Radlanta

LGBT doc at Plaza Theater this week

2011-10-15T20:23:00.001-04:00

This week Plaza Theater is playing "We Were Here," the new doc on San Francisco in the era of the AIDS crisis, directed by David Weissman who did the documentary on the Cockettes. They asked me to help get the word out.

The Plaza is supportive of LGBT shows and are trying to sustain a nonprofit independent movie theater in Atlanta, so if you can support them by buying a ticket or spreading the word please do! It is playing only for one week.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oCxqJgpejbs

http://www.plazaatlanta.com/

Dr. Kiki’s 98% Guaranteed Hangover Cure!

2011-08-07T13:30:00.007-04:00

The Brisket Breakfast from Ria's Bluebird.

I am sharing with you my personal highly-researched, scientifically vouched hangover cure. It is now available for sale at a few designated bars and restaurants in Atlanta under the name "Dr. Kiki's Magic Hangover Cure."
Back story: I researched a truly effective hangover cure a few years ago after the unexpected death of a dear friend at the center of a large group of friends. I knew this particular group of friends would cope by drinking our faces off, so I wanted to find something to ease the pain of the emotional pain reliever.
I was non-plussed to find that casual Googling -- even on serious medical sites! -- yielded advice mostly like: drink less. sleep it out. Bah humbug! Surely we have some idea what causes hangovers, as well as ways of addressing those symptoms! Forging on in my harm reduction mode, I dedicated myself to researching scientific publications and the like.
And here’s the not-so-secret-formula I came up with:

Dr. Kiki's Magic Hangover Cure (Guaranteed to make you feel 85% better within 45 minutes;
to PREVENT a hangover, use Dr. Kiki's Magic Hangover Defense below)

a packet of Emergen-C dissolved in a glass of water – or Vitamin C in another form
N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) – this is the magic bullet. NAC is an amino acid given to poisoning patients in emergency rooms. L-Cysteine or L-Glutamine also work.
Vitamin B complex
a combo Magnesium / Calcium / Potassium pill
your favorite pain reliever... except for acetaminophen or aspirin

and some Don’ts:

Do not take acetaminophen for a hangover! Aceteminophen (Tylenol, Excedrin Extra Strength, Excedrin Migraine, Vanquish, and others) causes liver damage when combined with alcohol
Do not take aspirin – it can increase your blood alcohol level by up to 30%!

Why it works
Hangovers are caused by a myriad of biological issues, including:

acetaldehyde intoxication
hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
dehydration (causes the brain to shrink and pull away from the skull, causing headache)
vitamin B deficiency
depletion of essential minerals for brain function
irritation of the stomach lining (nausea)

The ingredients I've chosen address all of these issues:
Emergen-C
In addition to Vitamin C and the B vitamins, Emergen-C also packs the minerals that are depleted in the brain during alcohol consumption: Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Manganese, Sodium and Potassium -- all in one handy package! Additionally, it’s consumed by dissolving in water, and one of the biggest causes of hangover is simple dehydration.
In particular, magnesium deficiency combined with reduced levels of zinc and other minerals, is known to cause more severe hangovers, similar to migraine symptoms: headache, and light and sound sensitivity.

L-Cysteine

Numerous studies on rats and liver cells show that L-Cysteine, N-Acetyl Cysteine and/or L-Glutamine counteract the poisonous effects of acetaldehyde, the major by-product of alcohol metabolism that is responsible for most of the negative aftereffects and long-term damage associated with alcohol use. Cysteine supports the next step in metabolism, which turns acetaldehyde into the relatively harmless acetic acid.

In one rat study, test animals received a large dose of acetaldehyde (the amount which normally kills half of all animals). Those that received cysteine had an 80% survival rate; when thiamine (Vitamin B1) was added, all animals survived.” (N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) is equally effective, and performs the same functions as L-Cysteine.) Other rat studies have shown that a combination of L-Cysteine, vitamin C and vitamin B1 (thiamine) provided almost complete protection against acetaldehyde.

Cysteine is found in eggs and high-protein foods (as well as in wheat, broccoli, garlic, onions and red peppers), which should encourage you to hit a greasyspoon the next morning, and sop up as much eggs (protein), potatoes (carbs), cheese (fat to help protect stomach lining against nausea), and orange juice (Vitamin C) you can stomach.

Vitamin B complex

Alcohol depletes the body of B6 and B3 (niacin), while B1(thiamine) increases the effectiveness of amino acids including L-Cysteine. Personally I find that taking B-complex the night before has dramatic effects on hangover reduction.

Pain Reliever
There are 2 types of over-the-counter pain relievers: aceteminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Acetaminophen can cause liver damage in people who take very high doses, who drink heavily, or who already have abnormal liver function. NEVER take Acetaminophen before during or after drinking! The other type includes:

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin)
Ketoprofen (Orudis KT)
Naproxen (Aleve)

These pain relievers are safer for the liver, but have a higher likelihood of causing gastro-intestinal problems, especially when/after drinking. Take them in moderation, along with carb-heavy food. Don't take Aspirin while drinking; it can thin your blood and raise your blood alcohol level by up to 30%!

If you’re one of those self-aware pre-planner types, here’s how to minimize hangovers the night before, aka
Dr. Kiki's Magic Hangover Defense
(Seriously guaranteed to make you feel 98% better than you would otherwise)

an amino acid pill like N-Acetyl Cysteine, L-Cysteine or L-Glutamine
a Vitamin B complex is a catalyst that helps the amino acid do its job
so is Vitamin C (personally I take a combo Vitaman B+C pill)
drink a big glass of water before bed. Obviously.

I swear to you that taking these 2 pills – NAC and a combo B+C – will almost entirely prevent hangovers. Works best taken an hour or two before you're done for the night, but will also work before bed, or even before drinking.

Other things that can help

Nausea: Tabacum, Nux Vomica & Cocculus

You can find these supplements in "Motion Sickness" remedies at your local health food store. These herbs are often recommended to pregnant women and cancer patients for relief of nausea. Ginger and lemon are also recommended - think lemonade with ginger! Some other nausea relievers - all of which work as antagonists to the brain's serotonin receptor 5-HT3 -- include dried ginger, peppermint oil, and caraway seeds.

Carbohydrates

Low blood sugar can cause nausea, clammy skin or excessive sweating, moodiness, confusion, blurred vision, dizziness, headache, lack of energy, staggering, slurred speech and fatigue. Contrary to popular theory, alcohol breaks down into acetate - not sugar, like food sources of carbohydrates - and therefore has a glycemic index of 0. In fact, alcohol consumption causes low blood sugar. Thus consuming carbohydrates or sugar is essential to hangover reduction.
One of the other causes of nausea is the irritant effect of alcohol on the stomach lining, and a great antidote for that is fat... as in the cheese, butter or frying oil often served with carbohydrates! It’s a win-win situation!

Of course my favorite hangover cures are:

a big steaming bowl of the Brisket Breakfast at Ria’s Bluebird (spicy tomato beef broth with tender shredded beef, poached eggs and a baguette)
weekend special Mexican (actually pre-Colombian) Pozole soup from MiBarrio on Memorial Drive near Boulevard. MiBarrio's pozolé is a hot spicy broth with big hunks of meat and tons of huge white hominy, just like mama used to make!
Vietnamese Pho soup (also spicy beef broth, with rice noodles, your choice of meat or tofu, and assorted vegetables -- my favorite in Atlanta (now that Pho #1 closed!) is Pho Dai Loi in Forest Park. In-town, So Ba in East Atlanta makes some damn fine Pho.
or Matzo Ball soup (my favorite comes from Canter’s Deli in Los Angeles, but the make-at-home kind from the box is good too... just use your favorite chicken broth instead of the one that comes in the box)

Other folks swear by:

fruity V-8 smoothie - here's a great recipe
skillet potatoes (aka Bionic Breakfast at Ria’s Bluebird): fried potatoes (carbs), cheese (fat), peppers, garlic, and onions (cysteine)
banana milk shake (potassium, calcium, sugar)
Vegemite on toast - a great source of B vitamins, cysteine, and carbohydrates

A few random comments:

Spicy foods, including chili peppers, help the body fight the free radicals that come from drinking. Other antioxident-packed foods do the same: berries, beans (red, pinto, kidney), artichokes and apples.
Greasy foods, believe it or not, coat your stomach lining and help prevent irritation
A heaped teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, also found in Emergen-C) in a glass of water helps with nausea
Ginger Ale and lemon aid also help with nausea.
If you're REALLY hungover, use the advice my mom the doctor gives for stomach virus: suck on chips of ice to keep down SOME liquid, and nibble on saltine crackers... until you can handle actual liquids or food.

Some great links for more information:

Here's some places to get these supplements (disclosure: I haven't tried these):

http://www.iherb.com/Jarrow-Formulas-Liver-PF-Liver-Protection-Factors-90-Tablets/483?at=0

http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/M002902.htm

http://www.aor.ca/html/products.php?id=140

http://www.biosynergy.com/chp.htm

http://www.smartbodyz.com/Anti-Alcohol-Antioxidants-Vitamin-Dose.htm

MLK's right-hand man was gay: Bayard Rustin, Brother Outsider

2011-03-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Friday, March 18, 2011, 7pm

Nancy D. Kates & Bennett Singer's

Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)

Nominated for Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, Won Audience Awards at the San Francisco, Philadelphia and NYC Lesbian & Gay Film Festivals, and for Outstanding Documentary at the GLAAD Media Awards

One of the architects of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, and Martin Luther King Jr's right-hand man, strategist, and teacher, was Bayard Rustin, an openly gay man. He is credited as the chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, at which King gave his famous "I have a dream" speech.

His activism began at an activist training program conducted by Quakers in 1937. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Harlemto help defend the Scottsboro Boys, nine young black men in Alabama accused of raping two white women.

For the rest of his life, Rustin committed himself to issues of social justice. During WWII, he went to California to help protect the property of Japanese Americans, who had been imprisoned in internment camps. In 1942, Rustin helped form the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a pacifist organization based on the writings of Henry David Thoreau, modeled after Mohandas Gandhi's non-violent resistance against British rule in India. And in 1948, Rustin traveled to India to learn nonviolence techniques directly from the leaders of the Gandhian movement, shortly after Ghandi's assassination. On his return, Rustin served on the Quaker task force to write "Speak Truth to Power: A Quaker Search for an Alternative to Violence," one of the most influential and widely commented upon pacifist essays in the United States.

In 1947, he helped organize the first of the Freedom Rides to test the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States that banned racial discrimination in interstate travel. By 1956, Rustin began advising Martin Luther King Jr. on Gandhian tactics, as King was organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, Rustin and King began organizing the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). His activism turned towards gay rights in the 1970s, and in 1986, he gave a speech "The New Niggers Are Gays," urging homosexual rights as the next frontier of justice.

Doors open 7:00 pm – film starts at 7:30 pm sharp. Popcorn and refreshments available.

Stay to discuss the film – the second in our new series on LESBIAN, GAY, BI-SEXUAL & TRANSGENDER FOLKS part of THIRD FRIDAY FILM SERIES at First Existentialist.

WHAT: Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin (2003)
WHEN: Friday, March 18, 2011, 7pm
WHERE: First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta, 470 Candler Park Dr., NE, Atlanta, GA 30307
HOW MUCH: $1 to $10 sliding scale, No one turned away

Get A Fire in Your Belly to support controversial art!

2011-02-10T09:09:00.001-05:00

GO SEE THIS!!! David Wojnarowicz is a seminal, groundbreaking amazing artist/writer from the 80s, who died of AIDS. There's recently been controversy in D.C. about his work, because the Smithsonian Institution was asked -- and did -- to remove the video below from display. It's inspired a re-showing of the work across the country.

Art and Censorship: A Screening of David Wojnarowicz's "A Fire in My Belly" and Panel Discussion

Thursday, February 17 from 7-9 pm

White Hall 208, Emory University

Directions/Parking

Featuring commentary by:
Rebecca Dimling Cochran, ArtsCriticATL
Andy Ditzler, Frequent Small Meals
Jason Francisco, Emory Visual Arts Department
Joey Orr, Emory Visual Scholarship Initiative
Michael Rooks, High Museum of Art

Emory University presents a special screening of films concerning the recent censorship controversy surrounding the exhibition "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture" at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. The screening will include David Wojnarowicz’s “A Fire in My Belly,” plus supplemental footage of ACT UP in Atlanta from 1990, and Wojnarowicz’s “ITSOFOMO.” The screening will be followed by a panel discussion on art censorship, public policy and artistic freedom, and the latest chapter in the so-called culture wars concerning religion and sexuality.

Emory is pleased to present this screening and discussion in solidarity with other institutions throughout the world that are hosting events surrounding the removal of David Wojnarowicz's film "A Fire in My Belly," as chronicled on HIDESEEK.ORG.

"A Fire in My Belly" and "ITSOFOMO" are courtesy of P.P.O.W. Gallery.

Footage from ACT UP is courtesy of Jeff Graham.

EVENT SPONSORS
Emory Visual Scholarship Initiative
Frequent Small Meals
Emory Visual Arts Department
Emory Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts (ILA)

Radical Chid Care Collective Community Gathering!

2010-10-23T15:00:00.002-04:00

WHERE?

Grant Park - playground behind Cyclorama

WHEN?

Sunday, October 24 · 5:00pm - 6:30pm

Sick of being left out of organizing because of the absence of childcare at meetings?

Is childcare badly needed at your organization's events?

Do you desire to support families in your radical/progressive community?

Kelli's Childcare Collective of Atlanta is hosting a community discussion about the need for radical childcare in progressive movement building and for society in general. This is a great opportunity to come enjoy some time in the park, fill your belly with yummies, and talk about this important issue. Find out what the Collective is doing and how you can contribute. Bring your ideas, perspectives, enthusiasm, and kids if you have them!

Some food and beverages will be provided. Discussions will be facilitated by core volunteers of the Collective. Please feel free to invite anybody you think might be interested in participating!

The Atlanta Sedition Orchestra will be performing at 5pm.

Atlanta Graffiti stars shine at grassroots street art conference Closing Party

2010-09-26T14:28:00.001-04:00

If you missed the Opening Night, you missed one of the hottest (literally and figuratively), well-attended alternative art happenings of the year. Hundreds of Graffiti enthusiasts of all ethnicities overflowed the Eyedrum Gallery -- reflecting the mission of the grassroots Living Walls Conference -- and took it to the streets.

Now you have a chance to see some of the stunning art that resulted from Living Walls, at the Living Walls closing reception, this Monday Sept 27th at Eyedrum at 6pm. In person will be reknowned street artists, including Evereman, Greg Mike, Gaia, Jordan Seiler and more.

Street sign by Evereman.

The Living Walls is an exhibition and conference focused on street art and its role in engaging public space. Among the art shown was work by a selection of international artists who use the streets to showcase their art. It also featured artists that re-appropriate the public realm, attempting to take charge of their media space.

More Info:

http://livingwallsconference.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Living-Walls-the-City-Speaks/366214201228?v=info

Eyedrum Gallery is located at 290 Martin Luther King Jr Dr S, Atlanta, GA 30312-2160

Sex, Wine, and Chocolate 2010: SPARKing the FIRE in Each Other

2010-09-21T11:59:00.000-04:00

Just add music, and you've got all the ingredients of a perfect late-summer romance! Whether you're a SPARK supporter or not, Sex, Wine and Chocolate 2010 is the see-and-be-seen steamy date -- or pick-up-a-date -- event of the season!

The Rialto will be packed with hotties on-stage and off for this annual fundraiser supporting SPARK! Reproductive Justice Now -- a statewide grassroots organization committed to promoting reproductive justice and sexual health.

From body painting, aerial and burlesque dancing, pole dancing to drag, performers include KEVIN the Performer, The Lady Vagina Jenkins, Poleateaze and more! Madame of Ceremonies is the illustrious JOI, known for her sultry, sexy, eclectic music. And working in the community angle, SPARK will be honoring Representative Simone Bell and the SisterSong Women of Color for Reproductive Justice Collective.

WHAT: Sex, Wine, and Chocolate, a sex-positive sensual night free of sexual oppression

WHEN: Thursday, September 23rd, 7pm

WHERE: The Rialto Center for the Performing Arts at Georgia State University, 80 Forsyth St. NW, Atlanta 30303

WHO: SPARK! Reproductive Justice Now is a statewide grassroots organization committed to promoting reproductive justice and sexual health

MORE INFO: http://sparkrj.org/content/swc2010/

SPARK organizes, networks, supports, and educates organizations and individuals dedicated to reproductive freedom, health, and justice. SPARK envisions a free, healthy, and just world where the sexual and reproductive choices of all are respected and embraced.

Best of CinErotic 2010 - FREE!! 18+

2010-08-17T10:53:00.001-04:00

This screening is Pay What You Want! Any amount from Free! to a million dollars! The money will be split up among the film makers.

If you missed the first CinErotic Film Fest last Valentines’ weekend, you definitely want to catch their “Best Of CinErotic 2010” film night, at Eyedrum on August 19th. It’s part of the brand new Independent Film Month in Atlanta -- August -- sponsored by the Festival League.

The “Best of 2010” show includes "sexy, smart, artful erotic short films with a twist — or a kink, if you will," says co-founder Andi Rockz. "These are films about sexuality that colors outside the lines, and celebrates all that is polymorphously perverse!"

Showcasing a wide swath of outside-the-mainstream erotica, CinErotic seeks out films that include a diverse cast of actors: ethnicity, genders, sexuality, age, bodies, abilities, etc. Or as their official tagline reads, “CEFF celebrates sex-positive, diverse and empowering erotic cinema by amateurs and independent artists.”

Co-founders Andi Rockz & Kiki Carr have culled the best films in a variety of categories, from romantic to kinky, amateur to artful, comedy to disturbing.

"Vocolotion" by Atlanta's beloved artist R. Land ("Loss Cat") is his unique take on sex ed videos from years past. Some of his more famous images make cameos in this film and wind up in, literally, sticky situations. "Married with Children," by award-winning filmmaker Erika Lust, is a peek into the suave S&M that keeps sex fresh. Her newest short, "Handcuffs" is a brief glimpse into a sleek nightclub of sideways glances and fantasies.

"The Erotic Couch" by Athens, Georiga artist Andrew Shearer shows what happens when a reluctant lesbian gets a magical velvet couch-cover.

"Headshot" and "Cocksucker," by two separate female directors, show the same act from opposite sides, in a breathless yet politically challenging take on, yes, the blowjob. Meanwhile, New York performance artist Narcissister engages a "Hot Dog" in unseemly acts, and gets a spanky workout in "Self-Gratifier."

Other shorts include "The Ginger," in which a sexy redhead seductively eats a turkey drumstick; "Want" proves that differently abled queers can get what they desire; and a handsome butch ranchhand takes home the cute femme lamb, in "The Sheep and The Ranchhand." Director Julie Simmon's "Dolls Fit," uses refrain of an odd abusive mother with her “daughter”. Showing last – so queasy viewers will have a chance to exit – is 1000’s of goatsies in the raunchy "Asspig," from San Francisco artist Anthony Viti.

Queer Laughs & Songs at AQLF Benefit Show Thurs!

2010-08-11T10:32:00.000-04:00

Solstice from Andy Ditzler on Vimeo.

Eddie's Attic, Decatur, GA
Thursday 8/12 630pm-11pm

Buy tickets now before they sell out: http://tinyurl.com/2fzaj82

The AQLF Benefit Show is part music, part comedy, & all very queertastic. The music line-up includes local favorites KenJ, Lucas Miré & the legendary Bucky Motter, plus keyboard wizards Andy Ditzler & Guyton Maurice, & the debut of Julia Carroll & Amy Lashley's new band, Without a Net. The comedy line-up includes the host of Comedy Night at Eddie's, Alyssa Barnett-Schott, plus newly resurrected heroes Mindy Dawn Friedman & Vivian Alford, & the king of catty, Sanders Hulsey. Taken together, this dirty dozen is the very best in GLBTQ entertainment that Atlanta has to offer. Proceeds from the show will support the 4th Annual Atlanta Queer Literary Festival, bringing amazing queer literature & performance to you for free every October.

Tickets for this unique fundraising event on Thursday, August 12th, are already on sale through the Eddie's Attic website. Advanced tickets are $12, $15 at the door, & it costs $60 to reserve a table for 4. Doors open at 6:30 pm, show begins at 7:00pm.

Faerie Escape comes to Atlanta August 14-15

2010-07-15T14:33:00.016-04:00

Faerie artists Charles Vess, authors Ellen Kushner, Delia Sherman, Ari Berk and Eugie Foster, IK the Troll and many others converge on Atlanta for the first Faerie Escape in the United States

The faerie-themed convention brings together conversations on faeries, fairy tales, and their psychological and ecological themes; workshops on costuming, writing, faerie house construction and more; children’s programming; and celebrations of all things faerie related.

“Faeries symbolize far more than just the mischievous, irrepressible side of human nature. Fairy tales have always taught lessons of importance to all people, be it respect for our environment, secrets of our psyches, or even not to travel alone into dark woods,” said Andrew Greenberg, director of Faerie Escape: Atlanta. “The lessons apply as well now as they did 1000 years ago.”

The Faerie Escape brings together a number of groups, including the Mythic Imagination Institute, the Phoenix and Dragon bookstore, and Realms of Fantasy magazine. “Interest in faeries and fairy tales reaches across many different groups and subcultures. We see their influence in movies, books and more,” Greenberg said.

Speakers for the Escape include Vess, Berk, Foster, IK; authors such as Orion Foxwood and Kristen McDermott; noted mythologist Honora Foah; artists John Bridges, Lindsay Archer and Rene Newsome; game designers Bill Bridges and Joseph Carriker; faerie house designer Candace Apple and more.

The Escape’s theme, “Into the Woods, Into the Alleys,” reflects both traditional thoughts on faeries as well as more modern interpretations presented in Vess’s work in “Stardust” and Berk’s in “Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Letters.” It also examines how ideas about faeries and fairy tales now encompass both rural and urban settings.

WHAT Faerie Escape workshops, classes and exhibitors
WHEN 10 am-6pm Saturday & Sunday, August 14-15
SPECIAL The Grand Faerie Escape Ball - 8 pm Saturday August 14
WHERE Holiday Inn Select Perimeter - Atlanta, Georgia, 30341
HOW MUCH: Weekend passes are only $19 in advance
MORE INFO: www.faeatlanta.com

Atlanta's "Best Burlesque Dancer" and Queen of Queer Burlesque seeking to raise $3000

2010-04-07T12:41:00.000-04:00

As performance artists go, Atlanta's Vagina Jenkins is the sexiest and most entertaining thing you'll probably ever see. Vagina Jenkins uses the medium of burlesque dance as a platform for her unique brand of queer, body positive, class conscious, black girl empowered politics.

Vagina says she "use(s) striptease as an entertaining way to show folks what I mean when i talk about visibility. There's nothing more visible than a fat, black girl in a 4 foot tall red and gold head-dress!"

As part of a mission to raise awareness around issues of queer, fat, femme, poor, POC visibility Vagina Jenkins is currently trying to raise money to take her message on the road. Vagina Jenkins understands that while performing to crowds in major cities like Vegas, San Francisco or NY is a validating experience, she also believes that there is even more important work to be done in rural and suburban America.

"It's humbling to have to ask for help, but I also believe there's a lot of folks out there who believe in my art and what I'm trying to achieve that would be willing to help out. Even just $20 a month from 50 folks would help me meet my goal." says Jenkins.

Vagina Jenkins is throwing a benefit show to raise money for an upcoming trip to the London Burlesque Festival. After the festival, she hopes to begin her "VaGIANT Americana Tour" in June.

Vagina Jenkins is currently accepting donations through kickstarter.com and paypal.com.

Please see http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/VaginaJenkins/vagina-jenkins-got-a-ramblin-mind-fund for an extensive description and video of the project. Please keep in mind that if the full amount is not raised by June, all funds are returned to their original donors!

Or donate directly to Vagina.Jenkins.Burlesque@gmail.com through www.Paypal.com

Or , if you live in Atlanta, please attend the "All About Vag" benefit show at Eyedrum, 290 MLK Jr Drive, 30312. 8pm-midnight. $5-10 sliding fee scale.

Feel free to check out this lovely feature about Vag in the latest edition of the GA Voice . http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/aae/nightlife-menu/119-queer-burlesque-performer-vagina-jenkins-seeks-international-fame

www.VaginaJenkins.com

--
-Creative Loafing magazine's Best Burlesque Dancer
-Go Magazine's Top 100 Lesbians '09
-SOVO magazine's Best Up and Coming Activist '08, '09
www.VaginaJenkins.com
www.facebook.com/VagJenkins
www.myspace.com/Vagina_Jenkins
www.twitter.com/VaginaJenkins

Radlanta Blog ISO Writers, Bloggers, Party People & Activists!

2010-03-16T12:14:00.000-04:00

Are you a writer? Want an easy way to get your name out there as a blogger? Or are you up on the funnest, coolest stuff happening in Atlanta and want to let people know? Or do you promote radical, fun events? Join the Radlanta blogging staff!

Radlanta blog is focused on "radical different subversive underground alternafun in Atlanta" -- basically a combination of under-the-radar cool events, and kickass, right-on politics as only Atlanta does it!

Radlanta has been a popular blog for over 2 years now, and has a large email subscription following, and high Google search results.

Your job: once a week or so, write a 2-3 paragraphs about an upcoming show, get-together, fun random happening, or just anything you think is cool about Atlanta. Then sit back and enjoy influencing hundreds of Atlanta fun radicals! That's it!

Interested yet? Email me (Kiki) at RadlantaBlog @ gmail.com - NOW! And please pass this on to any rad writers you know!

For a quick take, check out our most popular tags for Radlanta blog posts:
Atlanta (15)
MondoHomo (8)
activism (8)
art film (8)
feminism (6)
Atlanta Sedition Orchestra (4)
Charis Books (4)
Film Love (4)
Frolicon (4)
queer film (4)
Audre Lorde (3)
Bayard Rustin (3)
Malcolm X (3)
Mary's (3)
Plaza Theatre (3)
Radical marching bands (3)
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (3)
Sex 2.0 (3)
burlesque (3)
gay sex (3)
Angela Davis (2)
Atlanta Queer Literary Festival (2)
Diamond Lil (2)
Eyedrum (2)
Girls Rock Camp (2)
Vagina Jenkins (2)
bikes (2)
fat positive (2)
homohop (2)
punk (2)
sci-fi (2)
sex work (2)
Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition (1)
Be Your Own Hero Festival (1)
Beehive Collective (1)
Black gay men (1)
Cinco de Mayo (1)
FTM (1)
First Existentialist (1)
Jane Fonda (1)
Justin Bond (1)
Marlon Riggs (1)
Oscar Grant (1)
Project South (1)
Sopo Bike Cooperative (1)
Team Gina (1)
WRFG (1)
Wonderroot (1)
YouthPride (1)
bingo (1)
disability rights (1)
drag (1)
femme (1)
gender (1)
hangover cure (1)
hip hop (1)
immigrant rights (1)
intersex (1)
kink (1)
magical realism (1)
multi-racial (1)
pole dancing (1)
police brutality (1)
radical politics (1)
revolution (1)
social justice (1)
transgender (1)
underground (1)
zapatistas (1)

GSU’s Reel to Real Disability Film Fest

2010-03-13T18:12:00.000-05:00

GSU’s Reel to Real Disability Film Fest

March 24, April 7, April 21

ATLANTA -- Georgia State University’s Center for Leadership in Disability, Morehouse School of Medicine, and IMPACT present the REEL TO REAL Disability Film Fest to promote awareness and appreciation of the beauty in disability, through representations of our lives.

On March 24, 2010 Sixth Happiness will be screened at CineFest at 5pm, followed by a panel discussion on disability sexuality. Sixth Happiness is a semi-autobiographical tale based on the book, Trying to Grow by Firdaus Kanga and chronicles his experiences growing up as gay and disabled in Bombay. The story is told in the first person as Brit takes us through the joys, disappointments, rejections and sexual awakening of his formative years.

On April 7, 2010 On a Roll will be screened at the GSU Speaker’s Auditorium at 5pm. On a Roll traces the life of Greg Smith and explores his experiences regarding the intersection of race and disability, discrimination, sexuality, employment, housing and community integration. Preceding the screening will be a step show by the Zeta Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity at 3pm and a keynote address by Greg Smith, the star of On a Roll at 4pm.

On April 21, 2010 Self-Preservation: The Art of Riva Lehrer will be screened at CineFest at 5pm, followed by a panel discussion on disability and the arts. The film focuses on Lehrer’s “Circle Series” which features expressionistic portraits of powerful, successful, creative friends and scholars with disabilities. Several noted disability scholars are featured throughout the film discussing her work, as well as the role of arts in the disability community.

“The goal of Reel to Real Disability Film Fest is to highlight the beauty, sexuality and power of people with disabilities in order to dismantle negative disability stereotypes,” said Bethany Stevens, faculty member and policy analyst for the Center for Leadership in Disability.

Sexy Valentines date for singles, poly partners and couples!

2010-02-11T07:48:00.000-05:00

CinErotic Film Fest brings sexy back to Valentines!
With almost 10 short films per show, the brand new CinErotic Film Fest is packing plenty of hotness and diversity into each screening.

Erotic filmmakers from as far away as Singapore, Barcelona and Brazil entered films for the Fest, alongside homegrown filmmakers from Atlanta and Athens. All will be represented in CinErotic's three nights of screenings at Eyedrum Gallery next weekend, February 12-14.

"CEFF celebrates sex-positive, diverse and empowering erotic cinema and performance by amateurs, independent artists and the avant-garde," says Andi Rockz, one of the organizers. "I call it porn you don't have to shut your brain off for."

Queer as F*ck - Friday, Feb 12, 8:30pm - $8

The "Queer" show Friday night treats viewers to erotic short films that appeal to boys, girls, trans individuals and gender queers. The main attraction is "Tour de Pants," a new film by Luke Woodward of San Francisco featuring hot queer men, transfolk and lesbians — all in bicycle-related erotic scenes

Other shorts include "The Ginger," in which a sexy redhead seductively eats a turkey drumstick; "The Erotic Couch" by Athens artist Andrew Shearer shows what happens when a reluctant lesbian gets a magical velvet couch-cover; things aren't what they seem for a gay male couple in "Hitchcocked;" "Want" proves that differently abled queers can get what they desire; a handsome butch ranchhand takes home the cute femme lamb, in "The Sheep and The Ranchhand," and Narcissister dares you to put him/her in a gender box in "Man/Woman."

If (when) the films leave you hot, bothered, and panting for more, head over to Mary's in East Atlanta CEFF-sponsored make-out party for everyone. Cross your fingers that there will be an improptu spin the bottle or round of truth or dare!
Passion & Pleasures - Saturday, Feb 13, 8pm - $10 General Admission / $20 VIP

Make it a passionate Valentines to remember on Saturday night with a luxurious date special: for $20 (surely one of the most recession-friendly Valentines' events!), you and your sweetie(s) get reserved seating up front on for-this-night-only romantic couches, with sweet treats to enjoy during the screening, and complimentary champagne (21+). Because VIP tickets are sold "per-person," rather than "per couple," this makes a great Valentines' date night for singles AND polyamorous partners as well as couples! But even regular ticket holders will swoon to the romantic short films in the line-up.

"Vocolotion" by Atlanta's beloved artist R. Land ("Loss Cat") is his unique take on sex ed videos from years past. Some of his more famous images make cameos in this film and wind up in, literally, sticky situations. "The Flesh is Willing" is pure dark noir-infused erotica. "The Good Girl," by award-winning feminist filmmaker Erika Lust of Barcelona, revisits the classic "pizza guy" porn cliche from the female point of view, as a smart businesswoman is challenged by her more adventurous pal to take erotic risks. Lusts newest short, "Handcuffs" is a brief glimpse into sleek nightclub and sideways glances revealing a sexy secret. "Headshot" and "Cocksucker," by two separate female directors, show the same act from opposite sides, in a breathless yet politically challenging take on, yes, the blowjob. Meanwhile, "Allen Ginsberg Gives Great Head" dissects Singaporean identity through the vaselined lens of an Adonis-like, self-pleasuring young hipster, and the Narcissister engages a "Hot Dog" in unseemly acts.

The 1963 short film "Christmas on Earth" is directed by famed filmmaker Barbara Rubin (best known as the 60s mover and shaker who introduced Andy Warhol to the Velvet Underground). Selected by local curator Andy Ditzler (Film Love), the film is set in a New York apartment where a group of men and women engage in an orgy. It is considered one of the first sexually explicit works produced by the American postwar avant-garde, and one of the very few made by a woman up to that point. We will screen Christmas on Earth the way Rubin herself did in the 60s: with two 16mm film reels running simultaneously (one image inside the other), a specially chosen soundtrack of 60s pop songs, and colored gels for the projectionist and audience to place over the projector lens.

Kink-O-Matic - Sunday, Feb 14, 6pm - $8

The fest wraps up with an evening of "sexy, smart, artful erotic short films with a twist — or a kink, if you will," says founder Kiki Carr. "These are films about sexuality that colors outside the lines, and celebrates all that is kinky, bdsm, leather or otherwise polymorphously perverse!"

There's no other film quite like Curt McDowell's "Pornografollies," which begins our Kink-O-Matic program. This rare 16mm film from 1970 San Francisco features a succession of performers doing sexual/genital vaudeville acts. Described by the New York Times as "slapdash surrealism...a musical of sorts, a bisexual scatological revue full of bad jokes, good humor, and and a general content that I could not begin to describe here," Pornografollies transmutes sexual variety into celebratory comedy.

Other pervy shorts include director Julie Simmon's very strange "Dolls Fit," Erika Lusts' view into the slick S&M that keeps sex fresh in "Married with Children," and director Anthony Viti's extremely raunchy "Asspig" and his Gus Van Sant-esque motion pictures from behind the scenes at bdsm web pornhouse Kink.com in "Mission & 14th." Narcissister gets a spanky workout in "Self-Gratifier," and "Strap-on Owl Beak" chronicles an actor's descent into an underground of perversity. And select videos by virtuoso filmmaker Tom Chomont depict the world of leather, BDSM, and erotic shaving with an intensity akin to spirituality.

Valentines' Play Party hosted by WhipperSnappers at Spring4th Center

Following the films, kinksters are invited to a special Valentine's play party at the Spring4th Center. The party starts at 8:30pm, and entry is only $5 -- and FREE! for CEFF ticket holders (from any screening). The play party is hosted by festival sponsor WhipperSnappers, an under-40 bdsm group, but the party is open to anyone over 18. Spring4th Center is located at 728 Spring St. NW

All-Fest Passes!

Film buffs can purchase festival passes good for all three shows for a mere $25, or $35 for a VIP Fest Pass, which includes the VIP luxury experience on Saturday night — and organizers are expecting sell outs, making this the best deal for one of the sexiest weekend in Atlanta. All films will be shown at Eyedrum Gallery, 290 MLK Jr. Dr. SE, 30312

CEFF is produced in part by Andy Ditzler's award-winning Film Love series, and PinkEye indie queer film salon. The Fest is generously funded by the Lloyd E. Russell Foundation, and supported by sponsors Dr. Bombay's, Spring4th Center, WhipperSnappers, Frolicon, and SouthEast Leather Fest. SPARK Reproductive Justice Now is the designated community partner.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.cineroticfest.com.

Celebrate MLK Day the Gay Way!!!

2010-01-17T16:41:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all, tomorrow in honor of MLK Jr Day, I'll be at the
- 10am Rustin-Lorde Brunch (see details below) then queueing up for the
- 1pm MLK March after
please join me!! and wear your MondoHomo t-shirts to show that MondoHomo supports!! - Kiki

The 2010 Atlanta Bayard Rustin-Audre Lorde Breakfast will be held on Monday, January 18th at 10am at St. Marks United Methodist Church 781 Peachtree St (5th and Peachtree St) Atlanta, GA 30308

The breakfast was founded in 2002 to provide attendees the opportunity to connect before joining the Martin Luther King Jr. March, educate communities about the life and contributions of Bayard Rustin, Audre Lorde and other activists, and enhance mutual support and continued learning among those involved in social justice efforts.

The 9th annual Atlanta Bayard Rustin-Audre Lorde Breakfast will feature a conversation among veteran gay and lesbian organizers about black lgbtq organizing in Atlanta in the 80's and 90's. Participants will also learn about challenges facing Georgia's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, proposed anti-bullying legislation and how they can engage in local advocacy efforts.

For more information about the Bayard Rustin-Audre Lorde Breakfast, please contact Craig at craig.washington@aidatlanta.org or at 404.870.7760. The breakfast is free and open to all. Donations are encouraged. Breakfast sponsors include St. Marks United Methodist Church, Radial Café, AID Atlanta, Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition, EM Designs Group, Starbucks, Georgia Equality and Georgia Safe Schools Coalition.

*Following the breakfast we will proceed to the Martin Luther King Jr. March and Rally. We will gather at the designated line-up site on Peachtree and Ellis streets at 12:45 pm. STATE REP SIMONE BELL HD 58, GA's first openly lesbian black state legislator will speak at this year's rally representing LGBTQ communities!!!

The MLK Rally, near the MLK Center for Non-Violent Social Change, immediately follows the March. The MLK March is scheduled to start at 1 pm. Marchers will proceed down Peachtree to Auburn Ave, turn left and end at Auburn and Boulevard. For more information about the MLK March, please visitwww.mlkmarchaaar.org.

If you've never been a political activist, NOW is the time!

2009-07-31T10:55:00.006-04:00

Call Your Congresspeople: Take the Pledge for the Public Option

This may be the most important 10 minutes of phone calls in your life! I personally am trying to do this every day or two.

Okay, Americans! You want healthcare? You want to live in a civilized country, one that values the well-being of ALL citizens, not just the rich? NOW! is the time to work our asses off getting a serious Public Option passed. THIS MONTH is the most crucial time in our lifetimes for making this happen!

Here's what you can do today: Progressive members of Congress need to draw a line in the sand and demand a public health insurance option -- something 76% of Americans want.

Call progressive members of Congress and ask that they Take the Pledge to vote against any health care bill that doesn't have a public plan which is:

available nationwide
on day one
and accountable to Congress and the voters

Say:
"I'm a constituent, and I'm calling to ask if the Representative (insert name here) has or will Take the Pledge to vote against any any health care bill lacking a public plan that is:
* available nationwide
* on day one
* and accountable to Congress and the voters

Has the Representative Taken the Pledge to do this?
[get an anser here]

I would urge the Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 676, the "Medicare For All" Bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers. This plan can save over $286 billion dollars a year in total health care costs. That's enough to cover all the uninsured and provide full prescription drug coverage for everyone in the United States. And 60% of physicians now support a national, single-payer health insurance system for everyone."

Georgia
Johnson, Hank -- GA-04 -- 202-225-1605
Lewis, John -- GA-05 -- 202-225-3801
Scott, David -- GA-13 -- 202-225-2939
Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. -- GA-2 -- 202-225-3631

Lean Yes
Diana DeGette -- CO01 -- 202-225-4431
Jane Harman-- CA36 -- 202-225-8220
Christopher Murphy -- CT05 -- 202-225-4476
Frank Pallone -- NJ06 -- 202-225-4671
Bobby Rush -- IL01 -- 202-225-4372

Public Option Only (or Won't Say)
Rick Boucher -- VA09 -- 202-225-3861
Bruce Braley -- IA01 -- 202-225-2911
G.K. Butterfield -- NC01 -- 202-225-3101
Lois Capps -- CA23 -- 202-225-3601
Kathy Castor -- FL11 -- 202-225-3376
John Dingell -- MI15 -- 202-225-4071
Charles Gonzalez -- TX20 -- 202-225-3236
Jay Inslee -- WA01 -- 202-225-6311
Doris Matsui -- CA05 -- 202-225-7163
Jerry McNerney -- CA11 -- 202-225-1947
John Sarbanes -- MD03 -- 202-225-4016
Bart Stupak -- MI01 -- 202-225-4735
Betty Sutton -- OH13 -- 202-225-3401
Henry Waxman (Chair) -- CA30 -- 202-225-3976

Free Shifa! Urgently need witnesses on Tuesday in Atlanta

2009-05-25T08:25:00.001-04:00

Dear Friends!

I need each and everyone of your presences on Tuesday, May 26, 3pm !!!

I hope you are well and in good spirits. Thanks to so many of you who have extended your emotional support around my family's situation regarding my little brother's (Shifa) case over the last three years.

Shifa is having a Bond Hearing on Tuesday, May 26 at 3 PM and we need to fill the courthouse!

He has been held for over 3 years, without a trial, under deplorable conditions of solitary confinement and endured physical violence from another inmate last October and still awaiting trial. As a result, he lives in constant fear of his life at the prison and his health has significantly deteriorated, needing medical attention. The prison staff has ignored his medical requests and both guards and other inmates continue to harass him. Please read about his prison conditions here http://freeshifa.com/images/Contents/bond%20motion%202009.pdf

We have worked very hard to get this hearing for Shifa. We want to have him with us at home so he can regain his health and help his lawyers prepare for trial. We need your support and request your attendance at the bond hearing, so the judge may allow Shifa to be released to his family.

We also request you kindly make announcements about Shifa's bond hearing to your communities, organizations, and encourage your friends and families to support us by attending the hearing.

We need 100 people to support us at the bond hearing. We would be much obliged for all your help and look forward to seeing you, your friends and families at Shifa's Bond Hearing on this Tuesday, May 26, 3 PM.

YOUR attendance can make a big difference...please come and be with us.

BOND HEARING FOR SHIFA

WHEN: TUESDAY, MAY 26,
TIME: 3 PM

Courthouse address:

Room 1705, on 17th Floor
Judge William Duffey
Richard B Russel Federal Building
75 Spring St.
Atlanta, GA 30303

Peace and Blessings,
Sharmin and Sonali Sadequee
517-505-1697

--
www.freeshifa.com
www.ipetitions.com/petition/FreeShifa
www.flickr.com/photos/freeshifa
www.myspace.com/freeshifa
www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=62107787609&ref=u

What are YOU doing with 5 Days of Fabulous at MondoHomo?

2009-05-20T16:29:00.010-04:00

Wow, it’s just around the corner! FIVE DAYS of FABULOUS at MondoHomo in Atlanta!
http://www.mondohomo.com

What events are YOU going to? The off-the-chain Grand Opening Art Show, Homo Spoken: Sex & Politics, dyke icon Gretchen Philips, Athens Boys Choir and “Stories from the Road” documentary about following PJ Harvey -- all for only $7?

or Friday night’s Katrina del Mar showcase of the HAWTEST lesbo short films we’ve ever seen, TUFF CHICKS, with everything from surfer girls to Brooklyn girl gangs to lesbian vampires?

or the always-magical Mondo HomoHop on Friday night with more than 10 queer MCs from across the country, including smokin’ hot DEADLEE and Pharell-picks KIN4LIFE?

or the FREE! ALL AGES! HomoCon! on Saturday afternoon with fun, smart workshops, and Community Speed-Dating game with prizes?

or Film Love’s ‘BODIES’ screening of 18+ only sexy films by 70s queer filmmakers on Saturday?

or international superstar Justin Bond (John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus, Kiki & Herb lounge act, tons of Broadway and off-Broadway shows) in the East Coast debut of his new show, Rites of Spring, that’s played to sellout crowds on the West Coast?

or hard-rocking Mondo Rock, featuring the closest thing to Joan Jett (minus 20+ years) crossed with Metallica, New York City’s dyke band GSX?

or the FREE! ALL AGES! family-friendly Mondo Day Camp in Cabbagetown Park on Sunday, fun hanging out and games with your new queer peeps?

or More Mondo Film Love with original short films by 70s genderf*ck drag troupe The Cockettes, and a rare performance by Atlanta’s own inspiration to generations of drag queens, Diamond Lil & the Naked Hearts?

or chicken-and-waffles brunch at the Mondo Finalé, with Gospel Drag Brunch featuring drag/burlesque hotties like the incomparable burlesque star Vagina Jenkins?

or Johnny Drago’s original play written to debut at MondoHomo, “Billy Budd: a Portrait in Seamen”, with Radiotron genius DJ Lil Ray spinning it down after?

or just hanging out around Eyedrum this weekend, to cruise and meet the sexiest gathering of cross-country queers the South has ever hosted? (pssst... I’m telling you, spring flings are the best with here-today, gone next week out-of-towners!)

if you’re like me, it’s just too much darn trouble to pick! Might as well get the $50 5-day VIP Pass while they’re still available!

What's FREE! at MondoHomo this weekend?

2009-05-19T17:43:00.002-04:00

What’s FREE! at MondoHomo?

Well, besides the Workshops (with free catered brunch, first come, first served), there’s the Mondo Day Camp!

Every year when we ask people what their favorite MondoHomo event was, the Day Camp is always the hands-down winner! Why? Because it’s outside, in gorgeous weather, family friendly, great BBQ, FREE!, fun sporty games, and just hanging with our queer peeps!!

So come on out Sunday May 22nd, noon-6pm, at Cabbagetown Park

(intersection of Kirkwood & Tye St., just a couple blocks over from the Red Fish sign on Memorial Drive, just east of Boulevard).

MondoHomo loves our Community!

2009-05-19T00:45:00.003-04:00

PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY!

MondoHomo loves our Community!
http://www.mondohomo.com/

If you haven’t noticed, MondoHomo is all about community and politics this year, in addition to some damn fine queer performance!

Beginning this year, we now have an Activist Partner (or two) for each MondoHomo event. What’s an Activist Partner? It’s a local group doing radical and/or queer work that aligns with MondoHomo's politics (see the Manifesto at http://www.mondohomo.com/section/about/manifesto). They will be featured at the event, introduce their group to our audience, and staff a table with more information during the event.

Here’s our Activist Partners for 2009:
Thursday/HomoSpoken - Atlanta Queer Literary Festival, an annual festival of queer literature and writers
and Charis Books, a feminist bookstore that hosts many social justice events
Friday/HomoHop - Southern Comfort Conference, an annual nationwide transgender conference held in Atlanta
Saturday/HomoCon & Mondo Mondo - Southerners on New Ground, a radical queer community-building group
Sunday/Mondo Day Camp - YouthPride, a community center for LGBTQ youth.
Monday/Mondo Finalé - Zami, Atlanta’s premiere organization for Lesbians of African Descent

we’ve also got Free Workshops!
on Saturday May 23rd, from noon-5pm at Eyedrum Gallery,

MondoHomo presents HomoCon!
an afternoon of creative and political workshops to bolster our spirits! It’s one of several FREE! all ages events at MondoHomo, and comes with a free catered brunch from Sun in my Belly, a tres delish eatery in Decatur. There are 2 sessions, Session A from noon-1:30pm, and Session B from 2pm-3:30pm.

Session A - noon-1:30pm

D.I.Y. Screen Printin' Workshop with Lady Jane
Basic steps to screen printing from your house or garage.âÂ€¨Basic steps to screen printing from your house or garage. Bring your shirts or material to print on.

Struggle for dignity: My experiences with the Zapatistas (EZLN), with Gerardo Tristan
This is an hour informal talk where I will be sharing my experience with the insurgent indigenous group EZLN who has developed into a larger national movement seeking autonomy and promoting sustainable way of surviving in this global economy and within the context of a TLC (North American free trade). After sharing my experience people are welcomed to ask or share their thoughts on the Zapatismo and their struggle!

Queer Southern Identity and Making Art - The business of political queer art, with Gina Mamone
join Gina Mamone President & CEO of the worlds largest LGBTQ record label, Riot Grrrl Ink as she talks about embracing her inner gender queer hillbilly and the importance of how owning your roots through your art is fundamental in shattering southern stereotypes. Also discussed: Queer Marketing & Branding on a national level to create community.

Boylesque, with Smokin' McQueen

PR and Marketing, with Ms. Bea Haven

Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence in the Queer/Trans Community, with Sarah Meng & Tommy Theollyn
This workshop intends to speak to the reality of sexual assault and domestic violence within the queer and/or trans communities. We will look at the resources available to us and examine the ways that multiple isms contribute to violence and limit access to resources. We will strategize ways to confront, prevent, and heal from this violence, as well as begin to build a larger framework for action within a transformative justice context. Open to all.

Strategies for Community Safety and Better Policing, not More Police!, with Moki of BLOCS

Patent Fever, with Michael Anne Jello
How we challenge Big Pharma (in the UK, US), and how the intellectual property system seems to entrench racial, class and North/South inequalities

Session B - 2pm -3:30pm

Burlesque Basics, with Vagina Jenkins
WANT TO TEASE YOUR LOVER?!?! Learn the timeless art of the striptease from the infamous V.A.G. Named Atlanta's Best Burlesque Dancer; The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins is just the grrrl to show you the basics of the bump n grind!

Social Justice, anti-racism, WOC, anti-violence, with Tru Bloo

Queer Visibility, with Gina Mamone
The importance of queer visibility, telling queerâÂ€¨stories and making our voices heard with an organic Q& A

The Trans-Health Initiative
Feminist Women’s Health Center and South Comfort Conference âÂ€¨Moderator: Kathy King, FWHCâÂ€¨Panel: Jac Camp, Director of Trans Health Initiative, FWHC, Lola Cola, SCC Board Member, FWHC Board Member, another SCC representativeâÂ€¨We will show short film clips, introducing the FWHC and Robert Eads. The panel will address the importance of trans-health issues, specifically for FtM, share info & resources, talk about the Southern Comfort Conference, and discuss advocating for equality in the workplace and the doctor’s office

The True Cost of Coal, with The Beehive Collective
Your light switch is connected to a human and ecological drama playing out in the Appalachians and beyond. The Beehive Design Collective presents "The True Cost of Coal," a giant poster-in-progress with an all-animal cast! The Beehive is an all-volunteer, art-activist collective dedicated to "cross-pollinating the grassroots" by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images for use as educational and organizing tools.

DIY production of beats, homophobia in hip hop or self producing, with breakout homohop artists KIN4LIFE

Then at 4pm we’re excited to present a Community Roundup Rodeo, with prizes and games encouraging community interaction at the FREE! HomoCon. A number of community groups are participating, including:
Youth Pride
Wonderroot
Kennesaw Pride Alliance
WRFG Radio Station
Southern Comfort Conference
The TransHealth Initiative
Feminist Women’s Health Center
GA Equality
Touching up our Roots
AID Atlanta
International Action Center

So come join us, and help us build our radical queer communities stronger!

Gretchen Phillips next week at MondoHomo!

2009-05-15T10:51:00.005-04:00

If you were a lesbian in the 90s, you probably remember Girls in the Nose, no? or Two Nice Girls? come on, sing along with me...

"...I spent my last 10 dollars on birth control, and beer... my life was so much simpler, when I was sober, and queer..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HtG9ef5XI4

Well that's Gretchen Phillips, and she's coming to Atlanta for MondoHomo! So getcherselves to the Eyedrum Gallery next Thursday night for the

GRAND OPENING festivities of MONDOHOMO 2009!!

more info at

http://www.mondohomo.com

and pssst... a little birdy tells me a certain famous Korean-American comedienne may be stopping by as well!

Femmethology comes to Atlanta - and vice versa!

2009-05-13T12:34:00.003-04:00

The official Atlanta release part for 'Visible: A Femmethology' is tomorrow Thursday 5/14 7:30pm at Charis Books and More. It's hosted by femme powerhouse Kathleen Delaney, also featured in MondoHomo's spoken word night on Thursday May 21st at Eyedrum. Hope to see y'all at both!

'Visible: A Femmethology', the only two-volume anthology devoted to femme identity, calls the LGBTQI community on its prejudices and celebrates the diversity of individual femmes. Award-winning authors, spoken-word artists, and new voices come together to challenge conventional ideas of how disability, class, nationality, race, aesthetics, sexual orientation, gender identity and body type intersect with each contributor's concrete notion of femmedom. Join us as we celebrate the release of this anthology, with readings by 5 local contributors: Brook Bolen, Caitlin Childs, JD Dykes, Asha Leong, and Margaret Price.

First Reading:
What: Official Atlanta Femmethology Release Party
When: Thursday May 14th, 2009 from 7:30-9:00pm
Where: Charis Books and More (1189 Euclid Ave NE Atlanta, GA 30307 in the
Little 5 Points Business District)
Presented by: Charis Circle and the Atlanta Femme Mafia
Hosted by: Kathleen Delaney

More info:
www.femmethology.com
www.homofactuspress.com
www.chariscircle.org
www.charisbooksandmore.com
www.aphroditestoybox.com

Best Festival Name: Be Your Own Hero Fest!

2009-05-02T19:35:00.005-04:00

The 3rd Annual Be Yr Own Hero Festival (Hero Fest) will be taking place at the Soapbox (http://www.soapboxlaundrolounge.com/) in Wilmington, North Carolina September 5-6th 2009. Submissions for workshops, info sessions, skill shares, zine/craft/DIY, art and music are currently being accepted until July 19th, 2009.

Please see the form (http://beyrownhero.com/?p=73) to submit your workshop idea, skillshare, art or music. We welcome all subjects and we encourage all people to apply – we are looking for people/bands/artists who: Are down with social justice Live for dismantling the status quo Are interested in pushing their own limits Like to share Want a stronger community Be Yr Own Hero Fest is an annual radical Do It Yourself (DIY) festival in Wilmington, NC. It includes workshops, info sessions, awesome live music, rad art, free stuff, free food, lots of fun and friends from far near and far!

In 2007, Wilmington NC was home to the first Be Yr Own Hero Festival, an all day radical Do It Yourself (DIY) Festival held at the Soapbox Laundro Lounge. 2008 saw the 2nd Annual Hero Fest. Both Festivals included a Really Really Free Market, potluck, workshops, info sessions and live music.

Past workshops have included: DIY parenting (a radical concept), Basic Bicycle Repair, Truth in Recruiting / Promoting Peace, Social Activism & the Info-Wars, Radical Menstruation, Food Politics, Trans 101: Becoming an ally to transgender people, Unconventional Action: Organizing against the DNC/RNC, DIY DJ Workshop, Basket weaving, DIY Essentials Skillshare, Radical Women’s Health, Qi Gong (a type of Chinese martial arts) and more. Bands have included: The Nothing Noise, Gator Country, Prize Winners Collective, NED, Ghost Mice, The Mathematicians, and Poingly.

For more information on the Be Yr Own Hero Festival and Collective, visit www.beyrownhero.com or contact herofest@gmail.com.

Spaghetti, Bingo, history, herstory and Queerstory

2009-04-30T10:32:00.008-04:00

Spaghetti Dinner & Queerstory Bingo fundraiser
at Ria's Bluebird
421 Memorial Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA 30316
May 1st, 8-11pm
$20 cash, $1 additional Bingo cards, beer/wine available

Includes a delicious 3-course gourmet Spaghetti dinner (see Menu below) served by fabulous Femme Mafiosa, hot Rollergirls, and Vagina Jenkins, and a Bingo card. Diamond Lil will be calling the Bingo, with a real Bingo cage and number balls! Reservations recommended -- email heyqueer@mondohomo.com to RSVP. $20 cash only, and cash bar.

We've invited some mentors and elders in the community to each sit at a table with younger folks, and tell us stories of their radical queer lives here in Atlanta. So far we've available for fireside chats: the legendary drag queen Diamond Lil, perfomance poet Duncan Teague of Black and White Men Together, activist Lorraine Fontana, The Duchess, a pillar of the BDSM community who came up in the European Velvet Underground, and Mab Segrest, co-founder of Southerners on New Ground.

MENU
-field green salad with roma tomatoes, choice of buttermilk blue cheese dressing or balsamic vinaigrette
-all you can eat pasta with spicy marinara and chioce of meatballs or "neat" balls (veggie) with garlic french bread
-fresh strawberries with ice cream for dessert!

Bingo is being wrangled by Tony D and Kattrell of the Rollergirls. Here’s the prizes:
$50 week long pass for MondoHomo festival
$50 gift card Metrotainment
$25 gift card Dr. Bombay
$100 in gift cards Wahoo grill
$10 MondoHomo t-shirt
$25 gift card Ria's Bluebird
$60 original art works from Donna Van Gogh's
and drink tickets

8pm sharp, so we can maximize BINGO time!
Tables are filling up so call for reservations: 404-521-3737 or email heyqueer@mondohomo.com

Head-bowling Japanese and Detroit disco-rockers Electric 6!

2009-04-24T13:55:00.004-04:00

Okay, not to be missed this week:
wacky Japanese anime answer to the P-funk, Peelander-Z
at the Earl tonight, April 24th! I mean, when's the last time you saw silly disco-metal guys in colorful costumes bowling their lead singer through the audience?

and Detroit-by-way-of-London disco rockers Electric 6, you know, of "I Wanna Take You to a Gay Bar" and "Danger, Danger High Voltage", at Lenny's on Saturday!