Fresh Loaf

Longtime LGBT nightlife magazine David (along with Southern Voice) shut down on Monday but there was still one David issue left on the computers ready to hit the streets. What to do?

How about calling in the Red Dog Unit and raiding the building Eagle-style?!

Okay well it wasn’t that dramatic, but Project Q Atlanta has the real story:

Staffers at David had already put their Nov. 19 issue to bed, meaning it was produced and ready to print in advance of hitting the street Thursday. As we now know, it never made it.

But former employees recovered the files on Wednesday when the company allowed them back into the office to remove their personal belongings. And they posted them to David’s Facebook page, allowing a look at the lost issue of the magazine.

Check out the final columns, articles, Seen@’s and one last bitch here.

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Gov. Sonny Perdue

The lawyer hired by Gov. Sonny Perdue to file appeals, injunctions, motions and whatever else barristers do for Georgia in its ongoing “water war” with Florida and Alabama will be paid $855 an hour.

The AJC reports:

Seth Waxman, a former U.S. solicitor general in the Clinton administration, was tapped this week to replace Paul Clement, a King & Spalding attorney who withdrew because of a possible conflict of interest. Waxman’s hourly rate is a 10 percent discount off his normal rate of $950 an hour, a spokesman for the governor’s office said Friday.

Thanks for the discount, Mr. Waxman!

OK, $855 an hour. That’s $14.25 a minute. If I charged $855 an hour, I could earn my monthly rent in just 49 minutes. I’d only have to put in seven hours of work at the office to buy this rip-roarin’ jet ski. (Maybe an amphibious car?) If I wanted to purchase the entire Bob Ross DVD collection, I’d only have to toil for 48 minutes.

We are all in the wrong line of work.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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OPRAH WINFREY: The Big O is downsizing

>> UC Berkeley students took over a campus building this morning in protest of the university’s decision to raise tuition by 32 percent. The Birkenstock-clad students were upset that their parents would have to pay more for tuition, leaving less money to pay for their trips to South America to find themselves. (San Francisco Gate Chronicle)

>> The European Union elected Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy as the new president, though many European leaders felt disappointed that the weak personality (unlike another president I know) would represent the EU on the world stage. Obama: 1. Van Rompuy: 0. (Voice of America News)

>> Speaking of world leaders: The U.S. Embassy is working to get the Chinese government to change the official translation of Obama phonetically from Ao Ba Ma to Ou Ba Ma. However the first translation became popular initially, so it’s unlikely to change. Asian governments have confirmed that they’ll say his name right once Obama learns how to bow correctly. (New Yorker)

>> To the shock and sadness to housewives everywhere, Oprah Winfrey announced yesterday that she will end her “Oprah Winfrey Show” in its 25th season in 2011. The O plans to transform her program into something “small and different” on her own network, but I worry, how will she be able to elect our next president with a smaller show? (Deadline.com)

>> And finally: A coalition of Christian leaders, mostly conservative evangelicals and Roman Catholics, issued a declaration urging the White House to strike down any of the Senate’s health care reform that allows abortion coverage. Missing from the declaration is mandatory electronic holy water dispensers. (Fox News)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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President Barack Obama today named state Sen. David Adelman, D-Atlanta, as his pick to become the next U.S. ambassador to Singapore.

Adelman’s served four terms under the Gold Dome and has a well-earned reputation as one of the more progressive — and politically savvy — politicos. He wasn’t able to talk about the nomination on the record, instead referring us to the White House press release, which reads thusly:

David Adelman, Nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Singapore
David Adelman has been a member of the State of Georgia Senate since being elected in 2002.  He serves as Minority Whip and Chairman of the Urban Affairs Committee.

Senator Adelman is an equity partner in the firm Sutherland Asbill and Brennan LLP where he has practiced law since 1993 representing energy and communications companies.  Prior to entering private practice, Senator Adelman was an Assistant Attorney General in Georgia for three years.  In addition to his commercial practice, for many years Senator Adelman has represented veterans pro bono before the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

He has been active in his community on domestic violence issues and served on the Board of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority.  Senator Adelman graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. and received an M.P.A. from Georgia State University and a J.D. from the Emory University School of Law.

We assume this means Adelman’s on his way to the Malay Peninsula. After all, one simply doesn’t turn down ambassadorships and this one’s a plum. Singapore, the world’s largest city-state (the other ones are Monaco and the Vatican) is also the business hub of Southeast Asia and a strategically important U.S. ally.

Singapore is also home to the world-famous Raffles Hotel, a luxurious holdover from British colonial days and also the place where the Singapore Sling cocktail was invented, appropriately enough. Enjoy one for us, David.

(H/T to the AJC’s Aaron Gould Sheinin)

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Last night, mayoral candidate Mary Norwood threw a well-attended wing-ding at Amsterdam Atlanta, a popular gay bar in Morningside. I missed her speech, but caught up with former City Council President Cathy Woolard, who’d stopped by to check out the festivities.

Woolard isn’t publicly backing either Norwood or opponent Kasim Reed, but she believes Reed’s stance on gay marriage — he favors civil unions — has hurt his appeal among gay voters. This could be a significant factor in the election because, as we noted in a news article this week, the contentious race for Council District 6 is likely to turn out a large number of gay votes.

It seems a bit odd that a candidate’s position on a non-local issue such as gay marriage — or Jewish settlements, global warming, immigration policy, etc. — would have much bearing on a municipal election. Frankly, if you’re looking for a litmus-test to help determine whether a candidate is supportive of your interests, there are many others that would be more relevant.

(more…)

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Please just go and read their post. It’s good.

UPDATE: Christa from Pecanne Log writes and says that she checked Google Maps to see if there is a “Mountains, Ga.” There isn’t. Why is Saxby Chambliss lying to us and the readers of National Geographic?

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Errin Vuley, a longtime activist for women’s causes, was killed Tuesday morning in a multi-car crash in DeKalb County.

Vuley, 35, had been a familiar face at the State Capitol for several years, working for the Feminist Women’s Health Center and GARAL, the pre-cursor to Georgia NARAL Pro-Choice America, before serving as executive director for Georgians for Choice from 2001-2006.

Most recently, Vuley had been interim CEO for GOAL — A Girl’s Journey of Growth, a Decatur-based non-profit that helps adolescent girls build self-esteem.

According to the AJC, Vuley was killed when her mini-van was struck by a Ford Explorer on Memorial Drive. Police were looking for another vehicle they believe caused the crash.

“Errin was one of the most passionate, dedicated people I know, deeply committed to social justice,” said Sara Totonchi, a lobbyist with the Southern Center for Human Rights who was close friends with Vuley.

(more…)

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GAY MARRIAGE: All or nothing, Texas!

>> Canadian Parliament member Michelle Simson of the Liberals tweeted during a committee meeting that heavy-set conservative Dean Del Mastro “should grow up (not out)” after being frustrated with his behavior. They were all sitting at the same table, and Del Mastro stood up in front of hundreds of legislators to ask Simson for an apology. Simson apologized, and then probably updated her Facebook status with something rude since neither of them are Facebook friends. (Reuters)

>> A Houston lawyer thinks the Texas’ amendment banning gay marriage inadvertently “eliminated marriage in Texas” between straight couples too when it declares, “The state or a political subdivision of this state may not recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” Lets see if straight Texan couples act like the law doesn’t apply to them now. (McClatchy)

>> More out of the South: Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is proposing a new budget where the state’s three public black colleges merge into one black college and the Mississippi University for Women merge into Mississippi State University. Many financially-draining programs would be eliminated as well. Nothing like cutting back on educational opportunities for minorities and women to help your state out in a financial crisis! (InsideHigherEd.com via Gawker)

>> The White House has told Fox News that President Obama will not announce a decision about his Afghanistan war strategy until after Thanksgiving. It’s a fitting time to debate sending 40,000 additional troops to fight in Afghanistan during the anniversary of our forefathers destroying Native Americans, though I bet a lot of the early Americans would not be too pleased with an African-American president. (Fox News)

>> And finally, a group of HIV-positive ladies in Epworth, one of the poorest towns in Zimbabwe, have started their own soccer team and every time they win a match, they march through the clinic cheering. HIV-positive women are especially stigmatized in Zimbabwe, a country where females don’t play soccer. Every now and then, Morning Newsdome needs an uplifting story, and I’m not ashamed of it. Are you listening Disney? (CNN.com)

(Photo by Dustin Chambers)

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The AJC is reporting that the state Legislature’s “Special Equine Study Committee” voted this morning to propose a public referendum to legalize horse racing in Georgia — and, it goes without saying, gambling on horse racing.

Thirty-two states now have at least one horse track and many of those also have off-track betting parlors. Even our nearest neighbor, Alabama, has three dog tracks. Stay classy, ‘Bama.

I can’t say I’m an advocate of horse racing, but my hometown in Indiana boasted its own second-tier track, Ellis Park, so I grew up listening to the day’s race results on the local sportscast. It never seemed to me that the Daily Racing Form was the Devil’s own newsletter.

My only reservation is the same one I have for casino gambling: Let’s do it upscale or not at all. Georgia already has serious image problems. We don’t need truckstop Keno parlors and we don’t need a tawdry, fly-by-night racetrack in Riverdale.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I joined some friends at the Keeneland race track in Lexington, KY, the epicenter of horse-breeding in America. We dressed up, sipped mint julips, lunched on hot browns, placed a few small bets and had a perfectly genteel day.

If Georgia can’t manage do horse-racing in a tasteful manner, then all bets are off.

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Matthew Cardinale, editor of Atlanta Progressive News, took issue with a blog post I wrote that criticized articles on his website concerning candidates in the mayor’s race. I admit I was somewhat harsh, but I feel my points were valid. Still, in the spirit of journalistic goodwill, we’re giving Cardinale the opportunity to respond. (For the record, we’ve trimmed his letter for the sake of space and relevance — and I added my own annotations.) Enjoy:

In a post entitled, “Where’s Mary, indeed?,” writer Scott Henry makes a number of false, unsubstantiated, defamatory, unprofessional and vicious statements regarding me and my publication, the Atlanta Progressive News.

The relevant text is as follows:

“The latest negative tidbit to surface is a weird piece of innuendo proffered by the Atlanta Progressive News, which is something of a far-left blog masquerading as a media outlet. Acting as an apparent proxy for the Norwood campaign, APN has cluttered e-mail inboxes with a piece insinuating that (Kasim) Reed, in his capacity as an attorney, once battled the NAACP on behalf of Cracker Barrel restaurants.

The ‘article,’ like much of APN’s output — including several attack pieces previously written about Lisa Borders — falls so far short of basic journalistic standards that it scarcely bears notice. Still, another local blogger who also works as an attorney was so offended by the lousy legal analysis she found in the APN piece that she felt compelled to post a point-by-point rebuttal.”

Let me go through and respond to his statements individually.

1. First of all, APN’s article was not innuendo, it was factual. If anything, it’s Henry’s post (and previous posts he’s written on other topics) that are characterized by innuendo. It is a fact that Reed, in his capacity as an attorney, once battled the NAACP on behalf of Cracker Barrel restaurants.

According to the federal database, PACER, Reed absolutely was an attorney, did represent Cracker Barrel, and on the other side was the NAACP, which both filed amicus briefs on behalf of a class of workers and helped organize this and a series of legal cases pursued against Cracker Barrel at the same time.

Now, some could argue that Cracker Barrel is entitled to a legal defense, or that Reed was just doing his job, etc., but that does not change the fact that he “in his capacity as an attorney, once battled the NAACP on behalf of Cracker Barrel.” Henry’s failure to back up his statement also means that his comment is the one that is innuendo, but it is also false.

[From Scott: I described the article as “innuendo” because, in referencing a 1999 case in which Reed was one of many attorneys working on behalf of Cracker Barrel, Cardinale points out that the restaurant chain “historically would neither serve Black customers nor employ homosexuals.” But the case in question had nothing to do with alleged civil rights violations; it was a worker’s comp case dealing with employee overtime.]

(more…)

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JOE BIDEN: I swear I don't like car accidents!

>> The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is under denunciation after a three-day anti-hunger summit resulted in what critics say is merely throwing crumbs to the world’s 1 billion starving people. According to U.N. secretary general, a child dies of hunger every five seconds and 17,000 kids die daily from hunger even though there is enough food on the planet for everyone. Speaking of which, check out our Omnivore blog! (AP)

>> A new study from Forrester Research shows that of the 4,000 people polled, 80 percent say they will not at all pay for online newspapers or magazines. This comes as a shock to many print media outlets, but we don’t need to tell you this, reader of free alternative weekly and accompanying free website. (Gawker)

>> The founder of the World Toilet Organization spoke to Mumbai where the average ratio of people to toilets is 81:1. He believes toilets need to seem “cool” in the same way televisions are, so people will demand better sanitation from their government. If they can get toilets to play reruns of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” then I’d demand one from my government, too! (Reuters)

>> Speaking of toilets and the source of that article, Reuters, an admission to blog PostSecret revealed that the design for Thompson Reuter’s internationally known logo is actually a “flushing swirling toilet.” (PostSecret)

>> And finally: In New York to tape an episode of “The Daily Show,” Vice President Joe Biden was in a car accident in Midtown Manhattan that injured four people, the third car accident involving the VP’s security detail this week. Lucky for us, the economy his cabinet is driving has already crashed. (NBC)

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Thought you fulfilled your duty as a citizen on Nov. 3? Think again! Several local races are still undecided, and from now until Nov. 20 you can vote early to beat the Dec. 1 “crowds” (aka five voters who turn out for runoffs).

Among the contested races:

• Atlanta mayor, between Mary Norwood and Kasim Reed.

• Atlanta City Council president, between Ceasar Mitchell and Clair Muller.

• Atlanta City Council Post 2 At-Large, between Amir Farokhi and Aaron Watson.

• Atlanta City Council District 6, between Liz Coyle and Alex Wan.

• State House District 58, between Simone Bell and Asha Jackson.

• State Senate District 35, between Donzella James and Torrey O Johnson.

From Nov. 23-25, you can participate in Advance Voting. After that, your last chance to vote for the city’s next elected officials is Dec. 1. If you registered prior to Oct. 5, you should be good to go. If you didn’t vote on Nov. 3, you can still come out and cast a ballot for the runoff. Remember to bring a photo ID and thank the kind folks manning the polls.

UPDATE: You can also vote by absentee ballot. Download an application PDF here. Fax the completed application to your County Board of Registrars office. You can find their info here. They’ll mail you a ballot. Fill it out, mail it back, or deliver it to your polling location. Just be sure to do so before polls close on Dec. 1.

After the jump, we present a Fulton and DeKalb County poll location list that we’ve shamefully pulled from the City of Atlanta’s “Election Central” portal.

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NEIN Residents raised powerful pink slips to show opposition to Beltline's plan for Northeast Atlanta

After months of heated meetings, sitdowns and redesigns, Neighborhood Planning Unit F members on Monday night hoisted pink Post-It notes of disapproval in the air and voted overwhelmingly to reject the  Beltline’s proposed vision for Northeast Atlanta.

Armed with legal opinions, mocked-up photos and fact sheets, residents of Morningside, Piedmont Heights and Virginia-Highland packed the Hillside Facility on Monroe Drive to exercise their Maynard-given right and weigh in on the hot-button issue.

In doing so, residents joined several other neighborhood associations in opposition to the plan. Monday night’s final vote tallied 99-7, with four residents abstaining. Beltline officials were visibly discouraged.

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What's got her so excited?

Speaking only for myself, the events of the past two weeks — at least those relating to the mayoral runoff — have certainly confounded expectations.

In the fortnight leading up to the Nov. 3 general election, Kasim Reed’s campaign pulled something of a rope-a-dope, implying that his opponents weren’t true Democrats. Both Mary Norwood and Lisa Borders took the bait, spending time and energy trying to establish their own Democratic credentials — an effort that likely lost them both some votes.

It was a masterfully divisive maneuver on Reed’s part, but I’ve talked to some voters who were disgusted by it for that very reason, folks who didn’t like seeing a wedge driven between political parties in a non-partisan race.

I assumed the runoff campaigning would get dirtier still. How could it not, given that Norwood seemed to have a lock on white Northside votes? It appeared the only way Reed could hope to win was by undermining Norwood’s curious popularity among black voters — and the only way to do that was to make race an issue in the race.

But I was mistaken. That’s not what has happened — at least, not yet. In fact, it’s been quite the reverse.

(more…)

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GADDAFI: Knows how to party

>> The Oxford New American Dictionary announced the 2009 “Word of the Year” is the Facebook term “unfriend.” Oxford’s senior lexicographer said the word had “real lex appeal” and is unusual since most other “un” words are adjectives, not verbs. Sounds double-plus-good to me. (PC World)

>> Mayor-elect Jennifer Scott Sudderth for Hartwell, Ga., was charged with drunk driving in Greenville, S.C., though she says she “was merely tired.” I can relate. All the hustle-and-bustle of Hartwell, Ga., can really do that to you. (Greenville Online)

>> From Arnold to Ronald, entertainment stars have made memorable politicians, and we may have a new one in our ranks: Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz told TMZ that he thinks beauty queen Carrie Prejean would make a strong politician. She won’t even need to raise campaign money — she can just distribute her eight sex tapes. (TMZ)

>> I love kebabs, don’t you? Who doesn’t love those meaty, saucy chunks? Apparently three Russian homeless men do too after they ate a 25-year-old man’s corpse and sold other bits to a local kebab house. A Russian delicacy, kind of like caviar. (Reuters)

>> And finally, while in Rome, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi recruited 200 women who were “well-dressed but not in mini-skirts” and tried to convert them to Islam. The women, who thought they were going to a VIP party, were each given a copy of the Koran and told at one point that Jesus wasn’t crucified but merely “someone who looked like him” was. I think those 200 women left a little more thankful to live in Italy. (Reuters)

(Photo Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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Just another night in Buckhead

City Councilman Kwanza Hall surprised his colleagues with a proposal yesterday to examine whether allowing Atlanta bars to close later would be a boon for the city’s nightlife and budget. From the AJC’s ubiquitous Eric Stirgus:

Hall introduced legislation Monday requesting the city study the revenue opportunities of expanding the hours to sell liquor from 2:30 a.m. to 4 a.m. City Council President Lisa Borders sent the legislation to the council’s Finance/Executive committee for further discussion. Hall wants a summary report by Jan. 30.

Hall said the sales tax money from extending the hours could fund public safety improvements. He said the city could enact the longer hours in areas of Atlanta where it’s more practical.

“I think we need to look at revenue,” said Hall, whose district includes portions of Castleberry Hill, Midtown and the Old Fourth Ward, where nightlife is more prevalent than other parts of the city. “Who knows how many millions of dollars we’ve lost?”

Some councilmembers weren’t pleased with Hall’s proposal. Councilman Howard Shook, who represents Buckhead neighborhoods that pushed for the earlier bar hours, said Hall’s idea would be “dead on arrival.” City Council President Lisa Borders called the idea “absolutely irresponsible.” Buckhead Coalition President Sam Massell said the additional revenue wasn’t worth the potential headache.

But Hall’s been tweeting about the proposal nonstop and wants residents’ opinions, which is why we’ve created this high-tech “blog.” Comments will be printed and hand-delivered to the appropriate council committee by bowtie-wearing monkeys holding balloons. The event will be filmed. And if council lets bars stay open later, we’ll release the monkeys back into the wild. It’s up to you, people.

UPDATE: Hall elaborates on his proposal in the comments below.

(Courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

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Police have arrested Randolph Forde, a Mundy’s Mill High School teacher, for allegedly putting a “hit” on a student after an incident in which he asked the student if he was gay.

WSB-TV:

“‘[The student]’s attorney said the incident began when Forde called the student out of the classroom one day. ‘(Forde) asked him if he was gay,’ said attorney Terrance Madden. Madden said the student became angry at the suggestion and the next day the two had a verbal altercation. Weeks later, police said, Forde got a Mundy’s Mill student off a school bus and told him he had a hit on someone and needed him to take care of it. Officers said the student asked who it was and Forde said he would let him know. ‘The teacher held a piece of paper up with the victim’s name on it,’ said Otis Willis III of the Clayton County Police Department.”

Forde’s attorney’s response to the AJC:

“‘The allegation is he made a hit on him, but that was not what was said nor what was intended,’ Thomas said. ‘The student only complained after he was getting suspended.’ Forde asked the student about being gay after he saw the boy dancing inappropriately with another male student in class, Thomas said. ‘All of the students knew Mr. Forde was joking,’ Thomas said. ‘The other students said Mr. Forde always plays around with them like that.””

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A sampling of statements from the community today as word spread about the shutdown of Southern Voice and David:

“The shuttering of Southern Voice and David magazine saddens me deeply. In the early 1990s, some of my very first bylines in Atlanta ran in SoVo as a freelance reporter for them. I have long admired the newspaper’s commitment to covering the city’s gay and lesbian community.

As a David reader, I became a fan of columnists Topher Payne and Ryan Lee who added gifted young voices and fresh perspective to the city’s gay community as they bravely shared the universal intricacies of their lives.
With mainstream media outlets simultaneously undergoing financial challenges and downsizing in the current economy, the work of Southern Voice and David was more important than ever. It will be much missed.”

—Richard Eldredge, reporter, former writer for the AJC’s Peach Buzz

“The reportings and opinions of Laura, Matt, Dyana, Ryan – and so many others with Southern Voice and David – have meant a tremendous amount to me over the years. I remember the first time I picked up a Southern Voice as a closeted teenager and what it meant for me to know that I wasn’t alone and that I was part of a community that was large enough to sustain a print newspaper! (I worked up a little more courage and picked up David – a rather risqué publication for a Southern Baptist kid from north Georgia – a little later on. I always enjoyed it’s content.) Thanks for over 20 years of service to our community. Our struggle for full equality continues and it’s up to us to find new ways to communicate with our community to report truth, empower identity and inspire action.”

—Kyle Bailey, LGBT activist, former head of National Stonewall Democrats

(more…)

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Aaron Gould Sheinin of the AJC has details on the 911 call that alerted Paulding County authorities to House Speaker Glenn Richardson’s Nov. 8 suicide attempt:

House Speaker Glenn Richardson called his parents in Douglas County last Sunday and told them he had taken sleeping pills and that it “was too late to do anything,” according to the 911 recording of the call.

Richardson’s mother, Merty, called 911 on Nov. 8 and aid her son was conscious and breathing but said he purposely took the pills. According to a police report issued late Monday, Richardson was found in his bathroom with a “silver revolver sitting on the counter in front of him.” Richardson was semi-conscious and did not respond to verbal commands.

There was also a suicide note on yellow paper and another note “related to the suicide,” although details were not included in the report released by the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheinin say the police report listed Mary Ann Burdette of Acworth as a witness. Burdette told reporters she was a family friend but declined further comment. Check out Sheinin’s post for more details.

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A new 11 Alive/Survey USA poll of the Atlanta’s mayor’s race shows State Sen. Kasim Reed with 49 percent, and City Council Member Mary Norwood with 46 percent. Reed’s three-percent advantage falls within the poll’s 4.5 percent margin of error.

In other words, according to this poll, it’s a dead-heat.

Norwood and Reed finished first and second in November 3’s mayoral election. They will face one another in a run-off election December 1.

Assuming it’s an accurate snapshot, of course, this poll suggests Reed has been far more successful than Norwood at winning over the 9,829 Atlantans who voted for third-place finisher Lisa Borders.

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BARACK OBAMA: Shaking hands is easy

>> President Obama met with Japanese Emperor Akihito on Saturday as part of his first Asian tour, but made the inexcusable mistake of incorrectly bowing. The president bent over and shook the Emperor’s hand instead of bowing with a “slight arch from the waist [and] hands at his sides.” Obama must have forgotten the ancient Bush tradition of vomiting in the laps of Japanese heads of state. (ABC News)

>> Perhaps in an effort to regain the respect of Asian nations, Obama invited fellow Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders to a 2011 summit in Hawaii where the heads of state will likely be dressed in traditional “flowered shirts and grass skirts” … That one’s for real. (Reuters)

>> More news that lobbyists (and their money) are running D.C.: the New York Times found emails proving Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche had their talking points published in the Congressional Record under the names of 42 representatives. But actually, this could be positive news of bipartisanship . The listed names were of 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats. (the New York Times)

>> Universal Studios removed the black actors from overseas posters for the movie Couples Retreat, saying they wanted to “simplify the poster to actors who are most recognizable in international markets.” Also recognizable in international markets? Blatant racism. (Daily Mail)

>> And lastly, disappointing news out of Atlanta: the city’s leading gay publication Southern Voice and the magazine counterpart David shuttered today to the surprise of readers and staff. Fear not, though, as Atlanta gays will never run out of things to say.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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Creative Loafing Inc. today announced Marty Petty as its new chief executive officer.

Petty is the former publisher and executive vice president of the St. Petersburg Times and Hartford Courant. She began her newspaper career at the Kansas City Star and Times in 1983.

“I’m invigorated by the possibilities to deepen relationships with our readers and advertisers and expand our influence in our communities,” Petty said in a statement. “The coverage areas which have differentiated and distinguished the alternative press historically may be more important than ever.”

She continued: “This is an opportunity to lead a truly unique company in one of the most economically challenging times we have known. But these remain vibrant markets and it’s a wide open field as all media are challenged to redefine themselves to meet consumers changing lifestyles and information needs.”

(more…)

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Richard Eldredge tweets that the Southern Voice and David, Atlanta’s leading gay publications, have been shut down. Eldredge says staffers came to work today to find the locks changed.

In February, the NYC-based Gay City News reported that the Avalon Equity Fund, a parent company majority shareholder in SoVo, Washington Blade and several other gay publications’ parent company Unite Media, had been forced into liquidation and faced federal receivership. People familiar with the matter recently told CL they were unaware of the company’s fate. (Project Q Atlanta’s been following the story closely.)

UPDATE: “We had been told that essentially we’d be sold down the road,” SoVo Editor Laura Douglas-Brown tells CL. “We had no inclination it’d be this morning. Everyone’s in shock right now.”

SoVo News Editor Dyana Bagby tells CL that a news budget had been prepared for this week’s issue. She covered two events this weekend and was going to write up articles for the publication.

“The thing to keep in mind is that this is not just Southern Voice,” Douglas-Brown says. “This is also the Washington Blade, which has been the gay paper of record for our country for the last 40 years. And David Magazine and the paper in Fort Lauderdale. It’s not just a loss for the employees, but the gay community as well.”

Since its founding nearly 21 years ago, SoVo has been the strongest voice covering Atlanta’s gay community. Bagby, a dogged reporter who offered clear and concise reporting of the recent Atlanta Eagle raid and other LGBT issues, helped bolster SoVo’s online presence. Staff Writer Matt Schafer could commonly be found in the Gold Dome press box covering policy decisions in a state that, by and large, hasn’t exactly been friendly to gay rights. Douglas-Brown says the paper employed approximately 20 people.

“No one was in it just for the job,” Douglas-Brown says. “Everybody was in it for the cause too, in their own ways. People have put up with a lot difficulties over the past year, and have hung in there because they cared. It’s tragic and I’m desperately sorry it ended this way, especially for the people who’ve worked so hard.

She continues: “[The closure] didn’t happen because of a lack of need for our publications. It didn’t happen because of a lack of hard dedicated work by local staff. And that’s the shame of it…It’s a sad tale, how it all came crashing down.”

UPDATE: Project Q Atlanta posts a photo of the one-page announcement that greeted the publications’ staffers.

The text reads:

It is with GREAT regret that we must inform you that effective immediately, the operations of Window Media, LLC and Unite Media, LLC have closed down.

Please return to this office on WEDNESDAY, November 18th, 2009 at 11:00 AM to collect personal belongings and to receive information on your separation stipulations. Please bring boxes and/or containers that will allow you to collect all your personal belongings at one time.

Regretfully,

Steve Myers
Mike Kitchens

Myers is the publisher. Kitchens, Project Q reports, is a longtime Window Media executive. We’re trying to touch base with Unite Media and Window Media. More to come.

UPDATE: Erik Wemple of the Washington City Paper, CL’s sister publication, reports that  Washington Blade staffers will launch a new publication, minus the debt load of its former parent company.

UPDATE: Kristi Swartz of the AJC offers a thorough rundown of Window Media’s financial woes, including quotes from former SoVo staffers about the closure.

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Estimated number of teenage prostitutes working in Atlanta in 2009:  334

Estimated number of teenage prostitutes working in Atlanta in 2007: 251

Estimated minimum number of children at risk for sexual exploitation in the United States: 200,000

Rank of Atlanta among cities with children living in extreme poverty, as of the 2000 census: 1

Estimated percentage of street youth nationwide who engage in “survival sex”: 28

Number of studies that the U.S. Department of Justice has conducted on child prostitution: 0

Price of sex with a 14-year-old Atlanta prostitute profiled in a 2005 study [PDF]: $25

Fine for pimping minors in the state of Georgia, prior to 2001: $50

Maximum for pimping minors after the passage of Georgia’s Child Sexual Commerce Prevention Act of 2001: $10,000

Sources: New York Times, Atlanta Women’s Agenda

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From the AJC minutes ago:

Richardson, in a statement to the media, said he has been suffering from depression for the past two-and-a-half years since separating and subsequently divorcing his wife.

“While depression often seems to be resolved on occasion, when personal trials or tribulations arise, it flares back up,” Richardson said in the statement. “That is what occurred with me. My depression became so severe that I took substantial steps to do harm to myself and to take my own life. I am thankful that because of medical intervention that because of medical intervention I have instead been able to now receive help and support.”

And the reactions are already forthcoming. From the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention:

“We are encouraged by Speaker of the House Glenn Richardson’s willingness to speak out about his battle with depression.  We hope his courage will bring much needed awareness to this public health crisis,” said Christina Owens, area director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Metro Atlanta.
“Unfortunately, suicide and mental disorders such as depression are surrounded by stigma and misconceptions which prevent many people from seeking the help they  desperately need.”

And from Richardson himself, via the AJC’s Galloway:

“As you know, in an effort to protect my family, I have and will continue to have a practice that I do not discuss my personal and private life. However, in this situation, I feel compelled to speak out in order to possibly help others. For the past two and a half years, ever since my separation and divorce, I have struggled with the disease of depression. Depression is a disease which affects millions of people everyday in this country. Like most people who suffer from depression, I regularly see a physician and take prescription medications.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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