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1 week ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Five years following the release of his memoir "Black Enough, Man Enough: Embracing My Mixed Race and Sexual Fluidity," Virgil's Gullah Kitchen and Bar co-owner Gee Smalls released the self-narrated audiobook version for Pride month and Juneteenth. Smalls' memoir began as a joint endeavor with his husband, Juan, when they went to a writing coach to explore creating a book together.
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1 week ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
The month of June is a celebration of freedom for marginalized communities. The LGBTQ+ community celebrates the freedoms won by activists since the Stonewall Riots. Juneteenth commemorates the day news of the emancipation of enslaved Black people reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. With a name literally meaning "true freedom," local Black- and LGBTQ+-owned tequila company Reyalibre embodies the spirit of June all year long.
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1 week ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision regarding gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Tennessee, Atlanta LGBTQ+ organizations are responding with a renewed fight for transgender rights in the South and across the country. On Wednesday, June 18, the Supreme Court ruled that the ban on transgender health care for minors in Tennessee was constitutional.
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1 week ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to adopt The Stitch Master Plan at its meeting on June 16. The project will create approximately 17 acres of new community park space atop a ¾-mile platform spanning the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue.
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1 week ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
The Atlanta City Council unanimously passed a controversial update to the city's tree protection ordinance (TPO) at its June 16 meeting. The vote came after the update was advanced by the Community Development and Human Services Committee on June 10. After months of discussing and drafting changes to the TPO, the council approved a scaled-down version of the legislation, and the updated ordinance was sent the Mayor Andre Dickens' desk for his signature.
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2 weeks ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Seeing the world premiere of "Young John Lewis" at Theatrical Outfit feels like being on the precipice of something big; you know that a couple of years down the line, you'll be bragging that you saw it before it was on Broadway. The musical, with book and lyrics by Psalmayene 24 and music by Eugene H.
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2 weeks ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Body-inclusive gym Team Lis Smash will host its sixth Rainbow Deadlift Showdown, a friendly showcase celebrating the strength and joy of the LGBTQ+ community, on Saturday, June 14. LGBTQ+ and allied lifters will gather on Saturday for the showcase, where they will have three attempts to deadlift their largest weight. The event is open to everyone; registered lifters range from 11 to 60 years old and are lifting from under 100 to nearly 500 pounds.
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2 weeks ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Inspired by his own experiences with mental health, autistic Atlanta teenager Shyam Contractor is hosting a charity basketball tournament to raise money for CHRIS 180 through his nonprofit, Happy Kids Tournaments. Shyam, 14, wants to help other Atlanta teenagers get mental health care after suffering from depression. "Everyone deserves the kind of care that I got," he told Rough Draft.
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2 weeks ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Atlanta Pride has announced the official theme of this year's Pride festival on October 11 and 12. The theme, "Rooted in Resistance," honors the history of the LGBTQ+ movement and the Stonewall Riots of 1969. "Our community's journey has always been 'Rooted in Resistance.' From Stonewall to the present day, we have continually stood firm in the face of adversity, demanding our rights and celebrating our identities," Chris McCain, the Executive Director of Atlanta Pride, said.
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2 weeks ago | 
roughdraftatlanta.com | Katie Burkholder
Amid ever-expanding legislative attacks on trans people, militarized aggression against protestors, and a proliferation of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments, trans Atlantans Monica Helms and Darlene Wagner are seeking community support to take refuge in Costa Rica. When President Donald Trump was inaugurated, the couple knew they needed to relocate.
