Giving Thanks
Nov. 26 — Remember in “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” when Snoopy whipped up a meal of toast, popcorn, jellybeans, and ice cream sundaes? That’s the Thanksgiving I’d like to have. However, you’re spending tomorrow, I’m sending my thanks for reading Crosswalk and Georgia Voice this year.
Here are a few pre-holiday headlines:
👋 After years of anti-LGBTQ+ screeds, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced Friday night that she would resign from Congress on Jan. 5 after battling with Trump over the release of the Epstein files.
👎 The Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD denounced a report from the U.S. Department of Health that claims gender-affirming care for trans youth is dangerous.
⚖️ A federal court rebuffed the Department of Justice’s attempt to obtain medical records from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia about children receiving gender-affirming care.
🕯️ Out German actor Udo Kier, whose six-decade career saw collaborations with everyone from Andy Warhol and Madonna to Gus Van Sant and Lars Von Trier, died Sunday at 81.
🙌 Here at Georgia Voice, we’re thankful and honored to be a nominee for best small business in this year’s Community Honors from OUT Georgia Business Alliance. The awards will be handed out on Dec. 5.
🩸 Monday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day, a time to remember the millions lost to the disease, to support those living with HIV, and a reminder to know your status.
Forget the rules, we’re out of school…
Collin
🌈 Foster or adopt with pride at CHRIS 180. We welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families, offering inclusive support, proven success with zero adoption disruptions since 2013, and 24/7 guidance. Visit our website or send us an email to learn more! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Global Respect Act reintroduced is US House
🏳️🌈 U.S. Reps. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) reintroduced a bill that would sanction foreign officials who carry out anti-LGBTQ+ human rights abuses.
The Global Respect Act would direct “the U.S. government to identify and sanction foreign persons who are responsible for torture, arbitrary detention, physical attacks, murder, and other flagrant abuses against LGBTQI+ individuals.”
The measure would also require “annual human rights reporting from the State Department and strengthen coordination with foreign governments, civil society, and the private sector to prevent anti-LGBTQI+ persecution.”
➡ Read more about the bill here.
Start your journey with CHRIS 180 today
SPONSORED BY CHRIS 180
💙 The Gavins-Sanfilippo family came to CHRIS 180 ready to start a family, hoping to foster and eventually adopt. Just days after approval, they welcomed an infant and cared for the baby until a biological relative stepped forward.
Undaunted, they soon met a sibling pair and slowly built trust and connection. After nine months of steady, nurturing care, Victor and Joseph realized their dream—officially adopting the siblings and creating their forever family.
➞ Interested in fostering or adopting? Visit our website to learn more.
Filmmaker Ira Sachs talks ‘Peter Hujar’s Day’
🎥 While out director Ira Sachs was working on the film “Passages” with actor Ben Whishaw, he discovered Linda Rosenkrantz’s book “Peter Hujar’s Day.” He thought it would make an interesting next project for him and Whishaw to collaborate on.
“I knew that we shared an interest in queer history, specifically queer artists like Peter,” Sachs said. “By the time I finished the book, I said ‘Let’s make a movie of this.’”
The film is based on a taped conversation between Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall) and trailblazing queer photographer Hujar (Whishaw), in which the artist talks about a day in his life in New York in the 1970s. He tells Rosenkrantz about his daily activities, including his interactions with the likes of Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, and Susan Sontag. “Peter Hujar’s Day” opens Nov. 28 in Atlanta.
➡ Read Jim Farmer’s interview with Sachs here.
‘Wicked: For Good’ gets mixed reviews, but thrillifying box office
💚🩷 Rough Draft film critic Sammie Purcell didn’t particularly like “Wicked: For Good,” calling director Jon M. Chu’s adaptation of act two of the Broadway hit “ill-paced” and “ill-conceived.”
Sammie’s favorite part of the film was the chemistry between stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, noting its “queer-coded nature.”
My two cents: As a lifelong fan of “The Wizard of Oz,” the nods to it are satisfying and connect the storylines in subtle and sometimes horrifying ways. Yes, it’s way too long, and the songs aren’t as good as act one, but as Sammie noted, Erivo and Grande (who should get an Oscar nomination) are absolutely magical on the screen. If you don’t shed a little tear during their duet of “For Good,” then you might be emotionally stunted.
➡ No matter what Sammie or I think, the fans love it. “Wicked: For Good” soared to $226 million at the weekend box office.
🌈 Foster or adopt with pride at CHRIS 180. We welcome LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and families, offering inclusive support, proven success with zero adoption disruptions since 2013, and 24/7 guidance. Visit our website or send us an email to learn more! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Best Bets
🍽️ Join the gays and the grays for Thanksgiving dinner at The Colonnade in Atlanta. The beloved Southern restaurant is open for dining-in on Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., but no reservations are being accepted, so prepare for a wait.
📚 If you’re looking for a gift or just something new to read, the Atlanta Indie Bookshop Crawl continues through the weekend and includes Charis Books & More in Decatur, The Lavender Bookshop in Marietta, and Bookish in East Atlanta.
⚡ Mary’s in East Atlanta will host its annual Lighting of the Baby Jesus on Friday night, Nov. 28, with a performance by Queen Ella and music from DJ Headmaster.
🎁 Community Market will be set up at Finca to Filter along the Atlanta Beltline in Old Fourth Ward on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with goods by local artists and makers.
🧸 MAAP is taking over Hotel Granada in Midtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 7–9 p.m. for its annual Holiday Party + Toy Drive for local kids.
➳ Be sure to visit our Instagram stories @thegeorgiavoice to see even more upcoming events across the state.