Don’t have anywhere to go this Thanksgiving? The Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center has you covered.
The annual MGLCC Thanksgiving potluck will begin at noon on Thursday, November 28th and run through 4 p.m. They’ll provide the turkey and a vegetarian alternative, and guests are expected to bring sides and desserts.
MGLCC is located at 892 S. Cooper.
Since part of the Defense of Marriage Act was struck down by the Supreme Court in June there’s been a fair share of confusion over what that means for LGBT couples.
Should you get married if you live in a non-marriage state like Tennessee? What rights are honored, and what rights are not?
Local attorney Susan McKenzie will answer these questions and others from the public about how the striking down of DOMA could affect their lives and marriages in “DOMA is Crumbling, and The World is Changing. What Does It Mean for Me and My Family?” The talk begins at 6 p.m. tonight (November 21st) at the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center (892 S. Cooper).
McKenzie, a longtime supporter of LGBT equality, has represented clients in legal matters including divorce, breakups, child custody, family protection, misdemeanor criminal defense, and personal injury.
Today (November 20th) is the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance, when candlelight vigils across the country are held to honor transgender victims of violence.
Perpetual Transition, the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center’s transgender support group, will hold a local vigil tonight at First Congregational Church at 7 p.m. Names of victims will be read, and there will be speakers.
Perhaps the most well-known local transgender violence victim was Duanna Johnson, the transgender woman who was beaten and called demeaning names by former Memphis Police officer Bridges McRae in 2008 after he had arrested her on alleged prostitution charges. Johnson was found dead from a gunshot wound in North Memphis later that year.
The Mid-South Peace & Justice Center’s Community-Police Relations Forum series highlights certain segments of Memphis’ population and helps to bridge the gap between the people and the police. Tonight, the focus is on the LGBTQ community.
The LGBTQ Community-Police Relations Forum will be held at Holy Trinity United Church of Christ (685 S. Highland) tonight (November 19th) from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
At the meeting, members of the LGBTQ community and their allies will be asked to share stories of interactions with local law enforcement. A handful of Memphis Police officers and Shelby County Sheriff’s deputies will be on-hand. The forum is intended to break down the walls of communication between the community and the police.
For more information, check out the event’s Facebook page.
Most days, The Parkview at Poplar and Kenilworth near Overton Park is just a cozy senior living center. But on Saturday, November 16th, the Mystic Krewe of Pegasus will transform the Parkview’s ballroom into a New Orleans Mardi Gras party.
The annual silent auction benefiting Friends for Life is themed “In Ol’ N’awlins,” and there will be plenty in the way of costumes, beads, and Cajun cuisine. The silent auction will include gift certificates, home decor, beauty products, jewelry, gift baskets, sports collectibles, and more.
Admission is $5. Bidding runs from 6 to 9 p.m. The Parkview is located at 1914 Poplar. For more information on the event, go here.
Key West, Florida’s annual Fantasy Fest celebration has been described as that area’s version of Mardi Gras. Semi-nude or crazily costumed revelers party in the streets for about 10 or so days toward the end of each October. The event isn’t strictly for the LGBT community, but since part of Duval Street in Key West is home to gay bars, there’s a large LGBT presence at Fantasy Fest.
Memphis photographer Saj Crone documented last month’s fest, and her images will be showcased on Friday, November 15th from 6 to 9 p.m. at Gasoline Gallery at 2493 Broad Avenue in the 15th installment of curator/artist Jason Miller’s “Circuitous Succession: An Exhibition Series.” Crone’s show is called “Fantasy Fest—Key West: New Vernacular Images.” The images will remain on view until November 19th.
Here’s Saj Crone’s artist statement:
“Fantasy Fest is an annual week-long celebration in Key West, Florida in it’s 32nd year. It culminates in a parade at the end of the week, when Duval Street is filled with people in various costumes and states of undress. It is a street party filled with the fantasies of free spirits.
October 26th, 2013, my cousin and I drove to Key West from his home in West Palm Beach. We were visiting a friend, and our visit began in the middle of the parade day. We walked up and down Duval Street. I was amazed and kept shooting my camera. That evening we watched the two hour parade, which demanded more photographs.
This exhibit is a result of that day. Jason Miller, curator of the show, insisted that I show these images because they are so different from what I usually shoot- swamps and river floods. I’m glad to be showing this work- with thanks to Jason and his inspired efforts in putting this show together.
Donna K. Ford’s debut romance novel, Healing Hearts, tells the story of two women — a grieving woman attempting to move on after her partner’s death and a reclusive artist/former FBI profiler on the run — who meet at a women’s retreat in the mountains of East Tennessee.
Ford will be signing Healing Hearts at Dru’s Place on Friday, November 15th from 3 to 5 p.m. and again from 6:30 until the bar closes.
Healing Hearts is published by Bold Strokes Books, which specializes in LGBTQ literature. Ford lives in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The national Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) took a major step ahead on Monday, after a decades-long struggle between progressive and conservative politicians.
On Monday, every member of the Democratic caucus and a few Republicans in the Senate voted to move forward with the bill that would make workplace discrimination against LGBT employees illegal on a national scale.
The bill is expected to pass the full Senate. Even hardcore conservative Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah voted in favor of moving the bill forward on Monday, but Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker both voted against the bill. The bill may face a tough crowd in the Republican-led House of Representatives.
In 1996, the last time the Senate considered passage of ENDA, the bill failed by one vote.
Domestic violence stretches beyond the stereotypical image of a husband beating his wife. As Domestic Violence Month comes to a close, LGBT victims are speaking out on how violence within relationships has impacted their lives.
The program, “Stories of Courage: Loud and In Color,” at Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center tonight will feature a guided dialogue with members of the LGBT community whose lives have been affected by domestic violence. The event is jointed sponsored by MGLCC, the Family Safety Center, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.
Local organizations will be on hand to share information on services available to help victims of domestic violence.
“Stories of Courage: Loud and In Color” is free to the public. It runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
On Saturday, October 26th, Friends for Life will hold its annual Halloween party benefiting the organization’s educational, housing, and wellness programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.
This year’s theme is “Night at the Museum” because the event will be held at The Memphis Pink Palace Museum for the first time. The party has been held at Bridges for the past several years.
The Memphis Flyer has two tickets to the party to giveaway. To enter, leave a comment below letting us know what you plan to wear for Halloween this year. We’ll choose one commenter at random at 10 a.m. on Friday morning. The winner must be able to pick his or her tickets up at the Flyer office at 460 Tennessee Street by 5 p.m. on Friday.
Tickets are $40 at the door or $80 for VIP (includes drink tickets). The party runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Good luck!
