2017 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine

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Serving the Mid-South LGBT Community and its Allies | NOV+DEC 2017 

JOYFUL 

NOISE 

LAUREN 

BLAIR 

MCA ART STUDENT BRINGS 

LOVE AND BELONGING 

WHEREVER HE GOES 

LANDMARK 

HIV CASE LAW 

LOUIS HOLIDAY V. CITY OF 

CHATTANOOGA; HOW HIV 

STATUS LAW CAME TO BE 

CELEBRATING 

REFORMATION 

500 YEARS AND COUNTING, 

THE REFORMATION’S CAUSE 

REMAINS CRUCIAL FOR LGBT

T H E J E N I A M 

F O U N D A T I O N 

55 

Jazzy 

sculptures 

COMING TO AMERICA 

Modern American Sculpture: 

Acrobats, dancers, vaudeville created 

by four celebrated immigrant sculptors. 

LACHAISE, LAURENT, NADELMAN & ZORACH 

EXHIBITION SPONSORS 

Mr. and Mrs. Galen Havner, Mrs. Jeff Simpson 

OCT 14 – JAN 7 

Wed: 10 am – 8 pm 

Thurs & Fri: 10 am – 4 pm 

Sat: 10 am – 5 pm 

Sun: 11 am – 5 pm 

BROOKS 

Museum of Art 

1934 Poplar Ave. 901/544-6200 | brooksmuseum.org 

Organized by the Portland Museum 

of Art, State of Maine & the Amon 

Carter Museum of American Art. 

Foundation Support 

Government Support 

Community Support 

Elie Nadelman, United States, born Poland, 1882-1946, Dancer, 1918, Cherry, mahogany, gesso, stain, and paint, 28 1/4 inches (height), Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT, 

The Philip L. Goodwin Collection, Gift of James L. Goodwin, Henry Sage Goodwin, and Richmond L. Brown, 1958.224 © Estate of Elie Nadelman Photo by Allen Phillips / Wadsworth Atheneum

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CONTENTS 

NOV+DEC 2017 

22 

7 THEME: JOYFUL NOISE 

8 DEAR ALLIE 

Being authentic with your family 

10 LIFE 

When their child came out, the Weavers 

became their child’s strongest ally 

13 LIFE 

1960 Olympic gold medal swimmer, now in 

her 70s, summons her inner hero 

18 LIFE 

Both Tom Campbell and his son Greg are 

gay, and life couldn’t be better for both 

22 LGBT ADVOCATE 

He’s ‘just dreamy by nature’; Q&A with 

actor/director/playwright Jerre Dye. 

8 

36 

46 

26 

BE PART OF OUR NEXT ISSUE 

BLAST! 

JAN+FEB 2018 

Submit story ideas: editor@focusmidsouth.com 

Editorial submission deadline: December 1, 2017 

Advertising inquiries: sales@focusmidsouth.com 

Ad space reservation due: December 1, 2017 

29 

34 

26 ON THE COVER: MUSIC 

MCA student Lauren Blair spreads love 

while creating his own happy space 

29 LGBT ADVOCATE 

Louis Holiday helped set legal precedent in 

the workplace for HIV+ job workers 

32 COMMUNITY 

Paying workers a living wage is just as much 

a part of Lucy J’s Bakery as its cakes 

34 ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT 

Sister Myotis (Steve Swift) is two parts 

glitter, and 10 parts self righteousness. 

God knows, she’s funny! 

36 FOOD+DRINK 

Cristina McCarter’s City Tasting Tour 

introduces folks to Memphis’ delicious 

diners 

40 HEALTH+WELLNESS 

Post-summer cardio workout pointers with 

trainer Jeff Black, ACE-CMES 

42 FAITH+SPIRITUALITY 

500 years of Reformation, still reforming 

44 ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT 

Kevin Shaw Review: Phantom never ages 

46 LGBT ALLY 

Q&A with Tenn. gubernatorial candidate 

and former Nashville mayor, Karl Dean 

46 LGBT YOUTH 

Metamorphosis Project, LGBT youth 

emergency shelter, is fully funded! 

50 PET FOCUS 

Streetdog Rescue fundraiser helps bully 

breeds find happy homes. 

51 TRANSFOCUS 

Transfocus Day of Remembrance Memphis 

schedule of events 

52 TRAVEL: ORIGINAL MEMPHIS 

Shelby Farms Park Starry Nights brings new 

meaning to drive-through. Schedule inside. 

54 CALENDAR 

Must-do Mid-South events for 

November+December 


theme 

Being joyful is our 

natural state of being. 

–Deepak Chopra 

Joyful Noise/ NOV+DEC 2017 / focusmidsouth.com / Page 7

life 

DEAR 

CO22 

Dear Allie, 

Recently I have come out on social media 

where a majority of my family can see it. I’m 

22, and I’ve known I was at least bisexual 

since I was in 9th or 10th grade. Most of my 

family hadn’t known, but my friends had. I’ve 

told two of my aunts, some cousins and two 

of my uncles. They’re okay with it. I’ve since 

learned I’m pansexual – no problem with any 

gender as long as their heart and personality 

are pure. 

When I came out, my highly religious 

uncle verbally attacked me. He called me 

names, made me feel horrible for my choices 

and told me I was an abomination and even 

drug up my past—saying that I’m not going 

to be any good—blaming my mistakes on 

liking females. 

Should I be patient and try to educate 

him? Or should I cut my losses and continue 

to live my life as I am? I’m finally happy with 

myself, and I have an amazing girlfriend who 

adores me. 

Please help, 

Coming Out at 22 

Dear CO22, 

Congratulations! Coming out can be 

terrifying at any age—especially on such a 

public platform. It sounds as if, for the most 

part, you are surrounded by people who love 

and support you. Hooray for them and for 

you! Unfortunately, it always seems to be 

the nastiest voice that grabs our attention, 

doesn’t it? So, let’s talk about this uncle 

of yours. 

BEING AUTHENTIC 

WITH FAMILY 

by Sarah Rutledge Fischer 

Now, you are asking for advice, but I bet you already know what 

I’m going to say. This man, whether or not he is related to you, 

has proven that he is not worth your time. I’m always in favor of 

politeness, but I encourage you to cut things off firmly, making it 

clear that as long as he chooses to subject you to verbal abuse, 

you will have nothing to do with him. There. Easy? Of course not. 

Now, let’s talk about that. 

No matter how well educated and self-aware we Western 

women of the 21st century may be, we are all undeniably a 

product of the patriarchal society in which we were raised. We 

absorb the implicit lessons of our society’s gender roles from 

a young age, and unfortunately one of those lessons is that 

women bear responsibility for the bad behavior of men. 

Now, the most visible examples of this tendency are the most 

extreme—victims bearing blame in situations of rape, abuse, 

and sexual assault. But the same behavior creeps into more 

benign social interactions. Think about the girl in school who 

complains about being teased by a male classmate only to 

be told “boys will be boys” and to be asked whether she had 

explained to him that his teasing bothered her. We almost 

don’t even notice how strange it is that she is being made 

responsible for the male classmate’s bad behavior. 

Here, your uncle is behaving badly. He is verbally abusing 

you and attempting to shame you. And you, an older version 

of that young girl, have a voice in your head asking whether 

you adequately explained to him that his comments hurt you 

and suggesting that you should help him understand why. 

There is no shame in recognizing this voice inside of you, 

but there is power in fighting back against it. 

So, I agree that your uncle could benefit from some 

education, and if he comes to you respectfully some day 

with a desire to understand, I think you should welcome 

him with patience and grace. But for now, cut him loose. 

He deserves his own company, and you deserve better. 

That should get you started. 

Your friend, 

Allie 

To submit your own question for Allie, email her at 

editor@focusmidsouth.com. Focus Mid-South reserves 

the right to edit letters for length and clarity. 


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THE 

WEAVERS 

by Robin Beaudoin 

Successful Humans 

photo courtesy of the Weaver family 

The Weaver family sits down 

for breakfast at Edge Alley. 

Mom, Terri, and dad, Harold, 

tease their millennial daughter 

Jessica, who gazes over her 

avocado toast, “I just really 

love avocados.” The theatrical, 

spirited clan is so at ease, it 

is easy to see how much they 

enjoy each other’s company. 

Is it any wonder that they 

work better together, even 

when giving of their time and 

services to the LGBTQA and 

theatre communities? 

Jessica, 20, a product of 

diligent home schooling 

and exposure to multiple 

extracurricular activities, 

started shooting a bow and 

arrow at age 9, and by age 11, 

she won her division of the 

National Archery Association 

awards, one of only three 

women in the country 

competing on a bare bow. 

Terri and Harold, both active 

in the theatre scene, decided 

to involve Jessica as part of 

a public speaking curriculum. 

Terri recalls Jessica’s vote on 

the matter, “Mom said, ‘You’re 

going to a Shakespeare class. 

You can either do 5 weeks of 

Shakespeare or I can sign you 

up for a Junior Toastmasters 

class which you can do for a 

year.’” 

The five-week commitment 

spanned a five-year 

relationship with Tennessee 

Shakespeare Company, 

ushering the teen out of her 

shell. Jessica admits, “I didn’t 

used to speak. Growing up, I 

deferred all questions to my 

mom. Going on stage was my 

idea of hell. Now I like to say 

that I am an actor by art and 

stage manager by trade. The 

proudest work I’ve done as an 

actor are the past 2 shows with 

Q&A Queer and Ally Youth 

Theatre. We write our own 

shows, through a workshop 

process.” She starred in a 

short called Pass the Peas, her 

first lead role. “Prior to that, I 

was usually a moving prop.” 

Now, Jessica, who identifies as 

asexual and pan-romantic, says 

most of her friends identify 

somewhere with theatre or the 

LGBTQA spectrum. 

Jessica’s theatre experience 

is a natural bridge into the 

LGBT community, but mom 

Terri has a personal story, 

initiating from her youth. “My 

first boyfriend ever died of 

AIDS in 1995. I’d always had 

friends in the community, but 

when Jeff died, I became an 

activist.” His small Georgia 

hometown couldn’t accept 

his status, and rejected him 

after his death. “People 

wouldn’t stop talking about 

him. I was passionate about 

HIV/AIDS at that point, and 

a fundamentalist Christian at 

that, so I was a dichotomy. 

Over the next 10 or 12 years, 

God kept sending me people. 

I was doing youth work at a 

very fundamentalist church 

in Memphis, and these selfproclaimed 

‘freaks and geeks’ 

kept coming to me. It tended 

to be a lot of theatre kids, and 

the skater crowd – the ones 

that didn’t fit the Vera Bradley/ 

UGG boots world of East 

Memphis. Several were LGBT 

kids, and none of my ministry 

work taught me to deal with 

this.” Terri became a safe 

adult in a judgmental space 

for a large group of youth, but 

the church did not share her 

acceptance of the LGBTQA 

culture. 

She shares, “When marriage 

equality became an issue, 

I made the eye-opening 

mistake of posting a promarriage 

equality post to my 

Facebook page, and I was 

invited to leave my church 

by the administration and 

other members. Fortunately, 

we’ve landed at a really good 

place – First Baptist is an open 

and affirming church, and 

they support all the activism 

that I do. We did our first 

March, organized by Michael 

Hildebrand (formerly of 

Memphis, currently an artist in 

New York City), in 2013. 

The Weaver family 

collectively works in almost 

every theatre locally. Terri sees 

herself as a “tech that acts, 

rather than an actor”, though 

her costuming experience has 

translated to Condomonium 

designer, where in 2017 she 

was named first runner up 

and awarded “Best Use of 

Condoms”. Model Slade Kyle 

was also Jessica’s theatre 

mentor, and Terri says of Kyle, 

“You put Slade in anything, 

boy or girl mode, he’s going 

to sell anything.” Jessica acts 

and helps on sets. Harold, a 

certified lighting and sound 

engineer” is the first one to 

jump in and run lights and 

sound anywhere, from theatre 

to church. 

The family volunteers for the 

Focus Awards, and Terri was 

actively involved with Friends 

for Life during the AIDS Marker 

Project. “When Bob calls, who 

says no?” 

Mom plans to take a break 

soon after nine months of 

nonstop productions, but not 

before one last trip to run 

lights for Miss Gay America. 

“It’s five days in New Orleans 

with some of the most 

fabulous drag queens in 

the country, so we’re totally 

going.” Harold’s Point of pride 

came during a production 

of Frankenstein, where he 

charged the effects with 

pyrotechnics, “The playwright 

actually attended the play, 

and said it was the best lab 

design he’d seen.” Harold is 

happy to jump in and take 

the emergency calls to run 

tech for performances, and 

Terri appreciates his support: 

“He has supported the family 

while I’ve spent 13 years home 

schooling. He supported every 

march we went to, and every 

organization we’ve volunteered 

with.” Harold, in the family 

theme, remarks, “I don’t need 

to be in the limelight. I’m just 

so much happier to be behind 

the scenes running the show. 

You go march, and call if you 

need me to do something 

technical, but I’m not going to 

march in the hot sun. (Harold 

did attend Pride this year, 

riding the Focus float.) Jessica 

says college is likely in her 

future, though her goal, she 

supposes, is to be a successful 

human. It would seem she is 

learning from the best. 


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2017-18 

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lgbt senior 

70 + -year-old Olympian faces 

triumphs and trials with the 

determination of youth 

CAROLYN 

WOOD 

by Audrey May 

photos courtesy of Carolyn Wood 

What keeps you going 

when you think you can’t go 

on? For teacher and writer 

Carolyn Wood, the unexpected 

end of a 30-year relationship 

forced her to rely on her inner 

strength and the discipline 

of pushing her body to its 

limits. A 1960 Olympic gold 

medal swimmer at age 14, 

Wood fought through her 

later-life grief and loss with 

the determination, hiking the 

grueling 500 mile Camino 

de Santiago de Compostela 

across Spain. 

Her memoir, Tough Girl, 

recounts some of Wood’s’ life 

challenges – learning to love 

and excel at swimming after 

being terrified of drowning, 

navigating a “girl next door” 

adolescence peppered with 

a mother’s breast cancer and 

father’s gambling addiction, 

experiencing both triumph and 

defeat at the Olympics while 

hiding her attraction to other 

girls, early marriage and losing 

custody of her toddler son as 

she came out as a lesbian, and 

finally coming to embrace an 

active and productive adult 

life. 

But in her early 60s, Wood 

had to face what seemed 

unthinkable – the end of 

her relationship with her life 

partner – and she questioned 

whether she had the emotional 

stamina to find a new life 

through her grief. 

Eventually, Wood turned 

to the solitary experience of 

a centuries-old pilgrimage 

through the rigorous Spanish 

terrain to confront her 

fears and return to herself. 

Comparing the discipline and 

discovery of the multi-week 

trek in her 60s to her teen 

years as a world-class athlete, 

Wood’s memoir of these 

experiences weaves a narrative 

with life lessons that are both 

engaging and inspiring. 

Wood writes, “A good part 

of my childhood was spent 

practicing to win...Now on the 

Camino, I am in practice – not 

to be best or first but to be 

awake. The tough little girl I 

sought at the beginning of 

my walk … doesn’t exist in my 

past … but within me. She’s 

walked along the trails as she’s 

raced along the pool and will 

accompany me into the future. 

We have much to offer each 

other. Finish hard to the wall, 

she reminds me. Look. Stay 

awake, I reply.” 

At age 65, Carolyn Wood walked the Camino de Santiago de 

Compostela (Spain) in hopes of reawakening the youthful 

determination and resilience that took her on the road to Rome 

and gold at the 1960 Olympics. Along the way, she encounters 

fear, fatigue, pain and loss but finds them worth the rewards of 

discovery. 

Carolyn Wood will read 

from her memoir, Tough Girl, 

November 12, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 

at OUTMemphis, 892 South Cooper. 

The book signing event will be sponsored 

by the OUTMemphis Senior Services 

Committee and Meristem Women’s Book 

Club. Copies of the book are available for 

purchase; contact OUTMemphis (info@ 

outmemphis.org) for more information. 

For more information on Carolyn Wood, 

her life and book, see 

toughgirlmemoir.com . 

Woods returning to the United States from the 1960 Rome 

Olympics wearing her gold medal as part of the 100-meter 

freestyle relay team. As a young child, she had learned to love 

and excel at swimming, even after being terrified of drowning. 


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life 

LIKE FATHER, 

by Anita Moyt 

Imagine a father so proud 

of his son and daughter, he 

beams. Imagine a grandfather, 

with pride in his voice, as he 

tells of his nine grandchildren, 

the ones who gave him a Tshirt 

that appropriately reads, ‘The 

Best Grandpa in the World.’ 

Samuel Thomas “Tom” 

Campbell is one such man. 

Campbell was born in Akron, 

Ohio, in 1940. His mother and 

father moved their family back 

to West Tennessee, where they 

were originally from, when 

Campbell was a toddler. 

“We were church people,” 

Campbell explained. “My 

mother went to the Methodist 

church and my father went to 

the Baptist church. But they 

went to each other’s church 

on occasions.” The young 

Campbell was always in tow to 

either of the congregations. 

Campbell’s musical skills, 

especially at playing the piano, 

manifested very early in life. 

“My dad told the story,” 

Photo by Tom Dearen 

Tom Campbell 

Campbell remembered, “that 

we went to church and I would 

get home and I would want to 

play some of the songs I had 

heard...I would sit on his lap 

and he would press the pedals 

and I would play the keys. I 

was good at remembering 

songs from church.” 

“We always had a piano,” 

he continued. “I don’t ever 

remember not liking to play 

the piano.” 

However, Campbell’s natural 

ability to play the piano by ear 

did not lend well to standard 

music lessons. 

“When I was in the fourth 

grade,” Campbell explained, 

“I was sent to a local lady to 

teach me piano. She would 

give me pieces of music to 

learn. But I played it the way 

I thought it should sound, not 

the way it was written. My 

piano lessons lasted about 

four months.” 

Even today, although 

Campbell will have a hymnal 

or sheet music in front of 

him while playing the piano, 

he isn’t looking at the music 

notes. He is actually reading 

the words to the song. 

“I have to hear a piece of 

music before I can play it,” he 

said. “I don’t do much sight 

reading.” 

As a young teen, Campbell 

was offered opportunities to 

play for others. 

“When I was in eighth or 

ninth grade there was a family 

who lived in the same town I 

did,” Campbell began. “They 

had three daughters who 

sang together. They needed a 

piano player at the county fair. 

I agreed to do it. Due to bad 

weather, not much happened. 

“But on the following 

Sunday they had a “singing” at 

the country church. And that 

was the first time I played for 

them. Eventually, they added 

one of their boyfriends as 

bass. I played with them for 

a few years. We even had a 

radio program. It was a good 

experience and good people.” 

Campbell remained in 

Huntington until he graduated 

high school in 1957, continuing 

to play with the group. 

Ironically, he quit playing for 

quartets when he moved to 

Music City (Nashville) where 

he lived for a year before 

moving to Memphis, which has 

been his hometown ever since. 

“I met my (ex)wife at 

Methodist Hospital Central 

where we both worked,” he 

said. “She encouraged me 

to get a piano and she even 

helped me buy it.” 

Campbell eventually got a 

job at Kraft, then known as 

Humco, in 1963. 

“I got a job at Kraft a short 

time after we were married,” 

he continued, “I started as a 

clerk and went through a few 

advancements. I was there for 

28 years when I lost my job 

due to ‘downsizing.’” 

Campbell was unemployed 

for almost two years, as 

many during that time were. 

Eventually, a totally different 

door opened to him. 

“I had a chance to go to 

nursing school,” Campbell 

said. “It was a really good deal 

for me. I went 18 months to 

Tennessee Tech in Ripley. I’ve 

spent the past 25 years as a 

Licensed Practical Nurse.” 

Campbell discussed his 

same-sex feelings, which he 

kept at bay for so long. 

“I knew there was something 

different from when I was very 

young,” he said, explaining his 

feelings. “I was called sissy a 

whole lot. I didn’t care about 

football and baseball. But I did 

what was expected of me. 

“My coming out experience 

was late,” he continued. “It was 

after I met my wife. I didn’t do 

anything the first few years we 

were married; I was putting 

myself to the test.” 

Eventually, Campbell’s life 

met a fork in the road. A fork 

that many men and women 

who’ve traveled the same 

path come to. After marriage 

and two children, a son and a 

daughter, Campbell realized he 

wasn’t happy with marriage, 

and separated from his wife. 

And all within the same few 

years, as Campbell sought to 

gain peace with his feelings, 

he came to understand his 

own son, Greg, had the same 

feelings. 

“I knew he was gay when he 

was in high school,” Campbell 

said of his acceptance of his 

son’s homosexuality. “Nobody 

told me anything. I just knew 

he was. I noticed that all his 

friends looked like they were 

gay to me; birds of a feather.” 


LIKE SON 

Campbell proudly tells of his 

son’s accomplishments as an 

award winning florist and coowner 

of The Garden District. 

“Greg is at peace with 

himself,” Campbell continued. 

“He has been with his partner 

for more than 20 years. Greg 

has never been any kind of 

problem. 

What better words of pride 

than praise: 

“There is no way Greg 

could be with anybody better 

(referring to Greg Baudoin, 

his partner); he is very kind & 

nice. There is none better. He 

is such a sweetheart.” 

By the way, Campbell’s love 

of the piano was never lost. 

“I became involved with 

the Methodist church in this 

city,” he explained. “When I 

first moved to Cooper-Young, I 

got involved with the 8:30 am 

Sunday service at Galloway 

United Methodist Church. 

“At one church service, they 

needed someone to play piano 

and lead the music. I picked 

out some hymns and that 

started it. 

“I did music at the 8:30 

service until Living Word 

Community Church came over 

and Galloway closed. I’ve been 

playing keyboard and piano, 

and singing, as part of the 

music program there for going 

on 11 years now.” 

Campbell was even able to 

share that love of music with 

Russell Johnson, who he was 

in a relationship with for more 

than 30 years until Johnson’s 

passing in 2012. 

“One of my accomplishments 

was to teach Russell Johnson 

to sing,” Campbell said, 

explaining that they worked 

many hours to bring that 

to pass. 

Greg 

Campbell 

Tom Campbell’s only son, 

Greg Campbell, has had a 

close relationship with his dad 

his whole life. 

Born and raised in Memphis, 

Greg went to the University 

of Memphis for a short time 

before deciding that wasn’t 

the path for him. 

“I went to the University 

of Memphis but didn’t do 

so well,” he explained. A job 

as a delivery driver for The 

Blossom Shop on Madison 

Avenue led him to an area he 

found he was quite good at: 

floral design. Eventually he 

was employed by John Hoover 

Flowers. 

“I apprenticed under 

John Hoover,” Greg said, 

explaining how he learned 

the floral industry. “When he 

passed away, me and some 

other employees bought the 

business and changed the 

name to The Garden District. 

I’ve been co-owner of The 

Garden District going on 23 

years. 

“As far as I knew we had a 

nuclear family,” Greg said of 

his childhood. “Both of my 

parents worked very hard. My 

mother was an RN and worked 

the night shift; my father 

worked in the daytime. We 

took family vacations.” 

Greg found out about his 

dad’s attraction to the same 

sex when he was a teenager. 

“I found out when they told 

us they were separating,” Greg 

explained. “I was 17 or 18 when 

they told us (Greg and his 

sister) they were separating. 

“We all had things we 

accepted as normal. My 

mother has handled all this so 

gracefully and with strength. 

I remember being very 

protective of my mom. I had 

no idea until they told us they 

were separating. 

“He left,” Greg continued. 

”We stayed with my mom. 

He had an apartment (in 

Memphis). He seemed to really 

enjoy parts of his new life; like 

setting up a new apartment. 

It was hard for him to not be 

around us. We went to his 

place to see him.” 

It took a few years for reality 

to set in for Greg. 

“I didn’t come to terms 

with it until I was maybe 19 

or later,” he said, telling of a 

pivotal incident. “It was so 

not traumatic. I was at the old 

George’s a couple of years 

later. (My dad) was there with 

some friends. He came up 

to me, hugged me, told me 

Photo courtesy The Garden District 

he loved me and he went his 

way and I went my way. I was 

a little embarrassed with my 

friends around me but I don’t 

remember it being a traumatic 

experience.” 

Greg has been with his life 

partner, Greg Baudoin, going 

on 27 years. By the way, the 

couple is known as Greg C. 

and Greg B. 

“I don’t think we have any 

issues that another hetero 

couple would have.” 

Greg noted how coming out 

has eased during the decades. 

“I hope the generations after 

me have it easier than I did 

growing up,” Greg concluded. 

“A lot of things are out on 

the table now. I didn’t know 

what would be at George’s 

but it was a safe place for gay 

people. My father’s generation 

didn’t even have it that easy.” 


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lgbt advocate 

JERRE 

DYE 

interview by Joan Allison 

photos courtesy of Jerre Dye 

Hometown: Amory, Mississippi 

Current town: Chicago, Illinois 

Dream town: I don’t know that I have an ultimate dream town. 

I’m just dreamy by nature and tend to carry my dreaminess 

around with me wherever I go. However, I have been bewitched 

by many places like Jackson Hole, New Orleans, San Francisco, 

Memphis, Paris. I fall in love with “place” quite easily. 

High School: Cleveland High School (TN) 

College: University of Memphis 

Other training: A life in the theatre is its own training. I never 

stop training. I am constantly in training – always learning 

and approaching the work with lots of curiosity and even more 

humility. 

Chronological age: 46 

Spiritual age: I dunno. I used to think of myself as very much 

an “old soul”, but now I’m not so sure. Maybe I’ve caught up. 

So, 46. Yeah. That sounds right. 

An age you’d like to revisit: Twenty, maybe? But, only for a 

short time. Maybe just weekend visits for a while? I certainly 

wouldn’t want to screw up any space/time continuums or 

anything because I’m really enjoying 46. 


In your childhood home, what 

were the predominate sounds? 

Silence, a TV rumbling in the 

distance, a lawn mower in some 

or other yard, kitchen sounds, a 

cacophony of teenagers, washer and 

dryer, the occasional Mantovani 

record on my grandparents’ hi-fi. 

Who in your opinion has the 

most beautiful voice? 

I love Annie Lennox’s voice. At 

the end of the day, she’s my diva. So 

much feeling, clarity and texture in 

her voice. 

Also, my grandmother. Her 

voice had a kind of sadness and 

gravel and effort inside it. It 

wasn’t pretty, per se, but it was 

beautiful nonetheless. 

What sounds make you happy? 

Nostalgic? What is your 

favorite sound? 

Water moving over rocks, 

cicadas, ice cream trucks, wind 

through aspens, the waves 

breaking at Big Sur, slow moving 

trains, thunderstorms, and all 

things Fall. 

Did young Jerre put on shows? 

Oh, yes. Regularly. I was 

obsessed with The Little Rascals 

as a child and wanted to put 

on shows just like they did. 

Usually we (me and a bunch of 

neighbor kids) would lip-sync to 

the cast albums of Grease or Annie 

or something. We also created 

elaborate haunted houses in various 

basements and garages. Lots of 

exciting enterprises. 

But more often than not, I was 

perfectly contented to perform 

for myself. I recall getting a pair 

of roller skates for Christmas 

around the time Xanadu came 

out at the movie theatre. I spent 

hours rollerskating up and down 

the freshly poured driveway of our 

suburban, Mississippi tract home 

pretending to be Olivia Newton 

John. Such a queen. 

Also, when I was much younger, 

I recall a fabulous Christmastime 

“long-playing record” containing a 

number of ridiculous holiday ditties 

sung by a brigade of ruthlessly 

white people. My portable record 

player was my best friend. 

My first performance, though, 

was singing Delta Dawn at around 

age 5. I wore my grandmother’s 

apron and would make my entrance 

from behind my grandfather’s Lay- 

Z-Boy recliner with tremendous 

fanfare. 

Like many queer kids my age, 

I was lucky enough to grow up 

with The Lawrence Welk Show, The 

Muppets, and all the delicious 70’s 

variety shows. The desire to perform 

and make theatre has always been a 

part of me. 

Baby Jerre with his parents and older 

brothers. His mother, Dye said, nurtured 

his love of, and need for, performing. 

Did your parents suffer these 

shows or really enjoy them? Did 

you charge admission to your 

parents? 

I’m not sure if we charged, but 

I’m pretty sure there was some sort 

of elaborate ticketing system that 

we created for shear effect. I was 

always partial to a stem to stern 

kind of theatrical experience. 

My parents pretty much thought 

of me as a kind of melancholy 

unicorn. They were always 

supportive of my creativity coming 

up. The irony, of course, was that 

I was also really painfully shy. So, 

these kinds of productions were 

a lifeline for me. My mother, in 

particular, recognized the worth of 

it. She always recognized my gifts 

and fostered my imagination. 

If musical instruments were 

living beings, which would be 

best suited to be actors? Which 

instrument would you be? 

There are two: the cello and the 

accordion. A cello for the deep 

resonance and the way it can convey 

these massive waves of meaning. 

It’s an instrument of great emotion. 

The other is an accordion for its 

ridiculousness, power and the way 

it breathes and bellows, mimicking 

the human body. 

I aspire to be both. 

What was your favorite song 

when you were 15? 

Just one? Oh, come on! 

There’s too many for just one. 

When you’re 15 you get to be an 

unabashed Top 40 whore. And it 

was 1986, so… 

West End Girls by Pet Shop 

Boys; Life In a Northern Town 

by Dream Academy; Perfect Way 

by Scritti Politti; All Cried Out 

by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam; Nasty 

by Janet Jackson; Sweetest Taboo 

by Sade; Kiss by Prince and the 

Revolution. 

I mean, come on. I could go 

on and on. For some reason I 

recall being obsessed with Cass 

Elliott at that time too. 

What song best describes your 

work ethic? 

Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty 

You’ve invited us to your place 

for a home cooked dinner of 

Southern fare. What are you 

cooking? 

Cornbread, collards, pork butt, 

deviled eggs, and for dessert… more 

cornbread with honey on it. 

Who’s your acting crush? 

I have several: Sandy Dennis, 

younger Brando, Holly Hunter, 

Forest Whitaker, Katherine 

Hepburn, Cary Grant, Meryl 

Streep, Jeff Bridges, Ellen Burstyn, 

Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Gene 

Wilder, Geraldine Page, Ginger 

Rogers, Malkovitch, Rosalind 

Russell. I’ll stop. 

And when it comes to more of 

a pure crush? Jake Gyllenhaal and 

Ed Harris 

Who is the funniest person that 

you know? 

I know so many funny people. 

That’s a hard one. My partner, Scott 

Duff, who’s a stand-up comedian 

and certainly, Steve Swift (AKA 

Sister Myotis). 

Who do you know who has the 

best laugh? 

Josie Helming, my dear friend 

and acting mentor who recently 

passed away. Hers was less 

laugh and more of this fabulous 

guffaw. You always knew when 

she was attending one of your 

shows. Her laugh was big, bold, 

generous, assertive and completely 

unashamed. 

What’s do you have coming up 

that we can see or read? 

My last play, Distance, will be 

published this year. Also several 

opera’s for which I wrote the 

libretti: 

The Falling And The Rising, a 

commission for the U.S. Army 

Soldier’s Chorus, Opera Memphis, 

Arizona Opera, San Diego Opera, 

Seattle Opera, Texas Christian 

University and Seagle Music 

Colony. 

Taking Up Serpents, a commission 

for Washington National Opera 

at The Kennedy Center; By/In 

for Opera Memphis; Parksville 

Horror, an interactive VR opera for 

Opera On Tap, New York; and an 

upcoming commission for Opera 

Philadelphia 

What is Sister Myotis up to? 

Plotting her revenge, you can be 

sure. There’s a new full-length show 

on the horizon. 

A huge dog walks into your room 

right now wearing a colorful 

Christmas tree skirt and a string 

of colored lights around his neck. 

What does he say to you? 

“What the f*#$k are you lookin’ 

at, asshole?” 


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lgbt youth 

LAUREN 

BLAIR 

story by Joy Doss | photos by Loreana Rojas 

I am trying to give off as much 

love and positivity as I can. I do 

as much as I can to let people 

know they are loved. 


If you haven’t noticed by 

now, this is the “JOY” issue. So 

I found it serendipitous that I, 

Joy, am meeting Lauren Blair, 

who is one of the most joy-filled 

people on a perfectly glorious 

and joyful sunny Fall day at 

Muddy’s where the Prozac 

cupcakes bring me so much 

JOY (pumpkin chai latte for 

Blair.) 

All the while we’re chatting, 

I’m thinking what a wonderful, 

sweet spirit he is. And what a 

sense of awareness. My wish 

for him is that life never robs 

him of this goodness. Seriously, 

I felt instantly protective. 

(#mamabear!) 

Blair is an art student and 

mixed media artist at Memphis 

College of Art whose works 

have become his form of 

activism. He came to Memphis 

four years ago and found 

community, balance and inner 

peace. The queer community 

was so vast, open and active 

here, he knew he wanted to be 

involved. The more he went to 

events and protests, the more 

he felt inspired. This energy 

folded its way into the work. 

There is an intentional honesty 

in the art, so people – trans or 

not – can see themselves and 

know that they are not alone 

in their feelings. However, his 

activism is two-pronged. And 

the other piece is really simple: 

spread love. 

“I am trying to give off 

as much love and positivity 

as I can. Person-to-person 

relationships are how you 

change things. If you don’t 

have good relationships with 

other people, (the love is) never 

gonna spread. I do as much as 

I can to let people know they 

are loved. If you don’t feel like a 

place in your world, you do.” 

Compassion and a genuine 

desire for others to live well and 

be well are at the core of how 

he moves through this life. 

Blair is well aware that the 

journey for others is not as 

smooth or filled with love and 

understanding. Though it took 

him about two years and some 

change to come out to his 

family, they continued to love 

him as much as they needed 

when he identified as a woman. 

“I just remember being really 

upset most of my life, not quite 

feeling like I fit in any certain 

place... My senior year of high 

school my ex-girlfriend started 

dating this trans-dude… which 

led to a light bulb moment. I 

thought, ‘oh God, that’s me.’ 

It was kind of scary and kind 

of really awesome. I had been 

trying to find this answer of why 

I had been feeling this way for 

so long.” 

I said, “Man, you really nailed 

it though. You seem to be 

super balanced and at peace. 

So many people struggle 

with identity for so long. They 

experience so much fear, 

anxiety and turmoil.” 

He says, “I have been out 

for 5 years. I spent some time 

questioning, asking ‘is this 

happening?’ But two years 

ago, I got to the point where I 

said, ‘get over yourself, accept 

yourself, love yourself and just 

be.’” 

Like I said, nailed it. I told him, 

“This would be a really short 

movie!” 

“I didn’t want to waste any 

more time,” Blair said. Truth. 

No matter what it is, people 

always lament the things they 

wish they had done 10 years or 

even 20 years ago, whether it’s 

writing a book (ahem…moi… 

sigh) or buying a house or an 

FTM transition like Blair. 

But life ain’t no crystal 

stair I know. (Kiddies, Google 

Langston Hughes). This is 

not always the easy path. 

There is the reality of willful 

ignorance and, even in 

2017, some uncertainty and 

discomfort depending on the 

space you’re in professionally, 

geographically, culturally. 

As spaces go, Blair stresses 

the difference in digging your 

own space made in his life, 

creating a domestic space that 

is a sanctuary or a comfort 

zone. 

“I do a lot of work with 

domestic spaces. My living 

spaces have really defined me. 

When I moved here, it began 

the change. I became more 

comfortable with my identity. 

When I got my own space, I 

didn’t have to pretend. I could 

project my identity without 

being fake about it. It took time 

alone for me to learn how to be 

comfortable in public spaces.” 

Currently, Blair is doing a 

series of self-portraits that 

juxtapose him in his childhood 

home with those of him in his 

present domestic space. He 

acknowledges that his home 

wasn’t exactly the worst place 

to be as his family was very 

loving. However, he “went 

through years of not feeling 

like a full person while in Ohio. 

Pieces and parts were not quite 

put together.” 

But look at you now, Lauren! 

I saw nothing but wholeness 

and, yes, joy. It was so real you 

could touch it. Continue to be 

proud and fight with love, light 

and art! 

Follow Blair’s work: 

Instagram: lauren.e.blair. 

Web: laurenblair.studio 


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lgbt advocate 

“If you are unwilling 

to take a step, 

you’ll be unable 

to make tracks.” 

–Louis Holiday 

LOUIS 

HOLIDAY 

by Sarah Rutledge Fischer | photos by H.N. James 


On March 23, 2001, Louis Holiday sat in a contentious 

settlement agreement across the table from the legal 

representatives of the City of Chattanooga. 

Holiday had just won a Sixth Circuit appeal that had established that the city was not entitled to revoke their employment 

offer on the mere basis of Holiday’s HIV status. The tension in the room was extraordinary, and to make matters worse, the 

supposedly-neutral mediator was asking Holiday offensive questions like why he didn’t have concern for his fellow man and 

why he would risk passing his “HIV blood” on to someone else. 

Holiday was getting angry. He knew that if the meeting continued, that anger would overtake him, and he would risk 

ending up with nothing. So, he spoke up. 

“Ma’am, I thought we were here to settle the case. I didn’t know that we were here to retry the case,” he said. “So, I want the 

City of Chattanooga to make me an offer, and I’m going to make them an offer. I’ll write my offer on the paper, and they’ll 

write their offer on the paper, and the attorneys can come to an agreement on this.” 

And that’s how it went. That day and the settlement that Holiday reached with the city marked the end of an eightyear 

ordeal that defined a period of Holiday’s life and changed the course of HIV-related employment law. The precedent 

established in that case is still applied today to ensure that HIV+ job applicants are evaluated, not on the basis of their HIV 

status, but on their ability to do the job. 

Holiday’s relationship with 

the City of Chattanooga began 

in 1993, when he submitted an 

application for employment as 

a police officer, but Holiday’s 

experience in law enforcement 

began long before that. 

Holiday started with 

the Murfreesboro Police 

Department in the 1970s while 

in school at Middle Tennessee 

State University. Because he 

was at school during the day, 

Holiday rotated between the 

evening shift and the midnight 

shift. It was tiring, he says, but 

he was a young man. After 

graduating, Holiday worked in 

corrections for several years 

and then returned to police 

work with the Springfield 

Police Department and the 

Nashville Metro PD. 

In 1991, Holiday’s appendix 

burst. In the hospital, doctors 

ran blood work and diagnosed 

him with HIV. Holiday kept the 

diagnosis to himself among his 

peers. He started a regimen 

of AZT, but could not tolerate 

the side effects. There was no 

change to his ability to perform 

his job. During his physical 

for the Metro Nashville Police, 

Holiday told the physician he 

had HIV. The doctor was not 

particularly concerned. He told 

Holiday that there were other 

HIV+ people on the force. 

In 1993-94, Holiday put in 

an application with the City 

of Chattanooga. He was a 

desirable candidate with 

ample experience. He scored 

well on the written exam and 

achieved the second highest 

score on the physical agility 

test despite being older than 

most of the other candidates. 

After an interview with 

the Chief of Police and the 

Administrator of the City’s 

Department of Safety, the 

city made Holiday an offer 

of employment, contingent 

on his successful completion 

of routine physical and 

psychological examinations. 

The city scheduled the exams 

and found him an apartment. 

Holiday began arranging his 

move to Chattanooga. 

At the office of Dr. Steven 

Dowlen, M.D. for his physical, 

Holiday didn’t notice anything 

amiss. He and the doctor 

discussed his borderline 

anemia, a condition he had 

dealt with since high school, 

and Holiday informed the 

doctor of his HIV+ status. 

Before Holiday left, the Dr. 

Dowlen told him that he had 

passed the exam, but later 

the doctor’s office contacted 

the city’s personnel director, 

Donna Kelley, to say that 

Holiday had failed. 

In court testimony, Kelley 

reported that her interactions 

with the doctor’s office led 

her understand that Holiday 

was HIV+ and suffered from an 

AIDS-related health problem. 

When Holiday came in for his 

psychological exam, he was 

instead sent to Kelley’s office 

where he remembers her 

telling him that the office was 

withdrawing his offer because 

he was HIV+ and “we don’t 

want any HIV people working 

on our police force.” She told 

him that she could not “put 

other employees and the 

public at risk by hiring you.” 

Other men might have 

walked away, but Holiday 

knew that what the City of 

Chattanooga was doing was 

wrong, and the what had 

just happened to him could 

happen to more people after 

him. He drove immediately 

to Nashville to the Equal 

Employment Opportunity 

Commission (EEOC) office and 

filed a complaint. After some 

difficulty getting the City of 

Chattanooga to respond, the 

EEOC reviewed Holiday’s claim 

and granted him a right to sue. 

Holiday had no money for 

an attorney, so he called the 

ACLU who connected him an 

attorney named Chip Rowan, 

out of Atlanta. Holiday spoke 

with Rowan and his paralegal, 

Theresa Harrison, on the 

telephone and soon drove to 

their Atlanta office to meet in 

person. Rowan and Theresa 

had all of the information from 

the EEOC, but Holiday sat 

down with them and told the 

story from his point of view. 

Holiday remembers Rowan 

telling him, “If you’re willing 

to go forth with this case, 

I’m willing to go forth with 

it, because this is just totally 

wrong. They have no basis 

for withdrawing the offer of 

employment.” Holiday had met 

his champion. 

The team brought the case 

to the District Court, but the 

judge granted the City of 

Chattanooga’s motion for 

summary judgment, meaning 

that the case was dismissed in 

the city’s favor. When Rowan 

asked the judge for the basis of 

his ruling, Holiday remembers 


the judge answering, “Because 

I said so.” Rowan left the 

courtroom even more furious 

than Holiday. Neither man 

was ready to back down. The 

ACLU had assured payment 

for Holiday’s legal fees all the 

way to the Supreme Court, 

if necessary. There was no 

question about it. They were 

going to appeal to the Sixth 

Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Even though it turned out 

to be the most important legal 

leg of his journey, Holiday was 

not very involved in the circuit 

court appeal. That stage of a 

legal battle isn’t about facts, it 

is about the application of law. 

When it was time to argue the 

appeal, Rowan asked if Holiday 

wanted to accompany him to 

Cincinnati, but Holiday said 

no. Money was tight, and he 

trusted Rowan to handle the 

case appropriately. 

Soon after, Rowan called 

Holiday from Cincinnati to tell 

him that he thought things 

were looking good for their 

case. Three or so months later, 

the court returned a ruling 

in Holiday’s favor: The City 

of Cincinnati had not been 

entitled to rely on the doctor’s 

unfounded recommendation 

and revoke his offer of 

employment merely because 

of his HIV+ status. It was over, 

and Holiday had won. 

--------------------- 

These days Holiday lives a 

quieter life. He is in his sixties 

now and considers himself 

an extraordinarily lucky man. 

He remains close to Theresa 

Harrison, the woman who 

acted as Rowan’s paralegal 

and second in command 

throughout his case. 

He just finished treatment 

for colon cancer and counts 

it as a victory that he did 

not lose his hair. He wears it 

in long dreadlocks and cuts 

it periodically to donate to 

Locks of Love, an organization 

that turns hair donations 

into hairpieces for children 

suffering medical hair loss. 

Holiday’s viral load has been 

undetectable for longer than 

he can remember. His HIVrelated 

medical regimen—once 

a complicated daily schedule 

of 12 pills—is down to a single 

pill a day. 

He doesn’t consider himself 

particularly courageous for 

standing up to fight against 

the City of Chattanooga. It was 

more a matter of taking the 

necessary next step. 

“I would never allow anyone 

to discard my constitutional 

rights,” he said, “or disgrace 

my humanity.” 

To the extent that Holiday is 

still fighting, he fights for those 

like himself, living with HIV, by 

volunteering for the Nashville 

HIV service organization, 

Street Works. Holiday came to 

Street Works as a client, then 

later became a member of the 

board. 

When asked what he would 

say to young men living with 

HIV today, Holiday didn’t 

hesitate. 

“Never give up,” he urged. 

“If you give up, you have 

surrendered. You may lose a 

battle or two, but if you give 

up you have lost the entire 

war.” 

For more information about 

Streetworks, and the work 

they do to provide education, 

prevention, and care to those 

affected by HIV/AIDS on the 

inner-city streets of Nashville, 

go to street-works.org, or 

find them on Facebook at 

nashvillestreetworks 

and Twitter at 

@streetworks. 

In addition to the work promoting justice and kindness in the 

world, Holiday is a writer of epigrams and aphorisms—short 

sayings that capture a commonly experienced truth. 

If you are unwilling to take a step, you’ll be unable to 

make tracks. 

Strong words are always better than bitter blessings. 

All it takes for the betterment of humanity is the 

good of a human. 

Ignorance is merely not knowing. Stupidity is when 

you learn yet choose to be ignorant. 

Friendship is the sharing of souls through the love 

of hearts to stimulate minds. (Inspired by his 

friendship with Theresa Harrison, who served as 

paralegal in his case.) 


community 

Lucy J’s Bakery 

by Melinda Lejman | photos courtesy of Tracy and Josh Burgess 

At the intersection of 

Delicious and Living Wage 

Baked goods are a triumph 

all their own, and a delicious 

one at that. As a challenged 

baker, I view those with the 

ability to combine flour, 

eggs, sugar and a few other 

ingredients as something of a 

miracle. But Lucy J’s, a locally 

owned and operated bakery 

opening in the Crosstown 

Concourse, has something 

bigger in mind. 

Lucy J’s Bakery, named after 

the children of creators Tracy 

and Josh Burgess, will not 

only serve up delicious baked 

items, such as breads, cakes, 

pies and danishes, but will pay 

their employees a living wage 

at $15 per hour. “We wouldn’t 

have started the bakery if we 

couldn’t pay a living wage,” 

says Tracy. 

Born out of her work 

with Dorothy Day House, a 

nonprofit which provides 

temporary housing to 

homeless families, and a once 

troubled marriage, keeping 

families together is at the 

heart of everything at Lucy J’s. 

It was on the recommendation 

of their priest that Josh and 

Tracy started baking together, 

never dreaming it would 

become more than a hobby. 

“We were a young family, we 

had two young kids and the 

chaos that can come from 

that,” shares Tracy. “We never 

expected the baking to be 

anything long term.” But when 

people started asking them to 

make wedding and birthday 

cakes on a regular basis, they 

decided to make it a business. 

Actually, Lucy J’s Bakery 

is a nonprofit. When Tracy 

and Josh went looking for 

investors to fund their living 

wage venture, they were met 

with quite a bit of skepticism, 

so they went another route. 

“We’re operated by a board of 

directors who are supportive 

of the mission and the study of 

living wages and their effects 

on the families.” 

The bakery itself will be 

run by six employees: three 

from Dorothy Day House and 

three core employees whom 

Tracy and Josh have worked 

with over the years in the 

restaurant business. Josh 

will manage the bakery and 

each employee will be paired 

with a counterpoint. “We’ll 

pair a core employee with a 

Dorothy Day House employee 

to create service teams,” says 

Tracy. “So, we’ll have a back 

of the house team, a front of 

the house team, and a cake 

decorating team.” 

That’s right - they do cakes, 

including wedding cakes, 

regardless of who is marrying 

whom. “We see those stories 

of bakeries refusing to make a 

wedding cake for a couple that 

pop up every once in a while, 

and our response is always, 

‘Please come to us!’” Tracy 

says. She recounted the story 

of a wedding cake she made 

for friends who were marrying 

in Oklahoma and who asked 

her to make their cake to avoid 

any discrimination. “It was one 

of my favorite cakes we’ve 

ever done,” says Tracy. “They 

had a beautiful wedding and a 

beautiful cake.” 

In addition to all the baked 

goodies, Lucy J’s will offer 

regular coffee on a pay-whatyou-can 

basis with proceeds 

benefiting Dorothy Day House. 

Tracy hopes to open mid- 

November, just in time for pie 

season. Make sure you stop 

by, grab a cup of coffee and 

something delicious, knowing 

you’re giving in to more than 

just a sweet tooth. 

Tracy Burgess is the 

Development Director for 

Dorothy Day House. To learn 

more about what they 

do and how you can 

get involved, visit 

dorothydaymemphis.org. 


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arts+entertainment 

Laughter, thy name is 

SISTER 

MYOTIS 

by Kevin Shaw 

photos courtesy of Steve Swift 

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 15 years since the 

Memphis community (and world) was blessed with 

the angelic presence of Sister Myotis. Whether it’s in 

the theatre, at an awards show or just mingling with 

politicians in the community, Myotis has always been 

loud and proud to biblically shame you in her “holier 

than thou” hilarious way. The man behind the sensation 

is Steve Swift—a local actor who is very surprised, but 

humbled by his alter ego’s enormous popularity. 

Focus: Let’s go all the way back 

to the very beginning. When and 

how was Sister Myotis created? 

Swift: She was born in December 

of 2002 out of a show that Jerre 

Dye created called “Present Present 

for Voices of the South. It was kind 

of a variety show that Dye created 

in which he would shop around 

New York City for odd things (a 

Samurai from China Town, for 

example) and then send them out 

Steve Swift is the hilariously 

vessel through which 

the self-righteous Myotis 

polices Christians, and as 

she says, “others.” 

as gifts to artists here in Memphis 

for us to open in the hope that 

these gifts would inspire a creative 

performance for the show. That 

year, he sent me a vial of glitter, a 

crown of thorns and a little slip of 

paper from a fortune cookie that 

said, “I give and I give and I give.” I 

knew that I was interested in doing 

something drag/character oriented, 

but I didn’t know what it would it 

be. Out of these “gifts” from Jerre is 

what created Sister Myotis. 

How did you come up with the 

name Myotis? 

(Laughing) Myotis is actually a 

genus of bat! I just ran across the 

word and I thought it was sort 

of “apt” for her. Plus, it sounded 

like an old southern name and 

yet it wasn’t. I also realized that it 

was a unique enough name that if 

someone Googled the name, not 

many hits would come up. 

Is she based on a certain person 

or is she more of a hodgepodge of 

people you knew growing up? 

She’s a hodgepodge of people 

and a hodgepodge of stories. 

The intricacies of her voice, her 

mispronunciation of names, the 

grammar she uses and the rhythm 

of her speech is a culmination of 

people. Now, after 15 years though, 

I can’t really even remember who 

she was based on in the beginning. 

They were voices in my head, but 

now she’s become her own voice. 

With Myotis’ focus on religion, 

I’m assuming you were raised in 

the church? 

I was raised in a conservative, 

Pentecostal environment, but I 

purposely never connected her 

to a definite religion. The name 

of her church has always been 

“Good Tidings Apostolic Holiness 

Christian Fellowship of Saints,” 

but I’ve never committed her to a 

specific denomination because I 

didn’t want anyone in the audience 

to feel specifically targeted. In the 

beginning, I thought I had to define 

her set of beliefs, but eventually I 

realized it didn’t matter what she 

believed, what mattered was that 

she was always right—that is her 

religion—always being right. 

Has this character become bigger 

than you ever imagined? 

Of course! She was created right 

when YouTube was starting to 

become a big thing and I posted a 

video which sat around for a few 

months and I was so excited when 

I realized that 100 people had 

seen my video! Then another three 

months had passed and 500,000 

people had seen it and then it hit a 

million and it just kept going and 

going and going! By the time it 

had reached 2 million views, I was 

hardly sleeping at night! It freaked 

me out when I realized that people 

were watching me even while I was 

asleep and I had not control over 

it—I almost pulled it down. 

So, do you anticipate Sister 

Myotis being around for a long 

time? 

People are always going to know 

Myotis before they know me and 

I kind of like it that way. I realize 

now that she’s going to a part of my 

life for a very long time! 

Amen! 


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food+drink 

courtesy Cristina McCarter 

CITY TASTING TOUR 

story and photos by Chellie Bowman, Digital Media Manager, Focus Magazine 

Lemon icebox pie and butter cookie at Makeda’s on South Second 

Street is just one ‘stop’ on McCarter’s City Tasting Tour. 

In 2012 Memphis native 

Cristina McCarter went on 

a food tour in Miami and 

absolutely loved it. She had 

been blogging about the local 

culinary scene here already 

and instantly knew Memphis 

really needed something like 

this. 

A few years down the road 

she was able to follow her 

passion and began building 

her own food tour company, 

City Tasting Tours. When we 

asked why she thought there 

was something special about 

the food here in Memphis, 

McCarter exclaimed, “It’s the 

chefs. They have a real passion 

behind their food and you can 

see it. Also nobody can smoke 

meat like we can. We have the 

audacity to smoke meat and 

then season it so good you 

wanna smack somebody.” 

City Tasting Tours is a 

unique take on the food 

tourism industry, priding itself 

on avoiding touristy places 

(think Rendezvous), instead 

focusing on taking people 

off the beaten path. In fact, 

most of McCarter’s clients are 

curious locals. 


BBQ chicken crepe at Scoops Parlor on G.E. Patterson 

She stated, “Now of course I 

want everyone, but I absolutely 

love the fact that I have 

70% Memphians on my tours 

every week. That lets me 

know that the EAT LOCAL 

MOVEMENT is working. I’m 

glad about it!” 

McCarter has so far focused 

on walking food tours of 

downtown Memphis—in 

particular the South Main Arts 

district—which also includes 

specialized “brunch so hard” 

and cocktail tours. It is also 

clear that her itinerary is a 

labor of love—she expressed 

that she “picked every single 

restaurant based solely on 

my love for that restaurant. I 

wanted to give people a sense 

of what locals eat on a daily 

basis all in one day. I want to 

go to the hidden gems and 

the spots where locals may 

cry if it ever closed. Those are 

the places I want to go. It’s all 

about helping them getting 

that exposure. 

“There’s places 

like Rizzo’s Diner, Green Beetle, 

and The Vault with chefs in 

there, banging out some great 

and creative food and I want to 

be apart in helping spread the 

word. It’s literally what keeps 

me going when I want to just 

give up.” 

We had to try and taste for 

ourselves so we booked an 

afternoon food tour earlier this 

month, and showed up with an 

empty stomach and a camera. 

The tour started out at the 

Green Beetle—what I was to 

learn was the first operational 

bar in Memphis and where 

we began our gastronomic 

experience with some fried 

food (it is the South y’all). My 

tour guide, AK, brought us 

fried catfish and fried green 

tomatoes with chow chow, 

and I took the light but well 

seasoned batter covering them 

as a sign of more good things 

to come. I wasn’t disappointed. 

Interestingly, the food 

doesn’t stand alone on the 

tours. As we walked to our 

next destinations I learned 

all about the social history 

of Memphis and the various 

establishments we visited. 

Food in context! Our second 

stop was at Scoops on G.E. 

Patterson where I enjoyed a 

barbecue chicken crepe and 

a delightful scoop of locally 

made honey pistachio gelato. 

Next we stopped by The 

Vault, which recently replaced 

Double J Smokehouse & 

Saloon, and had an intriguing 

sampling of chicken, crab cake, 

and fried manchego cheese. 

I also had the coldest beer 

I’ve ever had in my entire life 

thanks to the chill rail they 

have installed at the bar. That 

alone is worth a visit! 

Even though I was 

completely stuffed at this 

point, I pressed on and tried 

the Jamaican jerk chicken 

wings from Central BBQ. Like 

us all, I had been to Central 

BBQ countless times—how 

had I never tried these before?! 

Game changer. Lastly, we 

turned the corner and ended 

up at Makeda’s Homemade 

Butter Cookies where I had 

a piece of sinfully delicious 

made-from-scratch lemon 

icebox pie and Makeda’s 

signature cookie. I couldn’t 

have thought of a better way 

to end such an enjoyable and 

insightful tour! 

For more information on 

City Tasting Tours or to book 

a tour, visit their website: 

citytastingtours.com/ 

Fried catfish and fried green tomatoes with chow chow 

at Green Beetle on South Main 

Fried chicken, crab cake, and fried manchego at 

The Vault on G.E. Patterson 

BBQ nachos and Jamaican jerk chicken wings at 

Central BBQ on Butler 


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health+wellness 

AFTER-SUMMER 

CARDIO 

by Jeff Black, ACE-CMES | blackcmes@gmail.com 

Summer may be over, but keeping yourself healthy with cardiovascular activity 

shouldn’t stop with the warm weather. Many people begin doing cardiovascular 

activity to slim down for the summer and give it up as soon as the fall hits (if 

not before then). Cardiovascular activity can be as simple as a brisk walk to as 

challenging as running a full marathon. Here are some simple guidelines to help 

keep you healthy and see the results that you desire. 

n First, be honest with yourself when thinking about cardiovascular 

activities that you enjoy versus ones that you hate. The worst exercise 

you can possibly commit to doing is one that you won’t want to do. If 

you hate running or stair climbing, then don’t commit yourself to doing 

it. There is no magic cardiovascular activity that is better than another. I 

recommend that you pick 2-3 cardiovascular activities that you enjoy or 

at least don’t “hate.” Be honest with yourself about what works for you 

and what you truly will do. 

n Second, alternate those activities on a 2-3 week basis. For the first 

2-3 weeks, you may choose to walk. For the next 4-6 weeks, you may 

choose to bike. Some people may revert back to walking for the next 7-9 

weeks while others may choose a different activity. This helps to keep things 

interesting, while keeping your body from plateauing and reducing the risk of 

injury. Ultimately, the decision is yours on what you choose to do. 

n Third, cardiovascular activity should be done MOST days of the week for 20 

to 60 minutes each day. More intense activity can be done 3-5 times per 

week. Easy to moderate physical activity should be done 5-7 days per week. 

Try to choose cardiovascular activities that challenge you while still keeping 

you motivated. Base the difficulty level of the activity on how it makes you 

personally feel. For some people, running may be very hard and biking may 

be very easy, while for others biking may be more challenging than running. 

n Finally, progress the difficulty of your activities. Over the months, make 

sure you are still pushing yourself adequately. If you ran on the road the last 

time you went for a run, try switching to a trail run. If you do cardiovascular 

activity on an elliptical trainer, try increasing the resistance level during your 

next stint. Small increments are better than huge leaps when it comes to 

progressing the difficulty. Try increasing speeds or resistance levels in the 

smallest increments possible. This is where a common mistake is made. Many 

people see fit, lean men or women doing a certain activity at a very hard 

intensity and mistakenly believe that the very hard intensity is what makes 

them fit and lean. What builds fitness levels is the actual act of progression. 

Going from an easy to moderate to hard intensity will deliver better fitness 

results than trying to push from an easy to hard intensity. Take your time, the 

results are actually a reflection of one’s journey, not one’s intensity. 

Before beginning any physical activity program, please consult with a healthcare 

provider. For more ideas on types of cardiovascular activity, please contact a 

certified health and fitness professional. 

Jeff Black is an ACE - Certified Medical Exercise Specialist, an ACE - Certified Health Coach 

and a NSCA - Certified Personal Trainer. He is a Subject Matter Expert for the American 

Council on Exercise and works as a freelance personal trainer in Memphis, Tennessee. He 

specializes in using exercise to manage medical conditions and improve the fitness levels of 

a wide variety of clients. 

Page 40 / focusmidsouth.com / NOV+DEC 2017 / Joyful Noise Joyful Noise/ NOV+DEC 2017 / focusmidsouth.com / Page 40

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faith+spirituality 

THE ALWAYS DYNAMIC 

PROTESTANT 

CHURCH 

by Rev. Monica Weber, Epiphany Lutheran Church, ELCA 

A Medieval pope dreamed up the sale of indulgences so 

that Christians could ‘buy’ their way into heaven, and the 

pope could build ornate palaces and cathedrals. By 1517, 

friar Martin Luther and his colleagues, known as Protestant 

Reformers for their opposition to papal corruption, published 

Luther’s 95 protests to challenge the Roman Catholic 

Church’s extreme wealth and its failure to address human 

suffering. The Church framed God’s mercy as something that 

could only be earned with money, works or good behavior; 

Christians who couldn’t pay for indulgences lived in terror 

of God’s wrath, but Luther asserted the bold notion that 

God’s love and forgiveness are free gifts, open to everyone, 

unconditionally—our past mistakes don’t matter! 


If you hear the date “October 

31 st ,” you may immediately think 

about the fantastic costume you 

wore for Halloween. Halloween 

was known in medieval times as 

All Hallow’s Eve, the night when 

lost spirits wander the earth and 

make mischief for a few hours 

until midnight and the arrival 

of All Saints’ Day, a holy day to 

pray for the dead. But Halloween 

is significant for another reason: 

on October 31, 1517, theologian 

Martin Luther ‘came out’ against 

the corruption and power assigned 

to the Church by a small group of 

human beings. 

Luther and his colleagues, known 

as Protestant Reformers for their 

opposition to papal corruption, 

published Luther’s 95 protests to 

challenge the Roman Catholic 

Church’s extreme wealth and its 

failure to address human suffering. 

The Church framed God’s mercy 

as something that could only be 

earned with money, works or good 

behavior; Christians who couldn’t 

pay for indulgences lived in terror 

of God’s wrath, but Luther asserted 

the bold notion that God’s love 

and forgiveness are free gifts, open 

to everyone, unconditionally—our 

past mistakes don’t matter! 

Luther’s other radical new idea 

was that clergy could and should 

marry; he argued that marriage 

reveals God’s ultimate love for 

humanity. This theology assisted 

ELCA Lutherans (we’re the ‘liberal’ 

Lutherans!) in 2009 when we 

voted to ordain gay and lesbian 

clergy, and validate gay and lesbian 

marriage. Luther’s insistence that 

“the Church” needed reform was a 

new concept but it impacts us every 

day, as we respond and adapt to an 

ever-changing society, working to 

love our neighbors as ourselves. 

This year, Lutherans 

commemorate the 500 th anniversary 

of the Protestant Reformation 

on October 31, although it’s 

probably an urban legend that on 

that date, Martin Luther nailed 

his 95 protests to a church door 

in Germany. Scholars agree that 

the Reformation initiated the Age 

of Enlightenment—many church 

reformers before Luther protested 

and died horrific deaths, but Luther 

had an advantage—Johannes 

Gutenberg’s printing press. 

The press allowed Luther’s ideas 

to be published and distributed 

all over Europe, which fueled a 

demand for public education and 

literacy, and a call for separation of 

Church and State. Martin Luther’s 

main goal was to educate people 

that God is merciful and loving, 

not wrathful and judgmental. He 

pointed out that everyone has direct 

access to God: we don’t need a 

middle-man to interpret or mediate 

our faith for us. This assertion of 

individual rights expanded, until 

thirteen up-start colonies protested 

unfair taxation and the new nation 

of America was born. 

We also recognize Martin Luther 

as an early activist who worked 

tirelessly for another new idea: 

social justice. Lutheran ministries 

continue his legacy by advocating 

for refugees and immigrants; 

incarcerated persons and the 

eradication of the death penalty; 

human rights and equal access to 

health care; LBGTQ rights and 

gender equality; the prevention of 

racism; global hunger and clean 

water; and addiction recovery 

programs. Lutheran Disaster 

Relief is among the first non-profit 

agencies to arrive at a natural 

disaster site, and often the last to 

leave; LDR has put helpers on the 

ground in Houston and Florida, 

providing hurricane relief after 

the devastation of monster storms 

Harvey and Irma. At Epiphany 

Lutheran Church where I pastor, a 

five-acre piece of land with poor soil 

was ‘re-formed’ into a Community 

Garden that produces nearly 2,000 

lbs. of fresh produce annually. Every 

vegetable we grow is donated to 

The original doors are long gone, but the replacements on the 

Wittenberg Church have Luther’s theses engraved on them. 

local feeding ministries, and the 

garden provides a unique way to 

minister to teenagers who need 

purpose, and to people in crisis. 

ELCA Lutherans understand that 

we are re-formed, too: everyone is 

a beloved child of God, made new 

every day in God’s love. We work 

to relieve human suffering and care 

for Creation, not to earn our way 

into heaven, but in gratitude for 

forgiveness, despite our mistakes. 

ELCA Lutherans welcome our 

LGBTQ brothers and sisters as 

church members without asking 

them to change; we ordain LGBTQ 

men and women as pastors and 

deacons in joy, without judgment, 

working side by side for peace, 

justice and equality. 

Creation is always being made 

new, and the Church is always 

being re-formed. If you’ve been 

wounded by a church, we invite you 

to join us at Epiphany Lutheran—a 

community—not an institution. 

You’ll find acceptance, friendly 

faces, vibrant worship and fun 

opportunities to serve the world. 

These are the life-giving reforms we 

practice every day as people of faith, 

in the tradition of Reformer Martin 

Luther. Come re-form your ideas 

about ‘church’ and nourish your 

spirituality with us. It’s never too 

late to be make a new start! 

(at left) The Castle and the Castle Church of Luther 

City, Wittenberg, Germany. Wittenberg is a UNESCO 

World Heritage Site. (Credit: Shutterstock) 


arts+entertainment 

Phantom Never Gets Old 

Next year, The Phantom of the Opera 

will have been running on Broadway for 

30 straight years! Such a lengthy run out 

paces its closest competitor (the revival 

of Chicago) by a full eight years and is 

showing no signs of slowing down. Memphis 

audiences are lucky enough to host the 

national tour again for another two-week 

run during the holiday season at the 

Orpheum Theatre. Focus Magazine spoke 

by phone with one of the stars of the show, 

David Benoit (Monsieur Firmin) who’s been 

with the national tour for four years and is 

currently with the show in Montreal. 

Focus: It’s hard to believe 

it’s been over 30 years since 

Phantom premiered on 

Broadway! How is it possible 

that this show has lasted so 

long with no signs of slowing 

down? 

I think it’s because of 

Andrew Lloyd Webber – 

there’s something in the 

way he writes that “catches” 

people which creates an 

enormous commercial appeal 

(Cats, Sunset Boulevard, 

Joseph and the Amazing 

Technicolor Dreamcoat, 

School of Rock, etc.). He’s 

obviously the most prolific 

writer who is still among us. 

He really knows how to write 

a song and a book. This story 

is the standard “Beauty and 

the Beast” story, but with the 

lushness and romance of a 

Paris Opera House. (Plus, he 

never is scant on the scale of 

his productions—they’re all 

spectacles). 

But, after 31 years of 

Broadway and touring, how 

can there be anybody left 

on the planet who hasn’t 

already seen this show? How 

does it still sell out to packed 

houses? 

Obviously, there are a lot of 

repeat attenders, but actually 

David Benoit has been with 

the Phantom of the Opera 

national tour for four years. 

He will appear as Monsieur 

Firmin when the show comes 

to Memphis for its two-week 

run at the Orpheum Theatre. 

this tour IS different from the 

original Broadway version. 

This production is so vastly 

different (everything except 

the costume design) that for 

many people it’s like seeing 

Phantom of the Opera for the 

first time again. 

Is this national tour a scaled 

down version of Broadway? 

Absolutely not. This 

production is just as big, if 

not bigger than Broadway! 

It’s an enormous show. We 

travel with 18 trucks and two 

additional trucks go ahead of 

time to different cities with 

a whole separate stage to 

load everything into the next 

city. To celebrate the 25th 

anniversary of the opening on 

Broadway, producer Cameron 

Mackintosh wanted to send 

out a “reboot” of the show 

utilizing the advancements 

in technology in order to 

embrace everything that was 

new and exciting to entice 

a newer, younger audience. 

Ironically, the advancements 

in technology have helped 

this version focus more on 

the story (without losing 

the opulence). It’s a darker, 

more realistic version. I’m 

not saying it’s better or 

worse than the original, just a 

different take. Audiences are 

definitely “wowed” by it—the 

responses at curtain call are 

pretty overwhelming! 

I saw Michael Crawford’s 

(the original) version of the 

Phantom in New York and 

I saw Robert Guillaume’s 

Phantom in Los Angeles a 

couple of years later and I 

was blown away with how 

different their portrayals 

of the same character were 

(Crawford’s was pathetic 

and sad, while Guillaume’s 

was angry and hurt) and yet, 

they still worked. How many 

Phantoms have you had on 

this tour since you joined 

it four years ago and have 

they been different in their 

interpretations? 

There have been three 

and they all have been vastly 

different! In this tour, this 

Phantom is not a magic man, 

he’s not a magician, and he’s 

not a sad sack figure. Instead, 

he’s just a flawed human 

being in love with a girl 

seeking happiness ultimately. 

This Phantom, like the show, 

is grittier, darker and scarier 

than any version you might 

have seen before—a different 

take, but a very satisfying 

take! 

So, it sounds like it’s worth 

seeing this show again even if 

you’ve seen it before? 

Absolutely! This production 

is huge and you’ll definitely 

get your money’s worth! 

The Phantom of the Opera 

runs November 29-December 

10 at the Orpheum Theatre. 

orpheum-memphis.com 


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ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS 

WORSHIP SERVICES 

WEDNESDAY MIDWEEK 

ADVENT WORSHIP AT 7 PM 

DEC 6 TH BEGINNING OF THE END: 

SUFFERING AND HOPE 

DEC 13 TH 

DEC 20 TH 

DEC 24 TH 

OUR BAPTISMAL CALLING 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS 

CHRISTMAS EVE 

10 AM WORSHIP SERVICE 

THE WORLD IS ABOUT TO TURN 

7 PM CHRISTMAS EVE 

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(901) 861-6227 

www.EpiphanyLU.org

lgbt ally 

Q & A 

Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidate 

KARL DEAN 

Mayor of Nashville 2007-2015 

story by Sarah Rutledge Fischer | photos provided by the Dean campaign committee 


Dean and his wife Anne Davis greet supporters during a stop on the campaign trail. 

In November of 2018, 

Tennesseans will go to the polls 

to choose the next Governor of 

Tennessee. Karl Foster Dean, 

former mayor of Nashville and 

leading Democratic candidate in 

the gubernatorial race, was recently 

in town to attend Memphis Pride 

Fest and sat down with Focus Mid- 

South Magazine to answer a few 

questions. 

Mayor Dean, most of our 

readers probably know that the 

governor is the state’s highestranking 

elected official, but the 

boundaries of that authority and 

responsibility may not be clear 

to everyone. Could you briefly 

explain how you see the role of 

governor? 

The governor, obviously, plays a 

key role in the state. The governor’s 

role is particularly important 

because the governor prepares a 

budget and sets the priorities for 

the state, which I think is really the 

most important thing you can do 

in an executive-type position. 

But the governor also has the 

bully pulpit. The governor is the 

leader. When the governor speaks 

on issues, his voice or her voice is 

heard. It gives an opportunity for 

that person to hopefully guide the 

state in a very positive direction. 

As we all know, Tennessee is a 

large state and different regions 

can face different struggles and 

opportunities. What are some of 

the struggles and opportunities 

you see for Memphis in the 

coming years, and how will your 

administration approach them? 

The issue I hear about in 

Memphis more than any other is 

economic development—economic 

opportunity, the desire to see more 

good jobs come to the city, and 

that the city’s base, its private sector 

base, expand. What I would do as 

governor is prioritize Memphis as 

an area where we would work to 

help create jobs. I fully understand 

that it is the private sector creating 

the jobs, but the state has a role in 

aggressively pursuing economic 

development opportunities and 

attempting to focus those efforts on 

areas of need. Memphis would be 

such an area for me. 

You know, one of the things 

that I certainly understand is that 

Memphis has unique challenges. 

When I was mayor of Nashville 

working on economic development, 

the states of Alabama and Kentucky 

really didn’t enter into our 

thinking, because the distance was 

so great that we didn’t feel like they 

were direct competitors with us on 

any sort of project we were working 

on. But I think the situation in 

Memphis is very different with 

the proximity of Mississippi and 

Arkansas, and the fact that lots of 

people may live in one state and 

work in another. That makes the 

economic development challenges 

even greater. 

So, I think it is appropriate for 

the state to put extra effort into 

trying to bring jobs to the Memphis 

area. When I talk to people in 

Memphis, I hear repeatedly that 

folks in Memphis sometimes feel 

forgotten by the state, and I want to 

correct that. 

Finally, there have been some 

great strides towards equality 

for LGBTQ people over the past 

decades, but in this political 

climate, many people are worried 

about progress stalling or losing 

ground. What do you see as 

the biggest state-level issues 

facing the LGBTQ community 

of Tennessee and how will your 

administration confront them? 

I think there’s several things. 

There has been great progress, but 

there is obviously more work to be 

done. I would look at my record as 

mayor. I supported the ordinance 

that stated that Nashville, in terms 

of its city hiring practices, would 

not discriminate—sort of an antidiscrimination 

ordinance. 

We followed up with Mayor 

Dean to ask his position on 

three specific issues that 

have been or will be before 

the Tennessee legislature 

that are of special interest 

to the LGBTQ population 

of Tennessee: the Natural 

Marriage Defense Act, a 

bill legally recognizing only 

marriages between one 

man and one woman; the 

transgender bathroom bill; 

and the natural meaning 

law passed in May of this 

year which is expected to 

prevent LGBT parents from 

being treated the same as 

heterosexual parents under 

the law and is currently under 

challenge in the courts. 

Mayor Dean’s comment: 

“Although we have not seen 

any specific information on 

these bills, I do not support 

the State Legislature proactively 

seeking to pass 

discriminatory laws. We 

should be doing everything 

in our power to practice 

tolerance. In addition, 

we should work to be a 

welcoming state to attract 

talent and business to 

Tennessee to create more 

job opportunities.” 


community 

Metamorphosis Project 

Plough Corporation gives $125k Capital Grant; completes 

OUTMemphis’ funding goal for LGBT youth emergency shelter 

by Robin Beaudoin | images courtesy of OUTMemphis 

OUTMemphis is pleased to 

announce it has successfully 

secured the funds needed to 

construct the Youth Emergency 

Shelter, the cornerstone of 

its Metamorphosis Project. 

The construction goal was 

met following the award of 

a $125,000 Capital Grant 

from the Plough Foundation. 

Combined with previous 

donations from foundations 

and individuals, including a 

$125,000 challenge grant 

from the Assisi Foundation, 

and year-long fundraising for 

the project by Mystic Krewe 

of Pegasus, this gift enables 

OUTMemphis to move forward 

with construction of the 

shelter itself. The group can 

now direct fundraising efforts 

from construction towards 

securing the dollars needed to 

provide vital support services 

for lesbian, gay, bisexual, 

transgender, and queer youth. 

The Metamorphosis Project 

Youth Services Center will 

provide emergency shelter for 

LGBTQ homeless young people 

who cannot be housed by any 

other existing organization. 

During the day, the Youth 

Services Center will function as 

a drop-in center for youth, both 

LGBTQ and straight. 

It will serve as a central 

location for a wide range of 

services. Young adults, 18-24 

years old, will have access 

to food, clothing, personal 

care supplies, mentoring, job 

and educational placement 

assistance, life skills classes, 

mental and emotional health 

services, and other needed 

support. 

Combined with a Rapid 

Rehousing program, the 

project will provide all the 

tools necessary for young 

LGBTQ people with the tools 

to move from the street to 

independence. 

When open, The 

Metamorphosis Project Youth 

Services Center will be the only 

homeless shelter in Memphis 

designed around the unique 

needs of young people. “For 

years, OUTMemphis has 

provided many of the services 

that our young people needed 

but what we couldn’t provide 

was housing,” said Stephanie 

Reyes, OUTMemphis’ Youth 

Services Manager. Reyes said 

it’s so difficult to be rejected 

by one’s own family. “We call 

it getting kicked out when you 

come out... This is our dream 

coming true for helping LGBTQ 

youth on the street.” 

This expansion of the 

community services via 

Metamorphosis Project is one 

of many plans in the works 

of the OUTMemphis board of 

directors. Future plans include 

moving the OUTMemphis 

community center to a 

larger space, with hopes of 

expanding meeting spaces 

and programming to meet the 

needs of a growing community. 

All community members 

are encouraged to donate 

and become involved with the 

welfare of these projects. 

OUTMemphis Mission: OUTMemphis 

empowers, connects, educates and advocates 

for the LGBTQ community of the Mid-South. 

OUTMemphis Vision: LGBTQ individuals live in 

a world where everyone has equal rights, and 

is safe, respected and celebrated. 

Details about the Metamorphosis Project: 

outmemphis.org/metamorphosis-project/ 

Will Batts, Director: wbatts@outmemphis.org 

Stephanie Reyes, Youth Services Manager: 

sreyes@outmemphis.org 

outmemphis.org 


Utopia proudly 

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in all seasons 

Mention this ad for 25% off your first visit 

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WEEK 

TUESDAY • NOV 14 th • ICE CREAM SOCIAL 

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Focused on helping the LGBTQ families. 

Experienced in adoption, family law, estate planning, 

personal injury, automobile accidents, and more. 

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LGBT LAW • FAMILY LAW • FAMILY PROTECTION LAW 

WEDNESDAY • NOV 15 th • TRANS AWARENESS WEEK COMMUNITY SUMMIT 

FIRST CONGO 12 • 2 PM 

Make-Up Artists to provide tutorials and make-overs 

THURSDAY • NOV 16 th • COMMUNITY SERVICE DAY 

OUTMEMPHIS • 7-9 PM 

Sack lunches and hygiene kits will be prepared for those 

experiencing homelessness and passed out at Morris Park 

FRIDAY • NOV 17 TH • DOCUMENTARY SCREENING 

THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM • 450 MULBERRY ST. • 6:30 PM 

The Death and Life Of Marsha P. Johnson 

SATURDAY • NOV 18 th • TRANS ART SHOW 

FIRST CONGO 1000 SOUTH COOPER ST. • 2-6 PM 

SUNDAY • NOV 19 th • LGBTQ+ ALLIES PICNIC IN THE PARK 

OVERTON PARK ON THE GREENSWARD • 12- 4 PM 

MONDAY • NOV 20 th • TDOR VIGIL • OUTMEMPHIS • 5:30 PM 

TRANS BEST OF MEMPHIS AWARDS & RELEASE PARTY • FIRST CONGO 6:30PM 

892 COOPER STREET MEMPHIS, TN 38104 

For information, contact Kayla 901-352-1660 

or email kgore@outmemphis.org

pet focus 

THE GOOD WORD ON THE 

STREETDOG 

story and photos courtesy of Streetdog Foundation 

Streetdog’s Mission 

“Streetdog Foundation rescues, rehabilitates and re-homes stray and abandoned dogs in Memphis. 

We are committed to placing wonderful companion animals into loving, forever homes. We 

believe in responsible pet ownership, spaying and neutering and educating the public about how 

wonderful dogs are — especially misunderstood breeds. We have special experience with bully 

breeds. We are willing and able to help people find homes for dogs through online marketing, 

adoption days and special events. We are not a shelter and do not have a facility to keep stray 

dogs. We rely solely on volunteers, fosters and donations to keep our organization running.” 

Streetdog Foundation will 

host the 5th Annual Howl 

at the Moon fundraiser on 

Saturday, Nov. 11 from 6 to 

11 p.m. at The Warehouse, 

36 E GE Patterson Ave. in 

Downtown Memphis. 

Howl at the Moon assists 

volunteer-based Streetdog 

Foundation in its efforts to 

rescue, rehabilitate and rehome 

stray and abandoned 

dogs in Memphis. All funds 

raised from the event go 

straight to the dogs. 

Entertainment will be 

provided by Shufflegrit, South 

Side Supper Club, Grape, 

Bobbie & Tasha and more. The 

event will also feature silent 

and live auctions, food from 

YOU CAN HELP 

area restaurants and specialty 

beverages. As an added bonus, 

one of SDF’s “celebrity” pups 

will make an appearance. 

A Paw Pass ticket can be 

purchased for $40 by visiting 

streetdogfoundation.com, 

or for $50 at the door. The 

pass gains you entry to the 

event and access to food, 

live entertainment, all auction 

items and a photo booth. 

Alcohol is not included in the 

price. 

New to Howl at the Moon 

in 2017 is the Purple Paw 

Pass, which can be purchased 

for $80. The Purple Paw 

Pass carries all the perks of 

the regular Paw Pass, plus 

unlimited bar access and 

reserved seating options. Howl 

at the Moon is a 21-and-up 

event. 


contact Melanie Pafford at 

(901) 494.4425 or media@ 

streetdogfoundation.com 

READY FOR ADOPTION 

Adoption applications of these precious pups 

(who were available as of press time) 

are being accepted now. Apply today. 

streetdogfoundation.com/adopt/ 

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transfocus 

TRANSGENDER 

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE 

NOVEMBER 20, 2017 

WHERE TO OBSERVE 

TRANS AWARENESS 

WEEK IN MEMPHIS 

Transgender Day of Remembrance, which honors the memory 

of those murdered in acts of anti-transgender violence, is 

recognized annually on November 20. GLAAD encourages 

journalists to mark the occasion with stories about the pervasive 

and persistent problem of violence committed against 

transgender people, as well as the diversity and resilience of the 

community in the face of harassment and violence. 

Local observances may vary, so be sure to check with a local 

transgender organization, LGBTQ Center, Gay-Straight Alliance 

or other support groups likely to be participating. For more 

information about Transgender Day of Remembrance, visit 

tdor.info. See the schedule on this page of OutMemphis’ events. 

Transgender Day of Remembrance is observed in late 

November in recognition of the 1998 murder of Rita Hester. Rita 

was a highly visible member of the 

transgender community in her native 

Boston, MA where she worked locally 

on education around transgender 

issues. On Saturday, Nov. 28, Rita was 

stabbed 20 times in her apartment. 

A neighbor called the police, and 

Rita was rushed to the hospital. She 

passed away from cardiac arrest only 

moments after being admitted. Almost 

two decades later, police still have not 

found Rita’s murderer (or murderers). 

In 1999, one year after Rita’s murder, 

advocate and writer Gwendolyn Ann 

Smith coordinated a vigil in Rita’s 

honor. The vigil commemorated not 

only Rita, but all who were tragically 

lost to anti-transgender violence. 

In addition to the vigil, Smith 

launched the Transgender Day of 

Remembrance website to recognize 

and remember those whose lives 

have been lost to anti-transgender 

violence. Organizations throughout the 

world — from Groupe Activiste Trans 

in Paris to Human Rights Commission 

of Tel Aviv in Israel to Diritti in Movimiento in Pescara, Italy — 

have since taken to recognizing the day. Media coverage of 

Transgender Day of Remembrance often includes documenting 

lives lost to violence, as well as expounding on the all too frequent 

harassment, discrimination, and disenfranchisement transgender 

people experience on a regular basis. 

Source: glaad.org/publications 

Rita Hester (above) 

was murdered 

because she was a 

transgender person. 

Gwendolyn Ann 

Smith launched the 

Transgender Day of 

Remembrance to 

recognize Hester 

and other victims 

of violence against 

transgender persons. 

November 14-19 

Trans Awareness Week 

OUTMemphis, 892 South Cooper Street 

Contact Kayla Gore: kgore@outmemphis.org 

Tuesday, November 14 

Ice Cream Social | 6-8 p.m. 


Wednesday, November 15 

Trans Awareness Week Community Summit 

First Congregational Church | 12-2 p.m. 

1000 Cooper Street 

Connections between the community and 

organizations that provide services in the Mid- 

South. Makeup artists will be on hand to provide 

makeovers and tutorials for Trans attendees. 

Thursday, November 16 

Community Service Day 


Prepare sack lunches and hygiene kits for those 

experiencing homelessness; distribution at Morris 

Park. 

Friday, November 17 

Documentary Screening 

Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson 

(time & location TBA) 

Saturday, November 18 

Self-Care Day for all Trans/GNC people 

Encouraging LGBTQ Allies to educate 

their networks about the disparities that Trans/GNC 

face daily. 

Sunday, November 19 

Sunday Funday 

Overton Park Greensward | 12-4 p.m. 

Monday, November 20 

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil 


Also on 11/20: 

Trans Best of Memphis Awards and Release Party 

First Congregational Church | 6:30 p.m. 

1000 Cooper Street 

play 

safe 

Looking for a good time? Make PrEP part of your plan.

travel 

Original Memphis 

Starry Nights at Shelby Farms Park 

photos courtesy of Shelby Farms Park Conservancy 

SHELBYFARMSPARK.ORG 


Starry Nights is the largest holiday light show and festival in the Mid-South. 

It’s also the longest running celebration at Shelby Farms Park. The magic of 

the holidays is brought to life through the drive-through display of twinkling 

holiday light displays, cozy campfires and visits with Santa. 

DATES: 

November 24 through December 29 

Closed November 27 

Open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day nights. 

TIMES: 

Sunday - Thursday - 6p-9p 

Friday + Saturday - 6p-10p 

PRICES: 

$20 per car | $50 per large van and limo 

$150 per charter bus or school bus 

Pre-purchase tickets at Lake’s Edge Gift Shop 

or in advance at ticketmaster.com. Tickets will 

be available at the ticket booth on show nights.. 

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA 

Bring your children to experience the magic 

of the holidays at Shelby Farms Park and enjoy 

private breakfast with Santa! 

Saturday, December 2 | 9a-11a 

First Tennessee Foundation Visitor Center 

STARRY 4K FUN RUN/WALK 

December 30 

See Starry Nights at the speed of light as you race 

through the show! This family-friendly fun run is the 

last chance to experience Starry Nights in 2017, so 

don’t miss out! 

Starry 4k Fun Run + Walk: December 30 | 6p 

Registration now open, 

For registration and more information 

starry4k.racesonline.com 

ENTRANCES TO THE EVENT: 

If you have pre-purchased your tickets, enter 

through Gate 10 off of Mullins Station Road. 

If you need to purchase tickets, enter through 

the Main Gate off Farm Road. 

Participants receive a $5 discount per car on 

tickets purchased at the gate on: 

November 30: Tacky Holiday Sweater Night 

December 7: Decorate Your Car + 

Park Member Night 

December 14: Scout Night 

SPECIAL NIGHTS 

December 4: Run | Walk | Bike Night 

(closed to cars) - $5 per person 

Hyde Lake Wheel House will be open 

for bike rentals. 

December 11: Walkin’ + Woofin’ Night 

(closed to cars) - $5 per person 

Sponsored by Memphis Veterinary Specialists 

Hyde Lake Wheel House will be open 

for bike rentals. 

CARRIAGE RIDES + HAY RIDES 

Enjoy Starry Nights on a horse-drawn carriage 

or hay ride! For prices and reservations, visit 

starrycarriagerides.com or call 901.522.2862 

MISTLETOE VILLAGE 

Mistletoe Village is in a new location at the First 

Tennessee Foundation Visitor Center! Mistletoe 

Village is open nightly during Starry Nights. 

Sunday - Thursday 6p-9p 

Friday + Saturday 6p-10p 

Saturday + Sunday daytime hours 12p-4p 

Enjoy hot chocolate and roast s’mores 

Holiday Food Court with local food trucks 

Check out Santa’s Workshop for visits and photos 

with Santa. Santa will be in his workshop nightly 

through December 23 before he heads back to the 

North Pole. 

The Lake’s Edge Gift Shop is open each night. 

Find the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer for 

everyone on your list 

The Artisan Front Porch features local crafters with 

holiday gifts 

Enjoy live holiday music with carolers, area school 

choirs and other local performers on the Plaza and 

Event Stage 

Starry Petting Zoo - $3 per person 

Pony Ride - $5 per person 

Camel Rides - $5 per person 


calendar 

NOV+DEC CELEBRATIONS 

By Robin Beaudoin 

NOV 11 

MYSTIC KREWE OF PEGASUS’ 

SILENT AUCTION 

CENTRAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 6-9PM 

Benefiting Metamorphosis Project. Have a glass of wine and get a 

head start on your holiday shopping with gift certificates, beauty 

products, jewelry, sports collectibles, and more! $10 at the door. 

NOV 10, 11, 17, 18 

FRIENDS OF GEORGE’S PRESENTS: 

A KRISCO COUNTY CHRISTMAS 

EVERGREEN THEATER 

Doors open at 7pm, curtain 8pm. Benefiting Friends for Life. When 

Maybelline hears startling news about her past, it puts her future 

with the Krisco County Ladies’ Auxiliary into jeopardy. 

NOV 14-19 

TRANS AWARENESS WEEK, OUTMEMPHIS 

For events and full details, see page 51. 

OUTMemphis contact is Kayla Gore, kgore@outmemphis.org 

NOV 17 

ALTON BROWN LIVE: EAT YOUR SCIENCE 

ORPHEUM MEMPHIS, 7PM 

Fans can expect new multimedia presentations, talk-show 

segments, and food demonstrations, all with the comedy of the 

devious Food Network celebrity Alton Brown. 

DEC 1-26 

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 

THEATRE MEMPHIS, 3PM (MATINÉES) OR 7PM 

Based on the book by Charles Dickens. A miser is met by three 

ghosts and finds his Christmas spirit within. Tickets: $15-30 at 

theatrememphis.org or 901.682.8323. 

DEC 3 

IMAGENE & FRIENDS: 

A METAMORPHOSIS PROJECT BENEFIT 

DRU’S PLACE, 4-8PM 

Enjoy performances from the House of Azengraber & Friends. 

Benefiting Metamorphosis Project, which serves homeless LGBT 

youth. 

DEC 6 

JANET JACKSON: STATE OF THE 

WORLD TOUR 

FEDEX FORUM, 8PM 

This revamp and relaunch of the Unbreakable tour which was cut 

short in 2016, promises to make its way across the U.S. and into 

your heart. Ticketmaster.com 

DEC 30 

STARRY 4K FUN RUN/WALK. 

SHELBY FARMS PARK, 6PM 

Enjoy the last opportunity of 2017 to see Starry Nights lights in 

high speed as you race through the park. Starry4k.racesonline.com 

HAVE AN EVENT TO LIST? DO IT ONLINE AT FOCUSMIDSOUTH.COM/SUBMIT 

Need your pet fixed? 

Spay Memphis offers high quality, affordable 

spay/neuter services to the public. 

Call for more information 901-324-3202 spaymemphis.org

SM 

COUNTDOWN 

GIVEAWAY 

Enjoy 2018 on Us! 

! 

Baby, 

DON’T YA WANNA GO 

SM 

$ 

350,000 COUNTDOWN GIVEAWAY 

Every Saturday until the end of the year! 

Drawings at 7:00pm, 9:00pm, and 11:00pm 

• Five winners each drawing, including one winner of $ 500 for 

EVERY MONTH in 2018! PLUS, each winner receives a ticket into 

the GRAND PRIZE drawing for the current month. 

GRAND PRIZE drawings following 11:00pm drawings: 

• Saturday, November 25 - Monthly car payment for all of 2018 

• Saturday, December 30 - Monthly mortgage payment 

for all of 2018 

All prizes other than Grand Prizes are awarded in Slot Dollars. Full promotion 

start date of October 1, 2017. See B Connected Club for full details. 

Restrictions apply. Must be 21 or older. 

Don’t Let The Game Get Out Of Hand. 

1477 CASINO STRIP RESORT BLVD | SamsTownTunica.com

F PROOF P 

PROOF PRO 

OF PROOF 

PROOF PRO 

OOF PROOF 

PROOF PR 

POPLAR AVE @ GROVE PARK ROAD SOUTH 

Charming. Unique. 

Distinct. 

Babcock Gifts 

Baer’s Den 

Blu D’or Interiors 

Chico’s 

Cotton Tails 

Dinstuhl’s Candies 

Fleet Feet Sports 

Frost Bake Shop 

The Grove Grill 

Hot Yoga Plus 

IBERIABANK 

J. Jill 

J McLaughlin 

James Davis 

Joseph 

King Furs and 

Fine Jewelry 

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: 

/laurelwoodmemphis 

@shoplaurelwood 

Libro (Now Open!) 

Mona Esthetics 

Novel (Now Open!) 

Orvis 

Panera Bread 

Pavo Salon.spa 

Q4Fitness 

Rafferty’s 

Restaurant & Bar 

Sachi 

Sissy’s Log Cabin 

The Stovall 

Collection 

Talbots & Talbots 

Petites 

Turkoyz 

Turkoyz @ Home 

@ShopLaurelwood 

PROO 

LAURELWOODMEMPHIS.COM

2017 Issue 6 Nov/Dec - Focus Mid-South Magazine

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