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Still Lots to Do During the Last Two Days of Black Gay Pride

Life on Q has again put together a comprehensive list of events and parties for Atlanta Black Gay Pride. All events listed were checked for accuracy, but times and locations may be subject to change. It’s a good idea to check with the event organizer and/or location to confirm. You can view and download an interactive PDF version of the schedule with links here, or check out the static list below.

Black Gay Pride Events Keep Popping Up

I just discovered yet another Atlanta Black Gay Pride event that is not on Life on Q’s comprehensive event list for today.  There’s an afterparty following tonight’s play at the Woodruff Arts Center, Walk Like a Man.  The afterparty will be at Cenci from 9:30 pm until 12:30 am.   There will be giveaways, free Henna body tattoos, body art models and $5.00 Seduction martinis.  The event is sponsored by ourchart.com and presented by Felicity Nuance Events.  Cenci is located at 1259 Glenwood Avenue SE, in East Atlanta Village.

So Many Atlanta Black Gay Pride Events, So Little Time

With Atlanta Black Gay Pride only a week away, this blogger is feeling the heat to share Pride event information with you.  There are literally so many events, it may take me the full week just to mention them all.  But I am going to give it the old college try.  Please check back often, as I will be adding events fast and furiously.  For starters, I’m providing here links to many of the event producers and schedules.  That will hopefully help you surf more thoroughly as you plan your Labor Day Weekend here in Hotlanta.

For starters, you can see the official In the Life Atlanta (ITLA) Black Gay Pride schedule here.  The second annual State of Black Gay America (SBGA) Summit will held in conjunction with Black Gay Pride.  The summit provides a forum for local and national leaders to meet with members of the GLBT community to share information that will stimulate discussion on issues specific to GLBT people of color.  There will be presentations from a distinguished panel of individuals, including a keynote address by actress Sheryl Lee Ralph. You can see the schedule for the SBGA Summit here.  The SBGA Summit will be held from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.on Saturday, August 30, 2008 at The Renaissance Atlanta Hotel-Downtown, 590 W. Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30308

In addition to all the thinking, information sharing and shopping at Black Gay Pride and the SBGA Summit, there are plenty of parties to get you on your feet and out on the town.

For events primarily for women, see:

Circles 2

Girls in the Day (Daytime events)

Girls in the Night (Evening events)

Mix Her

Traxx Girls

For events primarily for men, see:

WassupNATL

The Lion’s Den

Traxx Atlanta

For events for both men and women, see:

Methane Entertainment

Take a look at any of these Websites and I think you’ll understand the enormous task ahead of me if I am going to create a comprehensive summary for you.  I’m on it, right after I take more vitamins.

Pride is Proof God Loves Gay Atlanta

Queers have been accused of creating a lot of havoc, so maybe it’s time to turn the tables and take a little credit. Atlanta Pride could be seen as proof that God loves gay people and wants us to have rain. If right-wing conspiracy theorists like Jerry Falwell and friends believe that homosexuals are the cause of hurricanes and terrorist attacks, then are we not also deserving of credit for last weekend’s much-needed rain over the city of Atlanta?  Why not.

Atlanta’s extended drought caused concerned city officials to kick Pride out of Piedmont Park for fear of  further deterioration of rain-starved trees and grass.  What history teaches us, however, is that it very often rains during Atlanta Pride.  This year was no exception, with a torrential downpour dampening Sunday’s Pride Parade.  In fact, statistically speaking, if Atlanta wanted to erase our rainfall deficit, LGBT Atlantans should be encouraged to celebrate Pride several times a year.

After a good soaking on Sunday, the skies cleared and gave gay Atlanta a pleasant afternoon to spend in the Civic Center parking lot.  All in all, it seemed that the Atlanta Pride Committee did the best that could be expected under the pressure of a last minute date and venue change.  It seemed the festival was slightly smaller, both in terms of vendors and visitors.  But I did not do a scientific count of tents and tables, so it could have been an optical illusion created by the unfamiliar location.  The crowds were respectable, despite the rain and a significant amount of unexplainable community backlash about the location change.  I don’t understand how Atlanta gays and lesbians could punish the Pride Committee for circumstances beyond their control.  Atlanta Pride is to celebrate and benefit the LGBT community.  It is by us, for us.  Piedmont Park, too, is in many ways a part of our community.  Why should we be angry when efforts are made to preserve it?  All in all, it seemed to me that not too many queers cut off their own noses to spite their faces.  People came out, despite heavy rain, and showed some Pride.

MondoHomo Chock Full O’ Great Music

MondoHomo’s Chock Full O’ Nuts concert at Lenny’s was chock full ‘o fun. Bigg Nugg made a return appearance this year. A genuinely nice bear of a guy, Bigg Nugg’s homo hop is as contagious as his friendly approach to his fellow MondoHomies. His album La Revolucion (2007) is full o’ catchy rants that seem to spur us to action. The title track talks of a gay revolution that seems both in-your-face angry and uplifting. It’s an interesting mix. The track I Remember is one of those songs that took me days to get out of my head. If I could stop playing it several times a day, that might help.

After seeing Bigg Nugg at MondoHomo 2007, I had befriended him on myspace. I remember getting a thank you that struck me as written by Bigg Nugg directly — canned “marketing” by an agent or manager does not usually seem that genuine and gracious. His comment to me on myspace was the same as his autograph on the La Revolucion CD I bought at MondoHomo 2008: “Thanks for the support.” Bigg Nugg’s second thank-you was punctuated with a genuinely warm hug and smile. I like this guy, and his music.

Also performing at Lenny’s was DaLyrical, Atlanta’s own HomoHopper. I first saw her perform at Black Pride a couple of years ago. She struck me then as very talented onstage and almost painfully shy offstage. A couple of years later, she seems to be growing into the increasing attention. I did not have the chance to talk with her offstage, but her onstage performance was more connected and more confident that I remembered. DaLyrical is getting sexier, and her performance with Ohio’s Unecc got many of us hot from more than the Atlanta spring heat. Before her performance, DaLyrical shared that family tragedy had her distracted, but she put aside personal worries and gave the MondoHomo crowd all she had.

If you missed MondoHomo, you still have a chance to experience the triple threat of Bigg Nugg, DaLyrical and Unecc. They are touring together in a Unity Tour this year. Keep an eye on the Unity Tour ‘08 schedule so you won’t miss the chance to experience these talents in a city near you. With luck, maybe they’ll warm up Hotlanta again.

Homos Hit Hotlanta Again

Take your vitamins and eat your Wheaties. You’ll need your strength for MondoHomo Dirty South 2008, hitting Atlanta this weekend for its second year. MondoHomo is not your “average” queer event. You could say it’s a festival for queers who are too mondo to be called simply homo.

MondoHomo is not your sugar daddy’s gay festival. Event organizer Kiki describes it as “one BADASS Culture-Fest full of queer rock, homo HipHop, visual art, film fests, burlesque, drag kings and queens, carnival sideshows, Indie workshops, fag football, Big Gay Dance Parties, and a whole b*ttload more!”

Based on my experience last year, I’d say that about covers it. The four-day music, arts and crafts event starts tomorrow night with an art opening at the Tilt Gallery, followed by Homo-a-rama, a free dance party at Mary’s in East Atlanta. A dance party at Mary’s is always interesting, with so little space to move. I swear that bar could triple in size and still be crowded. But it’s one of the friendliest, happiest little homo bars in the city. Last time I was there, the bartender came out from behind the bar, maneuvered through the crowd, tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I wanted another drink. Now that’s service! Not bad treatment for a lezzie in a boy-dominated establishment. Look around the next time you’re at Mary’s, and you’ll notice that everybody is smiling. It’s one happy homo watering hole.

I attended all four days of MondoHomo last year, and haven’t had as much fun since. Certainly I have not had the opportunity to hear better music across so many genres–most of it queer, a lot of it edgy, and all if it big fun. That’s why you’re likely to see me, beer in hand, dancing around East Atlanta, Cabbagetown and points in between this weekend.

It’s going to be one Mondo Memorial Day. Many events are free, some others are individually priced, or you can buy a pass for the whole MondoHomo enchilada for $50–cheaper than a tank of gas!

MondoHomo Dirty South 2008 Schedule

Mondo Art Opening
Thursday, May 22, 7-10pm | FREE, all ages, at Tilt Gallery | 274 Walker Street in Atlanta’s Castleberry gallery district. 20+ artists, mixed media.
Homo-a-rama Dance Party (free)
Mary’s in East Atlanta, 1287 Glenwood Ave SE, 30316
MondoHomo HipHop
Friday May 23rd, 8pm Lenny’s Bar, $15 | 486 Decatur St SE (at Boulevard), 30312
MC Tim’m West. HomoHop Artists: Nicky Click, Athens Boys Choir, Cateyez, Pam Jones, Foxx Jazell, BadKat, KIN (NYC), Las Krudas (Austin, TX), DJ Vicki Powell of Flux

Mondo Chock Full O’ Nuts!
Saturday May 24th, 7pm, Lenny’s Bar, $15
MC: Gina Bling (Seattle), Making Friendz (Brooklyn), The Dead Betties (NYC), Pariah Piranha, 8 Inch Betsy (Chicago), BIGG NUGG (Cleveland), Unecc, DaLyrical (ATL), DJ Kit (Philly)

Mondo Carnivale!
Saturday May 24th, noon-7pm | FREE, all ages, outdoors in Lenny’s parking lot. MC: Ms. Coyote of Idapalooza, the Fly Girls Aerialists, Anatural, Jeremy Gloff, The Bangers, Shitty Candy, Atlanta Sedition Orchestra, Plus: circus performers, graffitti demo by ATL’s own favorite graffiti son, Totem, skateboard demo by Skate Like a Girl (Seattle), bounce house, BBQ and queer midway games!
Mondo Day Camp
Sunday May 25th, noon-7pm | FREE, all ages, Tye Street Park at Kirkwood
DJ Gina Bling (Seattle), DJ Chuck Jones, Medea the Play, Funk/Punk Poetry Slam, Radical Workshops & Gay Games like Fag Football and other outdoor sports, Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? (New Orleans)

Mondo Fagsploitation!
Sunday May 25th, 8pm at Eyedrum Gallery, $8 | 290 Martin Luther King Jr Dr S at Hill St, 30312
Indie films presented by Pink Eye: Featuring the new Pansy Division documentary Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band, plus Fagotronic shorts, and Ukelele by Ben Lerman (NYC)

Mondo Speakeasy Brunch & Closing Party
Monday May 26th, 11am-3pm, Ria’s Bluebird, $15 | 421 Memorial Dr. SE at Cherokee, 30316

Hurray for the Riff Raff (New Orleans), Vagina Jenkins, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Miss Mary Wanna, K.E.V.I.N., Ms. Stewart, Noah Redd, Heywood Wakefield (Boston), DJ Hawg-Tied