2019 Issue 5 Sep/Oct - Focus Mid-Tenn Magazine

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® 

Serving the Middle Tennessee LGBT + 

Community+its Allies | SEP+OCT 2019 

successISSUE 

BORO PRIDE’S 

FOURTH YEAR 

START A NEW BEGINNING 

WITH TASH WEDDLE 

LEVI KREIS CONQUERS 

BAD HABITS WITH 

NEW ALBUM 

TRUE YOU TN 

WILL PROVIDE SOLUTIONS 

FOR LGBT+ YOUTH 

QUEEN IONA 

IS THE ’BORO’S 

ULTIMATE ADVOCATE 

MEET 

AMNA 

OSMAN 

NASHVILLE CARES’ 

CEO TALKS ABOUT 

NASHVILLE AND 

HER PLANS TO HELP 

THE COMMUNITY

September 7, 2019 • 5:30PM – 10:00PM 

Murfreesboro, TN • town square 

WALK BEGINS AT 6PM! 

® 

FACEBOOK.COM/BOROPRIDETN

theme 

ISSUE 

“Let your joy be 

in your journey — 

not some distant goal.” 

— Tim Cook, CEO of Apple 

SUCCESS / SEP+OCT 2019 / focusmidtenn.com / Page 3

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 

Fall is upon us! It’s one of my favorite times 

of the year. There’s always so much going 

on. Be sure to check out our calendar for 

the many events taking 

place throughout Middle 

Tennessee. If you have 

an event you would like 

published, send it to 

info@focusmidtenn.com 

and we’ll see what we 

can do. 

For this issue, we 

wanted to highlight a few 

local folks who are making success waves. Of 

course, we couldn’t possibly cover everyone, 

but know, we recognize you. We see you. 

One of the great things about doing this 

job is that I get to meet so many people who 

are so inspiring and it just pushes me more. 

Being successful comes with 

responsibilities. Being successful also means 

you’re not afraid to fail. This issue provides 

our readers with success stories that are and 

will be. Start-ups like, True You TN, that seeks 

to be the first and only LGBT+ youth home in 

Tennessee. 

There are successful men and women 

throughout this issue making their way in life 

being role models for all of us. Many have 

the ideology that success is simply helping 

others. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve 

seen businesses and organizations grow 

because of the innate character of their 

leaders who, without fail, put the common 

good before themselves. That kind of 

success breeds success. 

We hope you enjoy this issue. Our next 

issue is going to bring you lots of good food 

and beverages as well as a Holiday Guide 

so you will know where you can spend your 

money and it goes to the greater good. 

I wish you all much success in your 

endeavors. 

Stay focused, 

OUR NEXT ISSUE 

CHOW 

NOV+DEC 2019 

Submit story ideas: 

editor@focusmidtenn.com 

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Sept. 30 

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EDITOR 

Joey Amato 

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Sunny Eaton 

GK Gurley 

Margo Hall 

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Ray Rico 

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ADVERTISING 

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contributors 

Selena Haynes 

Christopher Kingsley 

Lauren Means 

Erica Rains 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Lauren Means 

Sarah Rutledge 

Mike Smith 

Laura Valentine 

Rocky Vy 

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Page 4 / focusmidtenn.com / SEP+OCT 2019 / SUCCESS

16 

SEP+OCT 2019 

CONTENTS 

3 THEME: SUCCESS 

6 BUSINESS 

Joe Woolley takes Nashville LGBT 

Chamber to new heights 

8 DEAR ALLIE 

Honoring LGBT+ heroes who came 

before us 

9 TRANS FOCUS 

Damien Domenack talks about his 

transition and religion 

10 FOOD+DRINK 

Tennessee native returns to create 

café with New York twist 

12 FAITH+SPIRITUALITY 

Tony Woodall: Questions, doubts 

are a part of any faith 

14 COMMUNITY 

Boro Pride celebrates 4th year 

16 COVER STORY/ LGBT ALLY 

Meet Amna Osman, 

Nashville CARES new CEO 

22 

20 PET FOCUS 

Fall safety tips for 

your four-legged friends 

22 LGBT HEALTH 

Get to know Tash Weddle, founder 

of New Beginnings, a nonprofit 

aimed at empowering women 

24 

10 

23 LGBT SENIORS 

Does our age impact 

the value of pride? 

24 MUSIC 

Levi Kreis talks about new 

album and his many creative 

accomplishments 

26 LGBT YOUTH 

True You TN will provide 

solutions for LGBT+ youth 

28 LGBT ADVOCATE 

IONA: George Manus is a pillar for 

Murfreesboro’s LGBT+ community 

28 

30 SEP+OCT EVENTS 

Page 5 / focusmidtenn.com / SEP+OCT 2019 / SUCCESS 


usiness 

JOE WOOLLEY TAKES NASHVILLE LGBT 

CHAMBER TO NEW HEIGHTS 

by Joey Amato | photo courtesy of Nashville LGBT Chamber 

When Lisa Howe 

announced she would 

be stepping down as 

Executive Director of the 

Nashville LGBT Chamber 

of Commerce, the Board, 

as well as its members, 

scrambled to find a 

replacement. Joe Woolley 

had served as President of 

the Chamber for two years 

prior to Howe’s resignation 

and decided to throw his 

name in the hat of potential 

applicants to succeed Howe, 

who had done an incredible 

job growing the Chamber. 

Woolley originally 

joined the board of the 

Nashville LGBT Chamber 

of Commerce in 2013 and 

quickly moved up the ranks. 

He pushed to make sure 

the Chamber focused on 

advocacy for its members 

and community. He also 

implemented governance 

policy and strategic plans 

to move the Chamber to 

the next level. During this 

time, the Chamber saw 

huge growth because 

of Tennessee Thrives, a 

business coalition against 

discriminatory legislation. 

He was named CEO of the 

Nashville LGBT Chamber in 

August of 2018. We had the 

opportunity to sit down with 

Woolley to talk about some 

of his accomplishments 

as CEO, challenges he has 

faced and vision for the 

Chamber in 2020. 

What are your proudest 

moments as President 

of the Board and then as 

Executive Director? 

My proudest moment 

as President was standing 

with Lisa Howe on stage 

accepting the 2016 Rising 

Star Chamber of the Year 

Award at the National 

LGBT Conference. It was 

early recognition of how 

the Chamber was changing 

and accomplishing so many 

new things. It was the first 

recognition that we were 

moving up and the hard 

work of restructuring and 

focused work on a strategic 

plan was paying off. 

My proudest moments 

as CEO have been many. 

Standing with the Mayor 

when we announced LGBT 

certified businesses would 

be recognized by Metro 

was a highlight. Having 

session wrap with no anti- 

LGBT legislation passing 

was also big. Our most 

recent Business Awards 

and Taste both selling out 

was great. But getting to 

announce an NFL Draft 

pick was also awesome. 

What are the most 

challenging aspects of the 

role? 

Trying to keep up with all 

the work. Success breeds 

success, but success also 

brings more work and 

more interest in your 

MORE INFO 

To learn more 

about Woolley 

and Nashville 

LGBT Chamber, 

visit nashvillelgbt 

chamber.org. 

organization. The areas of 

work never diminish and 

the work never stops. So, 

trying to stay up with all the 

different things we do and 

keep the thing going at the 

breakneck speed we are 

moving gets tough. 

You are also always “on”. 

It was different as President, 

where you were always 

representing and talking 

Chamber, but you could 

also step back and it was 

not central to what you do. 

You had another career that 

you focused on. It has now 

become my life and you are 

always on and representing 

the city, the community, and 

most of all your members. 

Tell us a little about 

the process you took 

to get Metro to issue 

an Executive Order to 

include LGBT businesses 

in procurement. 

It was a long time 

coming. We started the 

conversation seven years 

ago with then-Mayor Dean 

and his administration. 

Lisa Howe was finding 

out the details of what 

had to happen to get it 

done. She knew the whole 

process and had worked 

with multiple people and 

departments on education. 

When I came in, we had a 

unique opportunity to move 

the needle. I got placed 

on the Mayors Minority 

Business Council in relation 

to the disparity study the 

city was entering in to. Our 

goal was to try and get the 

LGBT population counted 

so we could be tracked. 

When we had pushback 

to that, I met with the 

Mayor and told him the 

frustrations and hurdles we 

were facing. He asked what 

the end goal was and I told 

him it was to have Metro 

recognize certification. We 

told him and he got it done. 

What are some of the 

reasons why the Chamber 

has grown so quickly in 

the past two to three 

years? 

A clear strategic plan 

and a goal to reach a 

certain member number 

were key. With that came 

better internal operations 

and procedures. All of that 

success kept building upon 

itself and the Chamber just 

kept expanding. The growth 

of Nashville overall is a 

factor as well. The Chamber 

growth mirrors the growth 

of the city. There are new 

corporations that are 

coming with Diversity and 

Inclusion being the name of 

the game in the corporate 

world. They want to attract 

and retain the best talent 

out there and working with 

us they can do that. Us 

becoming more political and 

advocating for our members 

have been huge as well. 


What about corporate 

involvement? How do 

the larger corporations 

play an important role 

in the Chamber and its 

advocacy roles? 

The most important work 

we do is advocating for our 

members and the LGBT 

community. Corporate 

support is key to advocacy. 

Without our corporate 

members putting their 

political capital behind our 

advocacy efforts to stop anti- 

LGBT bills, Tennessee would 

look like a very different place 

than it does now. Getting 

corporations comfortable to 

advocate on this issue has 

been a slow process. The 

new corporate members 

that have come from more 

progressive areas have really 

fueled the change and made 

those that were hesitant 

more likely to step out. The 

business community is the 

strongest tool that the LGBT 

community has for it in the 

fight for equality, that is why I 

love the work that I get to do 

because we truly are pushing 

back against discrimination 

and making a change. 

There is a report out that 

talks about Tennessee being 

at the bottom of states for 

LGBT quality-of-life issues. 

But Tennessee is at the top of 

a list for business. Businesses 

are choosing Tennessee to 

move to, but they are also 

bringing their values with 

them when they come here. I 

think these corporations are 

going to change Tennessee 

not the other way around. 

You mentioned earlier that 

you are always ‘on’. How do 

you maintain a work/life 

balance? 

It has surprisingly become 

one of the hardest parts 

of the job. There is always 

something happening, 

and the work never stops. 

Since getting this job I 

have been much less active 

on social media. 

I really try and disconnect 

when I have a chance 

and not look at anything. 

I just really enjoy the 

moment that I am in and 

focus on that. When I am 

working, trying to schedule 

dedicated work time and 

then the tons of meetings 

that come is key. I also try 

to schedule in personal 

time. My partner and I love 

to travel and it’s a great way 

to disconnect and achieve 

balance. But even when I 

am traveling, I see things 

that we could do or offer 

as a Chamber that would 

benefit our members. 

What are your 

goals for 2020? 

We will easily reach 500+ 

members. Making sure we 

keep them engaged and 

that they feel like their 

membership is worth it is 

the top priority. Connecting 

all the members and groups 

that we can with opportunity 

is always a goal. 

The big goal will be set by 

the Board of Directors. They 

are looking at becoming 

a statewide chamber and 

having chapters in the 

cities that would handle 

educational and networking 

opportunities. I really hope 

they move that route. I think 

the political and advocacy 

power we could have as a 

statewide Chamber would 

be incredible and impactful. 

There is a lot of interest 

from corporations and 

LGBT community members 

from across the state. I hope 

we go down that path and 

the goal will be making that 

happen. 



LGBT+ AND MINISTRY IN TENNESSEE 

By Margo Hall 

photo courtesy of 

Vanderbilt Divinity School 

Damien Domenack is 

an admission fellow and 

part of the admission team 

for the Vanderbilt School 

of Divinity. He recently 

graduated with a master’s 

degree in theology and is 

currently pursuing a Ph.D. 

He helps people find their 

calling in ministry and helps 

them determine if studying 

theology is right for them. 

Damien was drawn 

to ministry because his 

mom was a minister. He 

found some of the same 

tenants of Christianity in 

community organizing. 

When Damien was 

younger, he was not 

accepted by his church and 

filled that part of his life 

creating community spaces. 

He found those same tenants 

in the LGBT+ community, 

as well as the immigrant 

and people of color (POC) 

communities, that he 

discovered when moving to 

New York City to persue his 

undergraduate degree. 

During his time in New 

York, he was a part of the 

Audre Lorde Project and a 

founding member of Trans 

Justice. As a member of 

Trans Justice, he helped 

start the first-ever trans and 

gender non-conforming 

march for social and 

economic justice. 

Interconnections 

One of the things he 

loves about community 

organizing and working 

with people is giving people 

spaces to feel safe and to 

have conversations. This 

was a part of his work at the 

Vanderbilt LGBT+ center 

on campus. His academic 

work also includes working 

with prisons and individuals 

who are incarcerated. For 

Domenack, understanding 

our interconnectedness and 

roles with our communities 

is essential, especially for 

trans people. “Allowing for 

trans folks to exist outside 

just the trans bubble, is 

the reality of our lives,” he 

states. “The way we push 

forward in that reality is into 

that interconnectedness.” 

When asked about his 

path to understanding his 

relationship with God, he 

explains he was “made 

in the image of God, 

whichever form he chooses 

to believe in.” 

In recounting his religious 

trauma, Damien talks about 

how he learned his conflict 

was not his own. He said it 

comes from “negative ways 

of speaking about God” that 

feeds personal agendas, 

and that “it is a construct for 

hate, and that is not God, 

and that is not Christianity.” 

This hate impacts the 

LGBT+ and other minority 

communities around the 

world which means his 

trauma is a part of an 

oppressive system. So 

rather than reconciling 

what he feels does not 

belong to him, he focuses 

on that which is his own. 

A ministry based on 

community 

In finding happiness in his 

life and as a trans person, 

Damien says, “It didn’t 

trans focus 

“It didn’t come 

without challenge 

and learning about 

how my body, 

mind and soul 

all work together. 

Was that through 

Christianity? No. 

It was through part 

queer culture, yoga 

[and] Afrodiasporic 

religion. It is part of 

[my] ancestry and 

getting to know 

[myself] and [my] 

people and [my] 

trans identity.” 

— Damien Domenack 

come without challenge 

and learning about how my 

body, mind and soul all work 

together. Was that through 

Christianity? No. It was 

through part queer culture, 

yoga [and] Afrodiasporic 

religion.” He goes on to say, 

“It is a part of [my] ancestry 

and getting to know 

[myself] and [my] people 

and [my] trans identity.” 

Those are the things, he 

feels, Christian supremacy 

does not want you to know. 

Through this selfdiscovery, 

Domenack made 

the core of his work to be 

with transgender, nonbinary 

individuals who 

have religious trauma. That 

was the work he did at the 

LGBT+ center on campus 

and will be his continued 

work during divinity school. 

The community work he 

has dedicated his life to is 

his ministry. 


food+drink 

SOUTHERN DECADENCE 

WITH A NEW YORK STATE OF MIND 

How one Tennessee native left for bigger dreams and then came back to start a movement 

by Rocky Vy 

photo courtesy of 

D’Andrews Bakery 

Almost 30% of new 

businesses close up shop 

within their first year, 

according to the Small 

Business Administration. For 

new restaurants, the failure 

rate can be even higher. 

For D’Andrews Bakery 

and Cafe – located in 

bustling downtown 

Nashville near the public 

library – the hard part 

may be over. As of August 

2019, the charming bakery 

had been open for over 

one year, and they are still 

experiencing growth of 

sales and clientele. 

A welcomed edition 

downtown 

Its owner, Nashville native 

David Andrews, attributes 

his success to many things, 

although one reason, in 

particular, is quite clear: the 

location. 

“There’s nothing like us 

here in downtown,” he 

reflects, as we sit inside the 

clean and crisp decor of 

the bakery, which – as I am 

noticing now at this point 

– offers a stark contrast to 

the hard and muted palette 

right outside their windows. 

The bakery and cafe 

serve unique confections, 

sandwiches, salads and 

coffee, along with other 

seasonal items like pizza 

and soup. But their really 

notable products? Custom 

cakes, catering and 

decorated macarons. 

On top of all that, 

Andrews and his team 

continually promote the 

fact that all their food 

items are made inhouse, 

something you 

don’t necessarily find in 

downtown Nashville. 

“I wanted to update the 

classic bakery here in this 

city and offer something 

that you might find in New 

York…something fresh and 

delicious.” 

Andrews often 

references New York in our 

conversation because that’s 

where his culinary training 

and education happened. 

He attended the Institute 

of Culinary Education 

(the sweeter ICE, I joked), 

and worked for various 

restaurants, including 

Michelin-starred Gotham 

Bar & Grill and the Kimberly 

Hotel located in Midtown. 

It’s in the DNA 

But despite the glory 

and excitement the New 

York food scene may have 

given him, Andrews was still 

itching to head home for his 

next chapter. 

Maybe being an 

entrepreneur was always in 

his blood. Before his culinary 

goals were realized, Andrews 

was working for his family, in 

a clothing retail business that 

is now no longer in business. 

In fact, it was a women’s 

swimwear buying trip in Los 

Angeles where the sweet 

spark first hit him. 

In 2001, Andrews and 

his family ate at Spago in 

Beverly Hills, the celebrated 

chef Wolfgang Puck’s 

first restaurant venture. 

There, he had a dessert 

that delighted his senses 

— a medley of tiny sweets 

that were all cooked and 

presented differently. 

That moment stuck with 

him, as the family business 

shut down and Andrews 

then decided to head to 

New York for culinary 

school. He figured he’d get 

his training and expertise 

within the food capital of the 

world, and then head home 

to restart a new business 

venture. Along the way, he 

met his now-husband and 

business partner, Matt Paco. 

“Matt, fortunately, 

supported my goal of moving 

back to my hometown ever 

since the beginning. I don’t 

think I’d be where I am now 

without his help.” 

Paco — who was working 

in media production at 

places like MTV — and 

Andrews are a kind of 

personification of “opposites 

attract.” Even in business, 

the common piece of advice 

is to find a business partner 

who complements your 

talents and personality. 

Andrews is a self-attributed 

introvert, and though he 

makes his local media 

appearances on shows like 

News Channel 5, most of the 

outward marketing efforts 

are helmed by Paco. 


A New York 

state of mind 

Paco also helps to run 

the front of the house, 

which couldn’t be a 

better fit seeing how 

he’s extroverted and 

relationship-centric. He 

knows almost every 

customer that frequents their bakery, and 

they know him, too. His “New York state of mind” helps 

drive a lot of his infectious energy, which is a welcome 

feature in downtown Nashville. The area seems to now be 

waking up to the flurry of new businesses and residents. 

It is Paco’s adventurous spirit that helped him 

transition to Nashville. It was a new journey, a new 

challenge, a new opportunity. 

“Because I’m such a New Yorker,” says Paco, “people 

were surprised when I agreed to leave New York City for 

Nashville, but I love it when people go after their dreams. 

It’s David’s dream to open his own bakery in his hometown, 

and I didn’t want to be an obstacle to him achieving that.” 

He continues, “Now, it’s wonderful to see his dream 

come true.” 

Moving to Nashville may not have been the most 

tumultuous part of this new business journey however 

– it’s the startup. Andrews knew the business climate 

was not in his favor, but he also knew that big risks can 

come with big rewards. 

Flourishing in a Food Renaissance 

Timing, however, may have also played a big role in 

the bakery’s initial success. Nashville is in the middle of 

a food renaissance, though a lot of the movement may 

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be helmed by big restaurant groups with a lot of capital. 

Residents are more willing to try out newer, smaller 

places and, dare I say, something with more Instagram 

appeal. D’Andrews Bakery & Cafe has a lot of that, even 

if Andrews never intended for that in the first place. 

There are other factors at play, too, that have 

supported Andrews’ vision for his bakery. He notes the 

city’s leadership in helping to bring in big businesses 

that not only looks to employ local residents, but also 

provide more walk-in traffic for downtown businesses. 

Andrews also credits a lot of his success to his family, 

who have been integral parts of building and operating 

the bakery. He also mentions that many local government 

officials come by for a drink or pastry, too. In fact, U.S. 

Representative Jim Cooper’s office is just a block away. 

Andrews and Paco are also members of the Nashville 

LGBT Chamber of Commerce and mentions that 

some of the members are frequent customers to the 

business, and have offered great referrals to the bakery. 

But, even with support, the truth remains that you 

have to be tethered to your fledgling business. “This is 

a 24/7 job,” he says to me. “But the rewards are great, 

and the work is worth it. I would recommend to anyone 

to wants to start a business to just do it.” 

ENJOY THE 

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• Optional fully equipped kitchen 

• Chef-inspired complimentary 

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• Just minutes away from 

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/ SEP+OCT 2019 / focusmidtenn.com / Page 11

faith+spirituality 

DECONSTRUCTION: 

CHANGE OF HEART, CHANGE OF MIND 

by Selena Haynes | photos courtesy of Tony Woodall 

Tony Woodall grew up like many in the South, attending 

church on Sundays with a very conservative, far-right view of 

life in a very fear-based type of religious setting. You know 

the type where every move you make outside of the staunch will of 

the church will send you to hell? Yeah, that type of fear. 

He carried these views, 

somewhat, and led others 

who believed the same for 

20 years. The first 10 years 

of his ministry were in the 

Church of Christ and the 

next 10 years shifted to nondenominational 

churches. 

But Tony, even in 

childhood, always had a 

hard time believing that God 

would ever reject a child. 

He said it would break his 

heart when he would hear 

the preacher talk about God 

sending anyone to hell. 

“Of course, someone 

would say God is not 

sending them. People are 

choosing to go themselves 

by their sinful behavior. But 

I couldn’t buy that either 

because they would also 

say that you stand before 

God and He will judge you 

innocent or guilty,” said Tony. 

Regardless of these 

questions, Tony went into 

the ministry with these 

teachings ingrained. But 

after 20 years of pastoring, 

he left the ministry. 

Deconstructing 

a lifetime of beliefs 

“Since the first 20 years 

ended, I kinda started going 

through my own personal 

deconstruction from what 

my life beliefs were. I found 

extremely kind and loving 

people where they weren’t 

supposed to be and living 

lives they weren’t supposed 

to be living. I didn’t know 

what to do with that. It 

was very conflicting. I had 

this system I had grown up 

[with] in which I was told 

what God was like [but] 

then I had these people I 

was meeting who looked 

more like Jesus so I couldn’t 

figure out why God and 

Jesus didn’t look the same. 

Jesus was supposed to be 

the very essence of God 

so that started a journey of 

deconstructing my beliefs,” 

said Tony. 


He began studying the 

Bible even more with a 

new, awakened mind. “You 

thought it was in there [the 

Bible], but it turned out 

not to be in there or it’s 

not at all what it said. Or 

the translations from Latin, 

Greek or Hebrew to English 

were a little messed up. So 

I was deconstructing for a 

long time. Then I started 

settling in to what I did 

believe,” said Tony. 

As Tony’s beliefs began 

to change, he knew that 

if he was to ever be in 

the ministry again that 

he couldn’t be a part of 

something that is not 

accepting of everyone. 

“I had spent 40 years 

constructing – 15 years 

deconstructing. I fought a lot 

of the stuff, the new things 

I was seeing. Plus, I had a 

lot of fear of letting down 

all these people I had led 

all these years. What would 

they say? What would they 

think? Will I confuse a lot of 

them? At some point, I just 

had to decide to have more 

faith in humanity, have more 

faith in the presence of God 

inside all of humanity. There 

may be one or two folks 

who lose their trust in you, 

but if their trust was in you, 

it was in the wrong spot to 

start with,” said Tony. 

While Tony had 

uncertainties about 

preaching again, it wasn’t 

meant for him to sit on 

the sidelines. He began 

attending Stones River 

Church of Christ (SRCOC). 

Shortly after, the existing 

pastor left to do mission 

work. Five months after 

beginning to attend SRCOC, 

Tony took the pastoral 

position. 

Parables and the 

#UnderGet 

During his tenure at 

SRCOC, he was invited to 

hear a speaker in Shelbyville. 

Tony considers this to be 

his true ‘aha’ moment. The 

speaker spoke of the three 

parables out of Luke 15. 

One of the parables was 

about a shepherd with 100 

sheep and one wandered 

off. He went to find it. The 

speaker asked, ‘why did 

he leave the 99 to find the 

one? Was there ever a time 

in the life of that sheep 

that it didn’t belong to that 

shepherd?’ 

Another parable spoke of 

a woman who lost a coin. 

She lit a lamp to search for 

it. Why? Not only was it her 

coin, but it never lost its 

value to her. 

“All my life I was taught 

that being lost and found 

are opposites and cannot 

exist at the same time. You 

can be lost but you do not 

lose your belong,” said 

Tony in reference to the 

parable of the sheep. 

Tony last pastored four 

years ago at SRCOC. He 

and his wife, Kara, now 

host a Facebook Live 

event every Wednesday 

night called #theunderget. 

The name reflects that 

to get to the good stuff, 

you will have to get under 

your skin. The good 

stuff is on the inside. The 

purpose of #underget is to 

encourage people to think 

for themselves and look 

deeper. 

When asked if he would 

ever pastor again, Tony 

said, “My life now is simply 

about helping people 

become aware of who they 

already are.”

community 

BORO PRIDE CELEBRATES 4TH YEAR 

by Christopher Kingsley | photos courtesy of Dr. William Langston 

Pride is everywhere in the summer. From June to August, Pride events worldwide 

have been bringing together LGBTQ brethren and their supporters and advocates by 

the thousands. Here, closer to home, Pride events stretch across the volunteer state 

from Memphis, Nashville to Rocky Top Tennessee in Knoxville. But even closer to home, in 

Murfreesboro, Boro Pride, which is celebrating its fourth year, has proven to be a success 

story bathed in rainbow colors. 

I asked Dr. William 

Langston, who is the 

volunteer coordinator for 

the festival, about Boro 

Pride. “We’ve enjoyed 

amazing community 

support and have sold 

all exhibitor spaces 

each year,” he states. 

“People coming to pride 

go to local businesses 

to eat and shop while 

they’re on the square. I 

think we’ve had nothing 

but positive feedback. 

A lot of Murfreesboro 

businesses also support 

through sponsorships and 

giveaways.” 

Brendan Holloway had 

the original idea of a Pride 

event in Murfreesboro 

back in June 2016. “I was 

serving as the Chair of the 

Tennessee Equality Project 

(TEP) Rutherford County 

Committee. At one of our 

committee meetings, an 

attendee mentioned how 

they wished we could have 

a pride event closer to 

Murfreesboro, so people 

wouldn’t have to drive to 

Nashville. I heard them 

say this and immediately 

thought, why can’t we 

have a pride event in 

Murfreesboro?”, said 

Holloway. 

He continues, “I quickly 

reached out to Chris 

Sanders, Executive 

Director of TEP, and 

pitched the idea of having 

a pride event later that 

year. He encouraged the 

idea, so we formed a 

sub-committee within the 

TEP Rutherford County 

Committee to work on 

creating the event. We had 

a meeting the last week of 

June and decided that we 

wanted to move forward 

with the event.”The team 

met on a weekly basis 

and had the first ever 

Boro Pride on August 27, 

2016. More than 1,000 

people attended the event 

with over 50 vendors 

exhibiting. Since then, 

the event has grown 

substantially. Holloway 

reflects back on the first 

Boro Pride which was 

organized in surprisingly 

short order, “I have no 

idea how we pulled it off 

in such a short amount 

of time, but we did it. 

We really did it.” While 

Holloway is no longer on 

the planning committee, 

he still actively supports 

Boro Pride in whatever 

way he can and currently 

sits on the Board of 

Directors of the Tennessee 

Equality Project. 

Be sure to mark your 

calendar, Boro Pride starts 

at 5:00pm on September 

7, 2019. The Pride Walk 

will begin at 5:30pm and 

entertainment will include: 

Flummox, The Dead 

Deads, The Hardin Draw, 

Sisters Mann and of course 

the fabulous drag show 

hosted by IONA to close 

the event. 

Page 14 / focusmidtenn.com / SEP+OCT SEPT+OCT 2019 // SUCCESS

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cover story 


NASHVILLE CARES 

building a 

community 

AMNA OSMAN TAKES THE REINS OF NASHVILLE CARES 

by Laura Valentine | photos by TennesseePhotographs.com 

“Sticks in a bundle are unbreakable,” is a Kenyan proverb that speaks to 

the wisdom of making one stronger by surrounding it with many. When 

one looks at the life and career of Amna Osman, the newly hired CEO of 

Nashville CARES, you will clearly see this proverb come to life. 

Wisely, Osman 

recognizes that as she 

steps into this new and 

exciting leadership role, 

she inherits the legacy of 

and vision for the future of 

Nashville CARES, to “end 

the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 

our community.” Add to 

this the dizzying effects of 

being new to the South, 

new to Nashville, and 

new to Nashville CARES. 

To ground herself and 

create good work and 

personal life balance, 

she is actively seeking to 

meet, engage, and develop 

community with peers 

and kindred spirits alike. 

Osman already recognizes 

the depth of commitment 

the LGBTQ community has 

demonstrated over the last 

34 years to CARES and 

wants to get to know us 

better. 

To that end, she extends 

an arms-open-wide 

invitation to “…help support 

me in my leadership role to 

advance Nashville CARES, 

by reaching out to me. I 

want to know you. I want 

to engage with you. I want 

to build a relationship with 

you because I’m new to the 

community. Help me find 

spaces and places I need 

to be…to get to know folks 

to support me and the 

organization.” 

She may be new to 

Nashville CARES, but 

in no way is she new to 

the important work of 

caring and advocating 

for those whose lives are 

impacted by HIV/AIDS. 

Working toward a degree 

in psychology, Osman 


spent her senior year at the 

United States International 

University in Kenya, where 

she held an internship at 

an HIV/AIDS orphanage. 

There she witnessed babies 

born HIV positive being 

“dropped off” by their 

parents. Here, the seeds 

of service were planted, 

which she would carry, as 

a recent college graduate 

and newlywed, to Flint, 

Michigan. 

Her tenure with 

Wellness AIDS Services, 

Inc. included positions 

in Case Management, 

HIV Prevention, Interim 

Executive Director, and 

Executive Director. Osman 

was tapped by the Board 

to serve as the Interim for 

6 months to either “turn 

the organization around 

or transition its clients to 

another service provider.” 

She accepted the challenge 

and was able to orchestrate 

a successful turn-around of 

the organization, which still 

flourishes today. 

“Even though I was only 

24 years old and had no 

prior executive leadership 

experience, I felt a deep 

obligation to the clients 

not to shut down,” Osman 

stated emphatically. 

Building on success 

As she experienced 

success in her professional 

life, success was mirrored 

in her personal life too. A 

wife and now mother of 

two young sons, Amna 

earned a Master of Public 

Administration from the 

University of Michigan. With 

greater knowledge, new 

skillsets, and a growing 

support network, Amna 

served as the Director 

of the Division of Health, 

Wellness, and Disease 

Control for Michigan 

Department of Community 

Health, and was responsible 

for operational oversight of 

the division which consists 

of Health Disparities 

Reductions/Minority Health; 

Sexually Transmitted 

Diseases; and HIV/AIDS 

Prevention Education, Care 

and Treatment; AIDS Drug 

Assistance Program and 

the HIV/AIDS Oral Health 

Program. 

With success came 

accolades, appointments, 

and additional 

opportunities to make 

an impact on vulnerable 

communities. 

Osman credits her 

professional success with 

not only putting in the 

hard work but to “coaches 

and mentors that really 

“ 

“WE NEED VOICES 

HEARD AT ALL 

LEVELS AND NEED 

THE COMMUNITY 

TO CONTINUE 

TO PROVIDE 

FEEDBACK AND 

RECOMMENDATIONS 

FOR CARE TO THE 

LGBT+ COMMUNITY.” 

supported me.” In these 

days of growing awareness 

around privilege and 

workplace inequities, 

Osman shares an important 

personal insight, “I just want 

to acknowledge that as 

women we work extra hard 

to be in seats of leadership 


ut it’s because of the 

support of so many people 

that believed in us that it 

really happens; as women 

and especially women of 

color, you’ve worked really 

hard and proved yourself 

to get to where you are 

at, more so than your 

counterpart 

colleagues 

to whom the 

system has 

really been 

supportive and 

beneficial.” 

Building on 

community 

Now that she’s relocated 

to Nashville and serves in 

the pinnacle position at 

Nashville CARES, I asked 

Osman what success would 

look like one year from 

now, her response and 

vision was clear. Osman 

would like to diversify the 

funding portfolio so that 

CARES can thrive in a way 

that is fiscally healthy as 

well as recruit and retain 

good talent. “I would also 

like to position CARES as 

a diverse, inclusive and 

equitable organization so 

it has the best talent to 

serve the most vulnerable 

and furthermore, engage 

the community in a bidirectional 

exchange where 

we hear and know the 

community stories and 

the community knows and 

hears ours.” 

Personally, Osman would 

like to complete the work 

in earning her Ph.D. in 

Leadership and Change 

and create a community 

of professional peers and 

friends to enrich her life. 

Osman feels as if she’s off 

to a good start in achieving 

these goals stating, “I’ve 

been really impressed with 

the Board of Nashville 

CARES. I’ve appreciated 

NASHVILLE 

CARES 

AIDS WALK 

Register for Nashville 

CARES AIDS walk on 

October 5. Visit 

nashvilleaidswalk.org 

the support they’ve given 

me and their desire to 

elevate the organization, 

thinking about the 

community as a whole and 

wanting to do the best for 

this community.” 

When asked how the 

LGBTQ community can 

be of support 

to her and 

Nashville 

CARES, she 

was again 

very clear: “I 

encourage you 

to continue 

to support 

CARES, not 

just financially, but with 

time, expertise, talent, and 

knowledge in a way that 

can support and advance 

the organization and even 

elevate it in the next year 

if we truly are going to 

eliminate HIV in Nashville.” 

She also encourages the 

community to provide 

ideas around ways to come 

together and tell our stories 

and reduce stigma as well 

as engage in advocacy. 

“We need voices heard 

at all levels and need the 

community to continue 

to provide feedback and 

recommendations for care 

to the LGBT+ community 

(both healthcare and 

mental health).” 

“I have felt so welcomed 

in the South, in Nashville, 

and at Nashville CARES,” 

said Osman. “Every 

stakeholder and ambassador 

that’s affiliated with this 

organization has been 

amazing and wonderful and 

dedicated to the mission and 

to the people we serve, and I 

just want to say thank you.” 

If you’d like to be a part of 

the “unbreakable bundle,” 

reach out today to Amna 

Osman by phone or email at 

615-921-0215 or aosman@ 

nashvillecares.org. 

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pet focus 

AUTUMN 

SAFETY 

FOR YOUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS 

As we begin to 

venture out on hikes and 

adventures with our pets, 

here are two things to 

avoid to make those trips 

safe for everyone. 

Mushrooms 

Fall is one of the 

blooming seasons for 

mushrooms. While, 

according to the ASPCA, 

99% of mushrooms have 

little or no toxicity, the 1% 

that are highly toxic can 

cause life-threatening 

problems in pets. From 

upset stomachs to 

kidney failure, to death, 

the consequences 

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The easiest way to 

by Lauren Means 

prevent this is to do your 

best to avoid your pet 

ingesting any mushrooms. 

If you witness your 

pet eating something 

poisonous or suspect they 

have, contact your vet 

immediately or the ASPCA 

Animal Poison Control 

Center at (888) 426-4435. 

Snakes 

Whether you love them, 

hate them, or tolerate their 

existence for the greater 

good, as the weather is 

cooling down snakes are 

preparing for hibernation. 

Be mindful of where you 

are walking and study up 

on snakes native to your 

area. There are many 

snakes that call Tennessee 

home, but only four that 

FALL EVENTS PERFECT FOR PETS! 

Nashville Humane Association’s Dog Day 2019 

Centennial Park, Nashville 

September 14 from 10am - 4pm 

Nashville’s longest-running dog festival is a celebration 

of everything pup and all proceeds go to benefit the 

Nashville Humane Association. 

Rockin’ 4 Rescues 

Copper Ridge Event Venue, Murfreesboro 

September 26 starting at 6pm 

This year’s fundraising event will benefit six area rescues: 

Operation Education, Rutherford County Cat Rescue, 

Rags to Riches, Halo’s Second Chance, Rural Animal 

Rescue Effort and Middle Tennessee Treasures. 

Pawpalooza Pet Festival 

Gallatin Parks & Recreation, Gallatin 

September 28 from 10am - 2pm 

Sumner County’s only festival dedicated to pets and their 

human friends. Again we will celebrate the furry friends 

with food, vendors, contests and live music FREE! 

A DOGgone Good OLD Time 

Charlie Daniels Park, Mt. Juliet 

October 19 from 10am - 3pm 

Hosted by Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary. A day in 

the Park with Crafts, Music, and Dogs. 

Halloween Pooch Parade 

Cheekwood, Nashville 

October 26 from 9am - 4pm 

Costumed canines and their owners are invited to parade 

around the gardens for a fun morning stroll, costume 

contest, and even a popsicle eating contest for a cool 

treat for all the pups out there. 

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are poisonous: northern copperhead, western 

cottonmouth (aka water moccasin), timber 

rattlesnake, and western pigmy rattlesnake. You 

can distinguish the venomous from the nonvenomous 

species by their triangular heads and 

vertical pupils. 

Best practices to reduce the likelihood of 

a snake bite include using a shorter leash on 

walks, not allowing your dog to explore areas 

where you cannot see everything clearly, stay 

on open paths where snakes would be visible, 

and keep nighttime walks to a minimum. If 

your dog does end up with a bite, call your vet 

immediately. 

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Form mixture into 1-inch balls and roll each ball 

through additional oats. 

Place treats onto a baking sheet and refrigerate 

until firm, about an hour. 

Pumpkin Cat Treats 

5 ounce can tuna in water 

2 tbsp pumpkin puree, canned pure 

1/4 cup flour 

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Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. In a bowl, mix all the 

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lgbt health 

Tash Weddle is 

ALL HEART 

by Sunny Eaton | photos courtesy of Ashley Hylbert 

Natasha “Tash” Weddle 

is making magic happen. 

She is doing all the right 

things for all the right 

reasons. An essential 

presence in the Nashville 

business community, Tash 

owns TNB Fitness and 

New Beginnings, where 

she is using her talents 

to empower women to 

change their mindset, 

habits and bodies. 

“The goal is to empower 

women to take control and 

live their best lives,” says 

Tash, who founded the 

nonprofit organization, New 

Beginnings, in 2011. The 

aim of New Beginnings is 

to give low-income women 

an opportunity to become 

part of a fitness community 

that may otherwise have 

been out of reach. 

Tash recognized that 

fitness, nutrition and health 

education can be expensive 

and for women prioritizing 

basic necessities such as 

feeding children, paying rent 

and maintaining full-time 

jobs, it often falls low in their 

hierarchy of priority. “There 

is a gaping divide between 

access to fitness for these 

women and the clear need 

shown by fitness and health 

statistics for the state of 

Tennessee,” she mentions. 

Closing the gap 

With New Beginnings 

serving more than 200 

women per year, Tash is 

taking steps to shorten that 

divide. She hosts several 

fundraisers a year and a 

portion of the profits from 

her TNB Fitness gym and 

personal training program 

go to support New 

Beginnings scholarships. 

These scholarships enable 

Tash to get deep into the 

lives and habits of her 

participants. 

“We go beyond just 

exercise and break through 

to the patterns of thinking, 

daily habits and personal 

visions that truly 

shape health.” New 

Beginnings is a 

year-long program 

in multiple phases. 

For the first 

phase, women are 

required to commit 

to at least eighty 

percent attendance. 

“That commitment is 

the first step in putting 

self-care into the daily 

to-do list and the realizing 

that health and movement 

don’t have to be a chore or 

something to suffer through 

for cosmetic gains, but 

instead are a hard-earned 

gift and endlessly rewarding 

journey. A journey they 

won’t be taking alone.” 

Unsurprisingly, Tash is an 

extraordinary athlete. An 

all-star basketball player in 

high school, Tash went on to 

play collegiate basketball for 

both North Carolina State 

University and the University 

of Evansville. Her talent 

eventually met its match 

with a recurrent knee injury 

that forced Tash to endure 

five surgeries. “My athletic 

career transitioned into a 

notable 17 years as a strength 

and conditioning coach for 

several major universities 

including the University of 

Tennessee and Vanderbilt.” 

More than athletics 

Although she loved this 

work and had earned a 

reputation for excellence 

and measured success, 

Tash knew there had to be 

something more in store 

for her life, that there was 

more she could contribute 

to the lives of other people. 

In answering that question, 

TNB Fitness and New 

Beginnings were born. 

Walking into the 

enormous, well-equipped 

TNB Fitness gym and the 

New Beginnings meeting 

room, filled with inspirational 

quotes and vision boards 

is like having a gauntlet of 

self-growth and betterment 

laid at your feet. When you 

are in Tash’s office, 

looking at her 

bookshelves full of 

training materials 

and new concepts, 

you know she is capable 

and that she does more 

than talk about excellence 

and growth, she lives those 

ideas. “I want people to ask 

themselves, ‘what more can I 

be doing – for myself and for 

my community.” 

Tash isn’t all exercise and 

empowerment, she is also 

kind, interesting and makes 

you feel welcome in her 

presence. She spends her 

free time traveling, reading 

and with friends. Soon, she 

and her wife are headed 

to central Mexico for some 

much-needed rest and to 

scope out some retirementlocation 

possibilities. 

Don’t worry, Nashville – 

Tash is invested in the city 

and isn’t going anywhere 

for a very long time. 

FOR MORE INFO 

To learn more, 

visit www.tnb-fitness.com. 


lgbt seniors 

DOES OUR AGE IMPACT 

THE VALUE OF PRIDE? 

story by Mike Smith 

Certainly, arguments have been made that the older we are, 

the more importance we place on the value of Pride and its 

hard-fought celebrations. Then again, many younger gays will 

suggest that there is no way one could enjoy non-stop pride events 

more than themselves. 

They are prideful and 

wear their pride pridefully, 

damnit. And, of course, 

to most they are both 

right; one is hard pressed 

to find someone in the 

LGBT+ community who 

doesn’t value the work that 

has been done since the 

Stonewall riots to allow us 

the freedoms to celebrate 

who we are openly and 

yes, pridefully. So, does 

our age impact how we 

feel about pride and more 

importantly, its value? 

I know of two brothers 

in their 40s/50s who are 

both openly gay. Only six 

years apart in age, their 

experiences are quite 

different. Both from rural 

America, the eldest of the 

two — not having LGBT+ 

community role models 

as a child — had to find his 

own path and went off to 

college and did just that and 

connected with his tribe 

and began to connect with 

others to celebrate Pride. 

Still somewhat careful 

with when and where to 

display his pridefulness and 

only when he and his friends 

could retreat out of town 

would they truly celebrate 

— attend the events, the 

parade, wear their prideful 

attire, etc. Pride celebrations 

provided a certain 

“coverage” and safety that 

the older brother hadn’t 

experienced until his 20s. 

By the time the younger 

of the brothers rose to an 

age that he was beginning 

to become comfortable in 

his gayness, he had his older 

brother who introduced him 

to Pride, but also a queer 

community which provided 

sanctuary as he continued to 

explore his sexuality. 

While Pride celebrations 

were certainly fun and still 

somewhat taboo to his 

straight friends or work 

community, he had been 

introduced to the gay 

lifestyle by his brother, 

therefore not feeling as 

though festivities were his 

only place to connect — he 

had found a community 

before he experienced his 

first pride events. 

Their experiences clearly 

different, but more valuable 

to one than the other? 

Perhaps this isn’t about Pride 

— the festivities — at all, but 

simply about our time in the 

march to equality with Pride 

as a marking point annually 

in one’s life. 

Older generations had 

to secretly engage with 

their community, while 

nowadays, every brand out 

there slaps the rainbow 

on their product, and we 

can’t hide from it. We 

are all prideful—even our 

toilet paper and shoes are 

prideful it seems. 

Pride’s value is derived 

from each of our own 

personal experiences. From 

the black trans woman 

who threw the first brick 

at Stonewall 50 years ago 

to the straight teenage 

allies, to the six-year-old 

who walked in this year’s 

first Pride Parade right 

here in Nashville – the Pride 

experience is personal and 

you bet, has immeasurable 

value, no matter our age. 


music 

breaking 

the habit 

LEVI KREIS CONQUERS HIS BAD HABIT ON NEW ALBUM 

by Joey Amato | photos courtesy of Rachel Love Photography 

Although LGBT musician Levi Kreis 

is young, he’s had a career most 

musicians and actors can only dream 

of. The Tony Award-winning actor/singer and 

Belmont University graduate has performed 

in multiple Broadway shows and his music 

has appeared on numerous film and television 

shows including The Vampire Diaries, Sons of 

Anarchy and So You Think You Can Dance. 

Kreis blends numerous 

genres to create a truly 

unique sound that has 

garnered him fans across the 

country. The East Tennessee 

native spent his youth 

mimicking the piano style 

of southern gospel music 

and idolizing men like Ray 

Charles who brought that 

sound to the mainstream. 

But Kreis confesses that 

everything he knows, he 

learned from one of Ray’s 

younger peers, Little Miss 

Dynamite, Brenda Lee. 

A family friend, Lee gave 

Kreis the opportunity to 

tour with her after she 

discovered his talent. 

“She allowed me to tour 

with her for a couple of 

summers,” recalls Kreis. 

“I got to spend time with 

her on her bus and on 

stage. She was so classy 

and whether she was on 

stage or off, she was always 

thoughtful of people and 

conscious of other people’s 

experiences around her.” 

Kreis will always be 

grateful to Lee and credits 

her for giving him the best 

piece of career advice he’s 

ever received. “Be kind to 

everyone you meet, because 

you meet the same people 

on the way up as you do on 

the way down.” 

Traveling on her tour bus 

and studying her genius 

on stage and off, Kreis 

adopted Lee’s strong work 

ethic and classy reputation: 

“Anyone who works their 

ass off, can find success.” 

To this day Lee confesses, 

“I taught him everything he 

knows!” 


Pioneering ‘out’ music 

Kreis’ music career began 

in 2005 and he mentions 

only a handful of LGBT+ 

musicians were singing and 

writing about same-sex 

relationships. 

“I got my start there. 

Nobody else was writing 

about those topics. Some 

people have told me I was 

one of the pioneers of 

the out music movement. 

Gratefully publications like 

The Advocate and Instinct 

were talking about us.” 

Kreis notes that other 

pioneers performing music 

with LGBT-centric messages 

included Ari Gold, Erik 

Hyman and Rachael Sage. 

While launching his music 

career, Kreis auditioned for 

a role in a new theatrical 

show called Million Dollar 

Quartet. He landed the role, 

but it wasn’t until 2010 that 

the show actually made its 

Broadway debut. His role 

in the musical earned him a 

Tony Award. “It was a huge 

undertaking. I’ve always had 

a passion for new works.” 

In addition to Million Dollar 

Quartet, Kreis was also 

a cast member of Tonynominated 

revival Violet, 

the national tour of Rent, 

Smokey Joe’s Café, Pump 

Boys & Dinettes, and the 

films Frailty, Don’t Let Go, 

Slip Tumble and Slide, A 

Very Sordid Wedding, and 

The Divide. 

During that time, he also 

recorded seven albums, 

some of which achieved 

top 10 positions on various 

charts, No. 1 music videos 

and national tours. He made 

several TV appearances on 

The View, David Letterman 

and The Tonight Show with 

Jimmy Fallon. 

Reconnecting to his roots 

Despite his success, 

Kreis felt like acting took 

MORE ABOUT 

LEE KREIS 

To learn more about 

Levi Kreis, visit 

www.levikreis.com. 

him away from music 

for a while. “I wanted to 

reconnect to my roots,” 

mentions Kreis. “I dove into 

creating new music and 

it took me a while to find 

myself musically.” 

His new album Bad 

Habit will be released 

on September 20 and 

took Kreis three years to 

complete. “I wanted to have 

fun with this record,” he 

states. “I spent some much 

time dissecting religion and 

spirituality. I needed to fall 

in love with music again.” 

Kreis mentions the 

title came from years of 

struggling with addiction. 

“I have a history of being 

a pretty bad boy. My story 

reflects a lot of personal 

victories that a lot of people 

can relate to. I had a drug, 

cigarette and alcohol habit. 

For me, I sympathize with 

those people who are trying 

to find their own victory over 

something people look down 

on. People like to judge 

them. I wanted to connect 

with my community.” 

Thankfully, Kreis has been 

sober for 10 years now. 

The first single off the 

album, Three Words is a 

flirty vibe reminiscent of 

Raquael Saadiq’s Let’s Take 

A Walk and Duffy’s Mercy. 

“I began to think of what 

aspects of attraction mean 

the most. I love the dance; 

where you know there’s a 

spark, but nobody wants to 

admit it. But you can’t fake 

the chemistry.” 

As an openly gay 

musician, Kreis is used to 

rejection, starting his career 

at a time when being an 

LGBT+ artist was a risk for 

any major recording label. 

“I have gone through 

eight major labels and 

when the label heard I was 

gay, they didn’t know what 

to do with me. All outlets 

supporting diversity now 

is a new thing. It wasn’t 

always like that. We always 

heard ‘no’. Gratefully things 

have changed a lot.” 


lgbt youth 

KICKED OUT AFTER 

COMING OUT 

True You TN provides 

solutions for LGBT+ youth 

by Erica Rains | photo courtesy of Tristan Lowe 

Kids are becoming more comfortable with 

who they are and coming out at younger 

ages, which is a wonderful step forward. 

Unfortunately, not all of these teens are being 

accepted and, in an alarming number of cases, 

are actually being kicked out. True You Tennessee, 

a new outreach program in its beginning stages, 

will provide resources, care packages and a safe, 

nurturing home environment where youth can 

heal themselves…while being themselves. 

Stephanie Lowe, founder 

of this new nonprofit, says 

that the organization will 

also help reduce the number 

of suicides in the LGBTQ 

community and help youth 

as they age out of the 

system to transition into 

adulthood. LGBTQ youth 

make up as much as 10% 

of that population segment 

but account for 40% of the 

homeless youth community. 

“The numbers are insanely 

disproportionate,” says Lowe. 

“Once a teen lands on 

the streets, statistically, we 

have 72 hours before they 

are willing to participate 

in “survival sex” to meet 

basic needs such as food or 

housing. In fact, 20% of all 

homeless youth interviewed 

were victims of human 

trafficking,” she adds. 

Lowe says stats aren’t 

much better in foster homes. 

Seventy-eight percent report 

further abuse in those foster 

homes that are supposed to 

be their safe havens. “Foster 

parents get roughly $30 a 

day per child they take. If they 

are taking kids for the wrong 

reason, i.e. money, there is 

nothing to prevent them from 

abusing those kids.” 

Working with the 

community 

This is where True You 

TN comes in. Lowe and 

her board of directors are 

working on the paperwork 

and looking for a home, 

preferably in Rutherford 

County. She said it would 

help to be available in more 

rural areas where there is 

even less help. 

They are actively pursuing 

relationships with church 

communities, counselors, 

safe advocates and others 

passionate about helping 

this youth demographic to 

be safer, off the streets, and 

have access to resources 

and support systems that 

allow them to be “True You”. 

Another hurdle for Lowe 

lies in recent state legislation 

called the Family First 

Prevention Services Act, 

in which funding is being 

cut for new homes like the 

one she plans to open. The 

idea is that keeping kids 

with families 

is better, but 

sadly, in the 

case of young 

people coming 

out, those 

families don’t 

always allow 

them to stay. 

The good 

news is that the state does 

recognize that this specific 

youth segment needs help 

and according to Lowe, 

is “super supportive.” She 

has had conversations with 

the state and she will be 

licensed through them. 

When all is said and done, 

the state will have the 

option and ability to move 

kids to the True You TN 

home. “We are going on an 

‘if we build it, they will come’ 

theory,” says Lowe. 

But the help won’t stop 

there. The non-profit 

has future plans to add a 

transitional house for kids that 

have aged out 

of the system. 

Those young 

adults still 

have an uphill 

battle, with 

20% of them 

becoming 

homeless 

almost 

immediately. “When you are 

22 years old, you still need a 

family. We can be that family.” 

More than just housing 

They won’t limit the help to 

youth already experiencing 

homelessness. They will 

also be a resource for youth 


considering coming out 

or those who have already 

come out and are having 

issues at home. She hopes 

that they will be able to work 

hand in hand with other 

organizations like PFLAG and 

GSAs (gay-straight alliances) 

in local schools to provide 

resources and options. In 

addition to their current board 

of established community 

members, they also plan to 

develop a junior board in 

Rutherford and surrounding 

counties. 

Lowe and her 

wife learned 

of the need 

for such an 

organization 

when they 

attempted to 

adopt a child. 

“The state 

needed foster homes and 

adopters like us, because 

they had so many LGBTQ 

children in the system and 

that they were having a hard 

time finding foster homes 

for those children because 

so many of the homes in 

this area refused LGBTQ 

children. I was shocked.” 

MORE ABOUT 

TRUE YOU TN 

For more 

information, 

email stephanie@ 

trueyoutn.org or 

follow @TrueyouTN 

on social media. 

Personal experience 

sparks the movement 

Although Lowe was not a 

child when her own family 

turned their back on her, she 

knows the trauma of feeling 

alone at such a crucial time. 

“My family stopped speaking 

to me the day that it 

happened. That was January 

14. It was a cold Friday night. 

I sat in my car begging 

my mother to keep loving 

me. It was one of the most 

traumatic days of my life.” 

She said she could 

not even imagine what a 

young person must feel, 

depending on their homes 

for basic needs and survival. 

She wondered, “How 

does a 13-year-old handle 

being disowned? How do 

they survive this pain?” 

That’s when she stepped 

up to open what will be 

the first only group home 

specifically for LGBTQ youth 

in the Southeast. 

With one in three LGBTQ 

homeless youth admitting 

that they have ‘seriously 

considered suicide’, the 

need is dire, and True You 

TN will be looking for help in 

different arenas. Lowe said 

land donations, contractor 

services and 

many other 

needs will be 

sought after, 

as they will be 

self-funded. 

Fundraising 

events and 

efforts will 

begin soon to 

create the capital necessary 

to complete the project. 

If you or anyone you know 

may be interested in helping 

in any way, email her directly 

at stephanie@trueyoutn.org 

or message them on Twitter 

and Instagram @TrueyouTN. 

On Facebook, they can be 

found at TrueYouTennessee. 

Youth interested in being 

part of the junior board 

should also send a message. 

While the existence 

of this problem is 

heartbreaking, True You 

TN will address the basic 

human right to be yourself, 

be happy and be healthy. 

Lowe adds, “What if we 

empower young people 

to be true to themselves? 

What if we allow them to be 

honest? What if we show 

them love, no matter what? 

Think of the years we can 

save, years of them being 

productive, passionate, 

healthy people in a society 

instead of the broken people 

they come to us as. Think of 

all we can do for them if we 

say it’s ok to be True You.” 

Advertise with us! 

Print and digital packages available! 

Call Selena at 615.603.6169. 

Our focus is on you! 

#focusmidtenn 

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lgbt advocate 

getting to know 

IONA 

by GK Gurley x photos courtesy of Chris Walburn Photography 

Murfreesboro is hosting its fourth 

annual Boro Pride event on 

September 7. George Manus, better 

known as the drag queen IONA, has been 

their emcee each year. She has been a 

resident of Tennessee and a strong advocate 

for the LGBTQ+ community from the get-go. 

Manus identifies as nonbinary 

(using she or he 

pronouns) and discovered 

a love for drag during 

the ‘90s. She started by 

performing in fundraisers 

for AIDS awareness. After 

losing countless friends 

and performing in such an 

environment, drag became 

a way to be an advocate 

and build a chosen family. 

“It became important for 

me to be a part of the 

community and have a 

platform,” said IONA. “Drag 

was the best way I knew 

how, especially with a 

theater background.” 

Drag was and continues 

to be how IONA builds her 

chosen family and gives to 

the queer community. She 

took a break to get sober, 

which she has been for 

19 years, and came back 

to drag around 9 years 

ago both to perform and 

host. In Middle Tennessee, 

especially in smaller 

towns, IONA talks about 

the necessity for queer 

people to make spaces 

and opportunities for 

themselves. “This is why 

I started an open stage 

night. We need places for 

people to have a shot and 

get some stage time. Open 

stage is my favorite thing I 

do here.” 

Murfreesboro has always 

had a tight-knit queer 

community. IONA, in 

describing her experience 

being a life-long resident 

of Middle Tennessee, said, 

“There’s always been a 

pretty big gay population 

at MTSU, but they haven’t 

really had an outlet to 

be themselves, so all the 

things we’ve started like 

Pride and general drag 

shows are opening up 

opportunities for people 

“... All the things we’ve started like Pride 

and general drag shows are opening up 

opportunities for people to have a place to go 

and be comfortable and open about who they 

are around other people like them.” 

— IONA, aka George Manus 


to have a place to go and be comfortable 

and open about who they are around other 

people like them.” 

She started a queer centered performance 

space but had to close it after five years 

after a family tragedy. She hopes to see a 

queer bar open in Murfreesboro in the near 

future because there is a definite need for a 

queer-specific space. 

IONA is not only the emcee for Boro Pride, 

but she also hosts monthly and bi-monthly 

drag shows and does Murfreesboro Drag 

Queen Story Hour. Being non-binary as 

well as having a partner who is trans, she is 

very thoughtful about how she structures 

and books her shows. Boro Pride has 

different performers each year, and as she 

casts performers, she intentionally casts 

more than just cis male drag queens. Her 

thoughtfulness for creating open and safe 

queer spaces for everyone exudes through 

all of her work. 

Throughout her life and career, IONA has 

prioritized her family and advocating for 

her queer community. “My life is all about 

giving to other people. I love hanging out 

with people I work and perform with. I get 

that joy in return for sure, there’s so much 

validation and joy in what I do. We’re a 

chosen family out here, we have a beautiful 

camaraderie and enjoy what we do. We’re 

grateful for these opportunities in Middle 

Tennessee, even when we have to make 

them ourselves.” 

IONA hosts a show at Boro Bar and Grill 

the first Saturday of every month. Her open 

stage night is the last Wednesday of the 

month, also at Boro Bar and Grill. She also 

hosts shows at Spinelli’s Pizza the second 

and fourth Friday’s of the month. Drag 

Queen Story Hour’s schedule is dependent 

on Technology Engagement Center and 

happens once a month. Come see her at 

Boro Pride and her regular shows! 

IONA has been a strong leader and 

community organizer for decades in Middle 

Tennessee, and she deserves that same love 

shown to her. Her house recently burned 

down, and many people in her community 

started a Facebook fundraiser to help her 

get off her feet again. Please consider 

contributing! https://bit.ly/2YZubd9 

MORE INFORMATION 

Boro Pride is 5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 7 on the square 

in downtown Murfreesboro. Find IONA online 

at facebook.com/ionatheonlyone. 

Be 

PrEPared. 

Learn more about 

HIV prevention at 

Planned Parenthood. 

866.711.1717 

PlannedParenthood.org/Tennessee 

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calendar 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

HAVE AN EVENT TO LIST? DO IT ONLINE AT FOCUSMIDTENN.COM 

SEP 7 

BORO PRIDE 

5 to 10 p.m. Sept. 7 on 

the square in downtown 

Murfreesboro. Free admission. 

SEP 13 

ANTONI IN THE 

KITCHEN 

Join Queer Eye’s Antoni 

Porowski for an evening of 

conversation celebrating his first 

cookbook, Antoni in the Kitchen. 

7:30 p.m. Sept. 13 in James 

K. Polk Theater at Tennessee 

Performing Arts Center, 505 

Deaderick St., Nashville. Tickets: 

$45. Visit tpac.org. 

SEP 14 

OUTLOUD MUSIC 

FESTIVAL 

Featuring Greyson Chance, 

Kim Petras and more. 4 to 11 

p.m. in midtown, Church Street, 

Nashville. Tickets: $25-75. Visit 

outloudmusicfestival.com. 

SEPT 22 

LEANN RIMES 

With special guests Cedric 

Sesley and Out for Souls. 7:30 

p.m. Sept. 22 at The Ryman, 116 

5th Ave. N., Nashville. Tickets: 

$35- $60. Visit ryman.com. 

CHAKA KAHN 

With Macy Gray. 7:30 p.m. 

Sept. 22 at The Ryman, 116 

5th Ave. N., Nashville. Tickets: 

$34- $100. Visit ryman.com. 

SEP 26 

ROCKIN’ 4 RESCUES 

Games, wine pull, scavenger 

hunt, free taco bar from 

Chuy’s. Donations accepted. 6 

p.m. Sept. 26 at Copper Ridge 

Event Venue, 3597 Betty Ford 

Rd., Murfreesboro. 

OCT 5 

NASHVILLE CARES 

AIDS WALK 

9 a.m. Oct. 5 at Public 

Photo courtesy of Chaka Kahn publicity 

Square Park, Nashville. 

For more information, visit 


BRUNCH 

FOR CARES 

Benefitting Nashville CARES, 

immediately following AIDS 

Walk, presented by Tito’s 

Handmade Vodka. 10 a.m. 

Oct. 5 at Public Square Park, 

Nashville. For tickets, visit 


OCT 8 

PRE-BLACK PRIDE 

SPECIAL SCREENING: 

‘KIKI’ PLUS POST- 

SCREENING Q&A 

Post-screening Q&A with 

screenplay co-writer Twiggy 

Pucci Garçon. Location and 

time to be announced. Visit 

nashvilleblackpride.org. 

OCT 11-13 

NASHVILLE BLACK 

PRIDE 

Various events Oct. 11- 

13 at various venues. For 

up-to-date information, 

visit nashvilleblackpride. 

org or facebook.com/ 

nashvilleblackpride 

OCT 11 

RUPAUL’S DRAG 

RACE WERQ THE 

WORLD 2019 

Featuring Aquaria, Detox, 

Monet Exchange, Naomi 

Smalls, Yvie Oddly and more. 

8 p.m. Oct. 11 in James K. 

Polk Theater at Tennessee 

Performing Arts Center, 505 

Deaderick St., Nashville. 

Tickets: $54. Visit tpac.org. 

NASHVILLE BLACK 

PRIDE AWARDS & 

SCHOLARSHIP DINNER 

7 p.m. Oct. 11 at Fantasy Hall, 

2332 Antioch Pike, Antioch. 

Tickets: $20 for individuals. 

Table seating available at $250 

per table. 

OCT 13 

TWO PAGEANTS, 

ONE NIGHT: MISTER 

ESQUIRE MALE 

ILLUSIONIST, 

MISS TENNESSEE 

DIAMOND DIVA 

A part of Nashville Black Pride. 

Oct 13 at PLAY Dance Bar, 1519 

Church St., Nashville. For more 

information, visit facebook. 

com/MAC-Productions. 

BLACK PRIDE SPECIAL 

SCREENING AND POST- 

SCREENING Q&A 

‘A Different Direction,’ 

featuring comedian and 

writer Sampson and actor 

Darryl Stephens. Location and 

time to be announced. Vist 

nashvilleblackpride.org. 

OCT 20 

BIANCA DEL RIO 

Winner of RuPaul’s Drag 

Race season 6. 8 p.m. Oct. 

20 at Marathon Music Works, 

1402 Clinton St., Nashville. 

Tickets: $42.50. Visit 

ticketfly.com. 

Page 30 / focusmidtenn.com / SEP+OCT SEPT+OCT 2019 // SUCCESS

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