friends and get connected. 2732 Celanese Rd. 

For more information, call 803-328-6836. 

April 23 • Charlotte 

Plaza Midwood Spring Party 

Music from more than half a dozen bands and 

musicians. Artwork from community artists. 

Food from the Diamond. This and more at 

the Plaza Midwood Spring Party, hosted by 

Petra’s. 1919 Commonwealth Ave. 

petraspianobar.com. 

April 28 • Charlotte 

Pecha Kucha 

Local artists and creative souls gather for a 

unique show-and-tell presenting 20 slides for 20 

seconds each in what organizers call an “exhilarating 

kaleidoscope of inspirations, ideas 

and work.” Amos’ Southend. 1423 S. Tryon St. 

7:30 p.m. pecha-kucha.org/night/charlotte/. 


Walk against domestic violence 

The Avon Foundation presents Walk the 

Course Against Domestic Violence. Walk up 

to 18 holes (five miles) alongside tournament 

players’ wives and families at Quail Hollow 

Club, a PGA TOUR course, to raise funds and 

awareness for the domestic violence cause. 

All proceeds benefit local domestic violence 

organizations. $35 per person ($25 before 

4/22), under 12 free. Quail Hollow Club, 3700 

Gleneagles Rd. 6-9 p.m. 866-646-2866. 

walkthecourseagainstdv.org. 


Antiques show 

From apartments to million dollar homes, you’ll 

find unique items to fit any style and budget 

at the International Collectibles and Antiques 

Show! Including: home decor, antiques, furniture, 

collectibles, art, jewelry, crafts and more. 

Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, 7100 Statesville 

Rd. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. icashows.com/ICAShows. 


Empower(mint) 

The Mint Museum in Charlotte is hosting three 

“First Friday” Mint events this summer, the 

second of which is Empower(mint). The Mint 

Museum Uptown will be organizing live entertainment, 

gallery tours, hands-on art activities 

and a cash bar. The event is free for members 

or $10 for non-members. The Levine Center for 

the Arts, 500 S. Tryon St. 6-11 p.m. For more information 

contact April Young at april.young@ 

mintmuseum.org or call 704-337-2034. 


HIV, AIDS, and You Art Show 

Local artists present their “Positively Art” 

show, remaining on display until June 17. 

The Lesbian and Gay Community Center, 820 

Hamilton St., Suite B11. Show opens at 5:30 

p.m. Free. 704-333-0144. gaycharlotte.com. 


AIDS Walk Charlotte 

One of the largest AIDS fundraisers across 

the Carolinas, AIDS Walk Charlotte raises 

funds for the Regional AIDS Interfaith 

Network. To register walk teams or learn 

more, visit aidswalkcharlotte.org. 


Queen City Drag Race 

Qqnotes events 

goqnotes.com/qguide/events 

arts. entertainment. news. views. 

The second annual Queen City Drag Race 

heats up! Competitions, music, drink and 

food! Proceeds benefit Human Rights 

Campaign and Pride Charlotte. 

Hartigan’s Irish Pub, 601 S. Cedar St. 1-6 p.m. 

queencitydragrace.com. 


OutRaleigh 

The LGBT Center of Raleigh presents its 

downtown festival celebrating diversity — an 

historic first for the capital city. Festival will 

include vendors, children’s area, entertainment 

and more. City Plaza, Martin St. For more 

information, including festival schedule and a 

location map, visit outraleigh.com. 


AIDS Walk+Ride 

Alliance of AIDS Services-Carolina hosts their 

annual walk and bicycle ride in downtown 

Raleigh. Register walkers, learn more about 

the ride and more at aidswalkandride.org. 


Fourth Annual Happening 

The Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Fund presents 

their annual luncheon event, presented by 

Wells Fargo. Proceeds benefit the Fund. 

2011 grant recipients will be highlighted. 

Omni Hotel, 132 E. Trade St. fftc.org/Page. 

aspxpid=953. 

May 27-30 • Charlotte 

Twirlicious 2011 

A Memorial Day Weekend full of exciting 

events by Just Twirl. Details TBA. 

justtwirl.com. 

we want your who/what/where 

Submitting an event for inclusion in our calendar has never been easier: 

visit goqnotes.com/qguide/events/submit 

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