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Serving the <strong>Mid</strong>-<strong>South</strong> LGBT+ Community and its Allies | <strong>Jul</strong>+<strong>Aug</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
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4 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
FEATURED WRITERS IN THIS ISSUE<br />
CONTRIBUTORS<br />
We rely on Memphis Green contributors for <strong>Focus</strong> magazine news and stories.<br />
A huge thanks to these dedicated writers!<br />
Salamander<br />
BRANDY<br />
Salamander is the Executive<br />
Director of the Path of the Holy<br />
Hands Church, the co-chair of<br />
the Memphis-<strong>Mid</strong><strong>South</strong> DSA, a<br />
member of Black Lives Matter<br />
Memphis and the New Black<br />
Panther party. She was born<br />
and raised in the city of Memphis and is the descendant<br />
of Elwood Higginbottom, a hero who was lynched by the<br />
city of Oxford, Mississippi for trying to start a union for<br />
sharecroppers. She is on a mission to spread peace on planet<br />
Earth and to get justice for her family. Until she completes<br />
her mission, she won’t stop even after her last breath.<br />
KeOnte<br />
CRISWELL<br />
KeOnte is a retired Air Force<br />
sergeant and fabulous<br />
40-something mother<br />
and grandmother who is<br />
passionate about feminism,<br />
equality, and brunch. When<br />
she’s not out organizing<br />
chaos, she can be found<br />
sitting in stillness.<br />
Tricia<br />
DEWEY<br />
Tricia is a longtime Memphis<br />
transplant, who has grown to<br />
admire the ‘grit and grind’. She<br />
is also a mom, wife, runner,<br />
reader, recovering lawyer, tree<br />
hugger, and ally.<br />
Moth Moth<br />
MOTH<br />
Moth Moth Moth is a Drag<br />
Queen, Writer and Visual Artist<br />
from Memphis, TN where they<br />
host drag shows, contract for<br />
museums, and secretly write<br />
short stories about mastodons<br />
while cuddling with four cats.<br />
William<br />
SMYTHE<br />
William is a local writer and<br />
poet. He has been published<br />
in multiple magazines, both<br />
online and in print, and works<br />
with the Memphis Green<br />
creative workshop collective,<br />
Memphis Writers.<br />
MUD<br />
Ethan James "Mud" McVay<br />
is a writer, stagehand, and<br />
interdisciplinary artist working<br />
in sculpture, performance, and<br />
installation art.<br />
Other Contributors<br />
Chellie Bowman<br />
Tiffany Day<br />
Leion De Haro<br />
Minnassa<br />
Jessica Webster<br />
Have a story that needs to be told? Pitch your story ideas to editor@focuslgbt.com<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 5
CONTENTS | <strong>Jul</strong>+<strong>Aug</strong> <strong>2023</strong><br />
5 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS<br />
7 THEME: MEMPHIS GREEN<br />
8 COMMUNITY<br />
An interview with Ounce of Hope on their<br />
sustainable growing practices<br />
12 LIFE<br />
Expanded parks and wetland restoration are<br />
coming to West Memphis<br />
16 LGBT ADVOCATE<br />
Locally-grown flowers from a charming new farm in<br />
Bartlett<br />
18 COMMUNITY<br />
MBG’s Urban Home Garden Speaker Series<br />
20 COMMUNITY<br />
Urban micro farming with <strong>Mid</strong>town Bramble & Bloom<br />
24 ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT<br />
The 8th installment of The Prism Pages!<br />
28 HEALTH+WELLNESS<br />
Discover how caring for houseplants can boost<br />
your mental health<br />
28 ORIGINAL MEMPHIS<br />
Don’t forget about MLK Riverside Park,<br />
a <strong>South</strong> Memphis gem<br />
32 FAITH+SPIRITUALITY<br />
Local activist Salamander Brandy speaks on<br />
environmental justice for our city<br />
36 LGBT ADVOCATE<br />
Learn all about inclusive language practices<br />
in Spanish<br />
36 COMMUNITY<br />
Magical Miss Mothie takes us on a papermaking<br />
journey filled with memories and how-tos alike<br />
38 HOROSCOPES<br />
New full horoscope readings for every sign!<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
AND THIS PAGE<br />
photos by Chellie Bowman<br />
Find the story on page 20.<br />
6 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
theme<br />
Flower Friend Farms.<br />
photo by Chellie Bowman<br />
Find the story on page 16.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 7
community<br />
Cannabis and Koi<br />
An Interview with Ounce of Hope<br />
by William Smythe<br />
The first time I went to a dispensary, I felt like a kid who snuck into a candy store: scared yet elated. This was back<br />
when I lived in Portland, post-legalization. The employee, a tall friendly man, asked me what I came in for. “Flower,” I<br />
stammered. “Weed? What strain?” he asked, with the cadence of a Walgreens counter clerk. “I don’t know,” I admitted.<br />
So he whisked me away behind a door, where I faced a thousand jars, all labeled by name and contents. I was<br />
overwhelmed. I had no clue what any of the percentages meant or even what would work well for me.<br />
But the clerk merely looked at me and asked: “What’s bothering you?” Then, he provided an answer to my anxiety.<br />
THC and CBD work wonders for many ailments, ranging from PTSD to dietary disorders to even, surprisingly, psoriasis.<br />
A friend of mine uses medical marijuana to alleviate that ailment specifically, so I’ve seen its magic work firsthand.<br />
The stores here in Memphis use a type of cannabis designated Delta-8, which is just a version of cannabis that is legally<br />
below the cannabinoid level of Delta-9 THC. It’s naturally occurring in cannabis plants and completely safe to consume.<br />
Still, I was curious about the industry and its crop. So, I decided to sit down with Cam Heil from Ounce of Hope for a<br />
discussion. What better way to learn than to ask an expert, right?<br />
8 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
photos courtesy of Ounce of Hope<br />
So, my first question is:<br />
What’s the deal with the<br />
fish?<br />
The fish are our fertilizer.<br />
Or, at least, their poop is.<br />
It’s called aquaponics. We<br />
started with deep water<br />
culture, but that doesn’t<br />
replicate outdoor conditions<br />
for indoor growing like<br />
using koi and tilapia waste<br />
does. It provides us with<br />
plant nutrients, plus we can<br />
control the biochemistry<br />
better. We’re able to track<br />
ammonia and nitrate levels<br />
so we can extract the<br />
proper amounts for our<br />
cannabis. Cannabis is picky<br />
about what nutrients it likes,<br />
so we need to be selective.<br />
These plants love potassium<br />
and calcium, which we get<br />
naturally from fish waste.<br />
Seems like there’s a lot of<br />
it. How do you filter it all?<br />
Good question. Do you<br />
see those big green filters?<br />
Well, we run the water and<br />
fish waste through those<br />
filters which have beads<br />
that trap the nutrients and<br />
chemicals for us, keeping<br />
the solids separated at<br />
the bottom. It also allows<br />
bacteria to cultivate in the<br />
top layer: a major part of our<br />
growth cycle. It breaks down<br />
the ammonia from the waste<br />
into those helpful nitrates.<br />
Far out! So where does it<br />
all go?<br />
Well, our now freshly<br />
processed plant food goes<br />
into these tanks over here.<br />
As you can see, it’s got no<br />
smell, meaning no ammonia,<br />
thanks to those microbes<br />
you saw. Pure nutrients.<br />
We even bottle and sell<br />
our excess supply to local<br />
farms and agricultural<br />
non-profits such as For<br />
the Kingdom and Memphis<br />
Tilth. And donate to farms in<br />
Orange Mound and the New<br />
Chicago area.<br />
So cool. Well, let’s talk<br />
about the main attraction:<br />
the plants themselves.<br />
Of course. Follow me.<br />
Let’s clean our shoes so we<br />
don’t cross-contaminate.<br />
We usually wear scrubs and<br />
gloves in our flower room,<br />
but we won’t be long.<br />
I imagine it’s hard trying to<br />
maintain all of this. There’s<br />
that old joke that plants<br />
can grow on a sidewalk,<br />
but when you bring them<br />
home, suddenly: “too much<br />
sunlight. I’m dead now.”<br />
Right! It’s a tricky problem<br />
maintaining the right soil<br />
and UV. But it also comes<br />
down to genetics. If the<br />
genetics of the plant sucks,<br />
then the plant won’t grow<br />
properly. That can be<br />
important when growing<br />
medical-grade cannabis.<br />
Going back to deep water<br />
vs. aquaponics, we found<br />
a higher potency growing<br />
with aquaponics over other<br />
methods. Better results<br />
means better bud which also<br />
means better consistency<br />
for our user base.<br />
I’m ready to see a few of<br />
these bad boys. But, I see<br />
you’re growing with other<br />
plants.<br />
What about the<br />
contamination?<br />
Those are cover crops.<br />
They benefit the soil and<br />
help our cannabis grow.<br />
Such as these marigolds<br />
which attract pests<br />
away from the crop. The<br />
dichondra, a common<br />
garden plant, helps aerate<br />
the soil. Right now, we<br />
are experimenting with<br />
strawberries.<br />
Our mulch comes from<br />
old stalks and rice husks.<br />
And we put five pounds of<br />
earthworms in each bed to<br />
help till the soil.<br />
Not all flowers work<br />
well with cannabis,<br />
however. Clover is a great<br />
companion plant for<br />
any other crop but not<br />
cannabis, because clover<br />
is a nitrogen fixer, which<br />
affects cannabis growth.<br />
We also try to avoid<br />
reusing certain mulches and<br />
woods. Pine for instance<br />
is antifungal, and we need<br />
fungus for growth.<br />
Each bed is a different<br />
strain. If you want you<br />
can rub the stems and<br />
get a scent. Try the sour<br />
pineapple, which is about<br />
seven days or so from full<br />
maturity. It takes six weeks,<br />
give or take, for these to<br />
mature. We’ve kept track of<br />
the ratios in each bed to see<br />
what works best where.<br />
We’re not chemists of<br />
course; we’re farmers. But<br />
experimenting helps us grow<br />
better and stronger crops.<br />
Wow. There’s a lot of<br />
thought and care going<br />
into the process, I see. But<br />
recycling seems to be a big<br />
factor in your methods.<br />
Absolutely.<br />
Sustainability is the goal.<br />
Most growers just dump<br />
in salt-based fertilizers but<br />
then end up having to drain<br />
their entire water systems. A<br />
usual model in our industry.<br />
We’ve been able to reuse<br />
most of our materials<br />
thankfully, which improves<br />
our yield and profit margin.<br />
Regenerative agriculture.<br />
In fact, as we discussed<br />
earlier, that model extends<br />
to our charity work<br />
and giving back to the<br />
community. Not many<br />
cannabis farms do that.<br />
Speaking of farming, I saw<br />
you’re able to grow due to<br />
the Farm Bill from 2018…<br />
Yes. For now.<br />
But that expires this fall.<br />
So, our whole operation is in<br />
jeopardy. It all comes down<br />
to what laws are passed.<br />
And some of those laws, the<br />
way they get interpreted…<br />
The Farm Bill allows us to<br />
call what we extract from<br />
our crop hemp because<br />
what we are growing is<br />
technically hemp.<br />
It’s like with the queer<br />
community. It’s all about<br />
activism and showing<br />
proof. Stating your case.<br />
We can’t do this in the dark<br />
anymore. We have to show<br />
we are legitimate.<br />
I’ve noticed that you hire<br />
from the queer community<br />
as well. Do you think<br />
there’s a correlation<br />
between cannabis and<br />
queer communities?<br />
Honestly, both our<br />
communities live on the<br />
fringes of society. Also,<br />
we both tend to have free<br />
and open-minded thinkers,<br />
attracted to new ideas and<br />
ways of living. I think any<br />
business can benefit from<br />
that type of person.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 9
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Jun 10 -<br />
Oct 22<br />
MEMPHIS MUSEUM<br />
OF SCIENCE & HISTORY<br />
In partnership with
life<br />
Ducks Unlimited Park<br />
Wetlands Restoration & Recreational<br />
Space Secured for West Memphis<br />
story and photos by Tricia Dewey<br />
12 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
Big River Crossing, the scenic pedestrian bridge adjacent<br />
to the Harahan Bridge, opened to much excitement in<br />
2016, providing an almost one-mile span for walkers<br />
across the Mississippi, with novel views of the river and the<br />
Memphis skyline. But some might have wondered, “Is that<br />
it, do we just turn around?” Those looking for more trails or<br />
a destination after crossing into Arkansas will have a new<br />
park to visit, Ducks Unlimited Park, nestled to the north on<br />
the shore of the Mississippi, a work in progress.<br />
Unlike Shelby Farms Park, an urban park about<br />
14 miles from downtown, the primary goal of Ducks<br />
Unlimited Park is restoration of the wetlands back to its<br />
natural state: bottomland hardwoods and bald cypress<br />
swamp. According to the EPA, bottomland forests—<br />
forested wetlands that can survive in areas that are<br />
seasonally flooded —covered almost 30 million acres<br />
of the southeastern United States 200 years ago, but a<br />
majority of this land was lost to farming, with only 40%<br />
remaining today. With the eventual restoration project of<br />
the park, many acres of the 1500 total will be restored to<br />
their natural state to help better control our floodplain<br />
and improve water quality by filtering pollutants<br />
and reducing sediment before the water returns to<br />
the Mississippi. Alongside the restored wetlands,<br />
the remaining acreage will provide recreational and<br />
educational benefits to park visitors.<br />
Chris Ware, executive director of Ducks Unlimited<br />
Park, says the idea for the park developed after realizing<br />
that 250,000 people crossed the Harahan Bridge the<br />
first year it was open. Now that total is 1.5 million and<br />
counting: the fan base was ready and interest was<br />
apparent. But a park on the Arkansas side didn’t become<br />
a reality until the group was fortunate enough to make<br />
deals with some of the very willing landowners who also<br />
shared in the new vision for the area.<br />
Ware says, “We were lucky that the majority of the<br />
landowners were from the area or were Memphians, so<br />
they understood the benefit and impact that can happen<br />
with wild trails and spaces for the city to expand a bit<br />
recreationally.” Over several years, several million dollars<br />
for land acquisition was secured and land deals were<br />
negotiated that were beneficial to all.<br />
Tenn Green, a Nashville land conservation organization,<br />
stepped up as the first key stakeholder to buy several<br />
parcels and start the process of land acquisition for the<br />
park. Then when the Big River Crossing group established<br />
that the goal would be wetlands restoration, they reached<br />
out to Ducks Unlimited (with a national headquarters in<br />
Memphis), which has an extensive wetlands restoration<br />
background, to discuss a partnership. Ducks Unlimited<br />
was excited by the prospect and was interested in coming<br />
on board—at first as technical assistance, but they quickly<br />
realized the potential for the area and expressed interest in<br />
contributing in bigger ways.<br />
Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam and several other<br />
local board members saw the possibility to show the<br />
public their expertise in wetlands restoration work they<br />
conduct all over North America. Here was the opportunity,<br />
right in their own backyard, to have a footprint and legacy<br />
in the Memphis area, in addition to having a campus here.<br />
Ware says that since Ducks Unlimited has been involved,<br />
park development has taken off and gone from something<br />
that might happen to something that is going to happen:<br />
“This park is a reality now. Ducks Unlimited has been<br />
instrumental in lining up donors and fundraising partners,<br />
fundraising at a corporate level and individual donor level.”<br />
He says they have been great partners, including their field<br />
resource office in Jackson, Mississippi, which employs welltrained<br />
scientists and engineers that know exactly how to<br />
bring property back from agricultural use. Ducks Unlimited<br />
Part of the existing trail<br />
system already at the site<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 13
will be leading the charge when it comes to the restoration,<br />
not just from aesthetic point of view, but also determining<br />
what area will flood every year and which plants are<br />
needed to transition the existing fields to hardwood<br />
bottomland, meadows, and swamp for the long term.<br />
Currently, Ducks Unlimited Park is in the final stages<br />
of completing a park master plan with Richie Smith<br />
Associates, a Memphis landscape architecture firm<br />
experienced with local parks and parks all along the<br />
Mississippi. Ware expects a final edited version to the<br />
master plan later this summer and then they will compare<br />
and contrast costs and fundraising expectations.<br />
Fundraising will be ongoing over the next year or two.<br />
Groundbreaking for the first of several amenities is<br />
planned for Fall <strong>2023</strong>. Ideas include a welcome center, low<br />
impact meandering trails with an elevated boardwalk that<br />
connects to an outdoor classroom and hardwood swamps,<br />
a retriever training area, and an off-leash dog park. The<br />
ultimate goal will be a raised pavilion at the corner of Dacus<br />
Lake Road near the I-40 Bridge that will look back toward<br />
Memphis. The mound itself will be several hundred yards<br />
wide, an elevated open air pavilion with a sunflower meadow<br />
out front and multiple staggered seating areas on the mound<br />
area facing the river. This summer some flowers will again be<br />
planted that will bloom in <strong>Jul</strong>y and early <strong>Aug</strong>ust.<br />
The almost six-mile trail through the park, once gravel,<br />
is now paved and swings to a viewing area near the river.<br />
Shade awnings are planned for this trail. There is also a<br />
connection to Big River Levee Trail, which is currently part of<br />
a gravel 76-mile trail system that connects the levees from<br />
Marion, TN to Marianna, AR, and will eventually be part of a<br />
1,607-mile levee trail that connects from the Mississippi to<br />
the headwaters of the Gulf of Mexico.<br />
Entering this park, Ware says, will be a different<br />
experience. “When you step over there, that land that’s<br />
in-between the levees over the last 100 years has really<br />
created its own ecosystem. There’s much more biodiversity<br />
in that little area than there is basically within 100 miles of<br />
here. That's the way it is with the entire Mississippi levee.<br />
There’s different trees, different fauna, different bird<br />
species that stay on the property there, different insects.”<br />
Ducks Unlimited Park will complement Memphis River<br />
Parks Partnership, the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy,<br />
and other Memphis green spaces.<br />
More green space here will also help to attract<br />
corporations, Ware hopes. He explains that Tennessee has<br />
many advantages for corporations to relocate here and<br />
this park will be another reason for them to prefer Memphis<br />
over Nashville and Chattanooga, in addition to encouraging<br />
the wonderful people who are growing up here to choose<br />
Memphis, and for those of us who live here to enjoy it. Ware<br />
says the city of Memphis has been supportive of the park<br />
and he notes that Tom Lee Park and Ducks Unlimited Park<br />
will literally and figuratively connect by way of the bridge–<br />
one park will be extended to the other.<br />
“Coming out of the pandemic, any small business owner<br />
will tell you that quality of life was important before, but<br />
that factor has gone through the roof. We recognize that,<br />
the city recognizes that, Arkansas recognizes that, and I<br />
think that's why a lot of major corporations are willing to<br />
step up. We hope to be just one of the many parts of a<br />
bigger partnership project that extends this kind of habitat<br />
restoration up and down the river all the way down to New<br />
Orleans. There is actually a lot that could be done without<br />
very much effort.” A green, sustainable investment in the<br />
future of Memphis: this is a reason for Memphians to keep<br />
walking across the Big River.<br />
14 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
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lgbt advocate<br />
Flower<br />
Friend<br />
Farms<br />
story & photos by Chellie Bowman<br />
16 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
In early June, I left<br />
<strong>Mid</strong>town and ventured<br />
out to Bartlett to visit<br />
Angie Arnold at her newly<br />
established flower farm.<br />
The farm sits on three<br />
acres of property that was<br />
a dairy farm at the turn<br />
of the century and, along<br />
with the home she shares<br />
with her partner and son,<br />
includes a large silo and a<br />
repurposed barn and pump<br />
house. Gardening since<br />
she was in her twenties,<br />
Angie has only been<br />
operating Flower Friend<br />
Farms since last spring and<br />
is slowly expanding. Upon<br />
entering the garden, there<br />
is a tangle of blackberries<br />
and raspberries that have<br />
enveloped the chain<br />
link fence, then rows of<br />
deliciously sweet sunripened<br />
blueberries pop<br />
into view. I’ll stop here to<br />
say that the raspberry I<br />
tasted during my tour was<br />
the most raspberry-tasting<br />
raspberry I’ve ever had,<br />
the most delicious candy.<br />
(Sorry folks, none of the<br />
food grown at the farm is<br />
currently available to the<br />
public!) What begins next is<br />
the vast array of rows and<br />
rows of colorful flowers:<br />
gladioli, lilies, roses, dahlias,<br />
heirloom mums, zinnias,<br />
liatris, figwort, blushing<br />
lanterns, vervain, marigolds,<br />
hydrangea and so much<br />
more.<br />
Growing has its many<br />
challenges. Inhospitable<br />
city ordinances and<br />
unpredictable weather<br />
(which most likely will<br />
continue to worsen as<br />
climate change progresses),<br />
can ruin or delay growing<br />
seasons and farming<br />
practices. This year, for<br />
example, spring came early<br />
encouraging young buds<br />
and new growth that late<br />
frosts subsequently killed.<br />
Arnold lost plums, peaches,<br />
blueberries, and apples,<br />
among others. And as many<br />
gardeners and home owners<br />
can attest, the extreme<br />
weather of last year—the<br />
summertime drought<br />
followed by extreme<br />
and prolonged freezing<br />
temperatures in winter—<br />
killed or damaged many<br />
trees, shrubs, and perennials<br />
around town. I, for one,<br />
haven’t seen a single fig tree<br />
that emerged unscathed<br />
(or even alive) and the list of<br />
beloved plants lost (azaleas,<br />
camellias, tropical milkweed,<br />
etc.) goes on and on. It’s<br />
important to note here that<br />
native plants fare the best<br />
in this extreme weather and<br />
will continue to be more<br />
robust than exotic or tropical<br />
species in the face of this<br />
new normal. The questions<br />
that Angie is already asking<br />
herself—“How do I deal with<br />
this unpredictability? Do I<br />
select for heartier crops?<br />
Or later blooming ones?”—<br />
are questions that all of us<br />
will eventually be asking<br />
ourselves.<br />
While the Bartlett<br />
operation is still quite<br />
modest and mainly focuses<br />
on selling quality cut<br />
flowers to local florists<br />
and event planners—such<br />
as Everbloom Design on<br />
Broad Ave. and Snapdragon<br />
Floral out East—Arnold<br />
has plans to eventually<br />
acquire a second property<br />
to grow annuals exclusively<br />
so that she can continue to<br />
expand and focus on her<br />
perennial operations at the<br />
original site. Additionally,<br />
a recently installed walkin<br />
cooler in the old pump<br />
house will allow the farm<br />
to keep and store flowers<br />
for much longer. Angie has<br />
also become a member<br />
of the Memphis Flower<br />
Collective, a recently<br />
organized group that builds<br />
direct connection and<br />
relationships between local<br />
flower farmers and florists.<br />
Wondering what you can<br />
do to support growers like<br />
Flower Friend Farms? Buy<br />
locally-grown flowers from<br />
florists. Ask for them! Look<br />
for them! Like Angie says:<br />
“Your flowers should be<br />
grown by people who love<br />
them.” As I’m sitting down<br />
to type this, the lilies she<br />
gifted me have opened and<br />
are filling the room with the<br />
most fragrant smell, made<br />
all the sweeter by knowing<br />
they were grown right here,<br />
with love, in Memphis, TN.<br />
Find Angie on Instagram<br />
at @flowerfriendfarms or her<br />
website flowerfriend.farm.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 17
community<br />
URBAN HOME GARDEN SPEAKER SERIES<br />
The Memphis Botanic Garden presents the Urban Home Garden Speaker Series with support from Memphis<br />
Horticultural Society. This series features topics about gardening with a purpose from horticultural experts.<br />
JUN 13<br />
5-8 PM<br />
SEPT 12<br />
5-8 PM<br />
NOV 7<br />
5-8 PM<br />
CLAUDIA WEST | REBUILDING ABUNDANCE WITH<br />
INNOVATIVE AND RICH PLANTING<br />
Our cities and suburbs desperately need more inspiring, ecologically rich planting. Yet budgets are tight<br />
and gardeners are often unfamiliar with more diverse, ecologically functional planting typologies. Claudia<br />
will share the scientific models and hands-on techniques her landscape architecture firm, Phyto Studio,<br />
applies to create beautiful, ecologically rich planting. You will walk away with a new understanding of<br />
planting design and its role in rebuilding nature where we need it the most.<br />
Claudia West is also the designer of the Garden’s Arboretum revitalization project as part of the Rooted<br />
at Park & Cherry capital campaign. The guided tour preceding the talk will feature this new area of the<br />
Garden with Claudia.<br />
ELLEN ECKER OGDEN | REWILDING THE KITCHEN GARDEN:<br />
HOW TO GROW A HEALTHY ORGANIC GARDEN FOR PEOPLE<br />
AND POLLINATORS TO FLOURISH<br />
I’ve been rethinking the kitchen garden, just as I have been planting more natives in my flower beds. In this<br />
new lecture, you will learn the six steps to design but also how to unwind our gardener’s tendency to be too<br />
neat and tidy in the garden. We are trained to pull lettuce before it bolts or deadhead dill when it forms a<br />
seed head, but these are necessary for a wide range of pollinators to thrive. Let’s look more closely at all the<br />
pollinators in our gardens, going beyond the honeybee to the wasps, flies, and moths. What can you plant<br />
in your kitchen garden that brings you good food, while nourishing the edible landscape with pollen-rich<br />
plants, and nectar? Take a fresh perspective and discover new ways to let your garden grow a little wild.<br />
Ellen Ecker Ogden is an award-winning garden author and kitchen garden designer. She is the author of five<br />
books including "The Complete Kitchen Garden" and "The New Heirloom Garden."<br />
DOUG TALLAMY | THE NATURE OF OAKS<br />
Scary headlines about the decline of the natural world that serves as our life support have spurred<br />
homeowners across the country to take action by planting natives that will help reverse this trend. No plant<br />
will achieve this faster than one of our 91 species of oaks. Oaks support more species of animals, sequester<br />
more carbon, protect our watersheds, and nourish soil communities better than any other plant genus in<br />
North America. Tallamy will discuss these roles by following the many fascinating things that are happening<br />
on the oaks in his yard each month of the year. His hope is to supply the knowledge about oaks that will<br />
generate interest in them, and, with any luck, compassion for these magnificent trees.<br />
With "Bringing Nature Home," Doug Tallamy changed the conversation about gardening in America. His<br />
second book, the New York Times bestseller "Nature’s Best Hope," urged homeowners to take conservation<br />
into their own hands. In his newest book, he turns his advocacy to one of the most important species of the<br />
plant kingdom—the mighty oak tree.<br />
5-6 PM<br />
GUIDED TOUR OF A RELATED<br />
URBAN HOME GARDEN SPACE<br />
6:30 PM<br />
TALK, FOLLOWED BY A CLOSING BOOK<br />
SIGNING AND/OR SPEAKER MEET AND GREET<br />
FEE: MBG & MEMPHIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MEMBERS: $10 | NON-MEMBERS: $15<br />
CASH BAR WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 6-8PM<br />
18 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
8 th ANNUAL<br />
ESTEEMED FRIENDS!<br />
Let us transport you to a magical realm where dreams<br />
come true and fairy tales come to life!<br />
Join us for an enchanted evening of glamour, glitz, and endless<br />
possibilities at our upcoming <strong>Focus</strong> Awards.<br />
FRIDAY, AUGUST 25, <strong>2023</strong> • 7:00 PM<br />
BALLET MEMPHIS | 2144 MADISON AVE | MEMPHIS, TN 38104<br />
We invite you to indulge in the whimsical world of fairy tales and let<br />
your imagination run wild. It will be a night to remember, complete with<br />
an alluring atmosphere that will leave you spellbound.<br />
Our event wouldn't be complete without the presence of our esteemed LGBT<br />
family, local community partners, sponsors, and supporters. We welcome all<br />
who believe in love and acceptance to join us in this magical experience.<br />
This year, we're bringing back the highly anticipated People's Choice Award, and we<br />
couldn't be more thrilled. It's an honor to have your voices heard and celebrate the<br />
excellence and impact of those within our community. As part of the prize donation,<br />
we're offering a mix of cash and advertising to help our winners soar to new heights.<br />
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and don't miss out on this oneof-a-kind<br />
event. Come and be a part of the enchantment, where your<br />
dreams will become reality, and the possibilities are endless.<br />
WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE! SAVE THE DATE!<br />
<strong>2023</strong><br />
SPONSORS<br />
Dr. Thomas Ratliff<br />
The Pumping Station<br />
Fish & Associates<br />
Planned Parenthood<br />
Warrior Trucking Company<br />
FedEx<br />
Law Office of Joe Ozment<br />
<strong>Mid</strong><strong>South</strong> LGBT Chamber<br />
Rowe Realtors<br />
Pavo<br />
CHOICES<br />
Susan Mackenzie<br />
Utopia Animal Hospital<br />
TEP<br />
The Haven<br />
Raymond James<br />
OUTMemphis<br />
For full details and tickets visit thefocusawards.com
community<br />
Urban Micro<br />
Farming<br />
with <strong>Mid</strong>town<br />
Bramble & Bloom<br />
by Mud<br />
photos by Chellie Bowman<br />
Bramble & Bloom owner Marisa<br />
Mender-Franklin at her large<br />
garden on New York Street<br />
20 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
At the start of 2021, Marisa Mender-Franklin posted on a<br />
local “Buy Nothing” Facebook group asking for available<br />
land in <strong>Mid</strong>town to start micro flower farms. Swiftly,<br />
around 40 plots of land were offered in response, and<br />
thus was the genesis of <strong>Mid</strong>town Bramble & Bloom. Her<br />
goal was to create a symbiotic relationship “tucked away<br />
in the backyards” of her <strong>Mid</strong>town community. 1 She offered<br />
regenerative and maintained flower gardens in exchange<br />
for paramount land.<br />
Currently, <strong>Mid</strong>town Bramble & Bloom manages and<br />
cultivates nine separate plots. Although there are a<br />
few properties with planter rows, most of the flowers<br />
are incorporated into garden beds that can be seen by<br />
pedestrians. You can take a stroll down New York St. in the<br />
Cooper Young neighborhood and see one yourself. For<br />
this particular garden, Marisa also had the opportunity to<br />
work with local muralist, Kristen Sandlin. The mural proudly<br />
states in blue hand lettering, “Memphis is Blooming.”<br />
By pairing flower gardens with public artwork, <strong>Mid</strong>town<br />
Bramble & Bloom is creating landmarks, visual cues to a<br />
beautiful relationship between community, ecosystem, and<br />
urban architecture.<br />
Bramble & Bloom grows mostly native plants and around<br />
40% perennials, more than your average flower farm.<br />
They’ve had a booth at the Cooper Young Farmers Market<br />
for three years and have consistently been there weekly<br />
for a year. They work year-round, with their peak seasons<br />
being spring, summer and fall. During these seasons,<br />
bouquet subscriptions (these are GREAT gift ideas, by the<br />
way!) are available with local delivery or through pickup<br />
at Urban Earth (80 Flicker St.). Urban Earth, a unique<br />
<strong>Mid</strong>town nursery, offered Bramble & Bloom one of<br />
their empty fridges for local customers to pick up<br />
bouquets. It got them more foot traffic and Marisa<br />
gained an additional space for transactions. It has<br />
also freed up precious time that can now be used<br />
to tend the gardens. In addition to individual<br />
flower arrangements, Bramble & Bloom also<br />
offers wedding and garden plot consultations,<br />
as well as workshops, such as wreath making<br />
in the winter, at Memphis Made Brewery (768<br />
Cooper St.). In the coldest part of the year<br />
they are busy landscaping and building new<br />
beds for the upcoming growing season.<br />
By emphasizing regenerative, sustainable,<br />
and organic farming processes, Bramble &<br />
Bloom creates synergy with the local community.<br />
The trade between available urban farm land<br />
offered by the community for maintained flower<br />
gardens goes to show that in Memphis, you really can<br />
“buy nothing.”<br />
Follow Marisa on Instagram at @midtownbramble or visit<br />
her website at midtownbramble.com to learn more about<br />
her consultations, workshops, and bouquet subscriptions.<br />
REFERENCE<br />
1 . “<strong>Mid</strong>town Bramble and Bloom.” <strong>Mid</strong>town Bramble & Bloom. Accessed<br />
June 12, <strong>2023</strong>. midtownbramble.com.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 21
22 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com<br />
Beautiful varieties of strawflower,<br />
delphinium, and rudbeckia are some of<br />
the many plants that thrive in this plot
<strong>Focus</strong><br />
on healing,<br />
we’ve got<br />
everything else.<br />
We offer a wide range of services, so your family is<br />
assured of receiving the choices you need.<br />
<strong>Mid</strong> <strong>South</strong> Mortuary Service<br />
“When You Need Us, We’ll Be There”<br />
3774 Summer Ave. • Memphis, TN 38122<br />
(901) 458-8575 • midsouthmortuary.com<br />
Organize<br />
Educate<br />
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We need volunteers throughout the<br />
community to fight for equal rights!<br />
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(901) 454-5795 | highpointchapel.com<br />
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TNEP.org<br />
@tnequality<br />
WE IMPACT COMMUNITIES<br />
BY DRIVING RESULTS.<br />
We are a multicultural and diverse agency producing meaningful<br />
work for our communities in Memphis and beyond.<br />
2294 Young Ave.| Memphis, TN 38104 | 901.800.1172<br />
rayricofreelance.com |
arts+entertainment<br />
the<br />
no. 8<br />
The Young Decade<br />
by Ray Rico<br />
In shadows cast upon familiar walls,<br />
A decade's worth of stories now recall.<br />
Where time's hands danced with every stride,<br />
In the office space where dreams reside.<br />
Through countless days, we toiled as one,<br />
Our hearts ablaze, a collective hum.<br />
A tapestry woven with laughter and tears,<br />
Memories cherished, etched through the years.<br />
But the winds of change blew fierce and bold,<br />
An office left behind, a story untold.<br />
From bustling halls to a virtual embrace,<br />
We embarked on a journey, a different space.<br />
Oh, the bittersweet taste of farewell's sigh,<br />
Leaving behind a piece of soul, oh my!<br />
The desk we called ours, the walls that knew,<br />
Now echoes fade, bidding us adieu.<br />
Yet, let not melancholy darken the skies,<br />
For a new chapter unfolds, hope in our eyes.<br />
Remote horizons await, vast and unknown,<br />
With freedom's wings, we're no longer alone.<br />
In the realm of pixels, our worlds align,<br />
Boundaries erased, the distance we redefine.<br />
The office within us, forever resides,<br />
As we navigate the virtual tides.<br />
Embrace the change; let it be your guide,<br />
For transformation calls from deep inside.<br />
Find solace in the moments yet to come,<br />
A symphony of possibility, yet unsung.<br />
With every keystroke, a story unfolds,<br />
Unveiling chapters, as life gracefully molds.<br />
Let your spirit soar, be bold and true,<br />
For within you lies the power to renew.<br />
Though office walls may fade from sight,<br />
The memories held within, forever ignite.<br />
Through virtual realms, our spirits mend,<br />
Embracing change is a journey without end.<br />
So, fear not, dear friend, for you are strong,<br />
Adapting, evolving, where you belong.<br />
In this new chapter, let your vision shine,<br />
And seize the reins of destiny as yours align.<br />
For life's tapestry is woven anew,<br />
With every step, the courage in you.<br />
Embrace the remote, the freedom it bestows,<br />
And let your heart's desires truly transpose.<br />
This poem was written as a form of closure and looking forward after closing the brick-and-mortar<br />
building which housed the <strong>Focus</strong> LGBT magazine offices after a decade on Young Avenue in<br />
Memphis, TN and moving to a fully remote business model.<br />
24 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
The Wax<br />
by Leion De Haro<br />
The wax that wanes from steady burn<br />
Has yet to truly reach what it yearns<br />
So much beauty and so much light<br />
A true beauty for smell and sight<br />
Is this wax everlasting?<br />
2, 4, 7, 8, how many candles have been made<br />
from this tiny little flame?<br />
The scent has started to wear thin again<br />
Who was the wax and who was the stem?<br />
The wax knows not the question within<br />
Leion is an indigenous, two spirited man and abstract artist —<br />
native to the land, but not any single place. They believe that life<br />
is full of exciting challenges that bloom from the reality you make.<br />
They go by the personal philosophy, "There’s no such thing as a low<br />
point, only a new mountain to climb.”<br />
Sequoia<br />
by Salamander Brandy<br />
Another child dies and the sky cries,<br />
Po’ baby being left outside.<br />
Heaven gonna be feelin’ dis heat,<br />
right before Juneteenth.<br />
Send help–rain relief,<br />
We need help in a city where even God cried–<br />
She weeps, “O sweet lord have mercy for the<br />
people of Memphis.”<br />
Salamander Brandy is the Executive Director of the Path of the<br />
Holy Hands church, the co-chair of the Memphis-<strong>Mid</strong><strong>South</strong><br />
DSA, a member of Black Lives Matter Memphis and the New<br />
Black Panther party. She was born and raised in the city of<br />
Memphis and is the descendent of Elwood Higginbottom, a hero<br />
who was lynched by the city of Oxford, Mississippi for trying<br />
to start a union for sharecroppers. She is on a mission to spread<br />
peace on planet Earth and to get justice for her family. Until she<br />
completes her mission, she won’t stop even after her last breath.<br />
Want to see our full collection<br />
of The Prism Pages?<br />
Visit our website.<br />
The Prism Pages is a new literary section in the magazine where original works of poetry and fiction from the<br />
community will be showcased. As a publishing company, we are committed to saving space for up-and-coming<br />
LGBTQ+ writers. Interested in submitting something? Email editor@focusmidsouth.com.<br />
This section is brought to you by the <strong>Focus</strong> Center Foundation 501(c)3. To learn how to support this and become<br />
a sponsor, please email info@focuscenterfoundation.org.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 25
health+wellness<br />
Mental Health<br />
Benefits of<br />
Houseplants<br />
by Jessica Webster, LPC-MHSP<br />
Ferren Family Counseling<br />
Vera Prokhorova /Shutterstock<br />
26 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
The COVID lock down<br />
of 2020 affected us all<br />
differently in many ways,<br />
some positive and some<br />
negative. For me, I found<br />
and cultivated a love of<br />
houseplants. They became<br />
a great way to cope with<br />
my own mental health. I<br />
never stopped my work<br />
as a therapist during the<br />
lockdown. Instead, I just<br />
switched to Telehealth<br />
sessions to provide my<br />
clients with continued<br />
mental health help. I had to<br />
find my own ways to cope<br />
at the very least so I could<br />
support my own clients and<br />
family. I found taking care<br />
of my houseplants greatly<br />
reduced my stress and also<br />
created these lovely spaces<br />
in my home that I found<br />
myself enjoying everyday.<br />
I always have known that<br />
green plants will put extra<br />
oxygen into the air which<br />
was a benefit I had begun<br />
to explore before the<br />
pandemic. I also knew that<br />
with more oxygen in the<br />
air that cognitive abilities<br />
would also be improved.<br />
There has been study after<br />
study completed over the<br />
last few decades that also<br />
proves these facts—that<br />
people and plants are<br />
naturally connected.<br />
The review data, collected<br />
and analyzed by researchers<br />
Charles Hall and Melinda<br />
Knuth at Texas A&M<br />
University and published in<br />
the Journal of Environmental<br />
Horticulture, 1 supports<br />
the notion that living in or<br />
near green spaces, and<br />
spending as much time as<br />
possible in both natural<br />
settings and cultivated<br />
gardens can improve<br />
mood, reduce the negative<br />
effects of stress, encourage<br />
physical activity and<br />
other positive behaviors,<br />
improve cognition, reduce<br />
aggression, and enhance<br />
overall well-being in people<br />
of all ages under many<br />
different circumstances.<br />
Through research, people<br />
have found that spending<br />
time in natural settings can<br />
reduce stress by slowing<br />
down heart rate, reducing<br />
high blood pressure, and<br />
lowering anxiety. 2 People<br />
also experienced reduced<br />
symptoms of depression<br />
and were better able to<br />
focus and concentrate<br />
on a test of their working<br />
memory after a walk in<br />
nature compared with one<br />
in an urban setting. Short<br />
nature breaks increase<br />
well-being and improve<br />
attention span, working<br />
memory and cognitive<br />
functioning in children as<br />
well as adults. Students and<br />
employees with a view of<br />
nature, either<br />
indoors or right outside<br />
their windows, were not<br />
only found to be more<br />
productive but also more<br />
alert, more attentive, more<br />
relaxed, in better moods<br />
as well as having increased<br />
creativity.<br />
Seeing plants around<br />
my space gave me<br />
something to smile about<br />
and increased my positive<br />
emotions. When my job<br />
moved to Telehealth, being<br />
focused on a computer<br />
screen led to quite a bit<br />
of mental fatigue. Even<br />
the act of watering them<br />
was soothing and gave me<br />
something to focus on and<br />
helped me get out of my<br />
own head. I found myself<br />
loving when my plants<br />
would sprout new leaves<br />
and learning about what<br />
each needed to thrive.<br />
There was definitely some<br />
trial and error and I have<br />
lost quite a few through<br />
the learning process.<br />
Houseplants have also<br />
been helpful in teaching<br />
myself to have compassion<br />
when my plants don’t do<br />
well. If this has been your<br />
experience don’t<br />
let this stop you from<br />
trying again.<br />
Just like I was learning<br />
how to take care of my<br />
own plants (and myself),<br />
I continue to encourage<br />
my clients and others to<br />
keep learning about their<br />
own healing. This work<br />
is ongoing, but you have<br />
the strength within to get<br />
through this. Learn as much<br />
as you can about your<br />
own habits, triggers, how<br />
you cope, your support<br />
network, and how to<br />
practice self-care. Just like<br />
plants, we humans need<br />
nourishment: get some<br />
Vitamin D, a healthy diet,<br />
exercise, sleep, etc. During<br />
the repotting process, you<br />
may have to trim away any<br />
dead pieces that are no<br />
longer contributing to the<br />
plant’s growth. Doing this<br />
can serve as a reminder<br />
of your own growth: as<br />
you approach different<br />
life stages, you sometimes<br />
have to let go of who or<br />
what may be stopping<br />
you from thriving. It’s a<br />
reminder to always keep<br />
going and keep growing.<br />
REFERENCES<br />
1. Hall C and Knuth M. An update<br />
of the literature supporting the<br />
well-being benefits of plants: A<br />
review of the emotional and mental<br />
health benefits of plants. Journal of<br />
Environmental Horticulture. March<br />
2019; 37(1).<br />
2. psychologytoday.com/us/<br />
blog/cravings/201909/11-waysplants-enhance-your-mental-andemotional-health<br />
3. Salingaros, Nikos. Biophilia &<br />
Healing Environments. Healthy<br />
Principles for Designing the Built<br />
World. (Terrapin, Bright Green<br />
LLC. 2015.)<br />
Therapy Is For Everyone.<br />
Ferren Family Counseling<br />
Call To Schedule Your Appointment: 901-498-9126 <strong>Mid</strong>town & Cordova Locations
original Memphis<br />
–––– <strong>South</strong> Memphis Gem ––––<br />
Martin Luther King, Jr.<br />
Riverside Park<br />
by KeOnte Criswell<br />
28 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com<br />
Riverside's fishing pond,<br />
encircled by a walking trail
I am a fall baby, but deep<br />
in my core I’m a summer<br />
child. Summer is my favorite<br />
time of year. Something<br />
about the sun and the<br />
sweet heat of 80 degree<br />
weather puts a battery<br />
in my back. As an active<br />
little rogue who was prone<br />
to getting into mischief,<br />
my grandparents had the<br />
near-impossible task of<br />
keeping me occupied (and<br />
out of trouble) during the<br />
summer. The most effective<br />
methods included Vacation<br />
Bible School, huge slices of<br />
watermelon on the porch,<br />
and trips to Martin Luther<br />
King Jr. Riverside Park.<br />
Designed by landscape<br />
architect George Kessler<br />
in 1902, Martin Luther King<br />
Jr. Riverside Park spans<br />
297 acres and is home to<br />
McKellar Lake, walking trails,<br />
playgrounds, a marina, a<br />
fishing pond, and a couple<br />
of tennis courts. While it<br />
may not be viewed as a<br />
“hangout” park, Riverside<br />
Park was once home to one<br />
of the biggest events in<br />
the city: the WLOK Stone<br />
Soul Picnic. Hosted by the<br />
Gilliam Foundation, the<br />
Stone Soul Picnic has been<br />
a Memphis staple since<br />
1974. One of my favorite<br />
childhood memories is of<br />
walking to the park with my<br />
family, excitement running<br />
through me as we made the<br />
trek from our family home<br />
to the park. The sound of<br />
the music in the distance<br />
energized me and pushed<br />
me forward when the path<br />
seemed neverending. When<br />
we finally got to the open<br />
area, seeing the sea of faces<br />
filled me with joy. Every kid<br />
was a potential new friend<br />
and the park was ours to<br />
explore in relative safety.<br />
The Stone Soul Picnic<br />
united us as a community<br />
and holds a special place in<br />
the hearts of all who have<br />
ever had the opportunity to<br />
attend. Although the event<br />
has since been moved, the<br />
spirit of the Stone Soul<br />
Picnic and the happiness it<br />
brought to so many people<br />
still lingers in its original<br />
home. Rumor has it if you<br />
listen hard enough, you can<br />
still hear the faint sound of<br />
Sly and The Family Stone.<br />
In addition to the picnic,<br />
Riverside Park has been the<br />
chosen site for many church<br />
events, family gatherings,<br />
and reunions. In fact, the<br />
park has been the site for<br />
Carver High School class<br />
reunions every <strong>Aug</strong>ust<br />
for decades, only pausing<br />
during the pandemic.<br />
Though the park’s<br />
reputation has shifted over<br />
the years, I believe it's on<br />
the way back to its former<br />
glory.<br />
Riverside Park holds a<br />
special place in our hearts<br />
for many reasons. For my<br />
mom, it was the place where<br />
she picked blackberries as a<br />
child. For my dad, it’s where<br />
he was able to reunite with<br />
many of his former students<br />
from his time teaching at<br />
Riverview <strong>Mid</strong>dle School.<br />
For me, it marks a time in<br />
my life when I still had both<br />
of my grandparents and<br />
the world was mine for the<br />
taking. For my uncle, it's<br />
where he chased ducks<br />
at the duck pond and did<br />
incredibly reckless things<br />
that young boys do but<br />
don’t want repeated.<br />
As you are out and about<br />
this summer, celebrating<br />
with loved ones or taking in<br />
some solo time, spend time<br />
in Riverside park making<br />
your own special memories.<br />
Let the dog run around, let<br />
the children laugh and play,<br />
and most importantly, take<br />
a moment to connect and<br />
commune. Namaste.<br />
Park trees changing colors<br />
during the fall<br />
photos by Chellie Bowman<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 29
faith+spirituality<br />
Flower Power,<br />
People Power<br />
by Salamander Brandy<br />
The Goddess calls for me to write another S.O.S. to you,<br />
dear readers. We are in need of help here in our little corner<br />
of the cosmos.<br />
What the people need is public housing that is<br />
better integrated with the environment; better public<br />
transportation so people don’t have to rely on CO2<br />
producing cars; bans on herbicides, pesticides and<br />
microplastic-producing plastic bags.<br />
As above, so below.<br />
Flowers such as the dandelion are versatile in meeting<br />
our nutritional needs, but are the most sprayed by<br />
toxic chemicals. These same chemicals that pollute our<br />
groundwater are trapped in our water cycle and rained<br />
down on our heads.<br />
In our “civilized” society, we see lawns that have no<br />
nutritional value to us as assets but the flowers that grow<br />
in aesthetically inconvenient places, despite the fact<br />
they may be used for medicine, are quickly eradicated.<br />
Please be reminded that this problem is compounded in<br />
neighborhoods where people are considered weeds by<br />
society. The rise of chemical farming has coincided with the<br />
rise of neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases.<br />
The food that we eat has us disconnected on a cellular<br />
level. This disconnection has an echoing effect on larger<br />
scales in our society.<br />
As within, so without.<br />
As people develop sickness or cancers within the<br />
body and mind, their outwardly actions may also be<br />
considered cancerous to society. People rob and steal<br />
out of desperation. People kill because they may see<br />
others as competition to the resources that they need to<br />
survive. Because we don’t see ourselves as a part of nature<br />
working as one with the land, we reduce it and therefore<br />
other people to mere resources. Our public policies are a<br />
reflection of devaluing life for the sake of capital.<br />
The politicians that write these laws and codes are<br />
disconnected from the rest of humanity and believe they<br />
can treat Memphis as their private garden and the people<br />
that live here as if we were weeds. They refuse to consider<br />
that maybe every flower that they can’t sell shouldn’t be<br />
poisoned or that every person that is unable to produce<br />
capital for them shouldn’t be brutalized by their system.<br />
Humanity's relationship with our home planet and to<br />
ourselves has become cancerous. Cancerous energy is still<br />
energy and like all forms of energy it coalesces, it builds,<br />
and it swells. What I’m describing here is the rise of the<br />
fascist movement here in America.<br />
By projecting their vision onto the society under their<br />
control, As within, So without. It almost becomes a<br />
feedback loop of ill will. When we are unable to empathize<br />
with our fellow people, we are more likely to not empathize<br />
with the environment surrounding those same people.<br />
It doesn’t really take much science or metaphysical<br />
knowledge to know that if you poison a nearby water<br />
source with sterilizing chemicals, the people around that<br />
area are gonna get sick and have low morale. This is the<br />
case in a <strong>South</strong> Memphis neighborhood off of Florida St., in<br />
which the city has known about since 2012 and just recently<br />
took the barest minimum action to rectify this grave wrong.<br />
Instead of organizing the cleanup of toxic waste in this low<br />
income neighborhood they order more police while city<br />
officials sit on their hands and let people get sick.<br />
If we want a safe city—a more green city—then we<br />
need to meet the needs of its most vulnerable citizens. In<br />
a city where 60% of the budget goes to the police I can<br />
earnestly say, MORE COPS ARE NOT A SOLUTION!! The<br />
police are not here to protect us. They are only here to<br />
protect powerful people and to insulate them from the<br />
realities of climate change.<br />
As over here, so over there.<br />
This is where I need you dear readers. As I type this,<br />
powerful men are gathering to divide and further colonize<br />
the city for corporate interest. No one is coming to save<br />
us but us. I’m running for mayor under the name Brandon<br />
Price, but I am only one person and I need your help. The<br />
only way for us to lead our city out of the polluted muck is<br />
for every citizen to get involved. I need you to know who<br />
are the key turners of power and exert combined influence<br />
over them. We need to take up as much space as possible.<br />
Dear readers, each of us need to take a moment and look<br />
at our society to see where we are in it. We need to end<br />
this obsession to commodify and privatize everything and<br />
come back to balance in order for our species to survive<br />
into the next millennium. The garden that is Memphis is<br />
worth saving.<br />
30 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
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focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 31
lgbt advocate<br />
INCLUSIVE SPANISH<br />
An Interview with Liz Coffield of LC Spanish<br />
by Tiffany Day<br />
Memphis-based Spanish instructor Liz Coffield has<br />
been studying Spanish since she was just six years old:<br />
she attended a bilingual elementary school, earned a B.A.<br />
in Hispanic Studies from Macalester College in St. Paul,<br />
Minnesota, and has lived abroad in both Mexico and Spain.<br />
Prior to teaching Spanish, Liz worked as an administrative<br />
professional and translator in immigration law. Liz is<br />
passionate about teaching, passionate about Spanish, and<br />
passionate about inclusivity in her classroom.<br />
First, tell us a little about<br />
yourself: What sparked<br />
your interest in Spanish,<br />
and how did you come into<br />
teaching this language?<br />
Spanish is not my native<br />
or heritage language,<br />
but I did start learning it<br />
when I was very young<br />
and I never stopped! As a<br />
child, my parents put me<br />
in a Spanish-immersion<br />
elementary school where<br />
half my day was taught<br />
in Spanish and the other<br />
half was taught in English.<br />
When I was about sixteen<br />
years old, I read Isabel<br />
Allende’s La Casa de Los<br />
Espíritus in Spanish and<br />
decided I wanted to study<br />
Latin America in college.<br />
I went on to get my BA<br />
in Hispanic Studies from<br />
Macalester College—where<br />
I also had the opportunity<br />
to study abroad in Mexico.<br />
In 2022, I burned out<br />
working as a paralegal<br />
at an immigration law<br />
firm and decided to<br />
take a chance on an<br />
idea I had been kicking<br />
around for several years.<br />
I had previously led adult<br />
Spanish classes at the<br />
International Institute<br />
of Minnesota, where<br />
I first fell in love with<br />
teaching and creating<br />
my own curriculum.<br />
Working in immigration<br />
law, I had noticed a<br />
marked difference in the<br />
effectiveness and rapport<br />
that Spanish-speaking<br />
attorneys had with their<br />
clients. I saw launching<br />
LC Spanish online as a<br />
way I could help improve<br />
language access for<br />
Spanish-speakers by<br />
teaching the language<br />
to people-centered<br />
professionals all over the<br />
country.<br />
I just hit my one-year<br />
anniversary of teaching<br />
with LC Spanish, and I am<br />
so proud of the courses I've<br />
created and the community<br />
of students I've built.<br />
What got you interested<br />
in exploring options for<br />
more inclusivity in the<br />
language?<br />
I first remember genderinclusive<br />
language<br />
being a topic of debate<br />
when I was in college.<br />
My professors often<br />
discussed the feasibility<br />
of different variations in<br />
terms of pronunciation<br />
and grammatical structure,<br />
as well as their concerns<br />
about inclusive language<br />
being confusing to<br />
students as they were<br />
learning a new language.<br />
Now, seven years later,<br />
32 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
Hispanic and Latin<br />
communities around the<br />
world have been using and<br />
modifying these genderinclusive<br />
structures for<br />
some time and I think there<br />
is more of a consensus<br />
starting to build.<br />
When I started teaching<br />
my own classes with LC<br />
Spanish, I knew I was going<br />
to have students of all<br />
genders and identities, so<br />
it was important to me that<br />
I teach inclusive language<br />
throughout. In a time when<br />
trans, non-binary, and<br />
gender nonconforming<br />
folks are under attack,<br />
I set out to create a<br />
learning environment<br />
where students feel safe,<br />
recognized, and affirmed. I<br />
also want all of my students<br />
to have access to the<br />
appropriate language when<br />
they encounter someone<br />
who doesn't identify only<br />
with the masculine or<br />
feminine.<br />
What are the challenges<br />
to linguistic inclusivity in<br />
a language like Spanish?<br />
And how are those being<br />
addressed?<br />
It's been a topic of<br />
conversation and debate<br />
for many years on how to<br />
make the Spanish language<br />
more inclusive to different<br />
genders because Spanish<br />
is an inherently machista<br />
and binary language. For<br />
example, if there is one<br />
masculine presence in a<br />
group of people, the words<br />
for "we," "y'all," and "they<br />
(plural)" all default to the<br />
masculine form, even if<br />
the rest of the group is<br />
all feminine or nonbinary.<br />
Additionally, all nouns<br />
are either masculine or<br />
feminine (unlike German,<br />
for example, which also<br />
has a neutral). One early<br />
attempt to include more<br />
people was using the<br />
@ symbol to represent<br />
both the masculine and<br />
feminine endings. So<br />
instead of using "nosotros"<br />
(masculine) or "nosotras"<br />
(feminine) for "us/we"<br />
it would be "nosotr@s"<br />
or "Latin@" instead of<br />
"Latino" or "Latina." This<br />
is problematic because<br />
it reinforces the gender<br />
binary and excludes any<br />
other variation in gender,<br />
erasing nonbinary people.<br />
Another intermediate<br />
solution has been to<br />
use the letter "x" as a<br />
substitute. So for example<br />
"nosotrxs" or "Latinx." This<br />
is generally more inclusive,<br />
but ends up being pretty<br />
much unpronounceable in<br />
Spanish. Another issue with<br />
these two options is that<br />
neither one has a gender<br />
neutral subject pronoun<br />
(like the singular "they" in<br />
English). The consensus<br />
I've been seeing lately and<br />
what I teach in my classes<br />
is to replace the masculine<br />
or feminine ending with<br />
"e" (nosotres, Latine).<br />
This also comes with the<br />
benefit of a gender neutral<br />
subject pronoun, "elle."<br />
It is relatively easy to<br />
pronounce, and it generally<br />
makes sense grammatically.<br />
In addition to pronouns<br />
and new endings for<br />
traditionally "masculine"<br />
and "feminine" nouns or<br />
adjectives, are there other<br />
developments happening<br />
in inclusive language<br />
options for Spanish?<br />
I think this is an area<br />
where the language can<br />
still grow. I haven't seen<br />
good gender-neutral<br />
alternatives to words like<br />
"madre" (mother), "padre"<br />
(father), "padres" (parents).<br />
In many cases though, the<br />
gender neutral "e" ending<br />
helps modify gendered<br />
nouns and adjectives. For<br />
example, when talking<br />
about professions, you<br />
could say "abogade"<br />
instead of "abogada" or<br />
"abogado" for lawyer.<br />
This is all really hopeful to<br />
hear. Do you have an idea<br />
of what the reception has<br />
been to these additions<br />
and adaptations to the<br />
language? Are queer<br />
communities facing any<br />
pushback or criticism over<br />
them?<br />
It has been a mixed<br />
reception, from what I have<br />
observed. I think in the past<br />
few years queer Spanishspeaking<br />
communities have<br />
embraced gender-neutral<br />
and inclusive language<br />
more and are now getting<br />
traction in pushing it out<br />
to the broader Spanishspeaking<br />
world. But at the<br />
beginning lots of people<br />
rejected the term Latinx.<br />
The Spanish-speaking<br />
world is incredibly diverse,<br />
and there are conservative,<br />
reactionary segments<br />
to it. Plenty of Spanishspeakers<br />
reject genderneutral<br />
language because<br />
they are not accepting<br />
of trans and nonbinary<br />
identities in the first place.<br />
Some people also see the<br />
words Latinx or Latine as<br />
a U.S.-centric imposition<br />
of language and ideology.<br />
When I introduce genderneutral<br />
and inclusive<br />
language in my classes, I<br />
make sure to point out that<br />
not every Spanish-speaker<br />
my students encounter<br />
will know or accept that<br />
language.<br />
Is there anything else<br />
we should know about<br />
inclusive language<br />
practices in Spanish<br />
specifically, or in non-<br />
English languages<br />
generally?<br />
A good rule of thumb for<br />
inclusivity in any language<br />
is to follow the lead of<br />
the people who hold the<br />
identity you are describing.<br />
You can always ask people<br />
what words they prefer to<br />
use to refer to themselves.<br />
This also goes for identities<br />
other than gender and<br />
sexuality. Spanish is<br />
starting to come around<br />
on having more respectful<br />
and inclusive words for<br />
describing race, ethnicity<br />
and disability, for example.<br />
I think that vocabulary is<br />
vitally important to learn<br />
as well because of the<br />
intersectionality of queer<br />
identities.<br />
Additionally, participating<br />
in a live Spanish class, and<br />
learning another language<br />
in general, helps sharpen<br />
the skill of correcting<br />
yourself when you make<br />
a mistake. This is a really<br />
necessary skill for being<br />
in relationship with people<br />
experiencing a transition<br />
(using different pronouns,<br />
for example). You have to<br />
learn to correct yourself in<br />
the moment, perhaps study<br />
the structure on your own<br />
time, and move on quickly<br />
from mistakes so they don't<br />
derail a conversation.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 33
WORD BANK<br />
elle<br />
They (singular) - Ex. Elle es mi amigue Alex.<br />
(They are my friend Alex.)<br />
cuir<br />
Queer - Ex. La comunidad cuir es hermosa.<br />
(The queer community is beautiful.)<br />
trans<br />
Trans - Ex. Mi hermana es trans.<br />
(My sister is trans.)<br />
no binario/a/e<br />
Nonbinary - Ex. Una persona no binaria<br />
puede usar el pronombre elle o una<br />
combinación de pronombres.<br />
(A nonbinary person can use the pronoun<br />
elle or a combination of pronouns.)<br />
¿Cuáles son tus<br />
pronombres?<br />
What are your pronouns?<br />
Mis pronombres son...<br />
My pronouns are...<br />
ella<br />
she<br />
él<br />
he<br />
elle<br />
they (singular)<br />
el/la/le cónyuge<br />
Spouse (gender-neutral) - Ex. Su cónyuge<br />
se llama Toni.<br />
(Their spouse is named Toni.)<br />
la pareja<br />
Partner, couple - Ex. Mi pareja es cantante.<br />
(My partner is a singer.)<br />
La pareja es poliamorosa.<br />
(The couple is polyamorous.)<br />
Email Liz at lcspanishservices@gmail.com. Visit LC Spanish at lcspanish.com.<br />
Connect at facebook.com/LCSpanish or instagram.com/lc_spanish<br />
34 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
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community<br />
Pulp Friction<br />
A Peek into Papermaking<br />
story and photos by Moth Moth Moth<br />
I studied at The Memphis College of Art from 2011-<br />
2016. While there, I picked up skills in painting, sculpture,<br />
drafting, design, creative writing, business, and my two<br />
great visual art loves: printmaking and papermaking. I<br />
learned printmaking from two incredible women named<br />
Maritza and Ezter. But I learned papermaking solely from<br />
Colleen Couch, this rocking derby star who instilled a<br />
great deal of technical knowledge on her students while<br />
giving us incredible freedom to grow. I took as many<br />
paper classes as I could, each one giving me a new set of<br />
skills and vocabulary. Learning to make paper changed<br />
the language my artistic brain spoke in. There was<br />
something very powerful about making a piece of art<br />
from scratch for me, a sense of control over my media<br />
that I had simply never considered. While shaking pulp<br />
back and forth in a tool known as a mould and deckle, on<br />
my first day of paper making class I saw Colleen quickly<br />
create a stack of wet papers, which were then pressed<br />
and loaded into a drying system. She made it look easy<br />
and cool.<br />
I would spend the next 3 years in the studio built by<br />
Dolphe Smith, the hands of a gigantic mural made of<br />
paper pulp hoovered above me and my friends as we<br />
spent midnights pulling midnight blue paper and cheering,<br />
and mornings draining 13-hour abaca and crying. It was<br />
incredible to be a young person learning this “dance.” I<br />
love the ache in my back after lifting a mould and deckle<br />
through water and pulp and couching it onto a wet felt.<br />
The physical work it takes to form a sheet of paper is<br />
one of my favorite things about the practice. There are<br />
muscles you can only get from paper making.<br />
There are also smells you can only get on you through<br />
paper making. Cultures and chemistry are still happening<br />
within the pulp, until that pulp is formed and dried into<br />
sheets it will be suspended in water and completely<br />
unfixed. It’s so freaking beautiful.<br />
Ten years have passed and Colleen, now having become<br />
a supportive friend, has graciously allowed me into her<br />
private studio to talk about our memories at MCA and<br />
knock the rust off my elbows. I’d never thought of it until<br />
recently but I suppose I learned to dance in that MCA<br />
papermaking studio. Always lifting and tilting and shaking<br />
pulp into place. Moving and cleaning to Stevie Nicks.<br />
Since college, I have certainly played mad scientist<br />
with a blender in my kitchen and put together dozens<br />
of setups. But Colleen’s studio is equipped to swing a<br />
little harder with her Hollander beater, which can handle<br />
recycled fabric, plants, paper, and other natural materials<br />
in larger amounts (and pulverizes them into a cotton<br />
candy soft fluffy pulp). The difference between blended<br />
pulp and beaten pulp is that when you blend pulp in a<br />
kitchen blender you are cutting the fibers and thus the<br />
paper has less tensile strength, whereas with beaten pulp<br />
the fibers are stacked and woven upon one another during<br />
sheet formation.<br />
With what we made together, these batches of blue<br />
and pink and leafy green paper, I’ll use to explore more<br />
art projects and find my way to new inspiration. But in the<br />
meantime, I could frankly settle for just making a thousand<br />
sheets of normal nice paper one at a time. The action put<br />
me back in my body.<br />
When you thumb through the stacks of paper you have<br />
made yourself it gives you a sense of confidence and pride<br />
in all the artwork that gets put on those pages. So simple.<br />
So complex. So life affirming.<br />
So yeah, I guess you should go outside or into your<br />
kitchen and make some paper now.<br />
Thank you to Colleen Couch for providing the support,<br />
space, and instruction so that I could brush up on my skills<br />
for this article! Also, be on the lookout readers—there will<br />
be more from Mothie and Colleen online soon!<br />
36 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
KITCHEN PAPER MAKING TIPS:<br />
Heyo, paper making might sound material intensive, but it doesn’t have to be. While there are some basic things like<br />
a mould and deckle and some felts, you can make paper almost anywhere and from a variety of natural materials and<br />
recycled materials if you know where to look.<br />
If you want to try making paper in your kitchen you’ll need:<br />
1. a big tub<br />
2. mould and deckle (order<br />
online or make one yourself)<br />
3. felts (sheets of felt cut to<br />
about the size of a cookie tray)<br />
4. a blender (do not use this for<br />
food after this, just ART)<br />
5. torn up paper that you wish to<br />
recycle into new paper<br />
6. sponges<br />
7. a big soft brush<br />
8. some windows to use as a<br />
drying system<br />
Blend up your pulp mixture. It’s best to make<br />
recycled paper in the kitchen with a blender. If you want<br />
to recycle fabric into paper that requires a more powerful<br />
beating process that doesn’t cut the fibers. You can<br />
combine in natural materials like dried flowers before or<br />
after blending.<br />
Suspend the pulp mixture into a tub of water. I and most<br />
paper makers prefer a vat of water but anything that your<br />
tools, hands, and movements fit into will do the trick.<br />
Wet your felts you dirty bastard!<br />
Now make a stack of felts and wet papers.<br />
After couching the paper onto the felt you may want to<br />
use a sponge and a rolling pin to help wick out some of the<br />
water and get a little more formation going.<br />
When you have depleted your felts or pulp<br />
or preferably both it’s time to press the paper.<br />
If you don’t have a press of any kind then sponging the<br />
paper or rolling over the felt with the rolling pin can make it<br />
easier to deposit the sheet of paper onto the window.<br />
Deposit papers onto the windows and leave<br />
them be until they dry. Some papers will dry and<br />
flake off naturally while others will need to peel off. Drying<br />
upon a window will create a textured side and a beautifully<br />
smooth side to choose from when you are making things<br />
with your paper.<br />
Now repeat and try recycling totally different<br />
papers for a new effect. What if you threw in some<br />
grass clippings from the yard or some cinnamon? Let your<br />
imagination lead you as you build your first little practice as<br />
a paper maker. You’ll be a friend of Dard Hunter in no time.<br />
JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com | Memphis Green 37
life<br />
HOROSCOPES<br />
Astrology Readings by Minnassa<br />
CANCER<br />
JUN 22 - JUL 22 JUL 23 - AUG 23<br />
Element: Water<br />
Quality: Cardinal<br />
Ruling Planet: Moon<br />
Traits: Creative, tender, emotional,<br />
protective, and moody<br />
New Moon in Cancer: <strong>Jul</strong>y 17, <strong>2023</strong><br />
LEO<br />
Element: Fire<br />
Quality: Fixed<br />
Ruling Planet: Sun<br />
Traits: compassionate heart, confident,<br />
loyal, ambitious, and arrogant<br />
New Moon in Leo: <strong>Aug</strong>ust 16, <strong>2023</strong><br />
THE POWER<br />
OF THE<br />
NEW MOON<br />
CANCER<br />
& LEO<br />
The New Moon is a powerful time of the month; both the Sun and the Moon are in the same<br />
sign. The New Moon offers new beginnings, a chance for new perspectives, and the power of<br />
connecting with your intentions and sowing creative seeds during this fertile energetic time.<br />
A simple new moon ritual: one day during the week of the New Moon (three days before—the day<br />
of—and three days after), find a place to be still and reflect. Using the energy of the sign the New<br />
Moon is in, ask yourself what do you want to create/see bloom in your life? Write down those<br />
intentions in a notebook. Read those intentions daily (until the Full Moon); ask yourself how you need<br />
to be and what you need to do in partnership with the Universe to bring these intentions about.<br />
These two signs bring the joy of Summer—water and sun, hearts full of love and sitting under the<br />
light of the moon. Allow the nurturing energy of Cancer and the powerful heart energy of Leo to<br />
inspire you to enjoy where you are in your life currently. Find the joy in your situation and look for<br />
happiness, fun, and love all around you. It is there!!<br />
ARIES (Fire-Cardinal) - As a fire sign you know how to go, do, and<br />
get things done. Your action for the next couple of months is to chill.<br />
Choose actions that relax, center and recharge you.<br />
TAURUS (Earth-Fixed) - Yass! This is a great time of abundance in<br />
all areas of your life. Make space for abundance by clearing out clutter<br />
(mentally, emotionally, and physically). This is your time to expand.<br />
GEMINI (Air-Mutable) - You have had a lot of great ideas lately.<br />
Time to stop thinking about it and time to start moving toward the<br />
implementation of those ideas.<br />
CANCER (Water-Cardinal) - Ah... sweet Cancer, as you are at the<br />
beginning of your Solar year, this is a great time to start anew. Connect<br />
with yourself at an emotional level, keep what is empowering and<br />
release what drags you down and is no longer true of you.<br />
LEO (Fire-Fixed) - Celebration is the word for you! You have been<br />
working hard and working on the inside as well. Step back and<br />
celebrate the good you have brought into your life!<br />
VIRGO (Earth-Mutable) - Keep moving forward. All that you need<br />
on your path is finding its way to you. Your job, Virgo, is to keep<br />
moving forward – don’t be concerned with the how, when, and where.<br />
Move forward!<br />
LIBRA (Air-Cardinal) - Balance is still your word. You may feel like<br />
you are walking on a tightrope; you are. However, you are almost to the<br />
other side.<br />
SCORPIO (Water-Fixed) - Memories! Now is not the time to<br />
get bogged down in your past. There is no need to keep looking<br />
backwards, you are not going in that direction.<br />
SAGITTARIUS (Fire-Mutable) - Let it go. To get where you want to<br />
be, dear Sagittarius, you need to lighten the load. Travel light, as the<br />
road ahead is leading you to new opportunities, new ways of being, and<br />
new relationships. No need to bring the junk from the past with you.<br />
CAPRICORN (Earth-Cardinal) - Fortune is finding its way to you.<br />
What comes to you, receive and then let it go. You are being blessed to<br />
be a blessing.<br />
AQUARIUS (Air-Fixed) - Shut down those voices in your head. Listen<br />
to yourself. Release the weight of other people’s opinions – step into an<br />
energy of self-love and self-empowerment. This begins with upgrading<br />
who you allow to have space in your head.<br />
PISCES (Water-Mutable) - Sit down and take a minute to chill. Let<br />
your thoughts, emotions, and actions catch up, align, and integrate with<br />
each other. You are in a great place, take some time to enjoy it!<br />
* These horoscopes are for entertainment and inspirational purposes only.<br />
MINNASSA WELLNESS<br />
Mindfulness in the Workplace<br />
38 Memphis Green | JUL+AUG <strong>2023</strong> | focuslgbt.com
39 Memphis Green | focuslgbt.com
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