Atlanta and Columbia

Our friend Steve drove us the three to Atlanta from Birmingham after his evening shift at work. We arrived at about 2 am (after which Steve had to turn around and drive back - what a good friend!) at Carly's apartment. Carly and Roman went to college together, and it was great to see them reconnect. All of the folks we had stayed with and hung out with up until that point were people I knew one way or the other.

We settled in, and on Tuesday, we went out for lunch with Paulina from Southerners On New Ground (SONG), an organization now based in Atlanta that works to build, connect, and sustain folks in the South who believe in liberation across all lines of race, class, culture, gender and sexuality. I have to admit, after hearing so many good things from so many people about SONG's work, I was a little starstruck at first, but once I got over my initial nerves, the conversation started flowing.

Paulina told us more about the history of SONG, we shared our plans for Sanctuary Collective, and then we got in a thought-provoking discussion about the most productive way to approach trainings and conversations around the way oppression operates and intersects with other forms of oppression within our culture. In the end, she offered to share some of the curriculum materials that SONG uses in their trainings, which I am really excited to see and digest.

After lunch, Kathy Stayton came to pick us up. She and I both attended the same church outside of Philadelphia during the 5 years I lived there, and it was so great to see her again and reconnect. Kathy is also on the council of the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, and continues to work with them from her new location in Atlanta.

Kathy drove us to OutWrite, an LGBTQ bookstore and coffeeshop, where we browsed and talked with the staff for a while, leaving some bookmarks behind. Our next stop was the YouthPride Center - the nation's only community center devoted entirely to the wellbeing and empowerment of LGBTQ youth.

We met Paul, who gave us a tour of the center, explaining the programming along the way. I was impressed by the free mental health services they offer to youth AND their families, as well as their devotion to developing programs and resources geared toward young trans folks. They seemed to have a good ballance of structured programming and unstructured time to just hang out. The colors for the walls were chosen by the youth themselves (they were bright and welcoming), and they have an air hockey table, as well as a huge TV with a Nintendo Wii with big comfy chairs and couches set up in their lounge. For once, I wanted to be the age that people usually assume I am (around 19), so I would be able to come to Atlanta and hang out there!

After leaving some bookmarks there as well, we went back to Kathy's house, where we had dinner with Kathy, her husband Bill, Carly (our host), and Max, who is a grad student in Morehouse's Sexual Health program. Max is also on the board of Atlanta Pride.

We had delicious food, and some great discussions about everything from faith to where we grew up to the issues that trans folks face socially and politically. I left wishing I had more intergenerational interactions in my daily life. It felt really wonderful to be taken care of and to have the familial atmosphere of eating a home-cooked meal around the table with each other.

When it was time for us to move on to Columbia, Kathy came to pick us up at Carly's, and drove us the three hours northeast. After eating lunch downtown and saying our goodbyes, we settled in at a cafe with wireless internet until it was time for us to meet with Candace from Whosoever - an online magazine for LGBTQ Christians. We met for dinner (I ate a delicious burrito), and then Candace was kind enough to take us to her place to spend the night, where we did an interview for the Whosoever podcast. We'll post that link once it's up on the website, of course!

Our time in Columbia was short, but filled with overwheming generosity and hospitality. After letting us sleep in, Candace drove us up to Charlotte, where a new day and a new adventure awaits us!